Le Shampooing

We all have something that we do, not because we derive any material or moral benefit from it, but mainly because everybody else does it.

For me, one of those things is Shampoo.

This funny word (made funnier in its French translation) is apparently of Indian origin, and the Eternal Arbiter of Internet Truth has an interesting story about it.

As a child, my mother always taught me to shampoo my hair every time I had a shower. When I started living on my own, I continued the trend. Then I ran out of shampoo at a time when I was well-stocked on everything else. Rather than simply not bathe for a few weeks until I next went out for groceries - which would have been a perfectly acceptable option when I was 10 - I proceeded with my regular routine, saying to myself "next week I'll buy some shampoo."

The months flew by, until I realized that actually, I don't need shampoo.

Now, most of you reading this know that I am of the not-so-fair sex, and consequently, not particularly preoccupied with my appearance. It's one of those male stereotypes that I embrace - saves the planet, and saves me a great deal of time and worry, not to mention the money.

And after all, it's not really necessary, is it? I mean, of all the things I buy (or bought) on a regular basis, it's the thing whose benefits to me are the hardest to identify. And it's expensive, and God knows what goes into making it, bottling it, and selling it.

Let's say you are one of these hygeine-obsessed, opulence-inured North Americans, who can't imagine a day without a shower or bath. Let's say that you shampoo half the time, and use 30mL with each application (2 tablespoons). With a 600mL bottle, that will last you 40 days. So that's 9 bottles of shampoo per year, per person. Assume you use a decent-quality drugstore shampoo, available for $5.00. That's $45 you're spending on shampoo every year, assuming you don't share it with anyone else.

Nope, not worth the money either. Take that, L'Oreal Paris!