Catwoman Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I used a new shampoo this morning and the scent was much stronger than I thought it would be. I rinsed my hair several times, re-washed it with a different shampoo, washed it with a baking soda and water mixture, rinsed it several times with an apple cider vinegar and water solution, and went for a long walk outside in the hope that being out in the wind would help get rid of the smell. Nothing worked. Does anyone have any ideas about how to get rid of this odor? It's really unbearable. I swear, it smells stronger on my head than it did in the bottle! :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Shave your head? ;) Erm, sorry. I got nuthin'. That's really bizarre. :grouphug: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Yikes! That sounds awful. If the baking soda and vinegar didn't work for you, I've got nothing. Well...maybe a smoky bar somewhere. Do those still exist? Your hair could smell like ashtray. ;) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Shave your head? ;) :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Yikes! That sounds awful. If the baking soda and vinegar didn't work for you, I've got nothing. Well...maybe a smoky bar somewhere. Do those still exist? Your hair could smell like ashtray. ;) :laugh: I think "ashtray" would be a step in the right direction!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 They told me to wash my hair with dish soap when it was overdyed - maybe that would strip out the scent? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Maybe it isn't your hair that smells. Did you accidentally snort a dollop up your nose? Have you gotten outside confirmation on the source? jk. I hope it isn't making you queasy. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 You could stop by a pet store and pick up something for dogs who've been skunked. Or I think there's a home-made recipe you could find online. ;) Or some Nature's Miracle. (I'm kinda kidding, but really . . . it would probably work.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Weird! I'd oil your hair and scalp, really scrub with your fingertips to get it down into the skin, then re wash with another product. That should take care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 You could stop by a pet store and pick up something for dogs who've been skunked. Or I think there's a home-made recipe you could find online. ;) Or some Nature's Miracle. (I'm kinda kidding, but really . . . it would probably work.) Borrowing on this idea: if using a product for an animal that's been skunked might work, you could try tomato sauce. Pour it in your hair and rub, let sit. Rinse. Shampoo. Or, you could try a beer rinse. Take two bottles of beer. Pour one on your hair. Let sit for 10minutes. Drink the other bottle while waiting to shampoo out the first bottle. Or try the wine cure. Take two bottles of wine. Drink both. Sleep until the smell is gone 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Bentonite clay might absorb the odor, especially if you work it in and let it sit on/in your hair for awhile. I once got rid of a fragranced hair product smell with yoghurt, but then my hair smelled like yoghurt. Now, I try for all "fragrance free" products. It helps the many people who are allergic, have asthma etc. This experience can help you to experience how life is for people who are extra sensitive to fragrance products even when they are mild! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 My goodness these are some drastic suggestions! Catwoman, what in the world did you wash with? I cannot imagine any shampoo aroma so clingy. Sorry I cannot offer any further suggestions, but wow, that's some strong shampoo! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I want to smell your hair so bad. /slinks off, feeling weird but still really, really, really want to smell it... 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Did you let it dry in between washes? Maybe washing it again now that it is dried would help? We used tomato sauce when our dogs got sprayed by skunks and it took the smell out, so maybe try that? Am I the only one wondering what brand shampoo this is? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I agree with trying the beer. Short of suggesting heavy exercise that makes you sweat, I don't have an idea that hasn't already been posted. Can you post what shampoo you used so I don't inadvertently try it? I'm not normally sensitive to shampoo smells, but I gotta say I hate when I have my hair done at the salon--- they use Aveda shampoo, and I swear I can smell it for days even after using my own stuff. I don't know what it is about that smell, but ugh! I hope you find something that gets the smell out!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I want to smell your hair so bad. /slinks off, feeling weird but still really, really, really want to smell it... That's easy. Ask Catwoman what shampoo she used. Buy it. No, wait, she might mail you her just slightly used bottle. Wash your hair. Smell your hair. Pretend you are smelling Catwoman's hair. Done. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 My belated, but quite ingenious advice: Put a hat on. Pour vinegar into a cup. Keep smelling it. p.s. Which advice you used? Which shampoo you used? How's your hair now? