While visiting my parent’s home in 1997, I found a product that caught me by surprise. It was Lucky Kentucky Shampoo from Palm Beach Beauty Products, but it didn’t appear to be for humans. Since I thought my mom had gone nuts, I immediately consulted the manufacturer for advice… 

Dear Head of Shampoo Products:

This is a little embarrassing, but I’m writing anyway. I was visiting my mom and happened to look in her bathroom cabinet. What I found was quite shocking!

I came across a container manufactured by your company called Mane, Tail & Body Shampoo Plus Miracle Shiner. My mom doesn’t have a mane or a tail! I think one of your shampoo products for horses must have accidentally got shipped to where my mom shops and she actually bought it. Strange as it sounds, how do I tell mom she’s shampooing with the same stuff Mr. Ed uses?

It doesn’t seem to be doing any harm. I mean she’s not neighing or anything. And her hair is quite shiny. But how did horse shampoo get mixed up with other shampoos where an unsuspecting Grandmother could purchase it? Not many people in New York City even have a horse!

A concerned son,
“Me”

A Customer Service Representative responded with:

We have received your letter of 4/22, regarding your mom’s use of Lucky Kentucky Mane, Tail & Body Shampoo. This product is marketed for human use as there is a cross over market from the horse industry to the attributes that people like. We are not the only company that is doing so; in fact, there are about five or six other companies.

This product passes all of the qualifications for human use and because of its ability to thoroughly cleanse, detangle and add shine, many people find those attributes, plus the cost per ounce, is something they desire.

If you visit a Duane Reed or a Grand Union store, you will see not only our line but other competitive products in the human shampoo section but with a nomenclature that also lends itself to the equine industry.

Your mom has no abnormalities and we guarantee she will not neigh.

Thanks for your letter.

Final Thoughts: They were right. Mom never did neigh. And even though her hair always looked fabulous, she still couldn’t run fast enough for the family to enter her in a race. There is, however, a moral to this story. First impressions of a product can be misleading. I had no idea they were making shampoos based on products horse trainers were using to keep manes and tales looking good. Perhaps if I had used this shampoo since I discovered it, I could have trained my hair to stay on my head since I’ve never seen a balding horse.

Lucky Kentucky Shampoo and Conditioner products are still around. If you’d like to learn more, the current owners and manufacturers of the brand is BCB Innovations. However, if you suspect anyone in your family of horsing around with a product, you can verify that what they’re doing with it is correct if you Write The Company.