5 simple steps to care for children's afro-textured hair
In the "nappy hair" family, the kids are joining in! Yes, they are entitled to their own hair routine too. It must not only be adapted to the needs of their curly hair, but it must also be simple and quick. Here are 5 steps to follow at home, for the benefit of both the little ones and the grown-ups.
Caring for children's afro-textured hair: what are the specifics?
You should know that a child's hair routine is never set in stone. The best approach is to modify it regularly to adapt it not only to their age, but also to their hair type.
During the first months of their lives, your little ones don't have major hair requirements. Their hair is rarely damaged at this age and can make do with the bare minimum.
However, as children grow older, their hair gains texture and thickness. This means that you will need to gradually increase the richness of the treatments.
Children's hair routine: in what order?
Overall, the order of applying products is the same for children as it is for adults. Depending on the thickness of your children's hair, you can make some slight variations to this routine. Perform this ritual every 3 to 4 days, with the exception of the leave-in, which should be used every day!
- Start by detangling the hair.
- Use a shampoo, then dry the hair.
- Apply a moisturizing leave-in.
- Seal with a balm or a cream.
- Proceed to styling.
1/ Detangling: the right moves
A detangling session that ends in tears is not fun for anyone. To limit breakage (both literally and figuratively), teach your children to adopt the right habits from an early age. Always start detangling with a few sprays of detangling lotion. If you don't have any on hand, you can also quickly create an emulsion with water and a little vegetable butter.
Distribute the product throughout the hair, then divide it into sections. Choose a wide-tooth comb to make the task easier. Never start detangling from the root; instead, start from the middle of the hair. Work your way down gradually to the ends without pulling too hard. Once you have detangled the bulk of it, switch back to a finer-toothed comb to perfect the result.
2/ Which shampoo should you choose for your children?
Washing children's hair from 0 to 5 years old
We have some good news for you: the shampoo step is purely optional at this age. Rinsing with warm water works perfectly. There is no need to compromise the hair's hydration if it is relatively clean. One less step is something everyone at home will appreciate!
From time to time, you can try conditioner washing (or co-washing). This technique consists of using a conditioner instead of a shampoo to wash the hair. The whole point is to limit the use of surfactants to maximize the hair's natural moisture.
Shampoo from age 5
Youngsters are much more active from the age of 5 and start to get their heads dirty regularly. You can therefore switch to a proper shampoo routine. Choose a sulfate-free moisturizing shampoo or one with very mild surfactants, like our must-have Hibiscus Solid Shampoo.
Does your child play sports very often? Suggest they replace their regular shampoo with a clarifying shampoo once a month. This will help remove the final residue of sweat, dirt, sand, chlorinated water, sea salt, or other such things.
3/ Conditioner and/or leave-in
The younger your little one is, the more we recommend prioritizing light formulas to hydrate their hair. Once again, stick to purely moisturizing care: their hair does not yet need to be repaired. The star product for this step: the Hibiscus Hair Milk leave-in.
Over time, you can occasionally introduce a protein conditioner to maintain a good water/protein balance. The Coconut-Spirulina mask is perfectly suitable for use on children.
4/ Creams and balms to seal in moisture
The thicker children's hair fiber becomes, the more hydration it needs to stay supple. The LOC or LCO method is therefore very interesting, except on hair that is too young and fine and has not yet reached its final texture. By layering too many products, you risk weighing down the hair and loosening the curls.
So forget about vegetable oils for now. Instead, turn to a water-based cream to seal in the hydration provided by the leave-in. For this purpose, the Hibiscus Cream is a unanimous favorite, for both little ones and grown-ups. Later on, when your child is older, the Kalia Nature team recommends sealing with a richer treatment such as the Fondant Balm.
5/ And what about styling?
For children, you absolutely must stick to light styling to avoid hindering hair growth. The idea is to limit hairstyles that cause significant tension in order to prevent alopecia. In this category, we find ponytails, buns, and, generally speaking, hairstyles that are pulled too tight at the hairline.
Regardless of the hairstyle chosen, don't hesitate to rehydrate it during the day with a leave-in spray. As for the night, make sure your offspring goes to bed with a sufficiently loose hairstyle. You will thus spare them the phenomena of hair fiber breakage while they sleep. Braids and twists are very suitable, provided they are not too tight.
Kalia Nature is for the whole family!
Kalia Nature offers natural hair products for children and adults with textured hair. Want more tips for styling your children's curls... and maybe your own? Find Kalia Nature's expertise on Instagram.
