How to Protect Your Child’s Curls in the Summer Months

Summertime is the season for sunshine, pool parties, and beach trips. In addition to all of the fun, many kids spend much of their time outside while on summer break. It’s no wonder so many parents want to know how to protect and care for curly hair during the warmer months. 

It’s essential to keep curls healthy and hydrated if you want them to remain as bouncy as they can be. Fortunately, there are several things you can do (and kid-friendly hair products you can use) to preserve moisture this summer and maintain healthy curls.

Cleanse Their Curls with a Sulfate-Free Shampoo

Summer hair is more prone to getting dirty, so it’s important to wash your child’s hair more often than you would in the winter.

A good rule of thumb is to wash your child’s hair every 7-10 days. If you fall somewhere in between, that’s fine, but washing your child’s hair more frequently will be better for their curls. Sulfate-free shampoo is natural baby hair-friendly product.

The shampoo should thoroughly and gently clean your child’s curls without stripping them of natural oils. On top of that, it should be formulated for intense moisture and effectively remove excess oils, dirt, and product build-up. 

Proceed with a Deep Conditioning Treatment

Deep conditioning is the best way to moisturize baby hair and prevent curl breakage. It’s especially beneficial for children with coarse hair. Even still, it’s a good idea to deep condition if your child has fine or medium hair. 

The conditioner should be applied to clean, damp hair and left in for 30 minutes. When choosing a treatment, what matters most is that it leaves their curls soft and manageable. Your best bet is to use a creamy deep conditioner with more than enough slip to glide through their curls.

There are a few things you can do for best results with a deep conditioner. First, make sure to apply generous amounts to their hair. Second, apply the conditioner from roots to ends. Third, thoroughly rinse it out with warm water after leaving it in for 30 minutes.

Follow Up with a Good Leave-In

In the summertime, natural curls are most vulnerable to breakage caused by high heat levels and sun exposure, excessive sweating, and chlorine. To protect them from this, you can use a leave-in conditioner to hydrate and tame the curls. 

Leave-in conditioner leaves natural curls looking less frizzy and more manageable. When choosing a leave-in, look for natural ingredients such as vitamin E, avocado oil, lavender, chamomile, and shea butter to protect their curls from dryness and tangles.

Keep in mind that not all leave-in conditioners are suitable for use on curly or waver hair. MICHE Beauty’s LAVISH Leave-In Conditioner is one of those rare products that suitable for all hair types.

Choose a leave-in conditioner with natural ingredients like aloe vera, jojoba oil, and shea butter to protect your curls from humidity loss and dryness. Keep in mind that not all leave-in conditioners are suitable for use on curly or wavy hair.

The best leave-in conditioner for curly hair is one with natural ingredients like aloe vera, jojoba oil, and shea butter that hydrate, protect, and soothe the curls, leaving them looking less frizzy and more manageable.

Go The “Protective Styling” Route

Protective styles are a excellent way to keep your child's curls clean, moisturized, and safe from damage. Here are additional reasons as to why protective styles are ideal for your kid’s curls in the summer.

They Protect Your Child’s Curls from the Sun

Kids with curly hair are prone to damaged curls when exposed to too much direct sunlight. Protective styles like cornrows, twists, and braid-outs help to shield your child's curls from harmful sun rays. Protective styles are long enough to cover your kid's curls, yet short enough to keep them out of the way while they're wearing them. 

Frizzy hair is another major problem that curlies face in the summer. Luckily, protective styles can help keep your child's hair frizz-free for weeks at a time–with just a little effort on your part. 

Protective styles are designed to be easy on your child's hair while also protecting it from frizz. These styles are perfect for kids who love to swim or play sports. You can easily wash and re-style these styles when you're done with each activity.

They Can Grow Longer Without Breakage

If your child's curls are naturally curly and thick, you may be wondering if protective styles have a place in their hair care routine. The answer here is yes, of course. 

Protective styles are the way to go for lengthier curls. They curb breakage and damage to your child's strands, while allowing them to grow longer.

Twists: The Perfect Protective Summer Style

Twists can fiercely protect your child’s curls from intense heat and humidity. This protective style also simplifies the process of caring for their curls.

To achieve moisturized and defined twists, we suggest pairing your styling process with the QUENCHED Hydrating & Twisting Butter.

How to Make Summer Twists Last Longer

Protective styles can last up to several weeks at a time when correctly cared for. How to make them last longer in the summer? Keep reading to find out. 

Protect their hair while swimming

When your child goes for a swim, it’s best to protect their hair with a swimming cap or scarf. This will help shield their hair from getting damp or tangled.

Maintain moisture balance

Maintaining proper moisture balance will help keep your child’s hair from drying out, and also prevent dry and brittle baby hair. Apply a hair and scalp oil at the beginning of each day to lock in all remaining moisture.

This will further protect the hydration levels of their locs and give protective styles a refresher when they’re looking a little dull.

Use the “hair dryer” technique

A hair dryer can help your child’s protective style stay in place for longer periods of time. After twisting their curls, it is recommended that you leave them under the dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes to set the protective style.