Taking care of your child's hair can seem like an everyday affair. Children can be very active and the hair routine can feel repetitive. You don't need a 20-step routine and countless products to get the job done. With only 4 products and these three steps, your children will be ready for their day and you will be relieved. No more searching Google for what to do, what to use and when to start. Through this guide, Ayacaona provides you with all the information you will need, from safe products for children to actions to apply for a cry-free routine. Caring for a child's hair may seem complex, but with a little knowledge, it's as easy as 1, 2, 3. Ayacaona makes your life even easier with our discovery set for children.

At what age should you start a hair routine?

Knowing when to start styling your child can be overwhelming with the many different results that show up when you do a search. You can safely start styling your child from the age of one. It is essential to know what ingredients to consider and monitor when the child begins to comb their hair. When you choose products for your child, do not trust the packaging but look on the back for the list of ingredients, run away if you see any of these ingredients:

• Sulphates
• Parabens
• Silicones
• Formaldehyde,
• Perfumes
• Propylene glycol
• Synthetic dyes
• Lanolin, petroleum and mineral oil
• 1, 4 Dioxane
• ^[1]

Ingredients to look for:

• Water
• Natural oils: olive oil, avocado, castor, rice, jojoba, etc...
• Natural butters: Shea and cocoa butters
• cruelty free

How to detangle your child's hair without pain?

Detangling may be your child's worst nightmare; however, detangling doesn't have to be a painful experience. Natural hair often detangles due to the thickness and structure of each hair strand. To have a painless detangling session:

1. Part their hair into four (4) sections for easy work. (Work with damp or wet hair, so you can handle it easily)
2. Apply a leave-in conditioner to properly moisturize the hair, such as leave-in moisturizer .
3. Use a soft detangling brush like the Felicia Leatherwood Detangling Brush to glide through hair with ease. The Felicia Leatherwood detangling brush is designed to avoid pulling on the hair shaft.
4. Start at the ends and slowly work your way up to the roots.

3-step hair care regimen for kids

Step One: Shampoo with a mild, creamy cleanser

Before you begin, you should wash your child's hair with a mild, creamy cleansing shampoo to remove any buildup of oils, dirt, and product from their hair and scalp. Our gentle and creamy cleanser, moisturizing shampoo is an excellent hair care cleanser for children and babies. It removes all impurities without stripping the hair of its natural oils. Its gentle formula with oats, nettle and aloe juice moisturizes, strengthens and improves the overall appearance of toddlers' hair. Apply a small amount, concentrating only on the scalp, and massage into the scalp for a few minutes. Then rinse and let the shampoo cleanse the rest of the hair.

Step Two: Intensive Conditioner

Hydration is an important part of styling your child's hair. Try to include an intensive conditioning session in your child's hair care routine at least once a week. After shampooing, it's time to deeply moisturize your hair. Use our Intense Hydration Conditioner . The main ingredients of this hair mask, castor oil and avocado oil, work together to treat and strengthen the scalp, while nourishing cocoa butter moisturizes the hair shaft.

Part your child's hair into four (4) sections, work the product evenly into the sections and comb the product through with the Felicia Leatherwood Detangling Brush . Once all the sections are done, cover her head with a cap and leave it on for 15-30 minutes, then rinse.

Tip: If the hair is extremely dry, you can use a heated cap for 15 minutes.

Step Three: Styling - Moisturize with a curl-defining moisturizer and seal in moisture with a cream butter

Now that you've cleaned her hair and applied a mask, it's time to style and lock in moisture. Styling will help define the curls of your child's hair. Our leave-in moisturizer and our Moisturizing Cream Butter are a dynamic duo that deliver long-lasting hydration and perfectly define every curl, leaving your child's hair feeling silky and soft to the touch.

Start with the leave-in moisturizer , made with rice oil, castor oil, and aloe juice. Part their hair into four (4) sections and apply leave-in conditioner. Use a detangling brush like the one from Felicia Leatherwood to make sure the product is evenly distributed in each section.

Then, working in sections, apply the moisturizing cream butter . You can separate each section into smaller sections and use the "Prayer method". With this method, instead of putting the product through your curls, you rub it between your palms, and using praying hands, the product glides from root to end. Also, to add definition to curls, use the Denman brush.

Finally, let their hair air dry or use a diffuser. Make sure they don't touch their hair during the drying process to prevent it from getting dry. Once their hair has dried, you're done! You can choose to leave their hair curly or protect it by braiding it or twisting it. ^[2]

These three easy steps take the day out of washing up and make hair care fun for you and your child. Not only do you learn more about their natural hair, but you also teach them how to take care of their hair someday.

[1] https://yarokhair.com/blogs/blog/are-child-shampoo-and-hair-products-safe-avoid-toxic-ingredients#:~:text=Here%20are%20the%20ingredients%20to, 3%2Ddiol%20(bromopol).

[2] https://ayacaona.com/collections/all