How I Learned To Care For Biracial Curly Hair

If you spend as much time on Instagram looking for naturals as we do you’d be hard pressed not to have noticed the adorable sibling duo Stella and Blaise. With their curly blonde hair and big smiles, they lighten up our Instagram feed! We reached out to Dana – their wonderful Mom – to find out how she takes care of their curls and what process she used to learn what’s best for their texture. This article is a must read for other moms looking for advice on natural hair care for mixed babies.

Your kids are simply gorgeous! Obviously your kids have a different hair texture than you :) How did you learn to take care of your children’s hair?

I’m still learning everyday about my kids hair texture and new ways to care for it. They were both born with fine, dark brown curly hair and it started to change everyday. They were both completely blonde by the age of 2!! I remember worrying about how I was going to care for Stella’s hair when I was pregnant and started asking other mom’s of biracial children. I also did a lot of research on the internet and googled “biracial hair care”. This search eventually lead me to social sites and then to IG where I have been able to connect with a community of moms learning and sharing their techniques to take care of their children’s amazing head of curls!!

What products are you currently using on their hair?

I use a combination of the the following products: Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner, DevaCurl One condition, Miss Jessies Pillow soft curls, One and Only Argan Oil Moisture Repair, Honey, Coconut oil and Garnier Moroccan Sleek Oil. I will switch back and forth on the products when they stop working.

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What is their current hair regiment?

Here’s my weekly hair regimen for Stella and Blaise.

1. One big wash/condition a week on Sunday. I will only use shampoo if they swim in the pool (I would die if their blonde curls turned green! Yikes!!!)
2. I will use one of the conditioners above mixed with honey and let it soak for at least 15-20 minutes. Honey will help repair dry hair and acts as a natural humectant that attracts moisture. Make sure you only use when hair is wet!
3. My next step is to use coconut oil to seal in the moisture and conditioner.
4. I will finger comb their hair during the soaking process to help with detangling.
5. Rinse out with warm water.
6. I do not dry their hair with a towel and I use one of my hubby’s super soft 100% cotton t-shirts to pat dry their hair.
7. Now I will start the detangling process with a wide tooth comb and combination of my fingers. Their hair dries super fast so I have a water bottle mixed with warm water and conditioner. Never comb out curly hair when it is dry! I will part their hair in 4 sections and work on one section at a time.
8. On each section I will use either a nickel size amount Mixed Chicks Leave-in or Miss Jessies Pillow Soft Curls mixed with a small amount of argan oil.

My daily hair regimen is as follows:

1. Lightly spritz their hair with water/conditioner mix. I do not completely wet their hair again until their weekly big conditioner day. It will just dry out their hair too much.

2. I use a nickel amount of leave-in mixed with argan oil in my hands and use on just the dry areas of hair. Usually the sides and back.

3. For Stella I will pull her hair up in 2 pony tails at night to help prevent knots. I take them out in morning and her hair will naturally just fall back into place without having to start all over. It’s not the case with Blaise!! His hair is full of different textures in the front and back. I can’t seem to put his hair up at night and have the same success. I use satin pillow cases for them to sleep on and it helps with dryness and knots.

What are the 3 top tips you would give to parents of other biracial children (i.e. products to avoid, how to research for sound advice, what you wish you would have done differently etc.)

The 3 top hair tips I would give parents of bi-racial children:

1. Do not shampoo their hair on a daily basis!! I use to do this with Stella and it just dried her hair out even more. I avoid shampoo unless I have to (food in hair, chlorine, ect.). Only use a shampoo without sulfates.

2. Using the internet has been a “Hair Changer” for my kids. I use to think baby oil was a good leave in!!! Instagram and Facebook has amazing “curly” inspirations that have taught me what works on my kid’s hair.

3. Products will stop working and you need to change it up every few months.

Does their dad get involved with looking after their hair or is it strictly mom’s duty!

My hubby does have a strong opinion on their hair care, but does not perform the tasks. He has been super supportive in trying new products and in the research process. His main concern is that our kids embrace their beautiful natural curls!

See more of this adorable duo on Instagram: @StellaandBlaise

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