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(*Updated* I found another amazing hair product I’m in love with! Check out kinky curly curling custard below!)
Two of the questions I am most often asked about my kids biracial curly hair are, how do you manage their hair and what products do you use for it? Let me tell you I’ve done a lot of trial and error over the years and because of that, I now can share the products that I am confident in. These are products I have used on my kids since they were babies and I would recommend them to this day.
Mixed Chicks Leave In Conditioner
I used this when my kids were babies up til they were young toddlers. I liked that it wasn’t too heavy because their hair was more fine when they were little but they still needed something to help define their curls otherwise their hair would get frizzy really quickly. Once their hair became more curly and coarse as they got older, this didn’t work as well so I changed products. But I would still recommend it if your child has fine curls.
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie
This is one of the leave in products I use on both of my kids. I graduated to this after Mixed chicks didn’t work for them anymore. It is thick so you don’t need to use a lot of it so even using it with two kids one jar will still last me months! It makes my kids hair soft, defined, and it smells good!
Cantu Moisturizing Curl Activator Cream
I use this in conjunction with the Shea Moisture curl enhancing smoothie. Again this is something that you don’t need to use a lot of so it will again last you a long time. This helps to keep their curls defined and with the smoothie, keeps their hair super soft.
Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner
I really like this conditioner because it is thick and moisturizes really well. Once your child has thicker, more coarse hair, you will need a thick moisturizing conditioner because curly hair is very dry. That thick conditioner also helps stay in the hair when you are combing out their curls. (Trust me you’ll need all the help you can get when you are combing those beautiful but tangly curls!). What I disliked was the price. Once I had two kids that needed a thick conditioner, it didn’t make sense for me to keep paying a higher price for the conditioner when I was going through it so fast. But it is a good conditioner so if you don’t mind spending the money or if you only have one kid and you aren’t going through it as fast this is a great option!
Cantu Shea Butter For Natural Hair Hydrating Cream Conditioner
This is one of my favorite finds! It is a great thick, moisturizing conditioner and it is SO cheap! This makes it easy to buy because I go through conditioner so quickly. It coats my kids hair so when I’m combing through it in the bathtub it doesn’t run out while I’m combing.
Cantu Shea Butter For Natural Hair Complete Conditioning Co-Wash
I have recently, (within the last several months) added a co-wash into my kids hair routine. I never use shampoo and most of the time I will wash/scrub their scalp with conditioner. But sometimes I will use this co-wash because I think their scalp needs to be cleaned of the product that is always in their hair. Conditioner probably does this by itself (since I scrub their scalp as well) but because this is in between a conditioner and shampoo, it just makes me feel like it is cleaning their scalp a little more! This cleans the scalp but is not harsh or drying like shampoo.
If you’re interested in what the step by step process looks like, check out how to care for mixed hair.
I never had success when I tried gel in the past. It was always tacky and weighed my kid’s hair down. But I have finally found a gel that is worth recommending to you! This has been a game changer! This is the last product I put on my kids hair. I use this after I use the Cantu Curl Activator and Shea Enhancing Smoothie. You only need a little bit, which means the jar lasts a LONG time (woo hoo!). I’ve found that this gives GREAT definition and really keeps the frizzies at bay!
I don’t have to use this everyday either. The next day after I use it, their hair is still defined and relatively frizz free (depending on how much they have rolled around it). So I will put a little of this in my daughter’s hair every other day or two (again depending on how much she’s rolled around).
I will note that if your child’s hair is more fine or they don’t have a lot of hair yet, you may want to use just a little bit the first day you wash it. If you use it too often between washes on fine hair, the hair kind of looks like there is too much product in it. But it works AMAZING on my daughter’s hair!!
These are the products that I swear by. My kids always get compliments on their hair and these products only enhance their beautiful curls!
Related Reading
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Biracial Hair Care Tips to Help Maintain and Define Curls
Why You Should Discuss Race With Your Biracial Kids
Top 10 Books That Feature Biracial Children
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