How to wash Polysporin out of little girl's hair?

[CanadaSquirrel]

My 3-year-old daughter got into my 15-year-old daughter's belongings and pulled out a tube of Polysporin antibiotic ointment. We found the empty tube, and now it explains why my little girl's hair is so very, VERY greasy. Apparently she applied the entire contents of the tube to her hair.

Wow, talk about deep conditioning. It's been greasy as heck for the past three days and I'm at a loss as to how to get it back to normal.

I washed her hair with our usual shampoo, but it was still greasy.

So I washed it twice the next day, and it's still greasy.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I might wash it with to get the Polysporin out? I googled, but apparently this isn't an overly popular problem as I didn't find a single hit on the subject. :P

[henné]

How about trying the old oil removal method by conditioner? Get a CO-washing grade conditioner (very light, no cones, etc. - check out the CO-wash thread), apply generously to her hair, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse and then apply regular shampoo and then a final rinse. That never fails to remove all traces of my castor/coconut oil deep treatment.

Good luck!

[Nedertane]

Hmm, when you washed it, did it make ANY difference, even just a small one? It could just be that this might take a while to get out. I almost want to suggest a clarifying shampoo, but that might be too harsh for the hair of a three year old, since theirs tends to be finer and/or thinner. Maybe try "fighting fire with fire" and use something like peanut butter, since that gets gum out of hair?

[sharonluvscats]

Maybe some baking soda? I'll mix it in with my shampoo sometimes if I put too much oil in my hair by mistake. It usually does the trick.

[lapushka]

I'd just continue to wash with shampoo, and maybe try the CO wash suggestion given earlier too.

[FrozenBritannia]

:) my son got penaten cream all over himself and in his hair once. Good times. A clarifying or chelating shampoo might do the trick. I think I just used baby shampoo multiple times though. Assuming her hair is longer than two or three inches, you could try a lemon juice or vinegar rinse after maybe and then a conditioner after? Or massage olive oil or baby oil through her hair and see if the polysporin comes out with that?

Looking at the ingredients on the tube we have, its probably the zinc that is making it stick. Googled that and found this http://www.livestrong.com/article/266419-how-to-get-zinc-oxide-cream-out-of-hair/ it reccomends apple cider vinegar, but I think white would do the trick too and its less stinky (unless you are used to using apple cider vinegar and enjoy the smell that is :) )

[lydiajo]

I would try baking soda and water. Mix it well and then just pour it thru her hair. After that shampoo and condition. It's how I've gotten petroleum jelly out of dd's hair.

[lippleyluv]

Well, oil dissolves(?) or emulsifies (?) oil. I use spray oil to break up dusty-greasy build up on the cabinets & etc in my kitchen.Nothing else has worked better. So...maybe try "diluting" it with an oil that is easier to get out? Maybe baby oil or olive oil? Let it sit for a while then saturate THAT with a good cleansing conditioner like Alberto V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze & let that sit for a looong time. Then follow that with a clarifying shampoo? :shrug:

[MinderMutsig]

Ha my niece did something similar, it was a mess!

I suggest conditioner on dry hair, leave it in for as long as she can stand it (put it up and have her watch her favorite cartoon?) and then wash it out. Not just rinse but wash it out. Wet the hair, do the regular washing motions, rinse.

[Viola88]

I did this on purpose. My dermatologist had cut some spots off my scalp for biopsy and wanted me to apply polysporin the wounds until they healed.

Once it was time to get all the ointment out of my hair, the experimentation began. Being a LHC member, I had a wide variety of shampoos etc in my bathroom. :D

I had the most luck getting it out using California Baby calming shampoo/body wash. Wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, rinse and it got the grease out.

[Nae]

Hmm, my cousin put Mary Kay Night Cream in her hair. It was unbelievable. It was like smearing lard on her head.

I am pretty sure they used Dawn dishwashing soap on that kid and she came out fine.

[Tisiloves]

Random thought, baby power/cornstarch might help absorb the grease so that it can be washed out more easily. Other than that a good CO wash can get a heck of a lot of oil out.

[teal]

I use Suave Naturals conditioner: cheap, available in Canada at most places selling a full selection of s&c products and it works for getting oil out. The one that works best for me is the strawberry one. When I have a ton of oil in my hair I put a generous amount of conditioner in and water it down a tad and massage it in well, then clip the hair up and let the whole mess sit for a while as I do other shower tasks. Rinse out well, repeat if necessary (and it usually is necessary). Finish with an ACV rinse.

Baking soda also works but I find it is better with lighter things like sebum... I did not find it as effective as conditioner when it came to oil removal. That could have been my dilution, though. Maybe a BS paste would do the trick for you.

[CanadaSquirrel]

I use Suave Naturals conditioner: cheap, available in Canada at most places selling a full selection of s&c products and it works for getting oil out.

That's the main stuff I buy - Suave! I love their coconut shampoo and coconut conditioner. :)

Thank you all for the ideas. I've written down lots of notes for what to try. I did baking soda last night, and she went to bed before her hair was dry, so will see how it looks this morning.