# Lather, Rinse, Repeat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316 "2013-01-25T13:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/1 "2013-01-25T13:03:57Z")
I’ve seen the instructions on shampoo bottles to lather, rinse, repeat. But WHY? What is the purpose of performing this ritual twice, especially if you have short hair? It seems that it would cause the consumer to use the shampoo up twice as fast, thus forcing us to buy more. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/2 "2013-01-25T13:12:42Z")
Looks like you nailed it, sells more shampoo. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/3 "2013-01-25T13:14:13Z")
If you’ve ever taken a marketing class of any kind, you will have heard the (probably apocryphal) story of a company that doubled its sales by adding one word to the label of the product. The product: shampoo. The word: repeat. (The other story you’ll hear is how a small change to the package doubled sales. The product: Tabasco sauce. The change: they made the whole twice as large.) ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/4 "2013-01-25T13:17:26Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > If you’ve ever taken a marketing class of any kind, you will have heard the (probably apocryphal) story of a company that doubled its sales by adding one word to the label of the product. > > The product: shampoo. The word: repeat. > > (The other story you’ll hear is how a small change to the package doubled sales. The product: Tabasco sauce. The change: they made the \*\*whole \*\*twice as large.) I don’t normally correct typos, because they aren’t a big deal, but I am pretty sure you meant hole in the part I bolded. I only mention it because it took me a while to figure it out. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard the same thing about the nozzle on a tube of toothpaste. I will say that when my hair is long, two washes really do lead to cleaner hair. If I’ve skipped a day, I will wash it twice. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/5 "2013-01-25T13:21:00Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > I’ve seen the instructions on shampoo bottles to lather, rinse, repeat. But WHY? What is the purpose of performing this ritual twice, especially if you have short hair? > It seems that it would cause the consumer to use the shampoo up twice as fast, thus forcing us to buy more. Any ideas? The worst part of it is, there is no halting condition! ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/6 "2013-01-25T13:46:01Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I am pretty sure you meant hole in the part I bolded. Thank you. I was very confused. I couldn’t figure out how doubling the size of the whole bottle would increase sales. ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/7 "2013-01-25T13:57:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > The worst part of it is, there is no halting condition! HA! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/8 "2013-01-25T14:17:02Z")
More information can be found in [this old thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=396851). And if you’re interested in a [poll showing how many Dopers actually do repeat…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=629173) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/9 "2013-01-25T15:45:45Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > I don’t normally correct typos, because they aren’t a big deal, but I am pretty sure you meant hole in the part I bolded. I only mention it because it took me a while to figure it out. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard the same thing about the nozzle on a tube of toothpaste. I apologize for the typo, folks. I find that as I get older, I tend to substitute homonyms in my writing. This is all the more embarrassing because I’m a professional editor! :smack: > [@njtt](#): > > The worst part of it is, there is no halting condition! I was also going to repeat the joke I once heard: Did you hear about the computer programmer who got trapped in the shower? The instructions said, “Lather, rinse, repeat.” ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/10 "2013-01-25T16:40:32Z")
I have psoriasis and have an expensive shampoo to treat it. If my hair is particularly dirty/oily, I’ll use a cheap shampoo first to get my hair clean and then the expensive shampoo so that the lather gets down to my scalp better. It may not make any difference but it seems like it does. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/11 "2013-01-25T17:43:45Z")
If you use a lot of products like gel or hair spray, I could see where two washings might be necessary. I can also see it as a cover-your-ass for the manufacturer. Customer complains that their hair didn’t get clean enough; manufacturer asks “Did you repeat?” ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/12 "2013-01-25T18:02:57Z")
I also found that the pump on the bottle of Pantene my wife bought puts out a prodigious amount of shampoo if you push it all the way down – with no easy way to put the excess back in the bottle. Way to double sales, Pantene! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/13 "2013-01-25T18:05:24Z")
