How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?

Or did they just stink all the time?How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?
lye soap was made from animal fat. It was used for cleaning everything from the household floors, to clothing, to hair and bodies. Usually bathing was done sparingly because the water had to be hauled from the river or creek and heated on the stove. Usually not more often than once a week. Usually on Saturday night so they would be clean for church on Sunday. Everyone went to church unless they were very sick.





Before the lye soap was invented, they didn't take very many baths. Usually once a year in May. That's why June is the traditional month of marriage. That is when they were cleanest.How did people wash their hair before shampoo was invented?
I've wondered this myself. It appears that the first shampoo was made in the middle of the 18th century near where I am from (Brighton, England). Basically it was then made from shaved soap. Soap on the other hand has been around since before the Roman era, although they didn't use it. However it would have been imported or home made right up until the mid 17th century. Even then it was probably expensive.


Up until a couple hundred years ago they only bathed occasionally and even Royalty must have stunk most of the time!
Well gee, let me guess, how about SOAP %26amp; WATER!
You can make a lather with regular bar soap and work that into your hair. I've done that in Viet Nam and while travelling in other parts of the world.
They might have used this one kind of slippery bark that's like soap, but from what I hear even people like Queen Elizabeth only bathed once a year.