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Move when the hair changes.
Which products for which age?
Which products are right for my child's age?
Nourishing Baby from newborn, Nourish + Grow for toddlers and up, Curl Enhancing when curls are ready to define. Move when the hair changes, not on a birthday.
Written by Courtney, founder and licensed esthetician. Facts sourced from FDA: Should you put sunscreen on infants? Not usually, Cleveland Clinic: Sunscreen for babies and the AAP. Your pediatrician leads.
- Nourishing Baby from newborn
- Nourish + Grow for toddlers and up
- Move when the hair changes
For kids' curly hair by age, Cristina's Curls' lines are Nourishing Baby from newborn, Nourish + Grow for toddlers and older children, and Curl Enhancing for curls ready to define, about 3 and up, with the move made when the hair changes, not on a birthday.
Watch Courtney answer it· 0:40
Read the transcript
Which products are best for each age group? Here's how our range is organized.For hair, we have Nourishing Baby, Nourish + Grow for toddlers and older children, and Curl Enhancing for defined curls.But skincare isn't staged the same way. Our skincare products can work across ages depending on the product, the problem, and its guidance.The important thing is to move when your child's hair changes, not just because they had a birthday. Usually around age one, but let the hair tell you.
When should I ask the pediatrician?
Under 6 months? Ask your pediatrician first.
- A clear line for where they are now.
- A short list of signs that it's time to move up.
- No guessing about the sun at any age.
When to stop
Ask your pediatrician about any product use under 6 months beyond the basics, and about sunscreen before 6 months.
What else do parents ask about ages?
When should I switch from baby products?
When the hair asks for it: longer wash days, faster tangles, not enough slip. Often around age one.
Can my toddler use Curl Enhancing?
It's made for curls that are ready to define, about 3 and up. Before that, Nourish + Grow keeps hair soft.
Can siblings share products?
Usually, yes. Share the basics and add what each child's hair needs.
Can I use sunscreen on my 4-month-old?
The FDA and AAP advise keeping babies under 6 months out of direct sun and asking your pediatrician first.
Do my child's products need to change at puberty?
Often. Hair and scalp change again then, so revisit the routine.
Good to know
Hair texture keeps changing.
Newborn hair sheds in the first months, and what comes in can look completely different. Texture and thickness can keep shifting through childhood and again around puberty.AAP
Mixing lines is fine.
A toddler with thick coils might use Nourish + Grow Detangler with a Nourishing Baby wash. Choose by what each step needs, not by matching labels.
Sunscreen isn't for under 6 months.
The FDA and AAP advise keeping babies under 6 months out of direct sun instead. Shade, light long sleeves and a brimmed hat do the work.FDA
Why move on the hair, not the birthday?
Why it's the hair, not the birthday
Two one-year-olds can have completely different hair. One has a few soft wisps, the other has a full head of coils that knot by lunchtime. Ages on the bottle are a guide. The real signal is how much work the hair needs: more length, more tangles and a wash day that's started to drag. For many kids that's around the first birthday, which is why Courtney says usually around age one, but let the hair tell you.
What changes as they grow
The first year: almost all babies shed some or all of their newborn hair, and the new hair can come in with a different texture or thickness.|Toddler years: hair usually gets noticeably thicker, and curls often become more defined.|Later childhood: texture can keep shifting, and again around puberty.|A routine that fit at two may not fit at six. That's normal, and it's why the lines overlap rather than having hard cut-offs.
Why skincare isn't staged
Hair needs change with age because there's more hair to care for. Skin needs depend on the skin. Some products fit any age, some come with their own guidance on the label, and some depend on what you're dealing with. For any child with sensitive skin, introduce one new product at a time, so if something reacts you know what it was.
Sun, by age
Under 6 months: the FDA and AAP recommend keeping babies out of direct sun. Use shade, lightweight long sleeves and pants, and a hat with a brim that shades the neck. A baseball cap doesn't. Avoid the strongest sun, roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If fabric is see-through when you hold it to the light, it's not doing much. Ask your pediatrician before using sunscreen on a baby this young.|From 6 months: a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Apply about 30 minutes before going out. Reapply every 2 hours, and about every 40 minutes if they're in water. Pick lotions over sprays.
More than one child?
You don't need a full routine per child. Siblings can often share a wash and a detangler, with each child getting what their own hair needs on top. The youngest child usually stays on Nourishing Baby longest.
Sources: FDA, Cleveland Clinic, AAP (HealthyChildren.org).
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Your pediatrician leads. Under six months, or anything red, spreading, weeping or painful: call them before you try anything here.