How about some ADULT-Rated Action early in the morning?
It all started with a thought “ What is good for children can’t be bad for Adults’! Well, I’m not about to create any flutter with new Gyan on moral or other tracks, but just being consumerist and washing my hair in public. Whatever is left of it, that is!
I was in a situation recently where I was medically told to not wash the head! Result was, after a week, I felt like a cannibal at the top of my anatomy, and decided to break the law! That was the easy part. What proved the Acid Test was how to get my head and hair back to its former not-so-bad clean shape. To say “Flakes, dandruff and muck reigned (literally) over my thought processes” would be to put it scratchily and truly!
The Options: I had three options, readily available at home. HLL -made and Shahid-Kapur –endorsed ‘Clinic All Clear A/Dandruff’, the Ayurvedic ‘Himalaya Herbal A/Dandruff’ and the old and typically child-linked ‘Johnson’s Baby Shampoo - No More Tears’. For the more discerning reader bent on Ceterus Paribus (other things remaining equal) criteria, all were 200 ml bottles in hard plastic (the shapes held no attraction to someone whose primary concern was a no-scratch scalp!). The MRP - Rs, 115, 100 and 120 respectively. I am aware of 2 other market-shakers called Head and Shoulders & Sunsilk, but they weren’t available with me. Further, I understand they are similar to All Clear, in composition and other aspects. Treatment shampoos (eg: Selsun) have not been considered.
Maine Kya Kiya: I had always voted for the Adult-rated two at home, for the occasional scrub to ensure my wife still stays near me! My experience (purely personal) in the wash and after (and here, I talk of the Head category) was that both cleaned dandruff and left the hair clean, if massaged well into the scalp, left for a minute or two (if your work and traffic-to-office permit) and rinsed off well. Side effects were that while All Clear left me like Shahid (Haha!), but with extremely dry hair and hardly the girl-following, after using the generally detergent-kinda-smelling product (its detergent based, it says on the bottle!), the Himalayan effect was nice smelling hair, generally a lower level of cleaning and a minor running nose and cold-ish feeling (maybe my sinusitis reacts to it). Armed with the intent to resort to either of these, my eyes did caress the cute baby-bottle of my daughter’s J&J en route. And like the apple that did IT to a certain Newton, the ‘Good for child, Good for Father too’ thought cracked my brain cells. Ensuring a closed door (wives can get nasty seeing the hubby living it up with a kid’s thingy, you know!), I changed tack, track and shampoo, for the first time in my adult life, to a children’s shampoo. Back then, I certainly wanted ‘No More Scratches’, Tears or Not!
Week Ending Results: Let me put it in the shortest possible form. No dandruff; only Clean Hair. And, No More Scratches. But no sooner than my exit from my first experience and my wife knew I’d dunnit, behind her back (Sounds like infidelity eh?)! Wonder why she wasn’t amused, despite my baby-smelling hair! But give up, I never do. So, the crux of the Week Ending Results is that my wife, me & kiddo share the same shampoo now. It was that appealing, effective and fragrant an experience. Further, it has knocked the shelf clearer by 2 bottle-widths (guess that can mean a lot in Mumbai flats!)
The ‘Green’ Cause: I am aware that I won’t find favour with advocates of ‘Natural’ products with my rejecting the Himalaya(n) Ayurvedic shampoo. But, a bath which ensures you don’t regret later is a real good bath. Maybe, it’s more ethical and safe to use Ayurvedic products, but there is also some such thing as comfort and relief, which you only realize when you have crossed that bridge!
Compositions: The not-so-particular reader may ignore this bit. It’s all about formulations, included since I happened to have them on the label and since they may interest a chemistry-enthusiast reading this (and enlightening us) - comprehensiveness of review, you see!
All Clear : Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Dimethiconol, Zinc Pyrithione, Detergent-based, Life: 1.5 yrs
J ohnson’s: Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Polysorbate, Sodium Lauroamphocetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Surfactant-based, Life 3 yrs
Himalaya: Tea Tree, Sandal, Lemon, Rosemary (whos that?!)
What Ifs: Now, I shall devote some words to elaborate my thoughts on the comparisons between Ayurved and Other-(va)-ved!
- Its has so many chemicals. Won’t it be bad for our health, using J&J’s shampoo?
: I have always (that’s about 30 years plus) heard “babies use J&J products - shampoo, talc, soap etc. I am yet to personally see or know of any kid who has had it bad due to this use. So, if it is OK for a small infant, can it be all that bad for us, who aren’t kids but act like them, at times? And I am sure, with the Pepsis and Co. making their way within us in these times, it won’t kill faster!
- Does it actually remove and prevent Dandruff?
: It does, and I’ve seen it happening, in 3 washes flat. And ever seen a child scratching the head due to dandruff, despite occasional head wash with a so-called ‘baby shampoo’? Guess it may not be the prime concern of the shampoo or its makers, but that it also does seems an add-on!
: Guess that’s why they named it No More Tears, targeting kids. So, unless you have lachrymal glands that have been repressed for too long, chances are, you won’t cry, either! If you do, what are Consumer Forum courts for!!
- Recent hullabaloo about Baby’s Products being not for babies etc?
: Frankly, I haven’t been into much research. And despite any new revelations, I will still use J&J for my kid, ‘cos its been here a long time now, and nothing drastic has yet happened in India. It’s my take, but I prefer to avoid the sudden spurts of vested or other ‘breaking news’ on established products. And remember, I am recommending it for adults, not kids! Whether your kids get to use your shampoo - now, that’s your call! I am just sharing an experience of a Product which I had, liked & adopted. Cos Its MS &I like my pals in here a lot, to keep silent!
Bus, ‘The End’ Batao: The End is that Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, also named ‘No More Tears’ actually cleans hair, removes dandruff, is OK with the eye, doesn’t leave the hair dry (but silky smooth and soft), and, it leaves you smelling actually like a cute baby (now, Objection to use of that adjective may well be sustained by the Court, if you insist!)! And, it really doesn’t mind your not being a baby!
Akhir Hum Bhee To Bachche Hain!
That now is a true-life review, and you can still go right back to your Himalaya, Sunsilk, Hibiscus, Besan or whatever else, if you so desire!
Sweet are the uses of MouthShut, yes?
Would be a pleasure if you rate this, and add your comments, thoughts and experiences!
Let’s All Let Our Hair Down, Eh?!!