Essential #3: CONDITIONER / DETANGLER
A great conditioner is another must-have.
“A lot of parents don’t use conditioner on their kid’s hair, but for the summer I would recommend it,” Friedman says. “You can leave a nickel-size amount on the ends of the child’s hair, and don’t rinse it out completely for extra protection.”
Barash recommends using a light conditioner every day as well. She suggests her Fairy Tales Lemonade Conditioner, a deep treatment that includes extracts of lemon, grapefruit and pineapple and is infused with aloe and jojoba. “For summer camp, they can use it every day to help condition and protect against sun damage,” Barash adds.
Keeping a detangler handy is always important, and even more so at camp, according to curl experts.
“I think a detangler is especially key for girls with long, curly hair,” says Friedman, who makes a Fruity Delight Detangler & Leave-in Conditioner. “Kids are so active at camp that their hair gets tangled so they may need to use extra detanglers.”
The summer sun’s harsh rays can ravage curly locks, so you may want to consider extra protection.
“We have a CoCo Cabana Leave-in Sun Spray, which uses fatty oils with banana, jojoba and coconut to coat the hair, and it protects the hair from the sun and salt water,” Barash suggests.
Essential #4: LIGHTWEIGHT GEL / STYLING CREME
While you may want to pull your child’s hair back during the day for camp activities, older kids at sleep-away camp should have a styling product on hand for a simple, yet stylish look at night.
“It’s usually humid at summer camp, so using a gel or a curl calmer can help them maintain the integrity of their curls and their gorgeousness but not having it frizz with the humidity,” says Tritt, who suggests her Original Little Sprout Ultra Clean and Light Gel or Curl Calmer.
“Gel or styling creme is a key component because if they’re going to wear their hair down and curly they don’t want it to be frizzy,” agrees Friedman, who suggests twisting up the curls on each side of the head, so their locks are part up and down for an easy, stylish do.
Essential #5: SIMPLE ACCESSORIES
You’ll want to remember to pack a few simple accessories to keep your child’s curls out of their face during their fast-paced days.
“For boys, wearing a hat protects their hair, scalp and face,” says Friedman. “For girls, put their hair up in a ponytail, a cute bun, or two ponytails. I think that’s a great option and it helps to prevent tangles. Girls can look really cute in ponytails, while braids take a little more skill for a parent.”
And the time to experiment with styles is before kids go to camp, like on the weekends or in the evenings. “Practice different hairstyles and see what they like best,” Friedman suggests. “They should have time to get comfortable putting their hair up by themselves.”
And skip the fancy barrettes; they’ll probably get lost.