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 That's easy. Ask Catwoman what shampoo she used. Buy it. No, wait, she might mail you her just slightly used bottle. Wash your hair. Smell your hair. Pretend you are smelling Catwoman's hair. Done. It's not the same. /slinks away again 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Cat, have you taken a pregnancy test? This level of olfactory intensity when you usually don't have this problem makes me wonder if it's you, rather than the shampoo. Do post the type of shampoo you used though. To protect the innocent, etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reflections Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Cat, have you taken a pregnancy test? This level of olfactory intensity when you usually don't have this problem makes me wonder if it's you, rather than the shampoo. Do post the type of shampoo you used though. To protect the innocent, etc. I swear I haven't been drinking... but when I read this I thought - "Oh my, Cat might be having kittens? " 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I'm as curious to know what shampoo you used as I am about the mystery board in the other thread whose name apparently can't be uttered except in a PM. The only shampoo that I kept smelling long after I used it was an Aveda sample. At first I thought I was smelling radiator fluid and worried my car had a leak, but it was just my hair. It didn't smell weird when I applied it--just afterward. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexi Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Now I have to know what shampoo it was. I can't imagine something smelling so strong that you can't get the scent out of your hair! Tell! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Cat, have you taken a pregnancy test? This level of olfactory intensity when you usually don't have this problem makes me wonder if it's you, rather than the shampoo. Do post the type of shampoo you used though. To protect the innocent, etc. Definitely not pregnant! :D But that was a very interesting idea, though! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I swear I haven't been drinking... but when I read this I thought - "Oh my, Cat might be having kittens? " :lol: :lol: :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I want to smell your hair so bad. /slinks off, feeling weird but still really, really, really want to smell it... I could send you the bottle of shampoo.... but somehow I don't think that would be enough... :eek: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I could send you the bottle of shampoo.... but somehow I don't think that would be enough... :eek: But if you go with the option of shaving it off, you could mail hair samples to everyone, and that might just do the trick. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Please! Tell us what shampoo! And I thought you might be pregnant, too. I had the nose of a bloodhound when I was pregnant and soap/shampoo smells were almost more than I could bear. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 The shampoo was something by Crabtree and Evelyn. I can't find a name on it because it was one of those hotel shampoos in the cute little bottles, but it's sort of a frosty light blue color. I needed to wash my hair in a hurry, so I grabbed this stuff instead of going upstairs to get my regular shampoo. Thank goodness I didn't follow it up with the matching conditioner!!! The smell is better now. I thought we had Nature's Miracle here, but I couldn't find it or I would have tried it. We don't have any beer in the house, but I'll bet that would have worked -- if nothing else worked, I was going to go get some. I was thinking of the tomato juice/tomato sauce solution because I thought it would work, but I started worrying that it would turn my hair pink. We once used it on our Sheltie when she got skunked and the white parts of her fur stayed pink for a while afterward. My hair is naturally pretty dark so even if it turned sort of maroon it would have been worth it, but I have a few white hairs here and there and if they turned pink, I would have looked like an idiot, so I decided to try the homemade skunk remedy. The skunk treatment worked pretty well. I can still sort of smell the shampoo but it is about 100 times better than it was! (I used a mixture of peroxide and baking soda and rubbed it all through my hair. I should have probably left it on longer but I was afraid my hair would end up super-dried-out if I did, so I rinsed it fairly quickly.) I will never use that shampoo again! I have a ton of it from one of our trips when we stayed at the same hotel for several weeks, but I'm getting rid of it. We have a woman who works for us who loves heavy scents, so I'm going to see if she wants the stuff. Otherwise, I may just pitch it. I would normally try to donate it somewhere, but the scent is so strong that I would only want it to go to someone who didn't mind it. When I smelled it in the bottle, it seemed mild and kind of nice, but afterward it was just awful. My ds could even smell it when he was standing near me outdoors! Thank you all so much for all of your suggestions! The smell was making me so queasy and I was dreading the thought of trying to sleep tonight with that smell on my pillow! :ack2: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Pitch it. Even if an individual person you might give it to would not be bothered, others that person goes near could go into an asthmatic attack or something like that. This stuff is not made with genuine lovely flowers for the most part these days but is laboratory chemicals pretending to be nice smells, and a lot of them are toxic, carcinogenic or other nasty stuff. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Pitch it. Even if an individual person you might give it to would not be bothered, others that person goes near could go into an asthmatic attack or something like that. This stuff is not made with genuine lovely flowers for the most part these days but is laboratory chemicals pretending to be nice smells, and a lot of them are toxic, carcinogenic or other nasty stuff. The woman I'm thinking of already wears enough fragranced products to choke anyone near her, so I don't think this stuff would be any worse than the stuff she already uses! :D The weird thing is that she is asthmatic and has allergies, but I think she started out by wearing only a bit of perfume, and then after a while she couldn't smell it any more so she kept adding more and more, so she got used to it gradually. (I don't think her asthma is too bad, but she has mentioned that she has it. Otherwise, I would never have guessed.