How Do I Get Massive Amounts of Vaseline Out of My Daughter's Hair?

Updated on March 10, 2009
L.H. asks from Bethlehem, PA
23 answers

How do I get massive amounts of Vaseline out of my daughter's hair? So far I have tried: shampoo, dish soap, mayonnaise. I can at least comb through it but it is still so so very greasy.

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T.W.

answers from Reading on

Hi! Use baby powder to get the Vaseline out. My friends daughter did the same thing and the powder does wonders.

Good Luck

~T.~

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I was reading online to use egg that is beaten and use apple cider vinegar.I would also try dawn dishsoap.
good luck

More Answers

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D.J.

answers from Reading on

Oh my, did it make me feel good to see so many other kids have done this! My 2 year old did the same thing like maybe 6 months ago! haha:) For us, I just kept washing it and washing it and eventually it did come out. Although I didn't like it, she just sort of looked a little greasy for a few days. Oh the stories we have to tell!!

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T.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Oh my...someday you will really laugh about this! I hope you took good pictures :-)

I was also thinking about somethign like cornstarch, i would assume the powder would help absorb some of the oil. Don't you love the things that toddlers get into...lol!

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K.K.

answers from Erie on

oh man, you have my sympathy. I don't know. I probably would ..... here i'll google it for you.

If you apply a little cornstarch to the hair and carefully pat it into the hair, it will absorb some, if not all the vaseline. After you apply the cornstarch you can shampoo it out with a good clarifying shampoo and it should be removed. If the vaseline is not completely removed in the first treatment, it will be removed to the point where one more treatment will remove all of it. Be sure to use warm to hot water in the shampoo. Cold water makes the vaseline worse.

Or you can try putting about 1 teaspoon of baking soda and mixing it with a regular baby shampoo and this should help. Unfortunately Vaseline is petroleum based and can be almost impossible to remove. If the clarifying or baking soda does not work, try using soft tissue to blot the hair and see if that removes some of it.

good luck

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D.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

goo gone, paint thinner or peanut butter

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S.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

OMG L. I can help! My daughter when she was 15 months
emptied the entire jar on her head. Here is what to do...
Dawn dishwashing liquid and cornstarch.
Take the cornstarch and apply to cover the entire head and let it soak up the moisture then wash with Dawn and REPEAT THIS PROCESS OVER AND OVER it will take SEVERAL washings but will come out...TRUST ME! I was so freaked out when it happened and I went on line of course to get answers and this is what I found worked and only this.
-S.

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L.H.

answers from Reading on

Hi L.,

This is almost impossible! When I was a teenager, I read in a magazine a hair conditioner you could make at home, which contained vaseline. Don't believe everything you read, was what I learned! It took a vigelant effort and a week to get it out! I used baby powder to absorb the oil. However, now that I'm 40 something, I'd try using LESTOIL first. This cuts grease. What you're using won't work, becasue they are water soluable. You need degreasers! Try lestoil, that might do the trick. It may take several times. If you are seeing a response stick with it. Otherwise look for another type of degreaser, there's that orange stuff that is used by mechanics to wash their hands I'm not sure of the name but tha's available at auto stores. Try laundry stuff first and work your way to the auto store as last resort. Good luck, let us know what worked for you, we will all experience this at one time or another.

L.

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C.S.

answers from York on

I cannot believe this happened to someone else...lol. I thought I was the only one. My boys 2 1/2 sat the jar between them and went to town while I was in the shower (they were supposed to be napping). An entire tub of vasaline and and entire tub of vicks vapor rub later they were a MESS. I agree that cold water made it much worse and regular shampoo didn't cut it. I tried so many things their heads got dried out. Finally I tried Selsun Blue (be really careful not to get in eyes) and I am happy to say their hair is blond and bouncy again. Good Luck!

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J.H.

answers from Philadelphia on

Well, I must admit that *I* did this when I was younger. I wanted to have a mohawk. Good thing I didn't cut it that way. There's not much you can do but wait. My mother took me to the hairdresser and everything. Put something on your pillowcases. Maybe keep a hat on her that will soak up the grease too.

DO NOT PUT PAINT THINNER IN YOUR CHILDS HAIR! I don't really think you would, but really? Paint thinner?

