Make Magic Spray For Toddler Hair Without Tears
Stop the Hair Brushing Problems in Morning
Herbs don’t have to be used exclusively for your physical health. They can also be used for your sanity. Find out how I use lavender to help me win the hair brushing battle with my girls every morning.
Like I did as a child (and still do), my 4 year old and 2 year old girls both have rather unruly hair. Their hair is curly, fluffy, long, and way too easily tangled. If ignored for more than a day their crazy toddler hair turns into a fluffy hazy honey-colored halo of what were supposed to be curls. Needles to say we all HATE the process of hair brushing.
With the problem of needing to brush hair every morning only growing (literally) I determined to help my girls and myself actually enjoy hair brushing.
Thus I am proud to introduce . . . our Magic Spray!
How to Make Magic Spray?
The magic ingredient in magic spray is . . . Psychology.
All you need to do to make my hair magic spray is fill a little spray bottle with water, add some lavender infusion, tell them that it is “magic spray” that will help to make brushing their hair not hurt, and tada, you are ready to tackle those tangles! (Check out how to make an infusion!) Our preschoolers love starting off our brushing session with a few yummy smelling sprays of lavender and mini head massage while I disperse the lavender infusion evenly through their curls. The bit of fun and positive attention encourages them to sit relatively patiently while I work through the couple snarls and let them choose how to style it with little rubber bands for the day. Even better, if Daddy is home then they have the added enjoyment of hearing from him how pretty they look and how sweet they smell!
Why Not Buy A Detangler?
Most actual detanglers work by either coating the hair strands to make them slippery or smoothing the individual hair cuticles. Unfortunately store-bought sprays are often made up of chemicals. The kind of chemicals I am trying to get OUT of my house, not blindly spray on my children’s heads. I did find some recipes online for natural DIY detangler that include heavier ingredients like conditioner or aloe vera gel. These could benefit coarse, wirey adult hair, but I think it would just weigh down baby-fine toddler hair. I also chose to avoid any type of oil. The only time I use oil on my children’s scalp is when I need to gently remove cradle cap from their scalp, and it can take multiple baths to completely remove the oil. Thus, I’m not going to make their hair oily on a daily basis and will be sticking with herbs until their hair gets thicker and they needs more intensive ingredients.
Benefits of Herbs in a Hair Spray
I chose lavender because 1. I like it, 2. I had it on hand, and 3. I thought that it might make the whole experience more calming for everyone involved. Lavender, as well as chamomile, is also extra good for dry hair because it stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. If you are dealing with dry hair this could be a benefit.
Another herb to consider adding (which makes total sense, seeing as you use it for soothing throats & making them slippery) is marshmallow root! Simply simmer an 2 Tbsp of marshmallow root in a small pot of water for up to 30 minutes, strain it, let it cool, and add it to your Magic Spray! I am going to try this on my own hair and report back.
Although Magic Spray doesn’t help my hair too much, I am realizing that a natural Herbal hair spray may be a benefit to me as well. I have incredibly thick, coarse, wavy black hair, thanks to my Dad’s Cuban genetics. It is also incredibly long; I just cut it from my hips up to my waist because my 1 year old likes pulling on it so much. I will be experimenting with aloe vera, marshmallow root, maybe a bit of olive oil, and a few other things over the course of a few weeks. and reporting back!
In summary, my only caution (aside from making sure your child isn’t allergic to whichever herb you decide to use) is to choose a scent that you like A LOT because you will be smelling it everywhere. If your toddler is anything like mine, she will need to use it while brushing her stuffed animals, on the dog, on your hair if you are taking too long to brush it, on the little fluffy ducks in the bathtub, etc.
Let’s just say it is popular around here. And it has saved us both a lot of tears.
