Which is the best baby shampoo for curly hair?
That’s a good question as parents prefer to avoid dealing with tangles and birds’ nests. They’d like their little ones to have gleaming, defined curls and a healthy scalp.
The experts recommend moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoos to avoid dryness, tangles, and dull curls. Therefore, we researched the most nourishing shampoos for babies with curly hair and reviewed them here for you.
How to care for your baby’s curly hair
You may already know that curly hair tends to be drier than straight hair. It doesn’t need to be washed every day (1).
Washing your baby’s hair once or twice a week should be enough. Use a dab of tear-free baby shampoo and massage it into the roots. Unless there’s food caked in the hair, you don’t need to scrub the ends.
If you don’t rub vigorously, you can avoid tangling the curls and matting the hair.
If the baby’s hair needs washing more often, you can co-wash with baby conditioner instead of shampoo.
In any case, don’t use adult shampoos as they often have ingredients that could sting the baby’s eyes or dehydrate the scalp and hair.
Rinse with warm water and pat the hair dry with a microfiber towel or a T-shirt. This cuts down on tangles as regular towels rough up the cuticle (2).
If the baby’s hair is parched, you can deep-condition it. Apply baby conditioner and put a shower cap on the baby’s head. Let her play in the water for a bit, then rinse her hair as usual.
To moisturize kinky, coily hair, put a couple drops of organic oil on your hands. Then work it through the curls with your fingers.
When you brush the hair, use a wide-tooth comb or a wet brush. Start detangling at the ends, not at the root. A little detangling spray makes grooming go faster.
Best Baby Shampoo for Curly Hair in 2024
Shampoo for infants with curly hair
Newborns and infants have delicate skin and hair. In fact, they may shed a lot of hair during the first few months. That’s normal. But it’s crucial to protect their well-being with gentle baby shampoo to prevent dryness, rashes, and eczema.
Don’t settle for a shampoo with sulfates or other harsh ingredients. As you’ll see below, there are several excellent shampoos for babies with curly hair.
CARA B Naturally Hair Care Bundle
Get all the natural hair products for babies with curly hair in one package. The set comes with shampoo/body wash, leave-in conditioner, and detangling hair mist. It’s highly recommended for babies with curly, coily, and kinky hair of all ethnicities.
First, there’s tear-free shampoo that’s appropriate for sensitive skin. It’s enriched with natural moisturizers like coconut oil, aloe, and vitamin E. It has no artificial fragrance, color, preservatives, parabens, phthalates, or sulfates.
Then, there’s the no-rinse conditioner with jojoba oil and shea butter. It’s lightweight on curly locks to keep them shiny, not greasy.
Finally, the mist works on wet or dry hair to help you comb out the curls. Like all the other products, it’s certified natural by the NPA (Natural Products Association).
Reviewers say it leaves their children’s hair moisturized, tangle-free, and healthy.
Milk & Co. Milk Baby Natural Shampoo and Conditioner
Do you know of the Olympic gold medalist swimmer named Michael Klim? He and his wife created this product line in Australia. (Don’t be fooled by the name – it has nothing to do with milk, but rather their last name spelled backward.)
The 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner is packed with organic oils and botanical extracts like lavender and strawberry to relax your child before bed.
It’s tear-free and nourishing with natural glycerin and no harsh chemicals.
The Honest Company Gently Nourishing Sweet Almond Shampoo
The Honest Company has more than one baby shampoo. Each one is manufactured without sulfates, parabens, dyes, perfumes, phthalates, and formaldehyde donors. They’ve all been dermatologist-tested, too.
Each is tear-free and mild to keep the baby’s skin and hair soft and moisturized. You might like it so much that you end up trying it for yourself!
SHEA MOISTURE 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Baby Wash & Shampoo
Shea Moisture is one of the few brands that makes baby shampoo specifically for textured hair. They cater to curls with murumuru butter and coconut.
The formula is sulfate-free and has a delicious, subtle scent. Users say it feels creamy, and it cleans well.
