Summary
Shampoo ranges hugely in price, from own brand bottles to premium products that promise to improve your hair, leaving it in better condition, stronger and shinier. But can they really deliver?
Listener Sophie sent in a WhatsApp to ask just that, as well as whether we should use different shampoos depending on our hair type, if sulphates or parabens could be harmful to our hair, and if shampoo bars can do the job just as well, and be a greener option?
Greg Foot untangles some of the most common claims by speaking with a clinical Trichologist (someone who has studied the structure, function and diseases of human hair) as well as an expert chemist and pharmaceutical analyst.
This series, we’re testing and investigating your suggested wonder-products. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or fad and wonder if there’s any evidence to back up a claim, drop us an email to sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk or you can send us a voice note to our new WhatsApp number: 07543 306807.
PRESENTER: Greg Foot PRODUCER: Kate Holdsworth
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, podcast fan. |
| 0:03.0 | Consider this your invite to the UK's biggest podcasting party. |
| 0:06.7 | We're heading to Sheffield from the 4th to the 6th of July |
| 0:09.0 | for the BBC Sounds Fringe at the Crossed Wires Festival. |
| 0:12.8 | We'll be joined by some of the biggest names in podcasting, |
| 0:15.3 | including Sarah Cox, Charlie Hedges, Russell Kane, |
| 0:18.4 | and some bloke called Greg James doing his Radio 4 show called Rewinder. |
| 0:23.2 | You can watch live shows of your favourite podcasts, and the best part is free. |
| 0:28.1 | To book your free tickets, go to crossedwires.org-slash fringe. |
| 0:34.2 | BBC Sounds, music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:40.0 | Hello, I'm Greg Foote and welcome to the show that investigates your suggested wonder products. |
| 0:46.2 | Are they the best thing since sliced bread? |
| 0:48.6 | Or marketing BS? |
| 0:50.4 | Today's topic has been sent in by Sophie Thompson from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire. |
| 0:55.8 | Hi Greg. So I used to use a premium shampoo that promised the world. But as a way to cut costs, |
| 1:01.8 | I've switched to a baby shampoo for considerably less. This shampoo doesn't promise the world, |
| 1:06.8 | but my hair seems the same anyway. So I've got some questions for you. Is paying more for |
| 1:12.9 | expensive shampoo really worth it? Or does a cheaper product do exactly the same thing? And what about |
| 1:19.0 | all the promises about hair nourishment, reducing damage, strengthening hair, or all those |
| 1:24.1 | shampoos that are supposed to be for dyed hair, straight hair, curly hair. |
| 1:28.0 | And I buy a sulphate-free shampoo, but actually what are sulfates and are they bad anyway? |
| 1:34.3 | And finally, because I really would like to think about the environment and I would like to use a shampoo bar, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.