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Whether your kid’s hair is short, long, curly, straight, thick, or thin, it needs to be washed to be healthy. Like adults, everykid needs a shampoothat meets their unique needs based on their hair texture, scalp health, and even what activities they’re involved in.
Reviewed & Approved
The Mane Choice Fruit Medley Kids Shampoois a hydrating shampoo rich in vitamins that help support the hair's natural growth. If you prefer organic, we recommend theHello Bello Kid’s Shampoo & Body Wash.
Read over the ingredients label to avoid harmful ingredients, such as ammonium lauryl sulfate, but ensure the shampoo has safe ingredients, like coconut oil. Moreover, most shampoos are aimed atcleaning hairand keeping it healthy, but some shampoos are designed for a different purpose, like treating lice. We carefully considered the purpose, value, ingredients, and hair textures when reviewing products.
We rounded up the best shampoos on the market for your kiddo's hair and scalp to be clean and healthy.
Best Overall: The Mane Choice Fruit Medley Kids Hydrating Shampoo
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Courtesy of Walmart
The Mane Choice Fruit Medley Kids Hydrating Shampoo is our top pick because it's safe to use on all hair textures and does more than only cleaning the hair. This shampoo is designed to strengthen and detangle your child’s hair and leave it smelling wonderful thanks to the orange-infused formula. It’s made to minimize and protect breakage and split ends, promote growth, hydrate the hair, and keep the scalp clean and clear.
Price at time of publication: $14
Best Organic: Hello Bello Kid’s Shampoo & Body Wash
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Courtesy of Walmart
Hello Bello’s watermelon shampoois formulated to work with all hair types and is safe for even the most sensitive skin. Its ingredients include marshmallow root, coconut, and aloe extract and it’s free ofcommon food allergensincludingpeanuts, dairy, soy, and gluten.
The brand promises that your kid’s hair will be shiny, smooth, and healthy after using this shampoo. An extra bonus is that this delightfully sweet-smelling shampoo can double as a body wash.
Price at time of publication: $8
Best for Kinky Curls: SheaMoisture Mango & Carrots Kids Extra Nourishing Shampoo
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Courtesy of Amazon
Kids with natural kinky curls will benefit from this sulfate-free shampoo that will leave their hair hydrated and strong. It’s made with mango butter, carrot oil, coconut oil, and organic shea butter to moisturize, smooth, and soften brittle, dry, or damaged hair.This shampoo is also great for the scalp.
Price at time of publication: $10
Best Lice Treatment: Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Lice Shampoo & Conditioner
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Courtesy of Amazon
No one wants to think about it, but at some point, your child may beexposed to lice. If you use this shampoo, though, your kiddo may be able to dodge the next lice outbreak.
With ingredients like organic rosemary, citronella, tea tree oil, and geranium oil help repel lice and make your child's head an unappealing landing pad.This shampoo is safe, and great, for everyday use and will leave most hair types hydrated, strong, and healthy.
Price at time of publication: $22
Best for After Swimming: SoCozy Swim 3-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner
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Courtesy of Amazon
Chlorine, salt water, and sunlight can do a number on the hair, so if your kiddo loves to be in the water, this shampoo is for them. It’s formulated to combat the green tones that come from pool chemicals, calcium salt, chlorine build-up, and general dryness that come alongwith swimming. Even better, it’s a three-in-one product, so it serves as a shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Price at time of publication: $13
Best 2-in-1: Fresh Monster Toxin-free 2-in-1 Kids Shampoo & Conditioner
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Courtesy of Amazon
To make bath time easier, wash your kiddo's hair in one step with this shampoo and conditioner combo. It’s free of toxic and harmful chemicals and dyes, it smells delicious, and it leaves hair shiny, soft, and clean. It’s also formulated to be gentle on the eyes and also serves as a detangler.
Price at time of publication: $16
Best for Babies: Mustela Gentle Baby Shampoo & Detangler
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Courtesy of Amazon
Babies need products that are as clean and pure as possible, and this shampoo is one of them. It’s safe for babies from birth on and it’s made with chamomile and avocado to clean their scalp without stripping it of its natural oils. The stand-out ingredient Avocado Perseose is unique to Mustela products and helps to strengthen the skin's barrier functions by beefing up their natural proteins and lipids.
This shampoo is hypoallergenic, non-toxic, works as a detangler, and is formulated to hydrate and protect dry scalps.
Price at time of publication: $29
Best for Big Kids: Fairy Tales TBH Kids Shampoo
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Courtesy of Amazon
大孩子们更加活跃,所以他们需要一个shampoo that will work a little harder to cleanse their hair and scalps of dirt and sweat. This shampoo is made for just that with ingredients like nettle, meadowsweet, and plant proteins that combat oil buildup.
Their hair will feel smooth and soft and the shampoo can even help prevent acne breakouts along the hairline. It’s also free of toxic and harmful ingredients, works as a shampoo and conditioner in one, and smells delightful.
Price at time of publication: $11
Best Tear-Free: Johnson's Baby Ultra-Hydrating Tear-Free Kids’ Shampoo
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Courtesy of Amazon
This shampoo is hypoallergenic, free of toxic and harmful chemicals, and is as gentle as water on the eyes. It’s also formulated to hydrate, nourish, strengthen, and clean all hair types, but particularly delicate and fine hair. While it is a moisturizing shampoo, the manufacturer recommends also using the hydrating conditioner for optimal results.
Price at time of publication: $6
Final Verdict
The best product for your child depends a lot on their hair texture and needs. That being said, The Mane Choice Fruit Medley Kids Hydrating Shampoo (view on Walmart) is a great choice across the board because it strengthens and detangles, cleans the scalp as well as the hair, smells great, and leaves the hair shiny and healthy.
What to Look for in a Shampoo for Kids
Ingredients
Make sure you read the ingredients label to ensure you’re not exposing your child to any harmful chemicals. Opt for brands that use natural ingredients and be mindful of allergies or sensitivities to fragrances.
You also want to ensure the ingredients in your child’s shampoo will clean their hair efficiently of any odor or buildup. Some shampoos contain more than a dozen ingredients, and while you may not have time to look them all up, you do want to ensure what you’re putting onto your child’s body is safe and effective.
Purpose
Before purchasing shampoo for your child, consider what the shampoo is needed for. While most shampoos are aimed at cleaning hair and keeping it healthy, there are also other shampoos that treat lice removal orcradle cap.
Check the label of the shampoo you’re picking out to determine what its purpose is. If you’re needing a lice treatment shampoo, look for shampoos that specifically target lice prevention and treatment, like Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Lice Shampoo (view at Amazon). Determining a purpose will help your child’s scalp stay healthy because you’re then able to pick out a shampoo for their exact needs.
Hair Texture
It’s no secret that all hair types and textures are not the same, so finding the right shampoo for your child’s hair is key. There are four main hair types: curly, straight, wavy, and coils, with those then breaking down into fine, medium, or thick hair. Some kids are in between types and textures while others are simply one category.
For example, if your child has curly hair, you will want a shampoo specifically designed for curly hair. These will contain ingredients that keep your child’s curls healthy and intact.
Why Trust Verywell Family?
Ashley Ziegleris a full-time parenting writer, mom to a 1 and a 4-year-old, and she has personal experience in researching kid’s shampoos and trying different brands out on her two daughters (both with very different hair textures). Key considerations she focused on when selecting these products include personal experience, ingredients, and user reviews.
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