Original Sprout Hair and Body Baby Wash
This American baby shampoo isn’t specifically for curly hair, but it’s gentle and moisturizing. It rinses clean easily. It can help calm itchy skin from psoriasis and eczema. It’s also suitable for clearing up cradle cap.
The formula is pH-balanced to avoid stripping moisture from the skin and hair. It’s also gluten-free and hypoallergenic. Also, dermatologists have tested it to be safe for the whole family.
Aveeno Baby Gentle Wash & Shampoo
It seems like no baby shampoo review would be complete without a product from Aveeno. They are a pediatrician-recommended brand.
This baby wash ticks the boxes: it won’t cause tears, and it has no parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.
Moreover, it’s mild enough to use daily.
Puracy Baby Shampoo & Body Wash
Puracy has won awards from The Bump and Business Insider for this baby shampoo. It’s suitable for newborns, infants, and toddlers, even those with sensitive, eczema-prone skin.
It’s vegan, pH-balanced, and 99.5% natural. For example, it uses a coconut-based cleanser to remove dirt without dehydrating the skin or hair. It will leave your baby silky soft, and comfortable.
Plus, it has an appealing natural fragrance of citrus and sea salt. There are no artificial perfumes, colors, parabens, sulfates, gluten, or harsh ingredients in the bottle.
Try it, and if you don’t love it, they offer a full refund with no questions asked.
Pipette Baby Shampoo + Body Wash
Choose from fragrance-free or Calming Aroma versions of this baby shampoo. (The scented shampoo contains rose geranium and patchouli).
Both are sulfate-free and tear-free. Every ingredient is plant-based, including glycerin and squalane. Squalane comes from sugarcane, and it’s a potent moisturizer for curls and skin.
Furthermore, the ingredients are verified as safe by the EWG (Environmental Working Group) and tested by dermatologists and pediatricians. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a gentler shampoo than this one.
Baby Mantra 3-in-1 Shampoo, Bubble Bath, and Body Wash
If your child has sensitive skin, you can’t go wrong with this bath product. It’s been allergy-tested, plus it’s NPA-certified as natural. The shampoo is rated a “1” for safe, clean ingredients on the EWG Skin Deep Database.
The soft lavender scent comes from pure essential oil, making it ideal for relaxed bathing at bedtime. It’s a body wash that leaves both the skin and hair smooth and soft.
Burt’s Bees Baby Shampoo & Wash
Burt’s Bees formulated this tear-free shampoo for all babies with delicate skin. It has no drying sulfates, parabens, or phthalates.
Instead, it cleanses with soy protein. The protein is naturally moisturizing for both the hair and the scalp.
Then, the natural fragrance leaves your little one smelling fresh and clean.
Baby Bum Shampoo & Wash
Here’s a shampoo with banana, ginger, Monoi Coconut oil, and aloe. It sounds hard to resist, doesn’t it? Therefore, it’s not surprising that big kids and parents like to use it, too. It’s made to be moisturizing.
Thankfully, it’s been tested by dermatologists and pediatricians to be safe for infants and toddlers alike. It’s free of sulfates, silicone, parabens, and phthalates, but it foams up nicely.
Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel
When you see the word “sulfate” on the label here, don’t panic. It’s a mild version of the kind used in adult shampoos. It’s not drying, and it’s safe for newborns. Truthfully, this baby body wash was formulated to rehydrate the skin.
Ninety percent of the ingredients are natural, like vitamin B5 and avocado. There are no parabens, phthalates, or phenoxyethanol. There is a fragrance, however. It’s the iconic scent used by the brand in most of their baby products.
California Baby Eucalyptus Ease Shampoo
If your child has cradle cap, dander, or eczema, she could benefit from this soothing shampoo. It has eucalyptus to relieve itching and reduce inflammation.
It’s very moisturizing and gentle, leaving the hair and skin with a silky texture. One reviewer said she was shocked at how easy it was to detangle curls after washing with it.
