The End of Frizzy Hair

My mother listened to all the soap operas on the radio. This was in the 1940s. I used to always hear “Rinso white” and ivory soap “100 percent pure.”

Every night my mother gave me a bath and washed my hair with ivory soap. Mama said ivory soap was 100 percent pure. Well, I had frizzy hair.

When I was 10, my neighbor Dorothy was going to the 5 and 10-cent store. Mama said I could go with her. She gave me 10 cents to spend.

When we got to the store, a lady was showing how to wash your hair with shampoo. I asked her how much. She said, “I have a sample size for 10 cents.”

I gave her my 10 cents. She said, “Here is one for dry hair.”

Dorothy bought a bag of popcorn and we shared it on the way home.

I showed Mama my shampoo. “No more ivory soap in my,” I said. “I will use shampoo.”

When my older sister came home from work, I told Gert about the shampoo. Gert said, “I have shampoo, it’s in my room. When you finish your bottle, you can use mine.”

That was my turning point from ivory soap to shampoo and no more frizzy hair.

Dora Silvers is a member of the writing class offered through the Cerritos College Adult Education Program. It is held off-campus at the Norwalk Senior Center.