Shampooing is the most common form of hair treatment. Shampoos have primarily been products aimed at cleansing the hair and scalp. The diversity of qualities demanded from a good shampoo by today's consumer go far beyond this general function. A cosmetic benefit is expected, and the shampoo formulation has to be tailored to all the possible variations associated with hair quality (dry, greasy, permed, bleached, dyed), age (baby shampoo), care habit (frequency of shampooing) and specific problems relating to the superficial condition of the scalp (dandruff, seborrhea). Selected ingredients of shampoos that have been popular with the consumer are currently under attack because of potential risks associated with their use (e.g. halogenated organic compounds, formaldehyde, musk fragrances, and crude coal tar). Our standard graduate training programs devote limited attention to the subject of shampoos, and much of the readily available information concerning shampoos is supplied by the industry. We should be increasingly aware that our patients look to us to supply independent information on what can be expected from a shampoo to enable them to make more informed choices at the consumer level.