Baby hair gel is a quality styling product that parents can use on their kids for a stylish look. These baby hair styling products are designed with natural ingredients, providing a safe formula that will nourish and moisturize the scalp, stimulate healthy growth and enhance softness for a cute hairstyle.
Whether your little one has a cowlick, thick curls or a dry scalp that requires an organic moisturizer, the best hair products for infants and toddlers can help you style your little one’s hair.
Some parents will want a hypoallergenic hair gel with a light hold and matte finish for a natural look, while others may need a styling product like pomade that offers extra control for a stylish touch. With so many different brands around, it can be hard finding safe products for little kids.
To inspire your search, we’ve compiled a list of the best baby hair gels. From natural and safe to hypoallergenic, explore these popular hair styling products for babies to find the right option to suit your needs.
Contents
- 1 11 Best Baby Hair Gel and Styling Products in 2023
- 1.1 Vanicream Hair Styling Gel
- 1.2 Hips Peas Natural Hair Styling Pomade
- 1.3 Ricitos de Oro Hair Styling Gel
- 1.4 SoCozy Kids Sensitive Styling Foam
- 1.5 Fresh Monster Kids Hair Styling Gel
- 1.6 Little Roseberry Hair Gel
- 1.7 Fairy Tales Rosemary Styling Gel
- 1.8 Original Sprout Miracle Detangler
- 1.9 Original Sprout Classic Styling Balm
- 1.10 Snip-its Silly Slicker Sculpting Gel
- 1.11 Snip-its Wacky Hair Wax
- 2 How To Choose Baby Hair Products
11 Best Baby Hair Gel and Styling Products in 2023
Vanicream Hair Styling Gel
As the best baby hair gel on the market, Vanicream is a high-quality styling product for little kids with sensitive skin who need a clean, fragrance-free option. Made with natural ingredients, this hair product has been formulated with no harsh chemicals, sulfate, alcohol, gluten, dyes, scents or preservatives. Although mild and gentle, it has a long-lasting hold that will keep wispy or curly hair under control.
Its non-irritant formula keeps hair in place while nourishing and repairing dry hair. This gel adds body to thin, fine hair and makes it more manageable and static-free. It can be applied to dry or wet hair and is easily worked through to give back-to-front coverage.
Vanicream is easy to apply and once dried, it won’t leave hair crunchy, flaky or with any residue. This hair product is also great for adult men and women who want to create flowing styles while reducing frizz or enhancing curls.
Hips Peas Natural Hair Styling Pomade
Parent-tested and approved, Hips Pea Natural Hair Balm is a top-rated styling product for babies and toddlers who need a light hold and textured finish. Its aloe-based formula is rich in organic lavender, rosemary, vitamin B5 and plant-based extracts. A primary ingredient is blueberry extract, a superfood that works wonders in strengthening fine baby hair and helps it to grow healthy.
With a natural fragrance that most parents love, this product is scented with blueberry for a pleasant fragrance. As a hypoallergenic option that won’t irritate your baby’s sensitive skin, this pomade contains no parabens, phthalates, petroleum or sulfates.
While this option goes on like a pomade and needs to be applied with water, your baby’s hair will be soft and not stiff or greasy. Even parents love using Hip Peas for adding body and volume to their own thin or fine hair.
Ricitos de Oro Hair Styling Gel
Ricitos de Ori Hair Styling Gel has become a popular baby hair styling product that will add control and definition. This gentle formula keeps baby hair in place without a firm hold. Your baby’s hair will stay soft and touchable without any sticky residue. As a water-based, alcohol-free choice, the primary ingredient is chamomile extract, creating a smooth and natural shine.
The other ingredients are safe for delicate skin and won’t cause an allergic reaction. It does have an added fragrance, but parents say its light scent is similar to other baby products and doesn’t last long. From baby to toddler and even a little older, this gel will tame the most stubborn and unruly hair.
SoCozy Kids Sensitive Styling Foam
SoCozy Kids Sensitive Styling Foam was specially formulated for kids with sensitive skin. Free of any harsh ingredients that cause irritation, dryness, or itchiness, the foam hydrates hair and moisturizes skin and scalp.