BELLA B Cradle Cap Shampoo & Cradle Cap Scalp Treatment and Conditioner
Curly heads get cradle cap just like any other baby. But this newborn shampoo and conditioner stop the itching and foams away the dead skin.
It’s free of sulfates and parabens and has no animal ingredients. The formula contains rich plant proteins that strengthen the hair and scalp. Plus, there’s avocado and jojoba oil to seal in moisture.
Washing daily may seem to go against the grain for curly hair, but in this case, it clears up the flaking and itching in just a few days.
Lil’ Leona Organic Moisturizing Vegan Hair Care for Baby, Toddler, Kids
This pack of conditioner and co-wash is perfect for textured, thick, curly hair. It detangles and defines curls with safe and natural ingredients. In fact, everything on the label is Whole Foods Approved rated safe at EWG.
There are no sulfates, formaldehyde, parabens, or gluten in the bottle. Moreover, the manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee if you’re not pleased with the product.
The Honest Company Organic Body Oil
What can I put on my baby’s curly hair as a leave-in conditioner? Pure, organic plant oil (i.e., coconut or extra virgin olive) works well for moisturizing curls and coils. But to get the best blend of oils, you need something like this product.
It features 95% certified organic oils, including jojoba, olive, coconut, and avocado. It’s balanced and absorbs quickly to avoid leaving the skin or hair greasy. Just a tiny amount goes a long way.
Wet Brush Hair Brush Original Detangler
This brush works wonders no matter the hair type, whether curly, thick, wavy or textured. It prevents split ends and breakage while it detangles knotted hair.
The secret to its success is the patented Intelliflex bristles. Plus, the ergonomic design of the handle makes it easy to control. Use it on wet or dry curls.
Shampoo for toddlers with curly hair
Which is the best shampoo for toddlers with curly hair? Toddlers are busier and messier than infants, so you might be tempted to try an adult shampoo.
We recommend you try a kids’ shampoo instead like the ones below. They are tear-free and gentle to nourish your growing child’s curls.
Johnson’s Curl-Defining, Frizz Control, Tear-Free Kids’ Shampoo
Johnson’s toddler shampoo has been recently reformulated and improved. It’s hypoallergenic and has no sulfates, parabens, artificial colors, or phthalates. What’s more, the company follows a manufacturing program that ensures safe products. This includes testing by ophthalmologists and pediatricians.
If your kid has frizzy hair, this shampoo will fix it. It’s mild and moisturizing, adding definition to curls for 24 hours after washing. One of the secret ingredients is shea butter, an excellent natural conditioner.
Johnson’s No More Tangles Detangling Shampoo for Toddlers
Get rid of the rats’ nests and knots with this shampoo that smooths each curl back in place.
What’s interesting is that it’s not just for washing the hair. You can also use it to detangle and style dry hair.
Louise Maelys Wooden Wide Tooth Comb
This wooden comb is a little big for babies but convenient for toddlers with textured hair. It’s sandalwood and has a pleasing scent.
It’s naturally anti-static and has rounded teeth to protect sensitive skin. Use it to detangle curls and coils.
Conclusion
If you don’t have curly hair yourself, now is the time to learn how to manage your baby’s curls. Moisturizing baby shampoo will start you off on the right foot. When your baby’s hair is hydrated and conditioned, it’s easy to detangle.
Parents with curly hair already know the importance of sulfate-free, mild shampoo with plenty of conditioners. It’s the secret to beautiful, bouncing curls.
We hope you found your new favorite baby shampoo here today. If our reviews helped you choose the best baby product for your needs, please tell us about it in the comments below.
Sources:
1. https://www.wikihow.mom/Maintain-Your-Baby%27s-Curly-Hair by Ashley Adams, updated May 6, 2020, accessed December 16, 2020
2. https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/tips-for-caring-for-curly-haired-kids by Amanda Mushro, published July 25, 2015, accessed December 16, 2020
