---
title: "What is a Shampoo made of?"
description: "Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth. Every component, the material it uses, and"
url: https://atoneplace.net/made-of/shampoo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is a Shampoo made of?

**What is a Shampoo made of?: Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.**

Almost everything in a shampoo bottle is water, surfactant and conditioner; the botanical extracts on the front are usually present at fractions of a per cent. Sulfate-free formulas swap the primary surfactant for something milder such as sodium cocoyl isethionate, which lathers less and cleans less aggressively — genuinely useful for dyed or curly hair, not inherently better. Dandruff shampoos are the one category with a real pharmacological active: zinc pyrithione, ketoconazole, selenium sulfide or salicylic acid, targeting a yeast rather than dryness, and they only work if left on the scalp for a couple of minutes.

## Component by component

*Every material is a choice, and the third column is the constraint that drove it.*

| Part | Material | Why that material |
| --- | --- | --- |
| water | purified water, 70-80% | The surfactants only work in solution, and the bottle is mostly the solvent — which is the whole argument for shampoo bars. |
| primary surfactant | sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl sulfate in cheaper products | It does the cleaning; laureth is ethoxylated, making it milder and less irritating than plain lauryl sulfate. |
| secondary surfactant | cocamidopropyl betaine | It stabilises foam and measurably reduces the irritancy of the primary surfactant, so it is in almost every formula. |
| thickener | sodium chloride, or a polymer such as carbomer | Salt makes surfactant micelles grow into rods and the liquid thickens — viscosity is entirely cosmetic, and cheap to add. |
| conditioning agent | dimethicone or a cationic polymer such as polyquaternium-10 | It deposits on the negatively charged hair surface and lies down the cuticle scales, which is what "smooth" and "shiny" actually mean. |

## Other around the house objects

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/) — Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/) — ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/) — Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/) — Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/) — Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/) — UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/) — Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/) — Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/) — Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
- [Balloon](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/balloon/) — Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
- [Deodorant](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/deodorant/) — Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
- [Toothbrush](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothbrush/) — Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.

## Common questions

### What is a Shampoo made of?

Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.

### What is the water of a Shampoo made of?

Purified water, 70-80%. The surfactants only work in solution, and the bottle is mostly the solvent — which is the whole argument for shampoo bars.

### What is the primary surfactant of a Shampoo made of?

Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl sulfate in cheaper products. It does the cleaning; laureth is ethoxylated, making it milder and less irritating than plain lauryl sulfate.

## Related pages

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/)
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/)
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/)
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/)
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/)
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/)
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/)
- [Candle](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/)
- [Pencil](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pencil/)
- [Tennis ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/tennis-ball/)
- [Golf ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/golf-ball/)
- [Paper](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/paper/)
- [Glass](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/glass/)
- [Soccer ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soccer-ball/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)