If wash day in your house ends with a crying child and a comb full of hair, the problem usually isn't your child's hair. It's the order things are being done in — and how dry the hair is before the comb ever touches it.
Here is the routine we'd give any parent starting out with curly, coily or wavy kids' hair.
The short answer
Wash curly kids' hair once a week. Detangle with conditioner still in the hair, never dry and never in the shower spray. Work in four sections, start at the ends and move up toward the roots, and use your fingers before you use a comb. Finish with a leave-in so the hair stays soft until the next wash.
Why wash day hurts
Textured hair is dry by nature. The natural oil from the scalp travels easily down a straight strand, but it struggles to make its way around every bend of a curl or coil. So the ends — the oldest, most fragile part — are the driest part of the head.
Dry hair doesn't stretch. It snaps. Add a comb starting at the roots and dragging downward, and every tangle gets pushed into a tighter knot ahead of the teeth until something gives. That's the tugging, and that's the hair in the comb.
Almost everything below exists to stop that one thing from happening.
The wash day routine, step by step
1. Section the hair before it gets wet
Four sections, two at the front and two at the back, each twisted or clipped out of the way. It feels like an extra step. It saves ten minutes later, because sections can't tangle into each other.
2. Shampoo the scalp, not the lengths
Focus your fingertips on the scalp, where the oil and the build-up actually are. The lather running down is enough for the rest. Use a gentle, moisturising shampoo such as Heads Up Moisturizing & Softening Shampoo, which cleans without stripping already-dry hair.
3. Condition, then detangle — in that order
This is the step that decides whether wash day is calm or awful. Work Soft & Sassy Super Duper Softening Conditioner through one section at a time and leave it in while you detangle. The conditioner gives the strands slip, so the comb glides instead of snagging.
4. Detangle from the ends upward
Take one section. Hold it firmly a few centimetres above where you're working so any tugging pulls against your hand, not your child's scalp. Start at the very ends, work out the knots there, then move up a few centimetres and repeat. Fingers first, then a wide-tooth comb. Never a fine-tooth comb or a brush on wet curly hair.
5. Rinse, then put the moisture back in while hair is damp
Rinse each section and re-twist it. On damp — not dripping, not dry — hair, apply Knot Havin' It! Leave-In Ultimate Detangling Moisturizer. Damp hair absorbs it properly; dry hair just sits under it.
6. Style and leave it alone
For defined curls or twists, Baby Curls Curling & Twisting Custard over the leave-in. Then let it dry without touching it. Hands in drying hair is what creates frizz.
How often should you wash kids' curly hair?
Once a week suits most children. Washing more often strips the little oil the hair has; washing much less lets product and sweat build up on the scalp. If your child swims or plays sport most days, rinse with water and re-apply leave-in between proper washes rather than shampooing again.
Between wash days
Most of the fight can be prevented in the days in between:
- Refresh, don't rewash. A little water and leave-in on the ends brings curls back.
- Protect it at night. A satin pillowcase or bonnet stops cotton from pulling moisture out and roughing the cuticle up while your child sleeps. This single habit makes the next wash day noticeably easier.
- Keep long hair contained. Loose braids or twists tangle far less than hair left out.
- Check the scalp. If it's dry or flaky, E-Blast Vitamin E & Flaxseed Scalp Remedy goes directly on the scalp, not the lengths.
What to avoid
- Combing dry hair. The most common cause of breakage in children's textured hair.
- Brushes on wet curls. A wide-tooth comb or fingers only.
- Detangling under running water. The spray pushes strands back together as fast as you separate them.
- Rushing. Twenty unhurried minutes beats ten rushed ones with tears at the end.
- Mineral oil and petrolatum. They coat the strand and block moisture rather than adding it. Every product in the Aunt Jackie's Kids range is made without both.
Common questions
At what age can I start this routine?
As soon as there's enough hair to tangle — usually around two. Keep sessions short with toddlers, and split wash and detangle across two days if that's easier.
Do I have to use conditioner every single time?
Yes. Conditioner is what makes detangling possible on textured hair. Shampooing without it is the fastest route back to a screaming match.
Can my child use my adult products?
Generally yes for conditioners and leave-ins, but kids' formulas are made lighter and gentler, and they're designed for slip above all else — which is exactly what you need when someone else is doing the combing.
Why does my child's hair look shorter when it's dry?
That's shrinkage, and it's normal — curly hair can appear to lose more than half its length as it dries. It isn't damage and nothing is wrong.
How long should wash day take?
Around 30 to 45 minutes for shoulder-length hair once you're in the habit. The sectioning is what keeps it from blowing out to two hours.
What you need to start
Three products cover the whole routine: a gentle shampoo, a softening conditioner, and a leave-in detangler. We've put those three together as the Kids Wash Day Pack, or you can browse the full Aunt Jackie's Kids range and pick individually.
Shipped Australia-wide.