What kind of shampoo & conditioner do you buy for the kids?

[helena]

Do you think it matters on their hair if it's Suave, Pantene, organic/natural, or from a salon. At what age is a really good shampoo going to be better for their hair. I use a good quality shampoo/conditioner because my hair needs all the help it can get just to look normal, but I often find myself staring at shampoo in the market wondering if it's wrong to buy the girls shampoo on sale for $1 with a $.50 coupon.

[Snickerdoodle]

The stuff for 1 dollar at Walgreens.

[BikeBookBread]

I've had the best luck with L'Oreal Kids shampoo and their separate (purple) kids conditioner. Smells nice, too. Suave dried my girls' hair out quite badly.

 

ETA L'oreal is often on sale and I stock up then.

Edited October 20, 2009 by BikeBookBread

[8circles]

California Baby or Aveeno Fragrance Free - but we're dealing with really sensitive skin here.

[Ravin]

We still use Parent's Choice (wal mart brand) baby wash here. DD's hair is still really fine, so I figure why not? Next time I have to buy for her I might try a hair and body wash combo for bigger kids.

[helena]

California Baby or Aveeno Fragrance Free - but we're dealing with really sensitive skin here.

How is California Baby? Is it worth the money? I was thinking of trying that brand next. My girls both have long hair, so if the shampoo is funky, you can tell on them.

[8circles]

How is California Baby? Is it worth the money? I was thinking of trying that brand next. My girls both have long hair, so if the shampoo is funky, you can tell on them.

 

Well, it is pricey but I only have boys with typical short hair so a little goes a long way. I like it but I'm not sure I'd splurge on it if we didn't 'need' to because of our sensitive skin, ykwim? If you do like it, I've heard that you can buy it in bulk for a considerable savings.

[Tap]

DD10 uses Avalon Organics Lavender or my Matrix.

DD2 uses another organic that I can't remember the name of.

Ds14 uses what ever is in the bathroom he showers in with an occasional swimmers shampoo. I prefer that he uses an intense moisture shampoo for his longish, platinum, ultra-fine, chlorine damaged hair.

I use Matrix Amplify only.

Dh uses my Matrix, Aussie Moist, or his newest is Dove. He also uses T-Gel.

[KidsHappen]

I just let them pick whatever smells good to them when we go to Walmart. They never seem to pick the same thing twice and we always seem to use more shampoo than conditioner so I end up with lots of left over conditioner. :glare:

[chiguirre]

The kids and I use Suave Kids 2 in 1 Free. It works well for our hair, even mine. I stock up when it's on sale or has 25% more free bottles. We also use the Swim and Sport in the summer. I love the light citrus scent. I think you do have to experiment to find something that works for you, we're just lucky that Suave does a good job on our hair.

[grace'smom]

My daughter uses that Bed Head Oatmeal and Honey. I find it's so moisturizing she doesn't need conditioner and still has super shiny, healthy looking, bouncy hair. I used to use California Baby but it seemed to dry her hair out even when I got her to use conditioner.

[Ferdie]

We use the Kirland brand from Costco because it comes in a large container with a pump dispenser. We switched a while ago because my dd goes throught too much shampoo and conditioner when she uses a squeeze bottle. Ugh!

[LaxMom]

I got Avalon Organics lavender last time. This time, I ordered Kiss My Face "Whenever". (Both come in a pump bottle)

 

As far as salon style-ability, I don't think it matters. It matters (to me) what I put on their bodies, though.

[Caitilin]

We all use whatever natural shampoo/conditioner is on sale from my co-op this month. We have used Jason, Nature's Gate, and I think Avalon? DS1 uses either Method baby or else Earth Baby shampoo/wash, but he's still fairly hairless. :D

[helena]

DD10 uses Avalon Organics Lavender or my Matrix.

DD2 uses another organic that I can't remember the name of.

Ds14 uses what ever is in the bathroom he showers in with an occasional swimmers shampoo. I prefer that he uses an intense moisture shampoo for his longish, platinum, ultra-fine, chlorine damaged hair.

I use Matrix Amplify only.

Dh uses my Matrix, Aussie Moist, or his newest is Dove. He also uses T-Gel.

 

Well that's my other dilemma, I'm slowly going more organic and I wonder if I should just make the leap to only buying natural organic brands. I've tried a few, some were ok but expensive and one from Traders dried us all out. A lot of the brands at our health food stores are just as expensive as something at a salon, not to mention a ton of products at salons are plant based, vegan, not tested on animals etc.

There have been numerous times where I've bought cheap brands, then felt bad and bought a brand with better ingredients. I then give the cheap bottle of shampoo to the girls to do experiments with, or a big bucket in the shower to wisk up bubbles.

As I write this I'm starting to see the bigger picture, I think way to much about shampoo...:tongue_smilie:

[SilverMoon]

My kidlet who cares the most prefers "no 'poo" for herself. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar. Every once in awhile she tries Trader Joes' shampoo and conditioner for a few months, then she gets tired of her hair being straight and goes back to no 'poo (which makes her natural waviness, well, wavier). This is my 9yo dd.

 

I use no 'poo on my little girls too. 4yo dd's hair is very curly and very fine. Everytime we've switched her to anything else her hair starts breaking even easier than normal. She and her little sister nearly always bathe together and it's just easier to put the same thing on both of them.

