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5 Best Baby Hair Gels of 2024

Updated
Tame and style your little one's hair with these safe hair gels.

We’re often told not to use styling products on babies or toddlers as they often contain harsh ingredients. But when you have a little one with lots of hair that doesn’t like to hold a style, what’s a mama to do?

We understand this challenge, as we’ve experienced it ourselves. But rather than expose our babies’ sensitive skin and soft, precious hair to harsh chemicals that could be damaging, we set out to find safe products to use instead.

We were pleasantly surprised by the natural options on the market that work great for all types of baby hair. We narrowed our list of favorites down to the five best baby hair gels. These gels use natural ingredients for light- or firm-hold styling and don’t leave your baby’s hair feeling stiff, sticky, or weighed down.

Now you can style your baby’s strands like a pro without worrying about harsh chemicals or flaky hair.

Our Top Picks

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Image
Model
Product Comparison Table
Features

Product Image of the Fairy Tales Rosemary
Best for Lice Prevention
Fairy Tales Rosemary
  • Excellent lice prevention
  • Leaves hair smooth and tamed
  • Organic ingredients
Product Image of the Little Roseberry
Best Organic Gel
Little Roseberry
  • Vegan formula
  • Packed with nutrients
  • Doesn’t leave a sticky texture
Product Image of the Snip-Its Silly Slicker
Best for Strong Hold
Snip-Its Silly Slicker
  • Natural formula
  • Fantastic smell
  • Washes out easily
Product Image of the Africa's Best Kids
Best for Natural Curls
Africa's Best Kids
  • Alcohol-free
  • Organic formula
  • Washes out easily
Product Image of the T is for Tame - Hair Taming Cream for Kids, All-Natural for Frizz & Flyaways,...
Best for Unruly Hair
T is for Tame
  • Good hold
  • Pleasant smell
  • Flexible for styling


The Best Baby Hair Gel of 2024

Here are our favorite baby hair gel products.

Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Daily Kid Styling Gel

Best Baby Hair Gel for Lice Prevention

Lice are one of the many things we’d all like to avoid. Once they infest your little one’s scalp, they can jump to siblings or even yourself. Yikes!

Fortunately, there are some things lice hate, and Fairy Tales included many of them in this lice prevention gel. Inside this bottle, you’ll get a natural lice repellent that will protect your baby at day care — or if siblings bring them home from school.

The formula is free of chemicals, only containing organic materials. This includes a blend of rosemary, peppermint, tea tree, geranium, citronella, and lavender. These are natural oils, many of which lice generally try to steer clear of.

Additionally, the gel includes jojoba, chamomile, and aloe vera. These ingredients will hydrate and soothe your baby’s scalp.

The gel will provide a light hold, perfect for styling your little one’s hair. This company also makes products that are great for detangling, cleansing, and conditioning.

If there’s one thing that might put you off this gel, it could be the scent. The combination of oils makes for a somewhat mismatched smell.

Pros

  • Excellent lice prevention.
  • Leaves hair smooth and tamed.
  • Organic ingredients.

Cons

  • Some moms aren’t keen on the scent.
  • Not a strong-hold gel.

Our Ratings

Safety
5 / 5
Ingredient Quality
5 / 5
Hold
2.5 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Total Rating
4 / 5

User Experience

If you're looking for a product that not only helps with styling your child's hair but also offers some lice protection, then this gel might be worth a try. I've personally used it along with the "Curly Q" spray, and it does wonders for bringing out my kids' curls without causing dandruff or creating a crunchy texture. The scent is quite strong, but it does its job well, even though it may leave some white residue like any other gel. While it may not have the strongest hold, especially for active kids, I appreciate that it's a more natural option with no harmful chemicals, and it doesn't leave any flakes or residue. I can't vouch for its lice repelling abilities entirely, but my children haven't had any issues so far, so I'll continue using it.

Little Roseberry Hair Gel with Organic Aloe Vera

Best Organic Baby Hair Gel

If you’re on the hunt for an organic hair gel for your baby or kids, take a look at this option by Little Roseberry. This hair gel is gentle yet packed with all the super ingredients you need for healthy hair.

What stood out to me was the base of the gel. Little Roseberry has made it with organic aloe vera juice instead of water. This enriches the gel with powerful vitamins that protect and moisturize your little one’s delicate hair.

The vegan formula is free of unnecessary additives, such as dyes and fragrances. What I love the most is that it doesn’t seem to leave my little one’s hair feeling stiff or sticky. The hair receives a dose of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins thanks to the aloe vera and witch hazel.

Little Roseberry states that this gel is suitable for all the family, from the smallest to the oldest. It provides just a light hold to keep those strands in place.

