Aquaphor does wonders for restoring dry, irritated skin. It also helps to combat frizz and protect vulnerable hair from breakage but overusing it can make your hair look oily and messy.
As you probably expected, Aquaphor is difficult to remove from the hair due to its sticky consistency. Luckily, we’ve compiled a list of handy tips to show you how to get Aquaphor out of hair and banish the greasy substance for good!
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How To Get Aquaphor Out of Hair: 9 Simple Methods
Whether you were a little too generous with your Aquaphor or accidentally used it in place of your travel-sized conditioner, you’ve got a real problem on your hands.
You may have already had a mini-meltdown, but there’s no need to worry for a second longer. We’re going to discuss 9 easy yet effective ways of removing Aquaphor from your hair.
1. Try Dish Soap
Dish soap (e.g., Dawn dish soap) is a powerful cleaning agent that’s full of sulfates. Normally, naturals stay far away from sulfates since they strip curls of moisture, but it’s time to pull out the big guns.
Sulfates are helpful in cutting grease and breaking down oil molecules. That’s why dishwashing liquid is a great way to remove Aquaphor from your hair.
To use dishwashing soap for this purpose:
- Remove the excess Aquaphor with paper towels.
- Apply dish soap to the affected areas.
- Add some water, lather the soap up, and allow the suds to sit in your hair for five to ten minutes.
- Rinse your hair clean with lukewarm water.
You may need to complete this process more than once to rid your hair of all of the Aquaphor.
2. Mix Baking Soda with Shampoo
Baking soda is also effective in removing Aquaphor. It absorbs the Aquaphor so you can wipe it away. To try this, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of anti-dandruff shampoo (or your regular shampoo or baby shampoo) and wash your hair like you normally would, focusing on the areas saturated with Aquaphor.
Some ladies have reportedly used baby powder and baking powder as replacements for baking soda. We haven’t tested these replacements but wanted to mention the alternative options just in case you don’t have any baking soda handy.
3. Wash Your Hair with Glycerin Soap
Glycerin soap contains fats and oils that are extremely effective at dissolving Aquaphor. All you’ve got to do to give it a try is scrub your damp hair with a bar of glycerin soap.
After that, you’ll rinse it out with hot (not scalding) water and follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
4. Apply Peanut Butter
Putting peanut butter in your hair is probably the last thing you thought you’d ever do. Yet, it’s a highly effective method of removing Aquaphor from your hair.
Many of us have eaten endless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches without realizing the usefulness of the nutty stuff. The reason why it works is that the oils in the peanut butter dissolve the oils in the Aquaphor, breaking it down and making it easier to remove.
Apply peanut butter to your hair and massage the affected areas thoroughly. It may feel sticky and gross, but we assure you that it is very helpful. Let the peanut butter sit in your hair for ten minutes. Then comb through your hair to remove both the peanut butter and Aquaphor.
After that, rinse your hair with warm to hot water. The hot water makes both the peanut butter and Aquaphor more pliable. After rinsing, wash your hair thoroughly with shampoo and follow that up with a conditioner.
5. Absorb with Paper Towels
Aquaphor can also be removed from hair using paper towels. The paper towels quickly absorb the gunk from your hair. Just blot your hair repeatedly until you get the desired result. If you are unable to get all of the Aquaphor out with this method, try one of the others in this article.
6. Massage with Coconut or Jojoba Oil
To get rid of the gunk, you can also massage oils into your scalp and hair. Although it may seem a bit counterproductive, oil dissolves oil.
So, massage your hair with jojoba or coconut oil for a few minutes or until you feel the Aquaphor starting to dissipate. Some ladies have also had success using baby oil and olive oil.
Afterward, wash your hair with shampoo and warm water. Do not use cold water, as doing so will cause the Aquaphor that’s left in your hair to harden.
7. Leave Cornstarch on Your Hair
Cornstarch has a wide variety of uses. In addition to being a great gravy thickener and dry shampoo, it’s also a fantastic grease absorber. Here’s how to use cornstarch for removing Aquaphor:
- Sprinkle a little cornstarch on your hair.
- Comb the cornstarch through so that all of the hair is covered.
- Wait 10 minutes for the cornstarch to do its magic.
- Use warm water to wash your hair once you are sure that the cornstarch has absorbed enough of the Aquaphor.
8. Use Eggs
Eggs are an effective method of removing Aquaphor from your hair, according to several people who have tried it out. To give it a try, whisk three to four eggs and apply them to your hair wherever there’s Aquaphor.
Leave the eggs in your hair for at least fifteen minutes, and then wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo and warm to hot water. The shampoo will not only remove the remaining remnants of Aquaphor, but it will also get rid of any smell left behind from the eggs.
9. Vinegar and Water Rinse
Vinegar is another household staple proven to be a savior in many messy situations. It lifts out tough stains and detoxifies hair, but most importantly for you, it can help dissolve stubborn Aquaphor. If you want to give it a try, follow these steps:
- Take equal proportions of warm water and vinegar and mix them together. Though you can use any vinegar, apple cider vinegar works well.
- Run the vinegar and water mixture over your hair or spray it directly onto the Aquaphor-covered areas.
- Wash your hair with shampoo and warm water.
- Repeat the previous steps if needed.
Bonus Tips to Remember when Removing Aquaphor from Your Hair
Regardless of which method you try, you can use the below bonus tips to make the Aquaphor-removal process easier. Read about them below:
Use a Blow-dryer
Blow-drying your hair will help you remove the Aquaphor from your hair much quicker than not using it at all. The heated air causes the Aquaphor to melt, making it more pliable and easier to remove. Whenever you use a blow dryer, you can use a paper towel to absorb all of the excess grease.
Comb your hair
Combing your hair thoroughly also helps in removing Aquaphor from your hair quickly. Comb your hair using a fine-toothed comb in the areas where you can feel the most product. Thorough combing will remove a substantial amount of Aquaphor from your hair.
Note for curly natural hair: If you are wearing your hair in its curly unstretched state, you should be careful combing through your hair with a fine-toothed comb. Doing so can cause mechanical damage and breakage to tight curls. So, skip this tip if your hair is not already detangled and stretched.
How Not to Remove Aquaphor From Your Hair
Now that you know several methods of removing Aquaphor from your hair, it’s time to look at what not to do:
- Do not use cold water on your hair when removing Aquaphor. Doing so will solidify the Aquaphor and make it tougher to remove.
- Do not be rough with your hair at any point. Though you want to get rid of the Aquaphor, you’ve got to keep the health of your hair in focus.
- Don’t use too many methods in one day. If you do, you could end up with hair damage.
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With some determination, patience, and the right removal method, you can end your Aquaphor nightmare and get back to doing better things. We wish you the best!