SHAMPOOS: AN OVERVIEW * V.Sarovar Reddy, S.Prasanthi, C.Gopinath, K.Mallikarjuna Rao. Annamacharya College of Pharmacy, New Boyanapalli, Rajampet, Andhra Pradesh, India Received on 01 – 08 - 2015 Revised on 27 – 09- 2015 Accepted on 26– 10 – 2015 ABSTRACT Shampooing is the most common form of hair treatment to remove dirt, grease and debris from the hair, scalp and other parts of body without damaging the natural gloss of hair and to keep the hair fragrant, lustrous, soft and manageable. The selection of the shampoo by the customer depends upon the safety, efficacy, well-being, hygienic and comfortable after its regular use as cosmetic product. So the prepared shampoo must meet the expectations of the customers which should make its use persistent. The present review emphasizes about the cosmetic shampoo requirement, its role in cleaning, composition, types and evaluation. Key Words: shampoo, cosmetic product, evaluation. INTRODUCTION Though earlier it was thought that a good shampoo not only cleans, rinses out dirt from the hair and imparts gloss to it, but also leaves hair manageable and non dry. But at present, the composition and purpose of shampoos varies so much that no definition can cover them all. This can be observed from the varieties of shampoo products available in the market. A good shampoo should almost immediately form abundant foam irrespective of the type of water used or the nature of soil or fat to be removed from hair. Though foam formation is not released to the cleansing effect, but people psychologically always prefer a high foam product. Some good shampoos are found to have side effects like drying effect on the hair. This leaves the hair too dry to handle or comb. So proper conditioning of the hair is also an important consideration. Some shampoos cause irritation to the eye and a lasting corneal cloud. These should be avoided. The functions of shampoo are expected to be various. A good and acceptable shampoo should have the following characteristics. (1) Requirements Of A Shampoo  To remove sebum (the secretion of the sebaceous glands) and atmospheric pollutants from the hair and scalp.  To remove the residues of previously applied hair treatments, e.g. polymeric constituents from styling lotions and hair sprays.  To deliver an optimum level of foam to satisfy the expectation of the user.  To leave the hair in a satisfactory condition after rinsing so that it can be combed easily both in the wet and dry state.  To perform as a vehicle for the deposition of beneficial materials onto the hair and scalp.  To be non-toxic and non-irritating to the hair and the scalp.  To be non-damaging to the tissues of the eye if inadvertently splashed. Classification Of Shampoos Shampoos are usually classified according to function, e.gs. 1. Anti-dandruff shampoo. 2. Medicated shampoo. 3. 2-in-1 shampoo. 4. Mild baby shampoo. 5. Basic beauty shampoo. 6. Premium conditioning shampoo. (1,2) The Action Of Shampoo On The Hair The original prime purpose of the shampoo is to cleanse the hair. The underlying science has been reported by Lawrence (3,4) and by Breuer (5) , who recognized three basic components of hair soil: Research Paper ISSN: 2230 – 7583 V.Sarovar Reddy, et al. / International Journal of Advances in Pharmaceutical Research IJAPR Available Online through www.ijapronline.org IJAPR /Nov. 2015/ Vol. 6/Issue.11/ 384 – 387 384