I was lucky enough to get this jar:
The instruction on the back say:
This fresh cool gel makes winding faster, neater.
Hair feels clean ... has body. sets last longer.
AFTER SHAMPOOING - apply a generous teaspoonful to damp hair - comb through - then set. or - with fingertips - apply to each strand as you roll.
BETWEEN SHAMPOOS - apply directly to dry hair, strand by strand, as you roll.
FOR STYLING - use a tiny bit on fingertips to smooth "wild" hairs, flatten bangs, hold flip-ups, etc.
The "etc." is actually part of the instructions.
It also came in a stronger Pink colored version:
Apparently it was even sold in Germany:
Dippty-do that appeared later in these jars is a more modern version and the not the same. If you see one of these jars, don't be fooled:
To make the best use of the half jar of real vintage Dippity-do that I had, I tried to do the most authentic 60s type sets possible, first with my usual vintage Solo Sleepeasy plastic brush rollers, then with classic black wire brush rollers, and finally with the so typical Wil-hold plastic brush rollers, all set quite tightly as per the typical 1960s way of winding curlers. I would love to say that the vintage Dippity-do was so much better than the modern version, or any modern setting lotion for that matter, but it wasn't. It was pretty much the same. There was one difference though and that was the smell. Vintage Dippity-do has a very unique and wonderful smell that I would describe as somehow sharp and sweet at the same time. That really doesn't describe it well, but maybe someone who used and remembers it can post a bit of a description. It certainly seems to be fondly remembered here , here and here .
There are some really vintage Dippity-do commercials on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxTunPvi5pY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtKzTv9Opzo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi4PPFXNL5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_djo3iKfgjs
and lady wonderfully recalling Dippity-Do and the 70s in general:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0Ofx9c6uwLo
The one unexpected things as a result of trying Dippity-do was discovering how the Wil-hold rollers turned out to be the most comfortable rollers when set quite tightly. I usually find the Solo-Sleepeasy rollers the most comfortable, but wound tighter they get too prickly. Wil-hold rollers are much more comfortable if you need tightly set rollers, which probably accounted for their popularity in the 60s and 70s.
Here is the classic Wil-hold roller set from the picture on the package:
Feeling so nicely set all the time with the occasional whiff of the iconic Dippity-do smell was a really wonderful vintage experience and I certainly wish I has some more real Dippity-do. Rediscovering Wil-hold rollers was also great, and I will make a point of using them more often.