When my hair is short, I lather and rinse once. As I get closer to needing a haircut, I can actually feel after the first rinse, that I need another dose of shampoo. Of course, when I skip a day of washing my hair, I need two doses, whatever length my hair is. ETA: > [@jharvey963](#): > > I also found that the pump on the bottle of Pantene my wife bought puts out a prodigious amount of shampoo if you push it all the way down – with no easy way to put the excess back in the bottle. Way to double sales, Pantene! :rolleyes: It’s not that difficult to meter the degree to which you push down the pump, you know. Just look at how much is in your hand. When it looks like enough, stop. Unless you’re a person who points the nozzle of the pump directly at the top of your head… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/14 "2013-01-25T18:17:02Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > I’ve seen the instructions on shampoo bottles to lather, rinse, repeat. Every bottle of shampoo I’ve looked at in the past several years has had some variation on “later, rinse, repeat **if needed**.” [bolding added] How long is several years? I said the same thing in the 2006 thread linked here. Can you point to a bottle of shampoo currently on the market that says something else? There may be, out of all the thousands of shampoos in existence, one that still says this. If you’ve actually seen it, I’d like you to name it. If you can’t name even one, then maybe it’s time to stop asking this. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/15 "2013-01-25T18:30:49Z")
Wow, is that a URL that follows? If it is, as was planned, you can see the back label of a bottle of Suave shampoo and where it says “Repeat.” Note the period. [http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Suave+Shampoo+image+back+label&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=944&bih=446&tbm=isch&tbnid=8\_L7XXKUCeBy2M:&imgrefurl=http://littleowlcrunchymomma.blogspot.com/2012/10/havent-washed-my-hair-in-three-years.html&docid=jf-NjzCb8ovDYM&imgurl=http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/lumenesse-shampoo-ingredients.jpg&w=540&h=402&ei=ds4CUbn9Hai\_0QHT8YHQCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=129&vpy=121&dur=169&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=157&ty=152&sig=104255277846877397321&page=6&tbnh=146&tbnw=188&start=81&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:89,s:0,i:357](http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Suave+Shampoo+image+back+label&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=944&bih=446&tbm=isch&tbnid=8_L7XXKUCeBy2M:&imgrefurl=http://littleowlcrunchymomma.blogspot.com/2012/10/havent-washed-my-hair-in-three-years.html&docid=jf-NjzCb8ovDYM&imgurl=http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/lumenesse-shampoo-ingredients.jpg&w=540&h=402&ei=ds4CUbn9Hai_0QHT8YHQCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=129&vpy=121&dur=169&hovh=194&hovw=260&tx=157&ty=152&sig=104255277846877397321&page=6&tbnh=146&tbnw=188&start=81&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:89,s:0,i:357) ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/16 "2013-01-25T18:50:58Z")
Along the same lines of it being nothing more than a ploy to increase sales, Alka Seltzer’s slogan would’ve been “Plop, Fizz”, but the ad agency suggested “Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz” would double sales. It worked. There’s absolutely no need for a second Alka Seltzer tablet but how many people do you think stop at one? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/17 "2013-01-25T19:20:17Z")
Oh, Homer J., how do you keep your hair so rich and full? Lather, rinse, and repeat. Always repeat. > [@commasense](#): > > (The other story you’ll hear is how a small change to the package doubled sales. The product: Tabasco sauce. The change: they made the whole twice as large.) When was this and how big? The bottle I have is not more than a few mm wide and needs several hard shakes to get any good amount out. > [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > Along the same lines of it being nothing more than a ploy to increase sales, Alka Seltzer’s slogan would’ve been “Plop, Fizz”, but the ad agency suggested “Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz” would double sales. It worked. There’s absolutely no need for a second Alka Seltzer tablet but how many people do you think stop at one? Not only that, but the ones I have come in foil lined paper packets. Two per packet, and most people probably don’t want to leave a half opened package in their cabinet because they only took one. ---
**Author:** ![Bones\_Daley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/18 "2013-01-25T19:45:33Z")
I remember once, many years ago, sitting beside a rather attractive girl on a train journey to London, who, it transpired in the course of conversation, was a career hairdresser on her way to some kind of hairdressing conference or seminar. I made the mistake of putting forward my opinion (which I still hold to this day ) that shampoo is nothing but detergent, like washing up liquid, except with a nice fragrance added. She took violent umbrage at this assertion, and the rest of the journey pased in silence . ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/19 "2013-01-25T20:21:22Z")
Having been in situations (camping, traveling) where I had no shampoo, I vouch that dish soap is a poor substitute as is hand soap etc. I’ve also tried beer and eggs both whole and just the whites. Decent shampoo needs to leave just a little oil and rinse out easily. I think the repeat business is because the amount of oil different people have in their hair and how much they want left in after washing varies between people, with hair length, and how long they go between hair washings. The substitutes I have tried either strip out too much oil on the first pass (dish soap) or too little (eggs, beer) or don’t rinse out well (hand soap). ---
**Author:** ![Bones\_Daley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316/20 "2013-01-25T20:49:14Z")
The whole point of washing your hair is to get it squeaky clean, shirley, and then you apply conditioner to reinstate some of the natural oils. Dish soap does the initial job IMO … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lather-rinse-repeat/648316.md?page=2)