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I keep thinking of that 1970s-ish shampoo...Gee your hair smells terrific! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nuhuelins Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 They told me to wash my hair with dish soap when it was overdyed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 They told me to wash my hair with dish soap when it was overdyed Reported nuhuelins, our newest spammer who is delighting us all by posting snippets of quotes from existing posts. :glare: Get a life, nuhuelins, and stop adding stupid links in the hope that we will be idiotic enough to click on your text. (And yes, I removed your image link from your post when I quoted you. Nice try, though.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Cat, have you taken a pregnancy test? This level of olfactory intensity when you usually don't have this problem makes me wonder if it's you, rather than the shampoo. Or . . . perhaps it's related to peri-menopause? An intolerance to certain odors is one of my symptoms. (I'm finding peri-menopause in general has a lot of similarities to being pregnant.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 The shampoo was something by Crabtree and Evelyn. I can't find a name on it because it was one of those hotel shampoos in the cute little bottles, but it's sort of a frosty light blue color. I needed to wash my hair in a hurry, so I grabbed this stuff instead of going upstairs to get my regular shampoo. Thank goodness I didn't follow it up with the matching conditioner!!! The smell is better now. I thought we had Nature's Miracle here, but I couldn't find it or I would have tried it. We don't have any beer in the house, but I'll bet that would have worked -- if nothing else worked, I was going to go get some. I was thinking of the tomato juice/tomato sauce solution because I thought it would work, but I started worrying that it would turn my hair pink. We once used it on our Sheltie when she got skunked and the white parts of her fur stayed pink for a while afterward. My hair is naturally pretty dark so even if it turned sort of maroon it would have been worth it, but I have a few white hairs here and there and if they turned pink, I would have looked like an idiot, so I decided to try the homemade skunk remedy. The skunk treatment worked pretty well. I can still sort of smell the shampoo but it is about 100 times better than it was! (I used a mixture of peroxide and baking soda and rubbed it all through my hair. I should have probably left it on longer but I was afraid my hair would end up super-dried-out if I did, so I rinsed it fairly quickly.) I will never use that shampoo again! I have a ton of it from one of our trips when we stayed at the same hotel for several weeks, but I'm getting rid of it. We have a woman who works for us who loves heavy scents, so I'm going to see if she wants the stuff. Otherwise, I may just pitch it. I would normally try to donate it somewhere, but the scent is so strong that I would only want it to go to someone who didn't mind it. When I smelled it in the bottle, it seemed mild and kind of nice, but afterward it was just awful. My ds could even smell it when he was standing near me outdoors! Thank you all so much for all of your suggestions! The smell was making me so queasy and I was dreading the thought of trying to sleep tonight with that smell on my pillow! :ack2: HOLY COW I used that hotel sample too over the summer!! I had apparently blocked it from memory but reading your post brought all the horror flooding back!! I had a little collection of shampoos from vacation and decided to use them up.... I was doing fine until I got to the Crabtree & Evelyn one! I remember telling DH that it was so horrid I immediately rinsed my hair and washed three times with my regular stuff and was afraid my hair was going to singe right off my head (my hair is highlighted and I wondered if it was reacting to the color or something). It was horrible and smelled like rotten, chemical grapefruit or something and made my eyes tear up! Once the smell hit me as I started to lather, I thought I was going to be sick right there in the shower.... plus, it made my hair feel like straw. Oh heavens, I feel for you now that I know what it was. I swore that I would go totally greasy before I would ever use another Crabtree & Evelyn product. I'll take the Aveda shampoo smell over that stuff any day!! I'm glad the smell is better now. P.S. I also thought it smelled wonderful in the bottle and was looking forward to using it. :glare: ETA Sorry about all the exclamation points. I guess I'm still traumatized by the experience and all the feelings came rushing back. :lol: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I keep thinking of that 1970s-ish shampoo...Gee your hair smells terrific! :laugh: I remember those commercials! I kept thinking what Cat used was Pantene. That stuff gives me a headache. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you want to strip overdark haircolor out of your hair, you can coat in in Original Dawn Dishsoap for 10-12 minutes. It takes forever and a day to rinse and then you need to deep condition because it strips every bit of oil out of your hair, but it's another option if the smell starts to bug you again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Or . . . perhaps it's related to peri-menopause? An intolerance to certain odors is one of my symptoms. (I'm finding peri-menopause in general has a lot of similarities to being pregnant.) I'm definitely a card-carrying member of the peri-menopause club, but I have always been very sensitive to odors. It seems like I can smell things that others can't -- and unless it's a gas leak or smoke, it's not necessarily a great skill to have. ;) My ds is the same way. My dh thinks we're both nuts! