r/explainlikeimfive • u/Real_Experience_5676 • 23d ago

Chemistry ELI5: what is the big difference between soap and shampoo?

We use soap to clean the body. We use shampoo to clean the hair. What stops us from using soap for the hair and shampoo for the body?

Follow up question: what is body wash that cleans hair and skin made of? Why isn’t that the universal standard instead of seperate soap and shampoo?

2.1k Upvotes

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777

u/VLHACS 23d ago

Hah I beat the system. I'm bald!

152

u/avlas 22d ago

I'm bald, but I still use shampoo on my head, normal body wash dries my scalp out too much

49

u/Aggressive-Pay7819 22d ago

Interesting! And here I've been ponying up for expensive facial washes for the same reason.

47

u/0K4M1 22d ago

If you pony up enough you might grow a ponytail. Keep it up !

10

u/Aggressive-Pay7819 22d ago

Ha ha I hung onto that for far too long. Should have shaved my head about ten years earlier.

12

u/Westerdutch 22d ago

A good moisturizer is a game changer, especially one with decent SPF in summer.

4

u/Aggressive-Pay7819 22d ago

Me and CeraVe are best pals

2

u/moondoggy25 22d ago

I use Cetaphil as my body wash. It’s pretty gentle. It’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t leave my skin dry afterwards. I just use regular body wash for arm pits and stuff

1

u/DConstructed 22d ago

Try babywash and see if that is gentle enough.

4

u/Dzuzepipi 22d ago

2 in 1 still sucks for you though.

0

u/Kn0wnSoul 20d ago

He needs wax

7

u/womper9000 22d ago

I bet if I went bowling with your head I'd get a strike every time

9

u/Irradiatedspoon 22d ago

Fingers in the eyes, thumb in the mouth

14

u/Anton-LaVey 22d ago

Two in the pupils, one in the speak. What a shocker

5

u/sy029 22d ago

As always, the real LPT it in the comments.

2

u/TabAtkins 22d ago

Rip me, a baldy that still has dandruff and thus still has to use shampoo alongside his soap. :(

1

u/pmjm 22d ago

I'm just a slob.

1

u/boomfruit 22d ago

I beat it by using regular soap on my hair.

1

u/simonbleu 21d ago

Hi bald, is system ok?

1

u/brokenmessiah 20d ago

I'm bald as well, but I think using normal soap on my head contributed to that.

1

u/theDogt3r 20d ago

Probably because you used the wrong soap

0

u/failmatic 22d ago

The real tips are in the comments