Please keep in mind while you are reading this that I am not an expert.  Everything I write here I have learned by experience and from the experience of others.  Keep in mind that each child is unique.  Black children have varying shades of skin and hair that can range from fine/wavy to coarse/kinky-curly.  The products you use and your daily hair/skin care regimen will depend on your particular situation.  The following is meant as a guideline only. (Especially if you are as clueless as I was!)

Hair
1. Do not over wash.  I had problems with this one at first.  Being White and having oily hair, I found it difficult to not wash her hair at least every other day.  Now I know better and I wash no more than once a month with shampoo.  You can wash as often as you like using conditioner.  Most shampoos will strip your child’s hair of oil leaving it dry and brittle.  So unless your child comes home with sand in her hair, wash sparingly.

2.    Condition, condition, condition.  This follows from rule #1.  You cannot over condition.  Often times I will leave conditioner in as it makes it much easier to comb through her hair the next time she’s in the bath.  I have heard that leaving conditioner in may cause build up but I haven’t had that problem… yet.

3.    Never brush your child’s hair when it is dry.  Given my daughter’s tight coils, I knew there was no way I would ever be able to get through her hair when it was dry.  Always brush with the hair soaking wet and loaded with conditioner.  When I say loaded, I mean dripping with conditioner.  Again, you can never use too much.

4.    Hair care speaks volumes.  In the Black community, how well you take care of your child’s hair reflects on your ability as a parent.  Hair that is not well tended is deemed to be a sign of neglect.  Whether your child’s hair is braided or left natural, it should always be well maintained.

5.    Hair care as a bonding experience.  Yes, taking care of your child’s hair is going to take you hours.  I am still a novice but it takes more than 2 hours to wash (with conditioner), comb out, and braid my daughter’s hair in a simple design.  Don’t try to do this when you are in a hurry or have a set deadline.  At our house we will aside a morning when my son is in school and my daughter is at home.  We take our time and discuss the style we are going to try while we are washing with conditioner and combing it out.  Then while we braid she is having a snack, watching her favourite tv show and we get to talk about stuff.  (BTW my son is extremely jealous of this mommy/daughter time.)

Skin

1.    Moisturize.  Black skin that is not adequately moisturized will appear ashy and will be itchy.  I have found that I need to moisturize twice daily in the winter and usually once a day in the summer.  We personally like products with high Shea butter content.  Black skin should glisten.  I had a mental block with this one too.  I don’t like when my skin is shiny, but on her it is beautiful.  More importantly, it’s what she likes.

2.    Daily baths are not recommended.  Daily baths with soap will dry the skin.  In the summer we bath daily since she is playing outside more and is more likely to be dirty.  In the winter we can cut it down to a couple of times a week.

3.    Sunscreen.  Yes Black skin can burn and because of its color, a sun burn is much harder to detect.  While the SPF does not need to be as high, sunscreen is necessary.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact your health care practitioner.