OT: What is the BEST shampoo and or conditioner for DRY toddler's hair?

I think it what we put out is by Paul Mitchell and it is called "baby cry no more" (something like that)

It sounds like her hair is course and curly. Try a wide toothed comb start at the end of her hair and work your way up to the scalp... that helps alot. Is she in the sun, wind, beach or pool much? How bout vigorous brushing with a bristle brush or using a blow dryer? if so these can be very damaging to hair. Instant conditioners are going to coat the hair follicle but not actually penatrate the hair shaft-a temorary fix at best. spray on (leave on )conditioners sometimes add insult to injury by making the hair sticky and easier to tangle. Baby shampoos are not gentle for hair but more for our eyes as they are the same ph(alkaline level) as the eyes, therefore no more tears... baby shampoo is fine for normal hair but not for dry or damaged hair. Most any moisturizing shampoo and conditioner for dry, damaged or brittle hair will help... yes,even the cheap brands such as suave are ok. It's a cleanser-it won't repair damage. If it were my hair, I would go to the nearest beauty supply place and look for a good 10 minute rinse out conditioner for dry damaged hair- wash hair put product mostly on ends and mid section of hair, pile on top of my head and wear a shower cap for about ten-twenty mins in the sun so that it warms to open the hair follicle and absorb the conditioner... Now how to talk a 3 1/2 year old to keep a shower cap on her head for that long-I have NO idea! bribery might work? If the hair is not damaged by any outside agents or elements... talk to the ped at her next visit it could be a lack of something in her diet.

Might seem weird. But many bi-racial and AA children don't actually have their hair shampooed at all, only conditioned. If the shampoo is taking too much of the hairs natural oils out then hair can be horribly dry. Some of our preferred conditioners to use are Sunsilk (anti poof variety) and Tresemme Curl care. Also you might want to consider a conditioning treatment.

I actually would second either not using shampoo at all or cutting down to maybe once a week. We have all be trained by advertisements that shampoo is necessary, but for many types of hair it's really not. I'm not AA or bi-racial, but I have curly hair and I never use shampoo anymore, just conditioner. For wavy hair, I've seen it recommended that you just shampoo once a week or so. I'd also suggest using a leave in conditioner. (A note - A GREAT book for the care of curly hair, with a section on wavy hair as well, is Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey. [url=http://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Lorraine-Massey/dp/0761123008]Amazon.com: Curly Girl: Lorraine Massey,Deborah Chiel: Books[/url])

Mayonnaise. Seriously. Dampen her hair and work some Mayonnaise through it. Leave it on for 20 minutes and then wash it out with a moisture shampoo. My cousin has that type of hair and swears by it. Her hair is always so shiny and healthy looking. EZ

My 3 yo had beautiful soft and waivy hair. It fell out, literally in chunks. Her ped ran all sorts of tests, including lupus, leukemia, thyroid, etc.. nothing, it was just falling. Someone told me to put mayonnaise on her scalp for an hour or two before washing it, and she's been getting it back, but it looks like straighten AA, so I'm only washing it as little as I can. I also bought a hair cream/lotion at the AA section of shampoos, it's mayonnaise and honey based, it feels sticky when you first put it on, but when it dries up, the hair becomes soft and silky. -I've actually been using it myself. From reading the previous posts, I'm gonna try not using shampoo on her hair for a while and see how that goes. Good luck with your little one's hair!

