Your little ones deserve the best care possible, and that includes their skin and hair.
Skin and hair care routines are important in general, but this is even truer for children. Children’s skin and hair are sensitive, making them very susceptible to irritation or even damage. That’s why creating a healthy and safe hair and skin care routine for your child is essential.
How to Come Up With a Safe Skin and Hair Care Routine for Children
Be On the Lookout for Common Irritants.
No matter how pretty the packaging, not all kids’ soaps and shampoos are as safe as you think. Some products contain harsh ingredients like SLS (sodium laureth sulfate), SLES (sodium lauryl ether sulfate), or parabens that can negatively affect your child’s skin and hair.
When shopping for a shampoo or soap for your kid, make sure to read the labels and check each product’s ingredients. Beware of soaps and shampoos in pleasing colors that appeal to kids. They are likely to contain coloring agents that can cause problems for your little one’s sensitive skin.
If you want to keep your child safe from harmful, artificial ingredients, it is best to buy herbal soaps and shampoos for them. You can use a gentle moringa shampoo for kids, like the Moringa-O2 Herbal Anti-Hairfall Shampoo. This product contains argan oil, which is good for children’s hair.
You can also buy an herbal moisturizing soap for your child. A product like Moringa-O² Herbal Moisturizing Soap will keep your kid smelling clean and fresh without stripping their skin off its natural oils.
You might be asking yourself if moringa is safe for kids. The answer is yes. In fact, not only is it safe, but it also provides your child’s skin and hair with various benefits!
Similar to its effect on adults, moringa keeps your child’s skin healthy and glowing. This is because this ingredient is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, which are nutrients that contribute to your child’s skin’s health.
Additionally, moringa is perfect for kids who are suffering from skin irritations and rashes. Moringa is also recommended for children with sensitive skin. This is due to the ingredient’s moisturizing properties, which can keep sensitive skin hydrated, smooth, and healthy.
Determine Your Child’s Hair Type.
Hair products tend to be geared towards hair types, so it’s best to determine what type of hair your child has beforehand. These are the different hair types your child may have:
- Straight: Your child has straight hair if most of the strands fall flat from the roots to the ends. Their hair is also most likely to feel soft and silky, without any waves or curls. If your child has straight hair, they are more likely to secrete more oil than those who have other hair types.
- Wavy: Children who have a slight curl pattern at the ends of their hair may have a wavy hair type. Their hair may still lay flat on or close to the scalp but have S-shape waves towards the bottom.
- Curly: This hair pattern is characterized by having an S pattern from the roots to the tips of the hair. If your child has curly hair, then they may be more prone to frizz and tangles.
- Kinky: Kinky hair is characterized by the Z-shaped curls that are present from the roots to the tips of the hair. Children who have this hair type are more likely to experience breakage and damage if not cared for properly.
Providing the right hair care for each hair type is essential because each one requires different products and techniques. For example, if your child has curly hair, you might need to invest in an herbal anti-frizz shampoo. This type of product will help you address the problems associated with curly hair.
Wash Their Hair at Least Twice a Week
Children play and sweat a lot, making their hair smell funky. Because of this, you might get the urge to wash your child’s hair every day. However, according to experts, children ages 6 to 11 only need to wash their hair 2 to 3 times a week. This is because children’s scalps are so sensitive that washing them daily may do more harm than good.
For children with dry and curly or kinky hair, washing may need to be limited to once every 7 to 10 days. This is done to ensure that you are not stripping your kid’s hair of its natural oils.
If your child sweated a lot or swam on a non-hair-washing day, you can rinse their hair with water and apply an herbal conditioner. Although doing this will not completely clean your child’s hair, it will be enough to get rid of the sweat and debris.
Be Gentle in Drying Your Kid’s Hair
After bathing, make sure to dry your child’s hair gently. You can do this by first using your hands to squeeze out any excess water from their hair. Then, use a soft towel and carefully rub your child’s hair dry.
Be careful not to be too aggressive in drying your child’s hair. Doing so can make their hair frizzy and even cause breakage and hair fall.
If you want to speed up the drying process, you can use a hairdryer. However, make sure to wait until your child’s hair is at least damp before using the device. Pointing the hairdryer directly on your child’s wet hair may cause it to become brittle and too dry.