That said, it won’t hold all day, so you may need to reapply at times.

Pros

  • Vegan formula.
  • Packed with nutrients for the hair.
  • Doesn’t leave a sticky texture.

Cons

  • Won’t keep hair in place for too long.

Our Ratings

Safety
5 / 5
Ingredient Quality
5 / 5
Hold
3 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Total Rating
4.25 / 5

Personal Perspective

Bought this organic hair gel for my child and have been quite satisfied with the results. It feels lightweight on my child's curly hair, and I appreciate that it doesn't have a strong smell or cause any irritation on their sensitive scalp. While it doesn't provide an all-day hold, it works well enough for a few hours at school without any greasiness or flaking. The natural ingredients give me peace of mind, knowing that I'm using a safer product on my child's hair. The only drawback is the price, which could be more reasonable for the size of the bottle.

Snip-Its Silly Slicker Ultimate Sculpting Hair Gel

Best Baby Hair Gel for Strong Hold

If you’re looking to style your little one’s hair, perhaps in a spiky mohawk or a stylish blow-out, this product is for you.

This hair gel from Snip-Its is a naturally-based formula consisting of only renewable ingredients. What we love most is that there are no added chemicals, yet the hairstyle will still hold. Plus, it’s cruelty-free, meaning no animals were used for product testing.

The gel itself has a light tropical smell, perfect for boys or girls. It defines and holds any hairstyle and is compatible with all hair types.

Snip-Its recommends that you add a little water to the hair before applying the gel. At the end of the day, it washes out pretty easily.

That said, if your little one has long or heavy, thick hair, it might be difficult for it to hold a style.

Pros

  • Natural formula.
  • Fantastic smell.
  • Washes out easily.

Cons

  • It might not keep long hair in place as well.

Our Ratings

Safety
4.5 / 5
Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Hold
4 / 5
Ease of Use
4 / 5
Total Rating
4.25 / 5

Community Feedback

In my experience, this hair product has been the one I consistently return to. With a subtle scent and a small amount needed for application, it's great for medium to light hold hairstyles, although it can leave a white residue if overused. I've found it works well for styling my son's hair, but may require reapplication after a day of play. One downside is the plastic container, which can be difficult to use and dispense the right amount of product.

Africa's Best Kids Organics Smooth and Style Gel

Best Baby Hair Gel for Natural Curls

Afro-textured hair doesn’t produce as much oil as other types of hair. Maybe your little one has very natural curls that are almost impossible to brush or style. Most hair gels won’t help much unless you buy the chemical-filled options.

Luckily, this hair gel from Africa’s Best will condition as well as hold those runaway strands. The gel contains no alcohol or added chemicals. Instead, it includes organic olive oil, which smooths and holds the hair in place.

It works wonders for holding and enhancing natural curls.

A major plus is that it doesn’t leave any flaky residue, and your little one’s hair will be soft the next day. It also washes out fast and easily. However, the consistency is a little thick, and if you apply too much, the hair can get really stiff.

Pros

  • Fantastic for natural and curly hair.
  • Organic formula.
  • No drying alcohols.
  • Washes out easily.

Cons

  • Thick consistency.
  • Too much product leaves the hair stiff.

Our Ratings

Safety
4.5 / 5
Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Hold
4 / 5
Ease of Use
3.5 / 5
Total Rating
4 / 5

First-Hand Impression

In my experience, this hair product has both its perks and drawbacks. On one hand, it works well for providing a sleek look with a pleasant scent and soft hold, which is great for my daughter's curly hair during outings and events. However, the product doesn't maintain the hold throughout the entire day and can leave some residue on both the hair and hands. While the smell might not be everyone's cup of tea, it's not overpowering and generally keeps my child's hairstyle looking on point without causing any stiffness or roughness.

T is for Tame Hair Taming Matte Cream

Best Baby Hair Gel for Unruly Hair

Styling your little one’s hair is one of the perks of being a mom. But it’s frustrating when you have to redo the style for the 50th time due to flyaway strands. Fortunately, this styling cream might be the solution.

It reduces flyaways and provides a firm hold that’s still flexible for styling. It’s made with organic coconut oil and jojoba oil to help moisturize strands. And since it’s a lotion formula, it isn’t thick or sticky and doesn’t leave any flaky residue on the scalp or hair.

We love the subtle scent and how it keeps hair in place even on humid days. A small amount goes a long way, so you’ll get value for your money.

This formula works great for taming wild hair without gluing it in place. It maintains a soft and flexible hold, perfect for little ones. You can use it in damp or dry hair, but we got the best results if we dampened the hair a little before applying.

Pros

  • Tames flyaways.
  • Pleasant smell.
  • Flexible for styling.