Your daughter will have very nicely conditioned hair afterward!

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J.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

Dawn dish detergent works. We put Vaseline in a friends hair once for Halloween to make it stick up and after about three washings with dawn her hair was normal. It really does break up the grease!

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E.S.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Thanks for letting me relive a memory. Six years ago my 2 yo son (who was not yet potty trained) got into the tub of Vaseline that I kep in a drawer for diaper changes. I was busy nursing my daughter and realized that he was too quiet, but couldn't do anything except call out to him. He just kept saying "I playing in my room!" When I finally saw him in the hallway painting the wall with "invisible" paint, I had a sick feeling. He had it on the wall above his bed, his pillowcase and comforter, his face, the hallway wall, and a ton in his hair! (it was a new tub, too!) All I could do was laugh, because otherwise I would have killed him! I finally got it out after a couple of days of repeated washings with Dawn dishwashing liquid and a small amount of my clarifying shampoo. Good luck, and write this one up in your memory book!

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H.M.

answers from Johnstown on

Have you tried Dawn diswahing liquid?

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L.K.

answers from Johnstown on

My son got into the Desitin - I had to use Mean Green you can buy it from Dollar General stores. It sounds bad - you just have to be really careful not to get it in her face. It worked in about 1-2 washings.

Good Luck!!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Wow! I feel your pain!
If Dawn dish soap gets oil off of ducks would it work on the vaselined hair of a toddler?
Don't take this the wrong way, but my dog was skunked last summer. Skunk spray is actually an oil making it, too, hard to remove. What finally did the trick was baking soda, peroxide and Dawn in a mixture. If she is cooperative and you can for sure keep it out of her eyes it might work. Good luck. Poor kid. Poor Mom!

Added:
***Suzie Q--of course I'm talking lot a few tablespoons of peroxide here---it certainly didn't bleach my husky/collie platinum--although he'd probably look cute that way! ;-) ****
I do agree that I would never use Lestoil, Goo Gone, Go Jo, etc. on a child!

S.Y.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I don't have the definitive answer what TO do, but I have to put my two cents in here (quel suprise! lol)
I see some people mentioned goo gone, paint thinner and a few harsh chemicals. PLEASE do not put this near a child...check on the labels there are SERIOUS wanings not to have ANY skin contact...it can be severly toxic.
Also, hydrogen peroxide will bleach the hair platinum.

I just realized that I sometimes "correct" others on Mamasource....I don't mean to be self-righteous or bossy (really!!) I just have to speak up when it comes to little humans. Just call me very Pro-Child. :)
p.s Anyone, fell free to comment on my answers, too.....

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A.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

i think you need to use clarifying shampoo or something vinegar based. The acidity cuts through the grease... just be careful of the eyes! i Saw one of the other moms suggested Go-Jo (the mechanics' hand cleaner). That stuff has a lot of chemicals in it, so I would use it as a last resort.

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B.G.

answers from Harrisburg on

HI L.,

Try the clarifying shampoo by Circle of Friends. This is a salon brand for kids. This removes chlorine, buildup and anything that is in the hair that should not be. Try scrubbing it twice then follow up by a cond. You might need to do this for 2 or 3 days but should work. Not sure where you are located but I live in Mechanicsburg and we sell it at the salon I work in. Our salon is Horsefeathers. If this is to far, try a kids salon if you have one. Or you can check on line for salons that sell it under the circle of friends website.
Hope this helps. B.

OK so I have to add to this. Why in the world would anyone put paint thinner or chemicals in their childs hair. I read through some of the responses and CAN NOT believe it!!!!!

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V.F.

answers from Scranton on

Use the Dawn dish washing liquid, even detergent won't get it out. I've used it before to get both vaseline, peanutbutter and zinc ointment out of clothes and off little bodies.

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S.S.

answers from Scranton on

Try lemon juice-it is has a drying effect.

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B.D.

answers from Lancaster on

My younger brother put vaseline through his hair when he was younger - your post is making me giggle to remember it - I think it really just stayed greasy for a while, and eventually washed out.

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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Corn starch powder all over her hair and then brush out then shampoo with dish detergent. follow up with regular shampoo and conditioner.

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