On the other hand, if you plan on letting your child’s hair air dry, do not put it up on a ponytail right away. Wait for the hair to become completely dry before tying it. This is because putting wet hair on a ponytail can cause it to become all tangled up.
Don’t Forget to Detangle and Brush
Another important step to do after washing your child’s hair is to brush it. Brushing your child’s hair regularly increases the blood circulation in their scalp. This allows the hair follicles to receive the oxygen and nutrients it needs, encouraging growth and making your child’s hair stronger. Aside from these benefits, regularly brushing your child’s hair also helps you prevent tangles from forming.
Before grabbing any random comb or hairbrush you may have, you must first consider your child’s hair type. If they have straight hair, use a comb or brush with smaller teeth. On the other hand, if your child’s hair is curly, use a wide-tooth comb.
Start by brushing the ends of your child’s hair and working out any tangles on that area. Then, move up slowly to the roots until you remove all the knots in your child’s hair.
Invest in Quality Haircuts
You would not go to an unprofessional hairstylist, so why take your child to one? Remember that if the haircut your child gets is bad, there’s very little you can do to make it look good.
To avoid this, you should take your kid to a qualified hairstylist. Yes, it might be pricey but spending money for a quality cut that’s easier to manage is definitely a good investment.
Cleanse Your Child’s Skin
As an adult, you know how important it is to take care of your skin. You might even have various products for your skin care routine just to keep your skin youthful and glowing. But have you ever thought about your child’s skin care regimen?
Children’s skin is more sensitive and delicate compared to adults. That is why it is important that you establish a skin care routine for your child as soon as possible.
The foundation of your child’s skin care regimen should be cleansing. It is important that you keep your child’s skin free from germs and dirt, which may not only damage their skin but also cause diseases.
When choosing a cleanser for your child, go for a product made with mild ingredients. It is better to opt for an herbal soap or cleanser.
Don’t Forget to Moisturize
Your kids’ skin loses moisture faster than yours, so they are more prone to experiencing dryness. When this happens, they might experience various unpleasant symptoms, such as skin itchiness, roughness, and flakiness.
To avoid this, you should buy a moisturizer like the Moringa-O² Herbal Moisturizing Lotion. This product will gently nourish and hydrate your child’s skin. Since it is made with natural ingredients, it is also mild enough to be used on sensitive skin.
Use Sun Protection.
Sun exposure is especially damaging to children’s skin because their developing immune systems make them more susceptible to sun damage and sunburn. You can prevent this by purchasing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Make sure to check the labels on sunscreen for kids when shopping. You must avoid using products with the following chemicals as they may be harmful to your child:
- Benzophenone
- Avobenzone
- PABA
- Homosalate
- Methoxycinnamate
Instead, you should look for a sunscreen containing the active ingredients titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide.
Apply the sunblock on your child’s skin at least 30 minutes before letting them out to play. You should follow this because sunscreen usually takes up to 30 minutes before starting to work. To further ensure its effectiveness, reapply the product every 2 hours.
Keep Your Child Hydrated
Just like adults, children need to drink enough amounts of water to keep their body and skin hydrated. If your child does not drink enough water in a day, their skin may become dry, flaky, and tight.
To ensure that your kid is hydrated, they should drink a sufficient amount of water daily depending on their age.
- 5 to 8 years old: at least 5 glasses of water
- 9 to 12 years old: at least 7 glasses of water
- Teenagers: 8 to 10 glasses of water
Establishing a hair and skin care routine for your child is a good way of keeping them healthy and well cared for. Additionally, doing this will teach them how to take care of themselves early on.
To recap, here are the things you need to do when coming up with a skin and hair care regimen for your child:
- Be on the Lookout for Common Irritants
- Determine Your Child’s Hair Type
- Wash Their Hair at Least Twice a Week
- Be Gentle in Drying Your Kid’s Hair
- Don’t Forget to Detangle and Brush
- Invest in Quality Haircuts
- Cleanse Your Child’s Skin
- Don’t Forget to Moisturize
- Use Sun Protection
- Keep Your Child Hydrated