Cons

  • Not the strongest hold.

Our Ratings

Safety
4.5 / 5
Ingredient Quality
4.5 / 5
Hold
3.5 / 5
Ease of Use
4.5 / 5
Total Rating
4.25 / 5

User Experience

My experience with this hair gel has been a mixed bag. On one hand, it provides a strong hold that works well on my kids' hair, and it's nice that it's made from natural ingredients. However, the overpowering scent is a significant drawback, as many users, including myself, find it quite unpleasant. The gel does its job well in terms of hold, but the smell may be a deal-breaker for some.

When Is It Safe to Use Baby Hair Gel?

We all know that a baby’s skin can become easily irritated. This can be caused by an overloaded diaper, excessive heat, sweat, laundry detergents, or soaps. Bath products, lotions, and styling products can also be irritants.

There’s no age limit on when it’s safe to use hair products on your little one. However, experts advise against using any skin care or beauty products on infants.

Babies are highly susceptible to allergic reactions. Their skin is still developing, so it’s very thin. This means that the ingredients in hair products are readily absorbed into the skin.

Although most baby hair gels are free of toxic ingredients, they still contain substances that can trigger a reaction. These may include plant-based ingredients.

It’s essential that you become aware of which products your baby’s skin is sensitive to before using them. A good way to do this is to conduct a patch test on your baby’s forearm.

Apply a small amount, and then wait 24 hours. If the area becomes warm, red, or swollen, you know you should keep that product far away from your baby. But if no reactions occur, you should be safe to proceed.

How to Choose a Baby Hair Gel

When it comes to beauty or skin care products, it’s essential to proceed with caution, especially when it involves young babies. Here are a couple of things you might want to consider before spending your cash.

Ingredients

Most hair gels meant for babies and children are free of toxins, so avoid using your own products on your baby.

Hair gels meant for adults generally contain all of the big no-no ingredients when it comes to babies. These can cause serious reactions if you apply them to your little one’s scalp.

Here are some natural ingredients you might find in baby hair gels:

  • Aloe vera: This ingredient is well-known in various types of natural products (1). However, some people are allergic to it, so do a patch test before applying anything containing it.
  • Witch hazel: Witch hazel is another all-natural ingredient containing a range of medicinal properties. It provides some hold in the gel as well as some natural vitamins (2).
  • Chamomile: Whether you drink it or apply it to the skin, chamomile contains many powerful components (3). Generally, when used in hair products, its purpose is to clarify and maintain the natural tones in the hair.
  • Jojoba: This ingredient is derived from the jojoba plant and will moisturize and soothe the scalp (4).

You can also make your own natural flax seed hair gel.

Desired Hairstyle

When we think of hair gels, we usually imagine a man sporting a bulletproof blowout. Hair gel generally provides a spiky look that holds for days.

However, when it comes to baby hair gels, not many of them, if any, will provide such a hold. For example, if you’re looking for an organic product, chances are it won’t hold a mohawk all day.

Organic and vegan products are better at providing some hold for unruly hair while making it soft and manageable. Other gels are stronger at holding a hairstyle in place.

So, while looking for hair gel for your little one, consider the style you want to achieve.

FAQs

What is the Best Gel for Baby Hair?

The best gel for baby hair is one that’s gentle, free from harsh chemicals, and designed specifically for babies or sensitive skin.

Look for products with natural ingredients that provide gentle hold without causing dryness or irritation. Little Roseberry Hair Gel for Kids is a great organic option, and Originals by Africa’s Best Kids is amazing for those with naturally curly hair.

What Can I Use Instead of Gel for Baby Hair?

Instead of gel, you can use baby-safe hair oils, creams, or lotions that are formulated for delicate skin and hair. Some parents also use a small amount of natural coconut oil or organic aloe vera gel for a natural, gentle hold.

Can I Use Vaseline As Hair Gel for Baby?

While Vaseline can tame and smooth hair, it’s heavy and might be difficult to wash out of fine baby hair. It’s generally better to use lighter products specifically made for baby hair styling.

What are the Best Products for Baby Fine Hair?

The best products for baby fine hair are gentle shampoos and conditioners, detangling sprays, and light styling products designed for babies. Look for hypoallergenic and tear-free formulas to keep your baby comfortable and happy during hair care routines.


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Headshot of Mary Sweeney, BSN, RN, CEN

Reviewed by

Mary Sweeney, BSN, RN, CEN

Mary Sweeney, BSN, RN, CEN is an oncology nurse navigator and freelance medical writer. Mary has 4 years of experience as an officer in the Navy Nurse Corps. including emergency/trauma, post-anesthesia, and deployment medicine.