Mayo will moisturize the hair and scalp, but lets face it-it smells-and hard to wash the smell out... The molecular structure of mayo, beer, raw egg etc. is not going to penatrate the hair folicle therefore only coating the hair and scalp. (sorry very technical- non practicing cosmetologist) I have been plagued with wavy-curly hair myself so my mom tried all the 'cures' listed above as it was told be the 'fix" for my unmanagable, dry and tangly hair... My moms cure, old fashioned bristle brush and rip out the tangles-OUCH! Shampoo less frequently, use a wide toothed comb never a bristle brush... use moisturing shampoo and conditioners- leave in conditions can work, try sunsilk or frizzease(dime size dollop in palm and work into hair consentrate on the ends) can pick up at any drug store. You can also get a jar of scalp conditioner called cholesteral(hair care section at drugstore)-it coats like mayo but made for hair... It is for dry scalp and hair it is used in beauty shops all the time as a hair and scalp moisurizer it works well but will need to be rinsed out thoroughly. If these products dont work, you need a deep conditioning treatment-pick up at beauty supply place. Hope this helps!

OMG! She has such beautiful hair!!! I ran out and purchased the Aussie moisturizing shampooo, conditioner and leave in spray. I have one word for the spray: FABULOUS!! I am sure after long term use, her hair will be soft and beautiful. Plus, I forgot to mention, we live in S. Florida. We spend a lot more time in the sun, and that tropical heat can certainly contribute to making her hair dry. Thanks to everyone for their input. I will start giving her daily vitamins as well. Plus I like the idea of deep conditoning once a month or so. God bless,Julie & Princess Sarah :thanks:

I never heard of cholesteral for hair. Is it gentle enough to use on a toddler's scalp and hair? Thanks,Julie You can also get a jar of scalp conditioner called cholesteral(hair care section at drugstore)-it coats like mayo but made for hair... It is for dry scalp and hair it is used in beauty shops all the time as a hair and scalp moisurizer it works well but will need to be rinsed out thoroughly. If these products dont work, you need a deep conditioning treatment-pick up at beauty supply place. Hope this helps![/quote]

Yes, cholesteral can be used on toddlers hair and scalp too. Part wet hair in sections, apply to scalp-then massage into scalp, also add to the dry ends, let sit a few minutes-wrapped in towel, then rinse thoroughly... This works especially well for aa hair too as they have far less oil glands on their scalp than cc.

I stopped using shampoo on my CC daughter's hair the same time I stopped using shampoo on my own hair. We just wash with conditioner and our hair has never been healthier! It took a week or so for my hair to adjust but it's been over a month without shampoo and I'm just amazed! I read a book that said that curly hair should not have shampoo in it and I decided to try it.

Julie, glad you found product that you like! I also can recommend Matrix's Curl Life line...I use a little of the contouring milk on DD's hair (which is curly and can get snarly, etc.) and it works beautifully!

Great! Thanks for the recommendation :)

I apologize for bump this old thread, but I would like to share my experience in this matter, since when I was looking for good advice on this topic for myself. My hair used to be super dry and brittle, and now it's very soft and moisturized and healthy, and the most important thing is using a Clarifying shampoo (I prefer the one by Paul Mitchel) about once a week to remove product build-up, chlorine and other impurities that dry out the hair.I started shampooing my scalp only (except for the time when I use the clarifying shampoo) and conditioning the rest of my hair. I LOVE the Live Clean Unscented moisturizer or Argan Oil Conditioner, those conditioners are completely natural and healthy, and they are super creamy and moisturizing. Plus they are really cheap. I leave the conditioner in for a few minutes and then rinse. The second most important step is applying about 2 palm fulls of avocado oil into my hair when it is wet or damp (I have long hair so only use as much as it takes to saturate your hair, but not make it too oily). The oil will absorb into the hair as it dries. It does not work when the hair is dry, only when the hair is wet or damp. I've tried all other oils, but avocado oil is the one that makes my hair the softest and moisturized out of all of them, plus I like using it for cooking, so I always have a huge bottle of it around.I like watching a video on YouTube on such topics, I'll leave you one of them here, I hope it will useful to someone.

My daughter Castle has such long and shiny hair. She needs a haircut after every couple of weeks. We use Aussie hair care products. They have the best shampoo for kids. Their conditioner and spray leave-in conditioner work so well and make my daughter's hair shine like glass.