Ever had an epiphany? Well, I had one recently. I was on the phone with someone and we began talking about black hair care. Since Princess’s hair has been suddenly sprouting a bit more strands, I’ve been researching different hair care products that are safe for her to use. When I mentioned that I use Just For Me, I was immediately informed to avoid it like the plague.
I found out that a baby’s hair will change over time and certain products can affect the texture. FYI, I am no expert when it comes to hair care. It’s taken many years to learn, but I know a thing or two about my own. I have a relaxer and I have fine textured hair. I wash it once a week and I grease my scalp right afterwards. For those of you who aren’t familiar with black hair, here’s a quick lesson. Greasing just means adding oil or moisturizer to your scalp.
Keep in mind that not all black hair is the same. Some may wash their hair once a week, some may go weeks or months without a sprinke of water. Our black hair tends to be drier than our white counterparts, hence adding a moisturizer is necessary to prevent breakage. Naturally drier hair also means frequent washing isn’t nessessary. Black hair also comes in different textures. What works for one person may not work for another. When you add bi-racial hair care to the mix, it’s becomes a whole other learning process.
Some mixed race children may have thick and curly, while others may have thin and coarse hair. There are so many textures out there that I don’t think it’s possible to name them call. When Princess first arrived she had pin straight hair, like many black, and many white babies.
As she got older her it went from fine and straight, to fine and curly. I noticed that it would get dry, so I’d put a little A&D ointment to add shine and moisture. I later began using a tiny dab of Just for Me moisturing lotion. Even though Just For Me is a relaxer line made for kids, I didn’t see the harm in using the moisturizer in my baby’s hair. I was only using a teeny drop! But now I can understand why I probably shouldn’t be using it. I checked the ingredients and found that there are lot of chemicals like c12-15 alkyl benzoate which is a hair thickening agent. It also contains sodium borax, which is often found in detergents. It’s not to say that these are harmful products, but they can affect the look and feel of Princess’s hair.
I doubt that they’ll be permenent effects, but moving forward I’ll certainly be more selective. If you look closely you can see that most of her curls are in the back, while the front is a bit more straight. As it continues to grow, I’m sure there’ll be a lot more changes. I’d rather let nature take it course, instead of using chemical filled hair care products.
It’s taken a while, but after months of sporting her boy-short-do, she’s finally been able to rock this bow. Cute, huh?
In the meantime, I’ve decided to stick with natural products like Benjamin’s Pure Olive Oil, courtesy of her grandma.
What kind of products do you use in your kids hair? Hit me up!
Weather Anchor Mama
I have been thinking about this lately as my daughter is biracial, and I have no idea what to put in her hair or what to do with her hair. It was real straight, but now parts are getting curly in the front and it is kind of a mess! We put a little bit of baby lotion in it because her scalp is dry, but maybe i’ll try that oil. Thanks for the post!
My kids are mixed with Indian and Trini they have beautiful curly hair, I use Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk for all of us even my hair. It works, but my kids were born with a full head of hair as babies I used good ole Johnson&Johnson.
You know, I hadn’t thought about the fact that mixed children can add a whole new level to the haircare mix. Both my kids started out using Johnson’s Baby Lotion, but after age 2 we started switching to adult moisturizing lotion (which one I don’t know, mommy buys & I just apply it, LOL). We’ve never relaxed their hair, but we comb it & brush it often. I need to educate myself on how to keep my kids’ hair–I’m clueless! Thanks for the write-up.
Jessica! I actually use baby lotion too! I do wash her hair with the tear free Johnson and Johnson shampoo. I thought about Carol’s Daughter, but I recently tried the body butter and I’ve been itching and breaking out all over. So, I’ve decided to skipt at for now.
Huberto, please ask your wife to share her tips. I’m sure she has a lot. I can use all the help I can get. Princess’s hair is growing more and more each day. I feel like she’ll get up one morning with a head full of long thick hair and I’ll be clueless too. hehe
I use Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. It Makes her smell good and it has an antibacterial property. So it helps with dry scalp.
Haven’t stopped by in a while but just wanted to say hi and share that like Anonymous I’ve been using extra virgin coconut oil on my 14 month old’s hair. I had used it on mine before and her hair just soaks it up. Good stuff!
Thanks so much Quianna! That’s another product that I have to try!
Hi Stacy Ann,
I was so excited when I came across your blog. I watched you all the time when you were on Fox 5 – and loved that we were both of Jamaican descent :). I’m a fellow mommy blogger here in NY and just wanted to say that I love your blog and your daughter is beyond adorable!
*BeautyAndABaby.blogspot.com
Love this post but poor thing! Glad you figured out what works for you! I’m still standing behind the Curls product I LOVE! I’m just sad it’s sold out right now! Can’t wait to get more. I need to do a write up about this next week cause I’m always getting asked questions about Lil’ J’s hair care. Thanks for linking up to Mini Mod!! 🙂
coconut oil! warm it up a bit, great for hair and scalp!