Many parents often times aren’t aware of how to care for their little one’s natural hair properly. Add in cold temperatures and sensitive skin conditions to the mix and that pretty much makes any parent want to give up on maintaining those curls altogether. The skin is the largest organ of the body. Obviously, this includes the scalp as well, which is essential for healthy hair and growth.
If you have a child suffering from sensitive skin conditions such as eczema, then you may already be weary of what the upcoming cooler months will bring. For some reason, your child may be itching more and their curls just won’t look or feel the same.
Don’t fret, we understand. That’s why we’ve put together seven tips to help you manage your child’s natural hair and sensitive skin during the cold winter months.
- Cut back on how often you shampoo the hair. During the winter, it isn’t necessary to wash every week. Shampooing the hair strips the hair of all natural oils and can leave the hair very dry and brittle. The amount of sweat in the head decreases which means the hair remains fresher, longer. If your child wears their hair loose or in low maintenance hairstyles, opt for once every 2-3 weeks (if possible) to allow the hair time to retain moisture.
- Stay away from shampoos with parabens and sulfates. There are lots of people who are unknowingly allergic to sulfates which can explain the itching after a shampoo. For those with sensitive skin, it’s important to stay away from these two things. Even if not, for naturals, these chemicals shouldn’t be anywhere near the hair. They can damage the hair—drying it out by stripping away the protein that the hair needs and can irritate the scalp.
- Use natural oils on the scalp. You can tell that your child’s scalp is irritated if they’re always scratching. Whether you notice this or not, adding natural oils such as jojoba oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil to your regimen will give them a little relief. Reagan Sanai Mango Butter Soufflé and Shea Butter Soufflé are wonderful to use on your little one’s hair and scalp.
- Deep condition the hair. We all should be deep conditioning at least once a month. During the colder months, you should raise that number to two or three times per month to accommodate the cool weather.
- Do not use products with perfumes and artificial coloring. Fragrance and artificial colors can irritate the skin (scalp) more than it may already be. Stay away from hair products and sprays that contain these two ingredients.
- Moisturize the hair. It’s very important to keep the hair moisturized by using the LOC/LCO method. Start on damp hair by applying a leave-in conditioner(L), small amount of hair butter(C), and a light oil(O) to seal the moisture inside the hair shaft properly. For best results, always apply product to the hair while it’s still wet after the shampoo and conditioning process. After moisturizing, you’ll want to retain the moisture by making sure your child wears a satin cap to bed every night and you can even sew satin fabric under their winter hats for more added protection. Reagan Sanai Moisturizing Aloe Hair Mist is the perfect moisturizing refresher spray for keeping your curls moisturized throughout the week.
- Try a protective style. A good way to seal the ends of your child’s hair and to protect their curls is to do a protective style. This way, you aren’t manipulating the hair too much and it also gives you a break. The key to retaining moisture during a protective style is to spray a moisturizer on the hair to keep it moisturized and to apply light oil to the scalp at least every 3-4 days. Remember not to keep the style up for too long. For braids redo every 2-3 weeks and for twists redo them weekly.
If you aren’t sure of what products to use now, we at Reagan Sanai Natural Hair Essentials have the perfect solutions available for you in our shop. It is our goal to help educate you on how to properly care for and grow your child’s hair using pure natural and organic ingredients free of harmful ingredients. Are you experiencing something different? We’d love to help in any way we can. Connect with us on Instagram @ReaganSanai to tell us about your hair care needs and we’ll try to answer your questions right here on the blog! If you found this information helpful, share it with another parent of a curly haired kid.