I’m curious why so many people are averse to using headlight/plastic specific products on their headlights? Toothpaste, metal polish, paint polish, magic eraser, etc. The basic 3M Headlight Restoration kit is on Amazon for $11 with free shipping (Prime). A bottle of brand-name plastic polish is another $7 and will maintain your initial restoration for many years.
Seems like a lot of wasted time and effort with inferior products.