The Best Skin Care and Hair Care Products for Kids
Children and adolescents deserve products made specifically for them. That’s why we rounded up 20 skin care and hair care formulas that are gentle, effective, and approved by our panel of testers—including some Parents editors! Whether you’re looking for a moisturizing lotion, tangle-free shampoo, or your kid’s first deodorant stick, these products get the job done with impressive results.
Best Baby Moisturizing Lotion
CeraVe Baby Moisturizing Lotion
Developed by pediatric dermatologists, CeraVe Baby Moisturizing Lotion maintains your baby’s delicate skin barrier while locking in hydration. “We like how thick this cream is. We use it every night,” says a mom of two infants, who also uses CeraVe products for her own skin. The non-greasy lotion doesn’t have a strong odor.
Best Cleansing Wipes
Aveeno Baby Sensitive All Over Wipes
These Aveeno baby wipes cleanse and moisturize without leaving any pesky residue, and they’ve been awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance. Parents love the soothing ingredients, including oat extract and aloe, for dry and sensitive skin. What you won’t find is alcohol, dye, parabens, phthalates, or sulfates.
Best Baby Wipes
Coterie Wipes
With only five ingredients and a make-up of 99% water, parents can trust Coterie for the mess and stress that comes with a diaper change. “I love that these were basically thick water wipes,” says a mother of a 7-month-old. “I feel like I was able to use much fewer wipes than normal during a diaper change because of how thick and large they were.”
Best Teen Body Wash
Hero Brave Body Power Wash
Hero Body is careful to avoid the use of harsh chemicals in products, including its exfoliating body wash. “This was easy to incorporate into my daily routine in the shower,” says a 19-year-old tester. The product focuses on unclogging pores and removing oil from the skin—and it comes with a fresh yuzu and warm white fig scent to boot!
Best Teen Shampoo and Conditioner
Love Beauty and Planet Rose Water & Vitamin B3 Micellar Shampoo and Conditioner
Love, Beauty and Planet provides their customers with self-care products that also care for the environment. This shampoo and conditioner set, for example, is “100% biodegradable, 97% naturally-derived, vegan and sulfate free, packaged in our 100% recycled bottles,” according to the manufacturer’s website. In both products, the combination of rose water and vitamin B3 leaves wavy hair feeling nourished and smelling like Bulgarian rose petals.
Best Face Cream
Ever and Eden Kids Multi-Vitamin Face Cream in Cool Peach
Who says skin care routines are only for grown-ups? Introduce this easy-to-use product to children (ages 4 and up) for added moisture and protection from environmental stressors. The multivitamin-packed formulation will leave skin feeling hydrated, calm, and nourished. Kids also love the peach scent!
Best Baby Wash
Cetaphil Baby Wash and Shampoo
Formulated for a baby’s sensitive skin, this two-in-one product cleanses and moisturizes with organic calendula extract. “I will definitely continue to buy this,” says a mother of a 2-month-old baby. “It’s creamy and soft-feeling going on, lathers easily, and has a barely-there scent that’s pleasant and not overwhelming.”
Best Stick Deodorant
Dove 0% Aluminum Deodorant
Dove’s aluminum-free deodorant provides underarms with 48 hours of odor protection—without all the harsh chemicals. It’s enriched with moisturizers and comes in a range of scents. “I loved that it didn’t irritate my skin,” said one active teen tester. “I used it everyday.”
Best 3-in-1 Product for Kids
Dabble and Dollop Gel
A mixture of shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath, this dye-free gel strives to soften your child’s skin and leave it smelling good with scents like coconut and honeydew. It’s also non-irritating, hypoallergenic, and pH balanced. “We liked the packaging and presentation, as well as the short and reassuring ingredient list,” says a mom of two infants. “A fun addition to bath time. Bubbles and clean fragrant hair was a winner!”