This product makes baby and toddler hair soft and bouncy and holds without a crunchy texture. Its many beneficial ingredients include keratin for strengthening and protecting delicate hair from overbrushing, rosemary extract, which stimulates the scalp and adds shine, and nourishing soy protein that softens and adds body.
The foam is free of harsh chemicals, dyes and artificial fragrance. It has a light scent derived from its natural ingredients. This fluffy styling foam has a medium hold that keeps kids’ hair in place even after a full day of playtime but won’t flake and leave sticky clumps. Parents highly recommend the foam for kids with any hair type, texture and length.
Fresh Monster Kids Hair Styling Gel
As a dermatologist-tested product, Fresh Monster Kids Hair Styling Gel lets you slick, spike and tame your baby’s wild out-of-control hair. Great for styling a ponytail and keeping flyaway hairs in place, this option is free of alcohol, toxins, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, dyes and synthetic fragrances. As a popular and top-rated product, this styling gel is hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.
Made from natural plant-based ingredients, this cruelty-free vegan product is never tested on animals. The gel provides a flexible hold without residue buildup and won’t weigh down fine hair.
Fresh Monster gets a lot of love from parents who appreciate that it’s formulated just for kids and doesn’t have harsh chemicals and synthetic additives.
Little Roseberry Hair Gel
Little Roseberry Hair Gel can help keep your baby’s fine hair under control with a light, natural hold. This gel is an organic aloe-vera-based product that is enriched with amino acids and vitamins A, B, C and E, which provide essential nutrients for healthy baby hair. Aloe vera is also very gentle on skin and helps prevent excessive dryness caused by climate conditions.
Another primary ingredient in this gel is witch hazel, an antioxidant and antibacterial that keeps a baby’s scalp clean, moisturized and healthy. This product is free of chemicals, dyes and fragrance and has been formulated for babies so it won’t leave any greasy or sticky buildup.
This option is great for adding silkiness and bounce to curly hair and adds body and volume to limp hair. A nice bonus is the included pamphlet with tips and techniques for styling your baby’s hair.
Fairy Tales Rosemary Styling Gel
Fairy Tales Rosemary Styling Gel is a unique product that fuses hair styling gel with lice repellent. Made almost entirely with botanical extracts, the gel’s proprietary formula helps prevent common infestation of lice in kids’ hair. If you’re a parent with a child in preschool, this is a must-have item along with the brand’s shampoo and conditioner. This medium-hold gel goes on thick, so you won’t need much to style your kid’s hair.
The gel contains citronella oil, but you won’t need to worry that this product is like bug spray. Made with natural ingredients like rosemary oil, geranium oil, tea tree oil and cinnamon oil, this recipe works together as antibacterials and antioxidants that cleanse and invigorate the scalp, reduce itchiness and promote healthy hair growth.
This recipe is sulfate- and phthalates-free, making it gentle enough for daily use. Teachers, who come in daily contact with lice infestation, highly recommend this effective styling tool.
Original Sprout Miracle Detangler
Original Sprout Miracle Detangler is a leave-in conditioner that smooths and softens hair and eliminates frizz. This product was created by a stylist who couldn’t find safe options for her family and made this detangler without toxins and skin irritants. The product does not contain lavender or tea tree oil, which have both been linked to hormone disruption in children.
With natural ingredients such as organic extracts and oils, this detangler will nourish hair with vitamins and anti-inflammatories to soothe irritated and itchy scalps, creating a healthy shine. The formula also has an additional potent ingredient that reduces static and protects against the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Parents who have children with long curly hair understand that this detangler has been proven to actually work. This formula has a light floral fragrance that’s made from organic botanicals.
Original Sprout Classic Styling Balm
Original Sprout Classic Styling Balm can be the perfect hair styling product for toddlers with curly hair who need a gentle touch. This product has a strong hold so you won’t need more than a pea-size amount to achieve the style you want. Made with natural ingredients such as shea and cocoa butter, this high-quality vegan option can be the perfect choice for your baby.
