When it comes to age groups, it’s super easy to find skincare products for babies, and somehow even easier to find skincare products for teens. But skincare and hair care for kids in the 3-9 age bracket? Good luck finding products designed for them! My kid is 3, and I’ve been struggling with this for a while. Fortunately, I’ve managed to develop a strategy to find products that perfectly fit the needs of a 3-9 year old child. If you’re also looking for the best skincare and haircare products for your kids, I’m about to make your life easier. Join me on this quick dive!
How to choose skincare and haircare products for kids
This is where “strategy” comes in. There are three ways you can find suitable products for kids to use:
1. Stick to baby products
There is nothing wrong with using baby products on kids. Skincare-wise, you’ll be perfectly safe if you continue to use products from a baby-first brand or range on an older child. However, you may struggle a little with hair care, since baby care ranges rarely take hair care as their focus.
Let’s be realistic, though: the biggest obstacle to continuing to use baby products may be your kid claiming they are no longer a baby and, therefore, should not be using any baby products.
2. Focus on product ranges made for kids
There aren’t many product ranges that focus solely on skincare and hair care for kids, but those we do have are worth exploring. They feature pretty bottles and nice fragrances, and that’s always a plus when trying to convince a child to use a product.
This is especially true at bathtime. Even though I’m hoping you’re not struggling with bath time resistance, it’s easier to get the kids in the tub if they enjoy the products they’re using.
3. Pick one product option for the entire family
If you always like to take advantage of a savings opportunity, picking products that can be used by the whole family is a great way to save some money. Just make sure the products are age-appropriate for the little ones, and get on with it.
Best body care for kids
In the 3-9 year old age range, a child’s skincare skin care routine and body care routine can be one and the same. We recommend starting with a moisturizer and a body wash, and only adding further products if you feel the need.
Best moisturizer for kids
At this age, it’s perfectly fine to use the same moisturizer on the face and body. Choose a great lotion and just use it all over. If your kid has sensitive skin or eczema, choose a fragrance-free lotion that is highly nourishing. You can also up the nourishing game if your kid is constantly under air conditioning or in cold and windy weather. Now, is lotion really mandatory? Not at all. You can happily skip it if your kid’s skin is balanced.
Best body wash for kids
This is one of the easiest ways to make bath time fun for kids. Let them choose a body wash that comes in their favorite color, or pick a fun and fruity scent of their liking. One thing you may want to consider when using scented body washes, especially for little girls, is to have an intimate wash (we like the LETIfem Pediatric Intimate Gel). However, you can just skip all of these and go for our favorite: a shower oil for the entire family. But make no mistake, in no way this is an actual oil–it won’t make the bathtub slippery! It’s just a very nourishing shower gel that cleanses everything without disrupting the skin barrier.
Best hair care for kids
When it comes to picking the best skincare and hair care for kids, hair care is where things get truly complicated. There are two reasons for that: one, there aren’t that many products designed for kids; two, kids’ hair can be very trying. Children have a tendency to get all sorts of dirt in their hair, and they have little patience to sit still while we’re trying to detangle their hair afterwards. For these reasons, a shampoo for children needs to achieve two things: it needs to offer a deep cleansing, but it also needs to help us gently detangle the hair and define curls and coils when necessary.
Based on this, we have selected the following shampoos that you and your child can try together:
Best shampoo for kids
There’s no such thing as one shampoo that’s going to suit all kids. Still, we have a few favorites. Generally, for children with more demanding hair, we like shampoos that focus on a specific action, such as detangling, nourishing, etc. For children with super easy, super chill hair, we recommend going for a simple shampoo “for the whole family”. Find some of our suggestions below.
For curly or coily hair, we like the CurlyEllie Gentle Shampoo; for serious detangling needs, the Klorane Junior Detangling Peach Shampoo is also a fantastic option.
If your child has blond hair, you may want to play up their natural highlights with a gentle chamomile shampoo like the Intea Children’s Shampoo Blond Highlights. If you want to lean fully into the gentlest of gentlest shampoos for children, try the Johnson’s Baby Strength Drops Kids Shampoo, a no-tears shampoo in lovely purple packaging.
If you’d rather buy a single shampoo the whole family can use, our recommendation falls on the Vichy Dercos Mineral Soft Fortifying Shampoo. Another affordable option for a shampoo that’s suitable for all types of hair is the Garnier Ultimate Blends Kids 2-In-1 Apricot Shampoo.
Looking for more natural options? Try one of the APIVITA‘s natural formulas for children, like the APIVITA Mini Bees Gentle Kids Shampoo Blueberry & Honey, or the equally wonderful Mádara Kind Mild Shampoo. These are two incredible shampoos made from natural ingredients that feature biodegradable formulas.
Best detangling products for kids
As already mentioned, detangling your child’s hair can be a struggle. To make your life easier, you can consider a few easy add-ons to your kid’s hair care routine. Leave-in conditioners, like the Revlon Professional Equave Kids Conditioner or the Klorane Junior Detangling Care, can make a world of difference. Last, but not least, you can try investing in a detangling brush, like the Tangle Teezer Original Mini Mighty Dino.
It can be difficult to find skincare and hair care for kids, but we hope the options we’ve shown you here will be helpful. Even though the options aren’t infinite, there’s still a lot to choose from. Want to see more? Then make sure to browse our full selection of kids’ products in the shop.
