[disclaim]This post may contain affiliate links. This means I will earn a small percentage from each commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through my links.[/disclaim]
Curls were a mystery to me.
My hair is thick and wavy.
My first child’s hair is thin and pin straight.
When my second child starting growing out curly little ringlets, I was at a total loss for what to do with them. In the beginning, I treated her hair just like her sisters, but it started to frizz and knot together. It was then I decided to do a little research. Her curls were beautiful, unruly, and here to stay – so I needed to learn how to take care of them.
The world of curly hair maintenance
Have you ever heard the expression of ‘going down the rabbit hole’? Curly hair maintenance is definitely one of those topics that have seemingly endless amounts of information. One topic leads right to another and another and the next thing you know, you’ve spent hours on the internet without realizing. I read all about special techniques, tools, and products that can help curly haired people keep their hair looking it’s best.
During my travels through the internet, I never found an article specifically on toddler/kids curls, which I found odd. I took away a lot of great information, but many of the methods were definitely not going to be do-able for a wiggly toddler. So, I did a little picking and choosing according to the what I thought would work best for my little one and we started experimenting.
We spent a couple of weeks trying out a few different methods. I think we now have a good routine in place that is not too time-consuming or messy. Overall they have made a huge difference in the look and feel of my daughter’s hair.
Products We Use:
You can probably swap out some of these items for brands you prefer. I am listing them simply because these are what we have experience with and I have found them to be non-building. We can use these products on my toddler’s hair for several days in a row, and it still feels soft and clean. It does not get heavy or sticky with hair product.
- California Baby Conditioner
- California Baby De-tangler Spray
- Baby Sprout Curl Calmer
- Wet Brush
- Fine mist spray bottle
- Distilled Water
Here are the three actions we take to wash and maintain curls:
#1: Hair Wash
In order to provide as much moisture as possible to her hair, we skip the shampoo. I wash her hair with conditioner only. Obviously, conditioner doesn’t provide any suds, so I make sure to scrub the scalp well with my fingers. I will only use shampoo in her hair if she has gotten hard to remove things stuck in it like food, clay, or dried mud (you gotta love those messy toddlers *sigh*).
After washing her hair, it gets lightly towel dried and then a dime-sized dollop of the Baby Sprout Curl Calmer. This stuff is amazing. Not only does it smell incredible, but it prevents curls from frizzing as they dry. I quickly work that through her hair and brush it with the Wet Brush. Once all the knots are out, I use my fingers to twist small sections of her hair in whatever direction it naturally curls. This sounds tedious, but as long as you do it while the hair is still damp, it really only takes 5 minutes.
#2: Morning Maintenance
So ideally, curly hair shouldn’t be slept on. It flattens the curls, creates frizz, and can be drying on the hair. Often women tie up their hair on top of their head at night to protect their curls while they sleep. Depending on what article you read, this can either be called “pineapple” or “plopping” your hair. This really isn’t an option for my daughter, as she is a crazy wild sleeper. So I just let her do her thing and sleep with her hair down.
In the morning, I use the California Baby detangler spray on her hair. This product is not the perfect choice because it contains some alcohol, which can be drying. I have not found another I like as well yet, so we are just going with it. I brush out the tangles with the Wet Brush and repeat the after the bath process: a dime-sized amount of Baby Sprout Curl Calmer then finger curl small sections in the direction her hair naturally curls.
#3: Additional Maintenance
There are other times throughout the day that I have to fix my daughter’s hair. After naptime, after playing outside, before the family goes out to dinner… stuff like that. When we need to do a little cleanup, I have a super easy homemade conditioner spray that I use on her hair.
DIY Conditioner Spray
- 1 8 oz fine mist spray bottle
- 1 Tbs of California Baby Conditioner
- 7 oz Distilled water
Shake the bottle well before each use.
I spray this all over her hair, finger comb, and re-twist any sections that need it. The added moisture will help to calm the hair back down and stay in its curly place.
