When it comes to washing that adorable mop on your baby’s head, there are so many questions that come to mind.

  • What shampoo to use
  • How many times a week
  • How much is required

For the first month your baby’s hair may not even need to be cleaned at all, and a simple water wash will suffice.

However, eventually you will have to find a way to shampoo your baby’s locks, at least twice a week.

Here’s a list of tried and tested baby shampoos that are trusted by doctors and moms alike.

J&J No More Tears Shampoo

Johnson and Johnson’s has been around for ages and No More Tears baby shampoo has proven to be a good hair cleanser for babies to start with. As little as two drops make enough lather, but in my experience it tends to leave the hair a bit dry. You can try oiling your baby’s hair with olive oil just before the wash.

Himalaya Gentle Baby Shampoo

If natural is what you are looking for, try Himalaya’s shampoo for babies. It contains extracts of hibiscus, chickpea and khus-khus, which hydrate your baby’s scalp and leave hair feeling soft and manageable.

Pigeon Baby Shampoo

A Japanese brand, Pigeon, has created quite a footprint for itself in Asian markets and is a well known manufacturer or baby care products worldwide.  Pigeon baby shampoo comes with extracts of olive oil, rose hip oil and chamomile, and is suitable from birth onward. It is known to gently clean, moisturize and condition your baby’s hair.

Chicco Baby Moments No Tears Shampoo

Chicco is an Italian brand and has been making baby care products since 1951. It is now available in India as well, though the products are a bit high priced for the average Indian consumer. The Baby Moments shampoo contains pot marigold that softens and moisturizes scalp and hair, and is free from any dyes or alcohol. It is to be diluted before use and is safe for newborns as well.

Mothercare All We Know Baby Shampoo

Another favorite with new moms, this baby shampoo with no tears formula contains olive oil and chamomile extracts. Its conditioning properties leave the delicate hair on your baby’s scalp looking smooth and shiny. It can be used on newborns as well.

Cetrilak Mild Medicated Shampoo

Sooner or later your baby may develop a dandruff-like condition called cradle cap. This could result in flakiness of the scalp and some hair fall. Though it doesn’t bother the child much, doctors recommend a medicated shampoo such as Cetrilak Mild, to treat it. It should be used sparingly, twice a week. No side effects have been reported so far.

Babies never had it so good! These shampoos are from some of the best brands available today, but it isn’t necessary that your baby will take all of them well. It is always advisable to do a patch test on your baby’s skin before you use it, to make sure it doesn’t cause any allergies, because when it comes to babies, it pays to be cautious.

Babies Are Sensitive

Babies, especially newborns, are extremely sensitive. It’s only natural, since they’ve spent a large part of their existence nestled inside the dark cocoon of your body. Once they are out, everything around them is new, and you have to carefully let them discover the sights and sounds that now surround them.

Baby skin is also extremely fragile, so most doctors advice against bathing your child for the first 10 days or so. So when you do start bathing your child you need to use the most gentle of products available.