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 HOLY COW I used that hotel sample too over the summer!! I had apparently blocked it from memory but reading your post brought all the horror flooding back!! I had a little collection of shampoos from vacation and decided to use them up.... I was doing fine until I got to the Crabtree & Evelyn one! I remember telling DH that it was so horrid I immediately rinsed my hair and washed three times with my regular stuff and was afraid my hair was going to singe right off my head (my hair is highlighted and I wondered if it was reacting to the color or something). It was horrible and smelled like rotten, chemical grapefruit or something and made my eyes tear up! Once the smell hit me as I started to lather, I thought I was going to be sick right there in the shower.... plus, it made my hair feel like straw. Oh heavens, I feel for you now that I know what it was. I swore that I would go totally greasy before I would ever use another Crabtree & Evelyn product. I'll take the Aveda shampoo smell over that stuff any day!! I'm glad the smell is better now. P.S. I also thought it smelled wonderful in the bottle and was looking forward to using it. :glare: ETA Sorry about all the exclamation points. I guess I'm still traumatized by the experience and all the feelings came rushing back. :lol: I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! It was such a relief to finally get rid of the smell. I don't color my hair (although I am considering it!) but I was still worried that it would look like straw after all that washing! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 If you want to strip overdark haircolor out of your hair, you can coat in in Original Dawn Dishsoap for 10-12 minutes. It takes forever and a day to rinse and then you need to deep condition because it strips every bit of oil out of your hair, but it's another option if the smell starts to bug you again. Thanks, Katy! :) If Dawn is strong enough to remove haircoloring, I'll bet it would have worked on the smell, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Build a campfire and let your hair soak in the wood smoke? Hair soaks up woodsmoke smell REEEALLY well. . .this is the voice of a camper speaking to you. :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Thank you for the C&E warning. If I spot it in a hotel, I'll chuck it before the whole crew smells like toxic, rotten grapefruit because I might have to abandon them if they stink that bad. Yuck! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Yes, thanks for the warning, dh is always bringing back those little bottles. Some I love - I think it's Marriott that has the delicios mandarin mint fragrance? - but some are just cheap shampoo smell. Thank goodness I've not run across the C&E, now I will be wary! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I keep thinking of that 1970s-ish shampoo...Gee your hair smells terrific! It made me think of the original Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo--the green shampoo with the flower girl on the front. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The woman I'm thinking of already wears enough fragranced products to choke anyone near her, so I don't think this stuff would be any worse than the stuff she already uses! :D The weird thing is that she is asthmatic and has allergies, but I think she started out by wearing only a bit of perfume, and then after a while she couldn't smell it any more so she kept adding more and more, so she got used to it gradually. (I don't think her asthma is too bad, but she has mentioned that she has it. Otherwise, I would never have guessed.) How sad. She doesn't know she is harming herself and likely offending others. Perhaps a kindly word would be better than a freebie shampoo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 I know one of the food banks that our church frequently works with request business travelers bring back little shampoo sample bottles. They're really helpful for the homeless and "blessing" bags given to families with recent tragedies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Every time I get a hair cut, they use this shampoo that smells way too strong. I've found that it helps to wash it like 5 times in a row. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 How sad. She doesn't know she is harming herself and likely offending others. Perhaps a kindly word would be better than a freebie shampoo. I agree. I have thought about trying to gently say something, but she is such a sweet person and is so tolerant of others' little quirks that it's awkward. BYW, I saw her over the weekend and asked her if she wanted the shampoos and conditioners. She liked the scent when she opened one of the bottles, but I told her she should wash her hands with the stuff before she took it, because I had found the smell to be much different when I used it on my head... and as soon as she washed and dried her hands, she couldn't stand the strong smell, either! All was not lost, though, because she thought the little bottles were cute and would be fun for her dd to use for mixing paint when she was doing her fabric painting projects, so we put on some rubber gloves and washed them all out for her. :) Somewhere, a drainpipe smells very flowery... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Complete rabbit trail (which is appropriate since it is getting close to Easter). I keep thinking of this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaceful Isle Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Complete rabbit trail (which is appropriate since it is getting close to Easter). I keep thinking of this: I remember watching this as a kid, lol! (sorry, adding to the rabbit trail...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.