By KAREN PETERS
Our hair is a beautiful, curious institute. We can have loose spirals, free-flowing coils, tight corkscrews, strong and determined tresses, or even a combination of each of these intertwined all on one head. Even more peculiar is our babies' hair, because they're born with one texture that's easy to comb and style, and then somewhere between learning to walk and learning to talk, something happens.
It changes.
Big time.
As parents, we fear it, dread it, hate it, wish it away, try to stop it, and, of course, try to battle with it. But we need to remember that The Change in our babies' hair is what was intended a rite of passage that should be embraced and honored. Still, we do need to know how to make the transition smooth not only for our babies, but for ourselves.
There is a way a natural way to usher our babies' hair through The Change. To help MyBrownBaby answer the call of dozens of mothers who reached out to her on The Parenting Post for advice and tips on the best way to care for their babies' hair, I've assembled a few recipes with natural ingredients for your baby's hair regimen, plus alternative products that can be purchased in stores and online for those of you who aren't up for the mixology.
Remember, there is no one product that will do it all; you will have to try some things, buy some things, and even mix up a few concoctions of your own.
Note: I did not include essential oils in these recipes because even though they are natural, some people especially children are sensitive to them. As your baby matures, you can experiment with the following essential oils as needed for
¢ Oily Hair: Lavender, lemon, sage, cedar
¢ Dry Hair: Rosewood, Ylang-ylang, honey, Balm
¢ Dandruff: Yarrow, Sandalwood, Lavender, Cypress, Balm
¢ Stimulating hair growth: Coriander, Rosemary, Birch
¢ Helping split ends: Rosewood, Cedar, Ylang-ylang
GREAT NATURAL HAIRCARE INGREDIENTS TO KEEP ON HAND:
From your local health food store:
¢ Coconut oil (about $8)
¢ Jojoba oil (about $10)
¢ Sweet Almond Oil (about $6)
¢ 1 8-ounce bottle of Dr. Bonner's Liquid Castile Soap (Lavender or Baby Formula, about $5)
¢ 1 ounce plant wax (about $2)
¢ 2 ounces water
To buy online:
¢ Castor wax “ www.gardenofwisdom.com $6
¢ Sal butter “ www.gardenofwisdom.com $8
Note: You will need clean, empty bottles and glass jars in at least 4-ounce sizes.
TWO GREAT BABY HAIR CARE RECIPES
GENTLE BABY SHAMPOO
Mix together in a bottle:
2 ounces of Dr. Bonner's Liquid Castile Soap
2 ounces of water
2 ounces of jojoba oil
Voila! It's a super rich, thick, conditioning baby shampoo that is gentle for your baby's hair that isn't drying.
GENTLE CONDITIONING BALM
Gently melt on your stove's lowest setting:
¢ 1 ounce coconut oil
¢ 1 ounce sal butter
¢ 1 ounce sweet almond oil
¢ 1 ounce jojoba oil
¢ 1 ounce Castor wax
Pour into a jar and use as needed.
If you want to just buy and try products, visit the following websites and do not be afraid to water down or modify any of their formulas to suit your baby's needs.
¢ www.carolsdaughter.com (Body Jelly)
¢ www.organicblessings.com (Foaming Shampoo)
¢ www.californiababy.com (Shampoo and Body Wash)
¢ www.100percentpure.com (Body Wash and Shampoo)
Products To Avoid:
¢ Tear free shampoos: They include an ingredient that numbs babies' tear ducts and eyelids.
¢ Shampoos and body washes with 1, 4 dioxane: This is an extreme toxicant and carcinogen.
¢ Petroleum- or mineral oil-based ingredients: They're made with the exact same chemicals that produce gasoline and kerosene.
About our MyBrownBaby contributor
Karen Peters is founder of The Peace & Beauty Project, a nonprofit organization that encourages girls to honor natural beauty while making health conscious decisions. To learn more about Karen’s organization and her workshops for girls, click HERE.
I learned something…I had no idea that tear free baby shampoo cause the tear ducts to go numb. Thank you for posting this. I will definitely look into something different for Baby Boo's hair.
The touch of jojoba oil with the Dr. Bronners makes a lot of sense. I may try this for me and my husband before our baby gets here.
this is a great post! thanks for all the tips.
I'm all about chemical-free baby products!!! thanks for sharing these recipes!
Great tips! thank you so much. I have a 7 mo old but she has A LOT of hair and it is extremely thick (4 imches) so I have been having a hard time finding out what products to use on her hair because she is so young. Thank you again for sharing.
This is very helpful. Even though my kiddos are a lot older I'm sure this a great step in a new and better direction then where we were going. Thanks so much!
Very helpful post. I'm all excited about doing my daughter's hair now. Thanks.
thanks for the tips… cant wait to try them out…this goes right along with my natural pregnancy and birth… follow the journey of my husbands and I process of our first pregnancy, home birth, etc at http://www.jordaniantimes.blogspot.com... it is both touching and hilarious!
Awesome! Thanks for the recipes. I have been lacking on trying my hand at the "mixology".
I am seriously going to print out this post and keep it in my purse. The whole family has been using Dr. Bronner's instead of regular shampoo for a little over a year, but I never thought to add anything to it. And it's nice to know which essential oils are recommended for different hair types so I'm not mixing them up all willy nilly 🙂
I am seriously going to print out this post and keep it in my purse. The whole family has been using Dr. Bronner's instead of regular shampoo for a little over a year, but I never thought to add anything to it. And it's nice to know which essential oils are recommended for different hair types so I'm not mixing them up all willy nilly 🙂
I am seriously going to print out this post and keep it in my purse. The whole family has been using Dr. Bronner's instead of regular shampoo for a little over a year, but I never thought to add anything to it. And it's nice to know which essential oils are recommended for different hair types so I'm not mixing them up all willy nilly 🙂
Thanks for such an informative post. I have two biracial daughters and I have to admit its been a true trial and error when it comes to finding the right product for their individual hair types. I love your blog content and its beautiful layout.
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