How To Get Hairspray Out Of Hair

I am pretty much a simpleton when it comes to my hair. My hair is very thin and very fine. It breaks easily and grows slowly. I don't use a lot of products on my hair other than shampoo and conditioner with a very rare spritz of hair spray on special occasions. So I was mortified and perplexed when MAJOR product buildup attacked my hair and particularly the crown of my head. No matter what shampoo I used my hair looked greasy and lifeless and just plain gross. I recently started working out several times a week (translated to I now sweat copious amounts several times a week) and I think it is the main cause for the hair change. My typical entourage of shampoos and conditioners weren't able to cut through the buildup that had accumulated, and I needed help! I tried three things I had at home to remove the buildup and only one worked. Let's find out which one! how to remove hair product build up

Way #1 to Remove Product Buildup from Hair: Raw Egg

egg wash for hair There are a TON of beauty sites and beauty bloggers who write about their strict "no poo" hair regimens (translated "no shampoo" for those of you who immediately were thinking 'Say wha???'). I'm not ready to give up my shampoo just yet, but many no poo enthusiastsswear by the egg wash method. Using an egg to clean your hair is very simple. Just mix up an egg with a bit of water and massage into your scalp and hair. I allowed the egg to sit in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing. The results? I still had product buildup at the top of my scalp, but my hair did look shiny and relatively clean. However my hair smelled like egg. Gross. Not exactly what I want my signature scent to be.

Way #2 to Remove Product Buildup from Hair: Apple Cider Vinegar

apple cider vinegar hair

I am a firm believer in the power of vinegar! I started using white vinegar a few years ago to clean my granite, stainless steel and even soap scum and have come to love it's wondrous cleaning abilities. I use apple cider vinegar at the first signs of stomach flu in our family. It's hard to take a shot of the stuff, but if you can gulp some down it does wonders at warding off any stomach bugs. So I figured it would definitely be the solution I was looking for to solve my gunky hair problem. I poured about a cup of apple cider vinegar into a glass and carefully massaged it into my scalp and hair. The fumes about knocked me over and it immediately irritated my skin. The experience wasn't a pleasant one, so I did my best to scrub it into my hair and rinse it out. Some no-poo enthusiasts recommend using baking soda paste first followed by the vinegar. Since I really didn't want to conduct a 5th grade science experiment on my head I opted to leave out the baking soda, but I'm sure this would be effective in stripping the dickens out of your hair since it does wonders at unclogging my kitchen sink! I was not impressed with the results of using apple cider vinegar, but some people swear by it. My scalp was really irritated from the vinegar, my hair stunk despite rinsing it very, very well, and my buildup remained.

Way #3 to Remove Product Buildup from Hair: Method Sweet Water Hand Soap

method sweetwater

I have never put hand soap in my hair and normally wouldn't recommend doing so. However, most clarifiying shampoos are made of higher concentrations of sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate. (Note that some people are very against using any sulfates in their hair because of research suggesting it's a carcinogen and may lead to cancer over time. Most shampoos contain sufates.) I had Method Sweet Water hand soap by my sink and figured it was worth a try. I used it just like a shampoo and it worked like a charm! It completely removed the buildup at the crown of my head and left my hair bouncy, clean, and shiny. I'm back to using my typical shampoos and conditioners without any problems. So if you don't feel like purchasing an entire bottle of clarifying shampoo, Method Sweet Water might be the quick fix you are looking for!

How about you? Do you have any product buildup removal methods to share? Have you tried any of these methods with success? I'd love to hear what has worked for you!