Curly kids were everywhere at Dylan’s.
Tackling the tangled tresses of her six-year-old daughter’s curly locks have always been a challenge for New Yorker Judy Antell.
“Our problem was finding a conditioner, and you need something gentle for kids,” Antell says. “There are plenty of kids products, but not for curly kids.”
There is now. Christo, founder and creator of Curlisto Systems and creative director of Christo Fifth Avenue Salon in New York City, has launched a Curlisto Kids line of hair products consisting of a shampoo, detangle/rinse, leave-in conditioner and a spray mousse. He invited dozens of curly-haired kids and their parents to Dylan’s Candy Bar store in New York City for the Curlisto Kids launch party on June 21.
“My clients who come into the salon often tell me of their frustrations when it comes to washing and styling their kids’ curly hair,” Christo says. “I created a special formula for children that incorporates natural ingredients that make curly hair healthy, soft and more manageable yet don’t aggravate delicate skin and eyes.”
Antell tried the products on her daughter Nora, who quickly approved. “I used to hate my hair because I couldn’t really do anything with it, but now I can,” says 6-year-old Nora, who joined in the launch-party festivities. Each child at the party also received a Camp Survival Kit, complete with samples of the new Curlisto Kids products and a few sweet treats tucked in from Dylan’s Candy Bar. Magicians, music and candy-making activities kept the kids entertained, while their curly-haired parents indulged in wine and refreshments as they perused the new product line.
Curlisto Kids products
Curlisto Kids Tearless Shampoo (8 ounces, $12″> contains botanical extracts such as aloe, angelica chamomile, comfrey and cornflower. It’s complemented by Curlisto Kids Detangle Rinse (8 ounces, $12″>, which contains vitamins A and E, and is ideal for normal to dry or fine curly hair. Curlisto Kids Leave-In Conditioner, which is protein-based, fights frizz and flyaways (8-ounce, $15″>. The Curlisto Kids Spray Mousse is an alcohol-free product that contains aloe and wheat proteins (8 ounces, $18″>. The spray mousse is designed as a lighter alternative to the adult gels that kids like 8-year-old Zachary Mellado says he once used because he really had no other choice.
“Gel is too heavy in my hair and it makes it go down,” says Zachary Mellado, whose wavy locks used to get in the way of play. “At school, when I play outside, my hair gets sticky and sticks to my head because I’m sweating. The old gels give off a bad smell too. But Curlisto Kids smells good and it’s a spray-in mousse so it doesn’t get sticky. It makes it easier to comb.”
For parents who want to test the products on their kids, there is a Curlisto Kids starter kit, which features smaller, 4-ounce bottles of all four products for $37. Curlisto Kids and other Curlisto brand products are available at Christo Fifth Avenue Salon located at 574 Fifth Ave. in New York, NY. Products can also be purchased online at CurlMart.