Between the roasting turkey, the simmering sauce and especially the Brussels sprouts that boil for hours, Christmas cooking quickly turns into a cloud of stubborn odors. Your hair keeps everything and sometimes still smells like dinner the next day.
Like many people, you spend hours preparing the meal, before rushing off to put on your makeup and do your hair to welcome the family. This is where the drama begins: impossible to forget that smell of cooking in your length, between Brussels sprouts, fried food and fat. However, a $0.40 tip has been circulating for some time to avoid this scenario and keep your hair looking fresh all evening.
Why your hair keeps smelling like cooking at Christmas
The hair fibers are covered in scales which open slightly with heat. When the steam laden with fat and sulfur escapes from the pot of Brussels sprouts or from the pan, it settles on these scales and clings to them very easily.
With the windows closed in the middle of winter and a hood sometimes overwhelmed by the festive menu, odorous molecules stay in the air longer. The drier, more porous or freshly heated with a straightener your hair is, the more it absorbs these scents, like a wool sweater.
The $0.40 tip: the charlotte that saves your hair from Brussels sprouts
The simplest solution is to create a physical barrier. Before you start cooking, tie your hair in a low bun, then cover it with a shower cap or a transparent plastic cap. Purchased in batches, these accessories cost around $0.40 each, or only a few cents.
The plastic blocks the greasy steam that usually permeates the hair, while letting your neck breathe. Once the dishes are in the oven and the kitchen is tidy, remove the charlotte, shake out your lengths then run a hairdryer from the roots to the ends to circulate the air and remove any residual odor.
What to do if your hair already smells like Christmas cooking
If it’s too late and your lengths already smell like cabbage gratin, rely on express gestures. Tie them into a tight bun, then air out the hair with a lukewarm blow of a hairdryer directed from the roots to the lengths, as if dispersing dry shampoo.
You can also spray a little dry shampoo on the roots, brush with a clean brush to distribute the powder, then do another quick drying pass. Finish with a few sprays of a special hair mist rather than a classic perfume, which often mixes poorly with the smell of cooking.
How do I prevent my hair from smelling like Christmas cooking?
Tie them up, cover them with an inexpensive charlotte and remember to ventilate the room during the cooking process.
What should I do if my hair already smells like Brussels sprouts?
Use the hair dryer to air it out, add a little dry shampoo then a special scented hair mist.
Is perfume enough to remove cooking smell from hair?
Not really, it masks the smell without neutralizing it and can create a mixture that is too heavy with cooking scents.
Should I wash my hair after each holiday meal?
No, protect them during preparation, then use express gestures to find fresh hair.
