August 2024 · 5 minute read

A mother revealed it took five days to remove diaper cream from her daughters' hair after they covered themselves with Desitin to look like Elsa from Frozen.

Wendy Pryce, from New York City, told Today Parents that she was 'absolutely convinced' that she'd have to shave her daughters' hair off after the incident, during which Jamie, four, and Morgan, three, coated their hair and faces in Desitin. 

To Wendy's horror, she discovered that the product - which is used to treat diaper rash in babies - contains Zinc Oxide, an ingredient that is insoluble in water and therefore near-impossible to simply wash off. In fact, when she attempted to soak the Desitin off, it actually made things worse.   

'My immediate reaction was to put them in the bathtub,' she explained. 'That was my first mistake - getting their hair wet. Zinc oxide is water insoluble.

'I was absolutely convinced we were going to have to shave their heads.' 

A mother revealed it took five days to remove diaper cream from her daughters' hair after they covered themselves with Desitin to look like Elsa from Frozen

A mother revealed it took five days to remove diaper cream from her daughters' hair after they covered themselves with Desitin to look like Elsa from Frozen

Wendy Pryce, from New York City, told Today Parents she was 'absolutely convinced' that she'd have to shave her daughters' hair off after the incident

Wendy Pryce, from New York City, told Today Parents she was 'absolutely convinced' that she'd have to shave her daughters' hair off after the incident

After scrubbing them for three hours and having no luck, the mom-of-two decided to head to Facebook and ask for help from other mothers.

She shared a snap of the two little girls covered in the cream to a group for moms that live in Manhattan, writing, 'Please any mamas have tips for removing Desitin from hair? We’ve tried bath soap and Dawn. Thank you.'

Hundreds of people responded and sent her suggestions - ranging from a product called Goo Gone, which is a gel spray that removes adhesive, to cornstarch and baby oil.

She decided to try the latter, since the Goo Gone wouldn't arrive for a few days.

She covered her daughters' hair with cornstarch and baby oil, before brushing it over and over again with a fine-tooth comb.

She also used Dawn dishwashing detergent rather than shampoo, which is used to clean birds after oil spills.

She had to repeat the process for five days in total - until finally the girls' hair were clean. 

Wendy concluded: 'There’s no chance they will ever do this again. The removal was torturous.'

Dr. Adam Friedman, a professor and chair of dermatology at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, told the outlet that it was a genius idea to use oil and dish soap.

'Zinc oxide is highly lipophilic, which means that it is in its happy place when in a fatty or oily environment,' he explained.

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Share She scrubbed Jamie, 4, and Morgan, 3, for three hours before heading to Facebook and ask the help of other mothers

She scrubbed Jamie, 4, and Morgan, 3, for three hours before heading to Facebook and ask the help of other mothers

After five days of brushing it over and over again with baby oil and Dawn dishwashing detergent, she was finally able to get the diaper rash cream out of her girls' hair

After five days of brushing it over and over again with baby oil and Dawn dishwashing detergent, she was finally able to get the diaper rash cream out of her girls' hair

'The baby oil is probably what did the trick, though the the Dawn dish soap, being quite basic on the pH scale, probably added to the solubility making it easier to get off.'

It seems Wendy is not the only one who has dealt with this problem. Back in 2011, another mom went through something similar, and she posted about it on a forum called Mamapedia.

'Okay, it's been a wacky day in my house. My 25-month-old twin sons were supposed to be taking a nap,' she wrote.

'I heard them playing but decided to give them a few minutes before going in with my mean mama voice to make them go to sleep. Boy was that a bad mistake.

'I went in and found every diaper and every baby wipe all over the room, one of the boys with no diaper on and enough Desitin in his hair for a year's worth of diaper rashes.

'I've washed his hair twice but maybe because it's kid shampoo, it's not taking it off his hair and scalp.

'Any ideas for something other than adult shampoo that could burn his eyes? I guess this is the "joy of boys" I keep hearing about. LOL, thanks ladies.'

Many people responded and suggested things like diluted vinegar and clarifying shampoo, and some even told the mom, who didn't share her name, to use dish soap, just like in Wendy's case.

'My son did the same thing today and all I can say is, I went through tons of shampoo and soap trying to get it out and not all of it came out,' one woman responded. 'But a little bit of Dawn dish soap and it did wonders.'

Another said: 'My friends daughter and my son were playing one day and somehow her daughter ended up with a boat load of vaseline in her hair!

'She washed her hair about 30 times to no avail and what finally worked was Dawn dishwashing detergent.

'You may want to try it. Good luck - I am the mother of two mischievous boys so I know how you feel.' 

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