Best Blemish Treatment
Sweet Chef Carrot Ginger Blemish Rescue Patches
These patches come in four different shapes and sizes to minimize acne at each stage. They rely on ginger, carrot, salicylic acid, and hydrocolloid to get the job done. “I could tell a difference,” says a teen tester. “[They were] easy to use, put on, and forget about.”
Best On-the-Go Balm
Boogie Head-to-Toe Balm
Boogie Head-to-Toe Balm works to prevent dry and chapped skin with organic ingredients like shea butter, chamomile, jojoba seed oil, and sunflower oil. “I was skeptical about the stick applicator but our toddler actually enjoys it,” says a dad of two kids. “She usually puts up a struggle when I apply lotion on her face using my hands but I thought to try out the balm…and she is all smiles as I massage it in.” Use it wherever your little one needs some added moisture
Best On-the-Go Sunscreen
Boogie Block Mineral Sunblock Stick
Spend less time applying sunscreen and more time in the sun with this mineral sunscreen stick, made of naturally derived ingredients. Swipes of this hypoallergenic SPF 50 sunscreen resist water up to 80 minutes—and it couldn’t be easier to apply!
Best Body Cream
Tubby Todd Dream Cream
Made with plant-based ingredients, this non-irritating cream hydrates skin, and it brings a pleasant scent of shea butter, citrus, and mint. “I put this cream on my baby after getting out of the bath and even after the first application we saw results,” says a mother of a 7-month-old. “After using it one time, most of the [dry] patches went away and the worst ones were hugely improved.” It’s especially good for sensitive and eczema-prone skin.
Best Portable Deodorant
Megababe Shower Sheets
Whether you’ve just exercised or you simply need a midday pick-me-up, these biodegradable sheets provide on-the-go cleaning when a shower isn’t an option. The light cucumber mint scent will give you a boost of freshness, while other ingredients (such as coconut oil and sweet almond oil) leave skin feeling smooth. Plus, they’re individually wrapped for easy use! “Appreciated after gym class for a quick, easy refresher,” says a teen reviewer.
Best Nose Wipes
Boogie Wipes Saline Nose Wipes
These natural saline wipes clean the nose and dissolve pesky boogers. Parents love the soothing aloe, chamomile, and vitamin E formulation. “These wipes make colds so much easier to deal with versus dry tissues or other water wipes,” says a mom of a 1-year-old. “It really pulls out the boogers thanks to the saline, but also doesn’t smell bad.”
Best Eczema Relief
Eucerin Baby Eczema Relief Cream
Does your eczema-prone baby suffer from irritation and dryness? Consider trying this fast-absorbing cream, which provides 24 hours of hydration without steroids, dyes, or fragrances. “This lotion is one of the few that actually seems to help clear up their skin,” says a Parents editor and mom of two, whose sons suffer from eczema.
Best Moisturizer for Acne-Prone Skin
Stryke Club Calm Down Moisturizer
With soothing qualities that further emphasize the “calm down” aspect of its name, this lightweight moisturizer is made from sunflower oil. It restores the skin barrier and fights against acne, pollution, and dryness. “I liked the feeling of it, it didn’t make my face too greasy or oily, but still felt like it was soft,” says a 12-year-old tester.
Best Sunscreen
Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Roll-on Lotion
Shake and apply this zinc oxide suncreen 15 minutes before sun exposure. The lightweight texture makes it stand out from other mineral sunscreens. “It didn’t leave much of a white cast and seemed to cover really well,” says a dad tester.
Best Healing Ointment
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
An ointment that acts as a solution for many skin care problems—including chapped lips, diaper rash, and dry skin—Aquaphor has been trusted by parents for decades. “This was a must-have with my first son and a product I have on every floor of my house for moisturizing sensitive skin,” says a Parents editor and mom of two, who also uses the product on her lips when she can’t find chapstick.
Best Bug Spray
Hello Bello Plant-Based Mosquito Repellant
Say goodbye to pesky bug bites and hello to this plant-based mosquito repellant! The hypoallergenic DEET-free spray is made with organic essential oils, and it can even be used on furry members of your family.