Getting Vaseline out of one's hair

[NewJeffCT]

My 2 year old managed to swipe some vaseline & smeared it in her hair in the span of about 2 seconds... I'm just glad she didn't try to eat it. However, repeated shampooing didn't really seem to work in getting it out.

Any suggestions on how? The woman that cuts my hair suggested maybe using dishwashing detergent, just being careful to avoid the eyes.

[fleabert]

1. here you go...

Removing Vaseline

Luckily the news is good. Vaseline, which is composed of petroleum jelly (petrolatum) can be removed from hair. One of the most reliable removal methods involves cornstarch.

Apply a little cornstarch to the hair and carefully pat, (don't rub), it into the hair. The cornstarch will absorb some, if not all of the Vaseline. After you apply the cornstarch shampoo it out with a good clarifying shampoo like Philou Green Apple shampoo or a similar product. Most, if not all, of the Vaseline should be removed with the first treatment. If not, repeat until all the greasiness is gone. Be sure to use warm not hot water for the shampoo. Cold water makes the Vaseline worse.

If you are out of cornstarch you can try a baking soda/shampoo option. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda and mix it with a regular baby shampoo. Pat the mixture onto the hair while it is still dry. Then add warm to hot water. This should help. Repeat until all the Vaseline is removed.

Although flour will work as a cornstarch substitute, it is not usually as effective. Flour may also tend to dry the hair out more than the cornstarch.
Keep in mind that after applying cornstarch, flour or baking soda, you hair may need some extra TLC and a good deep conditioning treatment.

from : http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip1236.htm

[NewJeffCT]

3. thanks!

I appreciate it

[NewJeffCT]

4. Thanks fleabert - it seems to have worked

I appreciate your help.

[fleabert]

10. awesome!

pretty slick situation you were in! ;-P

[HamstersFromHell]

2. Rubbing alcohol will dissolve Vaseline

Just do a small part at a time, keep it out of her eyes, and shampoo and rinse well afterwards.

Been there with my kids, done that.

[Scout1071]

5. Same thing happened to my 2 yr old niece earlier this year.

Cornstarch and several washings did the trick.

[NoSheep]

6. I remember the Exxon Valdese spill. They used Dawn dish washing

liquid to clean the sea birds. That's petroleum, right?

[Phentex]

8. It's the first thing I thought of too.

Dawn should do it.

[liberalitch]

7. when I was two my personal favorite mousse was vicks vapo rub.....

It was elegant and cleared every sinus in the room.....
i did it more than once, my mother was bewildered.... I still dig the smell

[DemBones DemBones]

9. You know those BIG jars of Vaseline?

When my daughter was about 16 months old, I left a big jar of Vaseline -- a brand new, full jar -- in her crib when I changed her before her nap. Two hours later I discovered one happy, smiling child whose hair had major greasies and was wearing a Vaseline-coated nightgown, one Vaseline-coated teddy bear, etc.

[bigwillq]

11. OH NO!

Why was the jar in her crib????:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

12. That must be standard 2-year-old behavior.

My 18-year-old daughter did the same thing when she was two.

She also smeared it all over the end table, and it really made the wood shine! I don't remember how I got it out of her hair.

[Jamastiene]

19. I have heard more than one story

about another standard kid behaviour. It involved feces and the wall and the bed and everything the kid had on. I heard lots of kids "discover" the "art" they can make using their own feces. I know it's disgusting, but the way you worded your reply immediately brought that funny memory back up. It didn't happen to me, so I found it hilarious.

My friend, whose kid did that, was one of those types that just HAD to have children and it was all she ever talked about. It's not that she just really wanted to have children, but how she acted about it that made that little highlight so fun for me to laugh at her. Her attitude stunk when it came to those of us who have no earthly urge to have kids, at least until we can take the abuse of parenthood.

[Left Is Write]

21. Oh, thank GOODNESS we haven't had THAT issue crop up.

[JimmyJazz]

13. I dunno, but while we're at it, do you know how to get gum off

of a CD without scratching the shit out of the CD? I have a four year old :D

[Ariana Celeste]

14. My brother always used

rubbing alcohol to get anything off of his cd's. Drunken friends + messy bedroom + scattered foodstuffs + no cd book in sight... well, you get the picture. :).

Seemed to also work for making a cd play with minor scratches. NO idea how that worked, but it did.

[JimmyJazz]

17. Thank you!

[bigwillq]

15. Goo Gone?

Just a tab and then wipe it off with a soft cloth. Maybe.

[JimmyJazz]

18. I have that! I'll give that a try!

thanks :hi:

[bigwillq]

20. I don't think it will be

damaging to the CD so give it a try.

[Jamastiene]

16. Don't get rid of the vaseline, just

spike the hair in an appropriate mohawk shape and enjoy. I used to use vaseline to make my spiky haircut look better, what with all the gray hair. I just used regular hair shampoo to wash it out. Of course, I used the Vaseline Hand Lotion to spike it after I figured out that regular vaseline was a little too heavy. In my belief system, it is definitely more "punk" to use vaseline than it is to use gels and hairspray. That's just my thing though. Does your kid have light colored hair? A nice teal color with spikes would look great on a kid. It'll wash out eventually with normal washing.

Okay, you may not like that idea. Dish washing liquid may work, but I'd make a Keri lotion mixture (one part Keri Lotion to 10 parts water) to rinse into it afterwards, and then rinse out, of course. It'll keep the scalp from drying out. I used to groom dogs. That's how I know that one.