Afro and Curl Care for Kids

As a mum of two children with curly hair and founder of a company specialising in curl care, I know the challenges of daily hair care all too well. Curls need special attention, but that doesn't mean care has to be time consuming or complicated. Quite the opposite! For me it is crucial that my children's hair care is not only natural and gentle, but also simple and quick.

Building confidence

Washing hair and caring for it can become a lovely ritual with mum or dad. How you talk to your children about their hair matters so much. What you say should never give the impression that their curls are a hassle, negative or not right the way they are.  

Loving your own curls starts in childhood. It is essential that children develop a positive self image and experience caring for their hair as something beautiful and natural. That's why it matters so much to me that they never feel curl care is exhausting or a chore. With the right approach and the right products, this is easy to achieve.

No pulling and natural products without artificial additives  

It is especially important to me that my children experience caring for their hair without frustration: no pulling, no artificial fragrances and no hormone disrupting additives. With COSMOS certified natural cosmetics, we rely on natural ingredients that are gentle on delicate children's hair.

Here I share my best tips and experiences to make curl care a relaxed and enjoyable ritual, for children and parents alike.

Baby

For babies, it is enough to care for damp hair with a light, pure natural oil .  

Toddler  

For toddlers, it is best to wash hair with just a gentle conditioner and, if needed, then define and comb it with a leave-in . After a day at the playground with sand in their hair, you can cleanse your child's curls with a gentle shampoo and then add our leave-in to your routine for combing.

Children 

After washing with Afrolocke shampoo and conditioner, you can use the leave-in to detangle the curls without any pulling. Then, depending on what the hair needs, you can use an oil to seal and/or the curl gel for definition.  

The right products

Choosing the products is key. For Afrolocke products, we avoid harsh and harmful ingredients. So it's not a big deal if a little gets in the eyes. For the scent, too, we chose a light, subtle fragrance made from essential oils, which many children find relaxing and which fades quickly.  

Wash day

It is enough to wash curls once a week with a natural, mild shampoo. If it needs to happen more often, you can use a conditioner to wash instead of shampoo (co-wash).  

Wash day is the ideal time to detangle the curls. As a general rule, curls should only be detangled when wet. To avoid tears and bad experiences when combing, use a comb with teeth as wide as possible or a brush suitable for curls (e.g. Tangle Teezer, Denman Brush). Divide the hair into several sections, start at the ends and work your way up carefully.

For drying, it is best to use an old T-shirt or microfibre towel, or let the hair air dry. If a hairdryer is needed, for example in winter, a diffuser attachment is the gentler option.  

Between wash days

To keep the effort on wash day as low as possible, you can use small rituals between wash days to minimise tangling and moisture loss.  

With a natural leave-in, curls can be detangled, cared for and defined between wash days. Simply dampen the hair with water from a spray bottle, work in the leave-in and gently pull apart individual tangled strands.  

Protective styles (e.g. braids, twists) not only look great but also help curls tangle less. At night, you can protect your children's hair with a satin pillowcase. Depending on hair length, the curls can also be tied up at night into a bun or pineapple with a satin scrunchie.  

Porosity

Knowing the porosity of your children's hair can also save time. In our blog post on porosity you'll find all the important facts.

For far too long, curls have had a bad reputation, and completely unfairly. Let's do it differently with the new generation and show them how wonderful their curls are.