My daughter’s hair has literally transformed after implementing these habits. Her hair is no longer dry, frizzy, and unruly. It looks shiny and healthy. Her curls hold into place well now, aside from sleep and rough outdoor play. These actions only take a few minutes each day, and they have been 100% worth the effort.
Now it’s your turn. Do you have a child with curly hair? How do you tame their mane into place? Did you try any of the methods I’m using? I’d love to hear more suggestions on what works for your kiddos.
Until next time,
Great tips! My daughter has tightly coiled curls and the fine mist spray bottle has been a huge asset in our home.
Really informative. What is a few expenses for the welfare of your child right? Always get the best child care for your own peace of mind.
Wow! Great blog post! I have a girl child and she has curly hair. And, I know it is difficult to care for curly hair. So, thanks for your great tips!
Thank you, Frieda! I hope these tips are helpful for your family!
Love this blog post! Your tips are really important. I was searching such type of blog post. Actually, I like curly hair but sometimes I get myself hard to take care of it. So, this post is for me. Thanks!!
Thanks, Natasha! It takes a little patience to figure out, but so worth it!
Thanks for sharing! I know we can’t figure out if it’s the Nourishing Naturals shampoo or the Sprout dangler that smells so good!.If hair is very dry, using a conditioner or baby oil after shampooing once a week will give a good result, before rinsing the conditioner out, comb hair gently from roots to the scalp.
recently posted babycareaccessories.
Wow! Great blog post! I have a girl child and she has curly hair. And, I know it is difficult to care for curly hair. So, thanks for your great tips!
Thank you, Eric! I hope you learned a trick or two for your daughter 😉
Lovely post !! Thanks for sharing this post with us, It’s very Informative for me 🙂
OMG! This article really useful for me. I confused for choosing the baby curls care information what would be the best for everything. But review this article my confusion has cleared. Thanks a lot for sharing such an informative article about How to Care for Toddler Curls and I have pleased to get this blog page. I have read your valuable page and gotten much information.
Thanks Melissa and keep it up post…….
Thank you, Alicia! Curly hair can be a lot of work for an adult to take care of, I hope these techniques help to make your experience easier with your little one.
Thanks Melissa for your good advice.
Love to read this article. I am inspired by your work and got some great ideas. Thanks and keep sharing 🙂
oh my goodness! this is like the sweetest collaboration intro i’ve ever seen!!! OMG!!! Our tips are so different, this is cracking me up!!!! I’m literally laughing out loud right now. I love the tip about bringing a water spray bottle in your diaper bag! I need to do that.
it makes me feel good. I like your inspirational stories and tips, write more.
Great blog post thank you, baby curly hair is the most difficult to deal with.
Thank you for this fabulous post. I have a question. For a new parent that is researching the best baby products to buy, which product will you recommend as the must-have before every other product? Thank you.
Hi nice Blog this will be very helpful, I always use baby care products for my youngsters.
Thank you for this post! I have fine straight hair and my daughter’s is thick and curly! I have found (unlike my own hair) moisture to be key! – the more conditioner the better! We love the Beauty Protector spray conditioner. It smells like cotton candy- we call it “Unicorn Spray” and this helps my toddler not run away from me when I’m coming at her with the comb!
I Love This Post, Thank You Share With Us.
Taking care of a baby is one thing that every parent must take important, especially new parents. The baby is so fragile at this stage and the baby’s immune system is developing, so stay away from products with chemicals, fragrances, and dyes that may be present in clothing, detergents, and baby products. These things can lead to newborn skin irritation, dryness, chafing, and rashes.
Cool Blog, I really prefer Natural Hair Care instead of Products.
Thank you for the blog post! I’m a year and a half new to momming and even newer to little ringlet curls as my hair is Asian straight. I can’t wait to implement this to our routine.
no doubt Curly hair babies are the most pretty but their Mom’s know how difficult it is to care this curly hair. This blog post is definitely helpful for the mothers of curly hair cute girls.