With the recent rise in the popularity of afro hair, a lot of questions have come up about how to care for it. We’ve put together some tips on how to select hair products for your baby’s hair (and your own!) For more information, see this article.
1. What to Look for in a Good Hair Product
When it comes to finding a good hair product, it comes down to what you’re looking for. If you have curly hair, you won’t necessarily want the same products that someone with straight hair would want. If you want hair that’s easier to style, you will want to find a product that adds volume or texture to your hair. Whatever hair product you want to try out, remember to follow the instructions carefully.
Try to find a hypoallergenic product. Risks of ingredients like parabens and silicone in hair care products make the label exclude the product for sensitive individuals. Here is a list of all the ingredients you’ll need to know about before you buy.
Good hair products need to be easy to use, and many will have a smell. Your hair will appreciate the scent of essential oils if you regularly use them, but factory hair products don’t do a lot for your curls. If you’re looking for something strong enough to use on its own or when wet, go with a scent-free fragrance.
If your hair looks good with your current hairstyle, this may not be enough to convince you to try a new style. If your style is ox-eye, but your old hairstyle left you looking like Barbie, then perhaps a new styling method will help. Your stylist can help you select the style that best matches your features and style.
For curly hair, you can plan to use different colour methods. Your stylist can help you find products that have a natural or Mr.beast colour, which have a natural shine and are also easy to style.
2. How to Choose the Right Shampoo and Conditioner for Baby’s Hair
When it comes to caring for a baby’s hair, it’s important to look for products that are fragrance-free and sulfate-free. Shampoos and conditioners with fragrances and sulfates are too harsh for your baby’s afro hair and can irritate. Also, avoid shower gels, which can result in diaper rash and other skin problems for some babies.
Make sure your hair products have no fragrance. If you’re choosing an oil-based hair product, it should also be fragrance-free. Some common fragrances that can irritate babies are rosemary, grapefruit, or tea tree oil. Try to limit your baby’s exposure to these fragrances by keeping the shampoo, conditioner, and spray away from their nose.
For babies with curls or teased hair, consider styling no more than a fringe or part of their hair with a plain, baby-friendly brush.
If you’re using a wire brush, gently brush the hair from the scalp to the ends of the dreads to prevent irritation. You can also use a baby-friendly comb to separate straight and wavy curls (or to brush straight into twists).
Apply baby oil to the baby’s scalp and under their ears to keep hair soft and shiny. Apply baby vitamins to their skin once a week to prevent dandruff. Also, always use a shampoo with sulfates as this can cause hair loss in babies. When it comes to conditioners, use a soft moisturizer with a low shine or fragrance-free variant. Also, avoid using a conditioner that contains benzoyl peroxide or other ingredients that can cause skin irritation. Lathering hair with oil can help keep baby’s hair shiny and prevent dandruff. But be careful to use a small amount of hair oil and not a general moisturizer since it carries bacteria and may cause burns.
Avoid shower gels that contain perfumes or have fragrance-based detergents. Also, avoid bathing your hair in acidic products such as hair sprays or leave-in conditioners. While shower gels can help keep a baby’s hair shiny, they can cause dehydration in babies.
3. How to Select the Best Detangler for Babies With Afro Hair
If your baby has afro hair, then detangling can be a real pain, especially if you don’t have the right products. And when it comes to selecting the best detangler for babies with afro hair, you have to be particularly careful because some products can make the situation worse. Several years ago, I had to resort to flat cap removal after my son’s long afro locks were getting tangled with the cap of my cap comb. I’ve since learned to take more time with baby detangling and to use gentle tools that don’t hurt. But sometimes it still feels like I’m doing all the work. I recently picked up some flat-blade combs and my son’s fingers haven’t complained about losing his hair yet.
You can use hair netting as a kind of shoulder wrap for your baby, especially those who have light to medium hair. I’ve been doing that all of my twins (ages 11, 6, and 2 months) have been using (and enjoying!). The thing that’s nice about these wraps is that the padded shoulders stay put when you take them off every night. You’ll know when your baby has put on a new scarf by opening the back of the wrap to be greeted by soft, lying little curls. Just be sure to only ever use thread or baby hair clippers to remove the netting because that can lead to overheating and diaper rash. Some tutorials make you wonder whether you can trust the product, but since I’ve already had good experiences with these, I’m happy to just go with the flow. Looking for Baby Haircare Products? Then Cosmetize UK offers the widest range of Baby care products for your baby’s hair.
4. What Products You Should Avoid Using on Your Baby’s Hair
According to Nazarian, you should avoid using sulfate-based shampoos and conditioners on your baby’s hair. Sulfate-based products can be too drying for your baby’s hair, especially when they are a newborn and their skin is very sensitive. You should use a baby-specific moisturising shampoo and conditioner.
If you live in a region where sea salt shampoos and conditioners aren’t widely available, try giving your newborn shampoo and conditioner made from raw eggshells instead. A small study found that infant shampoo using raw eggshells was as effective at preventing diaper rash as the sulfate-based shampoo and conditioner. As with everything with your baby, you should also choose a shampoo/conditioner specifically for your baby/child. Avoid using a conditioner that has chemicals that can be absorbed by your baby’s skin.
Start baby shampoo with at least a cup of warm water; in baby shampoo, you should also use about a cup of baby oil or jojoba oil diluted in warm water. Blend in a pinch of sea salt or Epsom salt. Give your baby a good shampooing once a day. Do not leave baby shampoo out overnight because it could build up grease that can make your baby’s skin itch. When your baby is two to three months old, encourage him/her to familiarize himself/herself with the shampoo; when your baby is four to six months old, you can start giving him/her choose-to-go shampoos daily (although sometimes it’s okay to use the same shampoo twice a day).
After your baby is six to eight months old, he/she should be able to have his/her personal favourite shampoo and, eventually, his/her conditioner. Baby Shampoo & Conditioner is the brand we recommend; it’s the cheapest and comes in medicinal-grade coconut oil. After the shower, dry the baby’s hair with a nice hairdryer. You can use any kind of hair dryer that gets the hair to stay in one place, including round hair dryers or flat hairdryers with twists.