 

My boys can't really be bothered to use a separate shampoo. They use their citrus bodywash from Trader Joes. ~shrug~

[fshinkevich]

We all use whatever natural shampoo/conditioner is on sale from my co-op this month. We have used Jason, Nature's Gate, and I think Avalon? DS1 uses either Method baby or else Earth Baby shampoo/wash, but he's still fairly hairless. :D

 

 

This is what I currently do. As soon as we get settled though (just moved), I'm going to attempt to make my own. Not sure how that will go over, I like many homemade products but shampoo may not be one of them :)

[lynn]

head and shoulders for my 16 year old. pert or the suave version of pert for the other 2 boys and burts bees baby shampoo for baby girl and cost cutters leave in spray conditioner.

[newbie]

I buy from Rainbow Research. They have a lot of all natural products for kids.

[Penelope]

I used to buy only natural brands, but now that 2 of them shampoo their own hair and oldest bathes completely alone, they just use too much. I've gone to Suave for now. I still use a natural shampoo bar --lasts forever-- for myself and the little guys.

[Sasharowan]

They all use L'oreal swim and sun and then dd uses PAntene Classic on top of that.

[sadiegirl]

my 2 boys love the body wash/shampoos that are out there now! I usually buy one in a red bottle that I think is Red Zone or High endurance by Old Spice(I'm too lazy to go look at the bottle) and also one by Gillette for men.

[OnTheBrink]

The only, and I mean ONLY, brand dd can use without it either drying her hair out, or tangling it horrendously, is Aldi's Shique brand of Matrix normalizing shampoo and deep hydrating conditioner. It's $3 a bottle but worth me NOT having to hear her wail like a banshee when it's time to brush her hair.

[herbalgirl]

We use either regular Suave or the kids' 2-in1 kind from Suave. They seem to work for all the kids, but I still need to use separate detangler spray for my little curly girl. :)

[MariannNOVA]

right now we are using Burt's Bees Shampoo/Body Wash -- really dry skin here - in fact, dd8's skin feels like an emery board when you run your hand over an arm or leg.

 

We also like California Baby ALOT! And, Elizabeth Arden Prive Shampoo and Conditioner (you only need literally a drop of it so it lasts forever).

 

Depending on where we are at the time (Wegman's, Whole Foods or Red Door Salon), will determine what we buy.

[KidsHappen]

For the people who mentioned problems with tangling, I have found that if I use a fairly liberal amount of conditioner and then comb through the hair while the condition is in and then rinse very carefully we don't have the tangling issue. Unfortunately, I didn't figure this out until the fourth dd.

[Peela]

I try and use the organic but good quality stuff, for the sake of adding less chemicals to their sensitive systems. We absorb chemicals through out skin. I also have to buy a really good quality conditioner for my dd with Botticelli curls. She is 15 now- a few years back when I learned about Curly Girl on these boards (probably the old ones), I borrowed it from the library and bought it home. Dd read it too and it made a huge differences to her- she has looked after her hair relaly well since then. She rarely shampoos- just conditions daily. So I buy her good quality organic conditioner.

I am trying to train my kids in the value of using organic products as much as possible.

[justamouse]

I make shampoo bars and use it for them. Or I use Real Solutions which is sulfate free. For tangling I use a mild apple cider vinegar rinse. Comb goes right through.

[6packofun]

Same here. My girls like Garnier Fructis or any of the Dove shampoos and my boys don't care. lol Sometimes as a treat the girls and I will go to Bath and Body Works and each get the travel size shampoo bottle of our choice. Fun! :D

[elegantlion]

My dh and ds both us Suave. Neither of them does conditioner. I'm a curly girl too and only use conditioner, I have good luck with Garnier and Pantene.

[Pretty in Pink]

I buy Suave 2 in 1 on sale at the Commissary 4/5.00. I use Head & Shoulders and Tresemme.

 

I wish I could splurge for more eco-friendly stuff. I would like to. But I have four boys with relatively short hair so they don't use much anyway. Most of the time my little guys just soak clean. I already spend an astronomical amount of organic products including dairy, meat/poultry, produce, and laundry supplies (which we use copious amounts of).

[nmoira]

It is very important to me to minimize exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. My girls swim 3x a week (otherwise I'd only have them wash their hair as necessary) and my youngest has sensitive skin. I used California Baby until the formula was changed and now cycle through a few of the Aubrey Organics varieties. Currently the girls are using the AO Egyptian Henna, which works wonders with my 5yo extremely fine hair. Aubrey and California Baby are expensive, but a little goes a long way.

[Desert Rat]

My 6yo uses Suave kids. My 9yo has moved on to Gillette Men's because it's the only thing we've found to cut down on the grease! It's so sad that he's only 9 and we're dealing with this already.

[angela in ohio]

A few years back, I read the book "Don't Go to the Hair Care Aisle Without Me." Her top picks for shampoo were the cheap Suave Daily Clarifying and White Rain. We use the Suave.

 

We use the Suave "Professionals" conditioner for older dd and me because it is good with our course hair, and younger dd with fine hair uses fine hair conditioner from Bath & Body. They both use some Aveda spray-on conditioner after they wash their hair to keep it tangle-free and shiny.