A child's hair wash goes well when three things are right: a mild shampoo made for children, a conditioner or detangling spray that lets a comb move freely, and a little patience at the ends. Choose the shampoo by your child's age and hair type, keep the lather away from the eyes, and always comb from the ends upwards. Below are the formulas we have chosen for each stage, and how to use them.
How Is a Children's Shampoo Different?
A children's shampoo is made for finer hair and a more delicate scalp than an adult's, and for washing that may happen often. Some houses describe their children's formulas as tear-free. Even so, the packs still ask you to avoid contact with the eyes, and that is the instruction to follow. Read the age on the label too: some shampoos are made for babies, while others are presented for children from three years.
Shampoo for Babies
For a baby, the shampoo should be the gentlest thing in the bathroom, and very little of it is needed. Mustela's Gentle Shampoo is made with organically farmed avocado, for babies and children with normal skin and for everyday washing. Instituto Español Bebe Extra Suave Baby Shampoo is an extra-soft shampoo for daily use from newborn, suited to sensitive skin; the house notes paediatric, dermatological and ophthalmological testing, and describes it as tear-free. Isdin's Nutraisdin Gel Shampoo is a daily gel shampoo for babies in a pump bottle, which makes a small dose easy with one hand while the other supports your baby. Klorane Baby Detangling Shampoo carries soothing calendula and helps detangle as it cleanses; Klorane describes it as tear-free.
Shampoo for Growing Children
As hair grows longer and thicker, choose by hair type as much as by age. Geniol Children's Shampoo is a pH neutral shampoo with a fresh cologne scent, for everyday hair washing. Cantu Care For Kids Tear-Free Nourishing Shampoo is made for children's coils and curls, with shea butter, coconut oil and honey, to cleanse gently while supporting softness. Camomila Intea Children's Shampoo Blond Highlights pairs camomile flower extract with children's blond hair, to help it feel soft and look bright. Sebamed Gentle Chamomile Baby Shampoo, for the fine, delicate hair of babies and children, uses mild cleansers with chamomile extract and can be used daily.
- Children's Shampoo
- Care For Kids Tear-Free Nourishing Shampoo
- Children's Shampoo Blond Highlights
- Gentle Chamomile Baby Shampoo
How to Wash a Child's Hair Gently
Wet the hair thoroughly with warm water, tipping the head slightly back so the water runs away from the face. A hand cupped across the forehead, or a folded flannel, helps keep water and lather out of the eyes. Use a small amount of shampoo and lather it gently with the pads of your fingers, working downwards rather than piling the hair on top of the head, which is how tangles begin. Rinse until the water runs clear, then rinse once more. One wash is usually enough.
Stay with a young child for the whole of the bath, as several houses ask on their packs. If shampoo does reach the eyes, rinse them gently with clean, lukewarm water.
Shampoo and Conditioner Together
Hair that is long, or knots easily, is easier to comb if the wash itself leaves it softer. Klorane Junior Detangling Shampoo is made with organically farmed oat and a peach fragrance, for delicate hair from age three, and helps hair feel easier to comb after washing; Klorane describes it as tear-free. Revlon's Equave Kids Green Apple Fragrance Conditioning Shampoo and Equave Kids Princess Look Conditioning Shampoo each combine cleansing with conditioning in one step, from a pump bottle, which suits a busy evening. For a separate conditioner, Klorane Avoine Conditioner is an ultra-gentle oat conditioner for all hair types, suitable from three years: apply it after shampoo to the lengths and ends, leave it briefly, then rinse thoroughly.
- Junior Detangling Shampoo
- Equave Kids Green Apple Fragrance Conditioning Shampoo
- Equave Kids Princess Look Conditioning Shampoo
- Avoine Conditioner
How to Detangle, From the Ends Up
Detangling is easiest on hair that has been towel-dried, not rubbed. Press the towel gently against the hair, then apply a detangling spray or leave-in conditioner to the lengths, with a hand shielding your child's face. Hold the hair above the knot in one hand, so the pull is taken by your hand rather than the scalp, and begin at the ends with a wide-toothed comb or a soft brush. Free the last few centimetres first, then move a little higher, and only comb from the root once the lengths run freely. If a knot will not give, add a little more spray and loosen it with your fingers.
Klorane Junior Detangling Care with Acacia Honey is a spray for delicate hair from age three, used on towel-dried or dry hair before gently combing through. Anian Kids Two Phase Instant Conditioner is a two-phase leave-in spray with tea tree oil that helps detangle and control frizz: shake it, spray onto damp or dry hair, comb through gently and leave it in. Revlon's Equave Kids Princess Look Detangling Conditioner is a leave-in detangling conditioner, applied to damp hair and combed through. For a baby's fine hair, Beter's Hello Baby Hair Brush Set pairs a brush with white bristles and a comb, both with pink handles; the house suggests using them on dry or lightly damp hair, starting at the ends and working upwards.
- Junior Detangling Care with Acacia Honey
- Kids Two Phase Instant Conditioner
- Equave Kids Princess Look Detangling Conditioner
- Hello Baby Hair Brush Set
How Often to Wash
Many children do not need their hair washed every day; two or three times a week is often enough, with an extra wash after swimming, sport or a sandy afternoon. Several of the shampoos here are presented for daily use, so a daily wash is fine when it is needed. On the days in between, a detangling spray and a comb in the morning keep longer hair manageable.
Further Reading
For the bath as a whole, from what goes in the water to what follows the towel, read Bath Time for Babies: Gentle Formulas and How to Use Them. Then start with the one shampoo that matches your child's age and hair, and add a detangling spray when the knots begin.
