MONAT Junior: which products are there for kids?
8 min read Care know-how Updated 5 October 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
MONAT makes three products for children in its Junior™ line: a shampoo, a conditioner and a detangling spray (Gentle Detangler). Short hair needs only the shampoo; add the conditioner once the hair reaches past the chin, and the spray only when long or curly hair pulls during combing. You'll know the routine suits your child after the first wash: the comb glides from the ends to the roots, and the scalp is neither red nor tight afterwards.
Age guidance, ingredients and directions are on the label, and the label in your country overrides every rule of thumb in this article. The range also differs from country to country. In summer 2026 the German MONAT shop listed the shampoo and conditioner, while the detangling spray was available in the UK, Spain and the USA, among others. Where it is missing, the conditioner takes over its job at the comb (Step 4).
Which MONAT Junior products exist for kids
| Product | Name in the German shop | Format | Where it goes | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior™ Shampoo | MONAT JUNIOR™ SANFTES SHAMPOO | lathers, rinsed out | onto the scalp | every wash day |
| Junior™ Conditioner | MONAT JUNIOR™ SANFTE SPÜLUNG | conditioner, rinsed out | lengths and ends from ear level down | after the shampoo, once the hair reaches past the chin or starts to tangle |
| Junior™ Gentle Detangler | not listed in Germany at the last check | spray, left in | into the damp lengths | after towelling, before combing |
You don't have to buy all three. A child with short hair manages with the shampoo alone. The longer, thicker or curlier the hair, the more work the conditioner and spray take off your hands at the comb.
Which Junior products your child needs
| Your child | Shampoo | Conditioner | Detangling spray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hair shorter than chin length, hardly any tangles | yes | usually not needed | no |
| Chin to shoulder length, straight | yes | ends only | if the back of the head tangles |
| Longer than shoulder length or very thick | yes | yes | yes, especially after a bath |
| Curls or coily hair | yes | yes, generously | yes |
| Scalp quickly turns red or itches | only after the inner-elbow test below | lengths only | never on the scalp |
For your own hair, the free hair analysis asks about your hair texture, scalp and current routine.
Wash day with MONAT Junior: amounts by hair length
The amounts in this table are guide values for children's hair. If the label gives a different amount, go by the label.
| Hair length | Shampoo | Conditioner | Detangling spray |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to the chin | pea-sized | pea-sized, ends only, or skip it | 1 spray if needed |
| up to the shoulders | hazelnut-sized | hazelnut-sized | 2–3 sprays |
| longer than shoulder length | walnut-sized | two hazelnut-sized portions | 4–5 sprays |
Step 1 — Comb through dry first. Before the bath, comb the dry hair with a wide-tooth comb, working up from the ends. Loose tangles come out more easily when the hair is dry. Once you lather, the hairs rub against each other and loose tangles turn into tight ones.
Step 2 — Shampoo on the scalp only. Wet the hair with lukewarm water, around 37 °C, so it feels neither warm nor cold on the inside of your wrist. Lather the amount from the table in your hand with a little water and spread it over the scalp with your fingertips for 20 to 30 seconds. The lather cleans the lengths as you rinse. Tipping the head slightly back and laying a folded flannel across the forehead keeps the lather out of the eyes.
Step 3 — Rinse twice as long. Rinse for about twice as long as you lathered, and finish with an extra rinse at the nape and along the hairline behind the ears. Shampoo left in these spots can irritate the skin, and the hair there feels dull.
Step 4 — Conditioner from ear level. Squeeze the water out of the lengths with your hand, spread the conditioner from ear level to the ends and leave it in for one to two minutes. Keep it off the scalp. If you have no detangling spray, comb out the tangles now with the wide-tooth comb while the conditioner is still in, and only then rinse thoroughly.
Step 5 — Blot, spray, comb. Press the hair in the towel instead of rubbing it. Spray the detangler into the lengths from about 15 cm away and comb section by section, working up from the ends.
How often should you wash children's hair?
Once or twice a week is enough for most children of nursery and primary-school age. Before puberty the scalp produces little sebum, so children's hair gets greasy more slowly than a teenager's or an adult's. If your child tends towards dry skin, stick to one wash a week. In between, plain water and a comb-through are enough.
Wash more often after sand, after sport that leaves the hairline damp and after the swimming pool. Chlorine roughens children's hair and makes it feel like straw, so rinse it out the same day after swimming. The rules for chlorine, salt water and sun in summer hair apply to children too, just with smaller amounts. Children's hair almost never needs a second round of shampoo on the same wash day.
