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You never think it's going to happen to you—until it does.
You're going about your day, doing an excellent job of keeping your twin toddlers alive and, hopefully, thriving, and you're pretty impressed with how things are going.
At minimum, they're fed and as happy as any independent-but-not-yet-independent toddlers can be.
And because they're playing, either independently or cooperatively, and keeping themselves entertained, you decide it's safe to run to the laundry room to fold the towels that have been sitting neglected in the dryer for far too long.
Or, maybe you run upstairs to brush your teeth, run a comb through your hair, or take 30 seconds to pee before getting everybody dressed-up for drop-off.
Whatever your teensy distraction may be, it's led to a monumental mess.
Whatever your teensy distraction may be, it's led to a monumental mess.
Toddlers have a sixth sense. They somehow immediately know when their parent or caregiver has switched their train of thought to something other than said toddlers and are slightly distracted.
And they use whatever limited window they have to do as much exploring and experimenting as they can.
Usually, it calls for a clean-up.
And in your case, your twin toddlers have made a beeline for the bathroom and gotten into the Vaseline—with both hands—and painted it everywhere in record time.
Including their hair.
You're able to mop up most of it without too much trouble, but now whenever you look at your twins' doused dreads, all you can see is Danny Zuko and Kenickie perfectin' their ducktails and beltin' out Greased Lightnin'.
And you have no idea how to go about getting the petroleum jelly out of their hair.
Before you try washing their tresses a trillion times, read on.
Petroleum jelly: The good, the bad
When you're a parent, petroleum jelly is a wondrous thing. Classified as an occlusive moisturizer, it's made from natural waxes and mineral oils and can seal in existing moisture by creating a protective barrier on the surface of the skin.
Many parents have a tub of petroleum jelly in their changing station or diaper bag because it can come in quite handy during diaper changes.
The only downside is how much little hands can be drawn to this thick and greasy product. If the wrong hands reach for the tub, things can get messy fast.
And when they do, it can be hard to clean up, especially if they decide to style their hair with it.
How do you wash Vaseline out of hair?
As much as you may want to, do not try to just wash it out.
First, you want to remove as much of the excess jelly as possible—and this part's really important, according to hairstylists who've been asked about this—without using tap water.
Grab a towel and soak up or wipe away as much as you can.
Then, this is where you make a judgement call based on what you've got on-hand.
At this point, some parents will advise you to add mineral oil or olive oil to the mix, then use a degreasing product, like Dawn Dish Soap, followed by a clarifying shampoo. But some parents say this method leads to frustration, as it doesn't work, even after several attempts.
If you want to save yourself several rounds of hairwashing that still results in slick strands, try one of these alternate options.
If you want to save yourself several rounds of hairwashing that still results in slick strands, try one of these alternate options.
You can skip ahead to a dry-wash using shampoo. You might be asking what a dry-wash means. It means that instead of wetting your toddlers' hair before adding the shampoo, you just add the shampoo directly on top of the oily mess, lather it up, and then rinse it with water after you've mixed the shampoo in. This option may still take a few attempts to get the hair fully clean and can leave your little one's scalp feeling dry, so you'll want to deep-condition afterward.
Or, after you've removed the excess petroleum jelly, you can reach for a different product you may already have in your cupboard: micellar water.
Micellar water is a gentle, water-based daily skincare cleanser that looks like water but is made up of molecules called micelles, which attract and trap dirt, oil, and make-up to remove impurities from several skin types, including sensitive skin.
Some parents who have found themselves in this unfortunate toddler-hands-in-the-Vaseline-jar situation swear this method has worked to quickly and easily remove petroleum jelly from their toddler's hair.
How and why does micellar water work?
Micellar water is made up of clusters of tiny molecules, micelles, that have two segments: hydrophilic and lipophilic.
They work together, with one segment attracting oily compounds and the other one mixing with dirt, etc., to bring them away from the skin.
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Micellar Water Amino Acid Complex for Dry & Sensitive Skin by NIVEA
Gently Gets Grease Out
This micellar water cleanser by NIVEA is formulated for use on dry and sensitive skin. While it's typically used as a daily face wash, its special make-up and unique blend of micelles and amino acids allows its molecules to gently attract and remove dirt and oil while enhancing the skin's moisture barrier. Plus, it's enriched with almond oil, which leaves skin feeling refreshed and smooth afterward.
So, while it can take scarce seconds for mischievous toddlers to unveil massive mayhem, especially when they're working in tandem, it doesn't have to take more than a few seconds to clean up the aftermath, if you have the right tools on-hand.
While you can't say there will be no more messes, at least they might be less-frustrating because you'll be prepared, at least for this particular surprise.
Have your toddlers ever gotten into Vaseline or something they shouldn't have and made an incredible mess? Was it a nightmare to clean up? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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