Shea butter has long been used for hydrating dry hair and treating itchy scalps. Cocoa butter is rich in fatty acids which work to strengthen, condition and protect hair while promoting healthy growth for a fuller look.
The balm comes with many organic botanical extracts and also contains carnauba wax, which gives the product its hold. The recipe includes pomegranate seeds that help reduce sun damage to the scalp and hair. All Original Sprout products are vegan, phthalate- and paraben-free, and don’t contain hormone disrupters. The balm has no added fragrance and is scented with rosemary.
Snip-its Silly Slicker Sculpting Gel
The Snip-its Silly Slicker Sculpting Gel is a reputable styling gel that offers a medium to high hold with a slight wet look. Its special formula doesn’t flake or leave hair crunchy and stiff, making it a great option for styling baby hair. The gel is hypoallergenic and was made to be gentle on a baby’s skin.
The company prides itself on using only renewable plant-based ingredients that have never been tested on animals. This product gets lots of praise for keeping kids’ mohawks in place and for holding curly hair in humid conditions. The gel has added fragrance that parents describe as light and similar to other quality stuff designed for babies.
Snip-its Wacky Hair Wax
The Snip-its Wacky Hair Wax is another highly-rated styling product for kids with curly, wavy and straight hair. This versatile medium-hold pomade allows you to style many different looks. The wax can keep flyaway hairs in place and change a bedhead into a groomed head.
Although it has an all-day hold, it’s a water-based product and washes out easily. When dried, the wax doesn’t leave hair stiff or crunchy, doesn’t flake or leave white streaks behind and allows the hairstyle to be remolded without adding more.
The wax is made from naturally derived, renewable plant-based resources that are allergen-free and non-irritant. The product has a scent that’s described as fruity and almost all parents agree that they love how nice it makes their kid’s hair smell.
How To Choose Baby Hair Products
Natural Ingredients
A hair styling product that goes on a baby’s skin and scalp must be free of chemical additives. For your baby’s health and well-being, always read the label of a product before buying it. Look for natural and/or organic ingredients, many of which are a botanical extract or oil.
Often the natural ingredient is listed under its scientific name and shouldn’t be confused with a chemical. It’s always a good idea to research the ingredient and verify it was derived from a natural source, so you’ll know exactly what it is.
These styling products for babies are free of parabens, phthalates, petroleum (also called petrolatum) and sulfates, helping you avoid chemicals that can cause allergic reactions and severe health conditions.
Hold
Most baby hair gels have a light or medium hold and are used daily for keeping messy hair or flyaway hairs in place. Baby hair-styling products are meant to keep baby hair soft and manageable and usually aren’t strong enough to hold a bold hairstyle all day. In general, you’ll want to avoid stuff with a strong hold because it likely has ingredients that could irritate a baby’s skin and scalp.
Texture
The most popular hair styling products for babies are gels because they’re enriched with vitamins, oils and botanical extracts, offering a shiny finish. While some pomades will provide a high shine, you’ll need to make sure the ingredients are baby-safe. If you want your toddler to have a natural groomed look, then choose a hair cream or leave-in conditioner with a matte finish.
Scent
Almost all baby hair-styling products have a light scent but most brands avoid adding artificial chemicals for fragrance since little ones are more prone to allergic reactions. Many gels are made with organic or natural herbs, flowers, oils and fruit extracts, and will be scented naturally from the ingredients.
It’s important that the scent is pleasing to parents as well, so check the ingredients for anything that might have an overpowering fragrance.
Sensitive Skin
All babies have sensitive skin, and rashes and allergic reactions are common. Many baby hair gels are hypoallergenic and have been approved by dermatologists as safe for babies.
To be extra sure that your baby won’t have a bad skin reaction to a styling product, it’s recommended that you always do a patch test by dabbing a small amount behind the baby’s ear or the inside of the baby’s elbow. If the baby’s skin shows no reaction after 24 hours, the gel is safe to use.