Tangles and pulling: what goes wrong and what works better
When wash day ends in tears, it usually happens at the combing stage, and the cause is often how the comb is handled.
| What often goes wrong | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Starting at the parting | Start at the ends and work up section by section |
| A fine brush in wet hair | A wide-tooth comb or a flexible detangling brush |
| Letting the section hang free | Hold the section above the tangle with your other hand, so the pull stops before it reaches the scalp |
| Forcing a stubborn knot through | One spray of detangler on the knot, a little conditioner if you're in the bath, then tease it apart with your fingers |
| Long hair worn loose to bed | A loose plait with a fabric hair tie, so the back of the head is less matted in the morning |
| Brushing curly hair dry | Detangle curls only when wet with conditioner in, and use only your fingers when dry |
Warn your child briefly before you comb a tricky spot. A moment of pulling is easier to bear when it doesn't come as a surprise.
Tight plaits and hair ties with a metal clasp cause mechanical hair damage from brushes, ties and sleep in children too: the hair kinks at the tie and snaps there. Use fabric ties and plait loosely. Look after curly children's hair on the same principles you'd use to care for curls and waves without frizz, just with smaller amounts.
Sensitive scalp in children: test first, then wash
If your child tends towards red, dry or itchy skin, test every new shampoo before the first hair wash. Lather a pea-sized amount with water, apply the lather to the inside of the elbow, leave it for one minute and rinse it off. Do this twice a day for three days. If the spot stays calm, go ahead with the first wash; then wait two days before adding the conditioner or spray.
If the scalp turns red after washing, itches or develops small bumps, stop using the product and wash with the shampoo your child tolerated before. A calm elbow test makes a reaction on the scalp less likely, but it cannot rule one out. Otherwise, children need the same handling as a sensitive scalp that itches or feels tight: wash lukewarm, rinse thoroughly, pat dry instead of rubbing.
Round, scaly patches where the hair has broken off short should be seen by a paediatrician, because they can be a fungal skin infection that needs medication. The same applies to weeping or bleeding patches and to itching that hasn't eased after a week. If the itching is mainly behind the ears and at the nape, first comb the wet, conditioned hair with a nit comb. Nits stick firmly to the hair and can't be shaken off, whereas flakes of dandruff fall away. No care shampoo deals with head lice; the pharmacy has treatments for that.
How to tell the routine suits your child
After the first wash, the comb runs from the ends to the roots with at most a few short stops. An hour later the scalp isn't red and your child isn't scratching their head.
If the hair hangs limp and stringy at the roots the next day, the conditioner went too close to the scalp, or there was too much of it. Next time use half the amount and start a hand's width lower.
After four weeks, compare the morning comb-through with day one. Fewer tangles at the back of the head and less protest at the sight of the comb are the signs that count. If the ends are still dry, pale and roughened despite the conditioner, it's time for a trim, which no care product replaces.
When MONAT Junior isn't the right choice
If your child is younger than the age on the label, choose a product that is explicitly labelled for their age. If they have eczema that is currently affecting the scalp as well, ask the paediatrician what to wash with during that phase.
Teenagers whose roots are already shiny the day after washing often need more cleansing than a children's line is meant to give. How often and with what they cleanse an oily scalp then depends on hair type and how much sebum they produce; with a mild shampoo, daily washing is fine too.
For your own hair, choose from the MONAT hair care systems for adults by hair type and scalp.
Quick questions
Can adults use MONAT Junior?
Yes. You'll know on day two whether it's enough for your roots: if they get greasy faster than with your usual shampoo, stick with yours.
Can my child use their parents' MONAT shampoo?
That depends on the label of the adult product. If it gives no age, use the Junior™ line or another product labelled for children.
Does MONAT Junior sting the eyes?
Lather in the eye can sting with any shampoo, including one made for children. Tip the head slightly back when rinsing, and rinse the eyes with clear, lukewarm water if lather does get in.
Is MONAT Junior suitable for babies?
The minimum age is on the label in your country. Yellowish, greasy scales on a baby's head are usually cradle cap and harmless. Because cradle cap is hard to tell apart from milk crust, an early form of atopic eczema, at home, ask your paediatrician before you buy a shampoo for it.
Before the next bottle of Junior™ runs out, the free hair analysis sorts out your own routine too.