Are you looking to create a wash day regimen for your curly kid? I know that deciding on a proper wash day regimen for your child can be a task. As we all know in order to achieve healthy hair you have to properly care for your child’s hair. Truth is, you may not even know where to start when it comes to putting a healthy hair regimen in place for your child. Let me tell you, it does not have to be a difficult task. Make sure to set aside time to devote to and develop a proper hair regimen for your child.
Here are some basic things your child’s hair care regimen should include:
Shampooing
This should be a no-brainer but shampooing your child’s hair is an absolute must for their regimen. I shampoo my daughter’s hair bi-weekly, but you should do what is best for you (weekly, bi-weekly). Some great shampoos for children include:
- EDENBodyworks Kids Coco-Shea Berry Natural Detangling Shampoo
- Honey Baby Naturals Honeychild Moisture & Scalp Balance Gentle Shampoo
Detangling
Gentle detangling is very important, especially for toddlers. You need to make sure that you are being as gentle as possible when detangling the hair. This step in the regimen is the most hated by both parties because it is uncomfortable for your child. I like to first finger detangle her curls before using any tools such as combs to make sure I can get the worst tangles out with my hands. When you are detangling make sure that you are doing this step after you shampoo when the hair is still wet. Add some conditioner to the hair to make this step easier. I usually use a cheap rinse out conditioner such as Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. While the conditioner is still in their hair use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to detangle the hair. Then rinse the conditioner out. Some good conditioners for detangling include:
- Herbal Essences Hello Hydration
- Tresemme Naturals
- Creme of Nature Ultra Moisturizing Conditioner
Conditioning/ Deep Conditioning
It is very important to make sure that you are conditioning your child’s hair. I deep condition my daughter’s hair bi-monthly. So her regimen is a little bit different from mine because I deep condition weekly. This works best for her hair. You can skip the rinse out conditioner if you choose to deep condition. I like to switch it up so every other week I use a deep conditioner instead of a rinse out conditioner. Some conditioners that I like to use are:
L.O.C. Method
If you haven’t heard of the L.O.C Method it is a technique that is used for moisturizing hair. I do this every time I wash my daughter’s hair. It consists of hydrating the hair with water, or a water-based product which is your L-liquid, sealing in the moisture with O-oil and lastly applying a cream or butter based product to close the hair cuticle which helps to prevent the loss of moisture from the hair.
Styling
I like to create a protective style such as mini twists on my daughter because it can last for a few days. I think that low manipulation styling and protective styling is best for toddlers and kids. If you don’t mess with the hair as much you are able to retain length. After a few days of her hair in mini twists, I then put her hair into two puffs or a high puff before it is time to wash and style again in 2 weeks.
Moisturize Daily
Most parents forget to moisturize their child’s hair in between wash day. Adding moisture to your child’s hair is very important. Depending on how dry the hair is, I usually moisturize my daughter’s hair anywhere from once a week to 3-4 times a week. Moisturizing your child’s hair is as simple as spritzing the hair with some water and applying oil. I also like to use a mixture of water and a water based leave in like Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-in.
Night Time
Everything you have done will go to waste if you have no night regimen in place for your child. It is very important to protect your little one’s hair at night. Your little one can wear a satin bonnet or sleep on a satin pillowcase to protect their hair. This step will ensure that their hair is moisturized and will also help prevent breakage.
Here is a sample regimen for your child on wash day and the week following.
Sunday: Shampoo, condition, deep condition, LOC method, protective style (mini twists, bun) + Night Routine
Monday: Moisturize+ Night Routine
Tuesday: Moisturize+ Night Routine
Wednesday: Moisturize+ Night Routine
Thursday: Moisturize+ + 2nd low manipulation style+ Night Routine
Friday: Moisturize+ Night Routine
Saturday: Moisturize+ Night Routine
Consistency is key as with anything so make sure that you are sticking with the regimen that you create for your child. I find that most moms are busy and their child’s hair suffers because they can’t find the time to properly care for the hair. If you want your child’s hair to flourish and remain healthy, then you must make time to practice a regimen. You can do it! I know it may be tough but don’t give up!
Read Next: 5 Natural Hair Brands For Curly Kids
4 Tips to make wash day easier for your curly kid
4 Healthy Hair Tips for Your Natural Hair Kid
Do you have a regimen in place for your child’s hair?
