Mom Shares Hilarious Toddler Mishap After Daughter Finds Vaseline

Mickelle Farnsworth's two-year-old daughter got into a hidden jar of Vaseline, leading to a week-long hair recovery process.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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A Spokane, Washington mom named Mickelle Farnsworth went viral on social media after sharing a hilarious parenting moment where her two-year-old daughter got into a hidden jar of Vaseline, coating her hair and belongings. Despite multiple attempts to wash the Vaseline out, it took nearly a week for Farnsworth to get her daughter's hair back to normal.

Why it matters

The story resonated with many parents who have experienced similar toddler mishaps, leading to an outpouring of advice and commiseration on social media. It highlights the unpredictable nature of raising young children and the creative problem-solving required of parents.

The details

Farnsworth said she had put her daughter, known only as E, down for a nap, only to find an hour later that E had discovered and scooped out half a jar of Vaseline from a dresser drawer. The Vaseline was all over E's hair, clothes, bed, and toys. Farnsworth and her husband rushed to bathe E, but even after three rounds of shampooing, the Vaseline remained stubbornly stuck in E's hair, leaving it stiff and standing straight up.

  • Farnsworth put her daughter down for a nap.
  • An hour later, Farnsworth discovered the Vaseline mishap.
  • Farnsworth and her husband tried washing E's hair three times that night.
  • The next morning, they used corn starch and stronger shampoo, washing it several times each day.
  • After about six days, E's hair finally started to look normal again.

The players

Mickelle Farnsworth

A 30-year-old mom from Spokane, Washington who shared the hilarious story of her toddler daughter getting into a jar of Vaseline.

E

Farnsworth's two-year-old daughter who discovered and covered herself in a hidden jar of Vaseline.

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What they’re saying

“Besides getting the majority of it in her hair, she also had it plastered all over her clothes, bed, and teddy bear!”

— Mickelle Farnsworth (Newsweek)

“Could be worse! My eldest two, as youngsters, did this to their entire bodies (including hair) and then sprinkled themselves with glitter.”

— Threads user (Threads)

“In fourth grade I slathered mayo in my hair after I read it was good for dry hair. I smelled like a club sandwich for three days.”

— Threads user (Threads)

“I've seen this a couple times & just washing won't do much of anything. At our salon we called the [Vaseline] company and they told us to heat it with a hair dryer and blot with paper towels to soak up what you can of the [Vaseline] then immediately use cornstarch or baking soda to absorb grease.”

— Retired hairstylist (Threads)

The takeaway

This story highlights the unpredictable nature of parenting young children and the creative problem-solving required when they get into unexpected messes. While it may have been a stressful situation for the Farnsworth family, the viral response and outpouring of advice from other parents shows the shared experience of these types of toddler mishaps.