How To Make A Hair Detangler At Home
Making your own natural hair detangler at home is an easy, affordable way to care for your locks. With a DIY detangler, you can customize the ingredients to your hair’s specific needs and avoid having to rely on commercial products.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create your own effective hair detanglers. We’ll cover:
- The benefits of homemade vs store-bought detanglers
- How detanglers work to smooth and condition hair
- The best ingredients to include based on your hair type
- Simple recipes and formulas to try
- Tips for using your detangler for optimal results
- Storage and troubleshooting advice
So if you’re struggling with tangles and damage from brushing and combing your hair, a natural DIY detangler may be the solution you’re looking for. Let’s dive in!
Why Make Your Own Natural Hair Detangler?
Before we get into the recipes, let’s look at why homemade hair detanglers are so popular:
Save Money
Commercial detangling products from the store can be quite expensive, especially for regular use. Making your own allows you to detangle hair on a budget. Since the ingredients – oils, conditioners, butters – are ones you likely already have in your pantry and fridge, each batch costs just a few dollars.
Over the course of a year, making your own detangler could save you hundreds of dollars compared to buying ready-made options.
Control the Ingredients
With store-bought detanglers, you never know exactly what’s in them. Many contain chemical fragrances, preservatives, fillers and other additives.
By controlling the ingredients list, you can feel good knowing exactly what’s going in your DIY detangler. You can avoid harmful chemicals and use all-natural, organic ingredients tailored to your hair’s needs.
Customize for Your Hair Type
No two heads of hair are alike. Hair can differ vastly in terms of texture, thickness, dryness, oiliness and overall condition.
The beauty of a homemade detangler is customizing the recipe based on your unique hair properties. You can experiment with oils, butters and natural extracts suited for your hair.
Fun DIY Project
Making your own hair products is simply a fun activity for a relaxing self-care day. It allows you to get creative in the kitchen and make something beneficial for your hair and scalp.
Plus, you get to enjoy the pleasant aroma of the natural essential oils in your customized formula.
The Science Behind Natural Hair Detanglers
To understand how to make an effective DIY detangler, it helps to know how they work on a scientific level.
Hair becomes tangled for two main reasons:
- It is dry, brittle and prone to static, friction, and knots.
- The outer protective layer of the hair (cuticle) becomes raised and catches on other hairs.
Detanglers work to counteract these issues by:
- Smoothing and sealing the cuticle down so hairs glide past each other easier
- Softening and lubricating strands so they are less prone to breakage
- Adding slip to allow combs/brushes to pass through hair without snagging
- Sealing in moisture and conditioning to reduce frizz and static
They do this using various oils, butters, conditioners, and nourishing ingredients that work synergistically.
Getting the right combo for your hair type is key for an effective detangler.
Key Detangler Ingredients and Benefits
Let’s take a closer look at the top ingredients found in natural hair detanglers and what they offer:
Conditioners: Provide smooth lubrication and “slip” for wet combing. Help seal cuticles down. Common types are cetrimonium chloride, behentrimonium methosulfate, and fatty alcohols.
Oils: Nourish, moisturize, and soften hair. Reduce friction and conditioning hair. Great options are coconut, olive, argan, jojoba, grapeseed, almond oils.
Butters: Excellent moisturizers that absorb into hair and seal in moisture. Shea and cocoa butter are very emollient for thick, curly hair. Cupuacu butter is also fantastic.
Essential Oils: Mostly for adding pleasant fragrance. Some like rosemary, peppermint, and tea tree provide scalp health benefits.
Aloe Vera Gel/Juice: Has hydrating and soothing properties for hair. Calms itchiness and inflammation.
Honey: Natural humectant that helps hair retain moisture and shine. Helps reduce frizz.
Vegetable Glycerin: Light moisturizer derived from plant oils that softens hair and adds shine.
Water/Liquid: Thins out ingredients into a sprayable consistency that is easy to distribute through hair.
As you can see, the ingredients in DIY detanglers each serve a purpose. By combining them together, you get a synergistic product that makes combing knots a breeze!
Next let’s go over some easy recipes to try based on your hair type and needs.
Simple DIY Detangler Recipes For Different Hair Types
Here are some all-natural DIY detangler recipes you can whip up right in your kitchen:
Basic Detangler for All Hair Types
- 1 part conditioner
- 1 part water, rosewater, or aloe vera juice
- Few drops of coconut or olive oil
This simple but effective blend provides needed conditioning and slip for easy combing for all hair types. Feel free to experiment with different conditioner brands and oils.
Extra Nourishment for Dry, Damaged Hair
- Conditioner
- Avocado, olive, or coconut oil
- Shea or cocoa butter
- Honey
- Jojoba oil
- Rosemary essential oil
Dry hair benefits from extra oils and butters to deeply moisturize. The honey and jojoba oil help strengthen, protect, and seal in moisture, while the rosemary improves scalp circulation.
Lightweight Detangler for Fine or Oily Hair
- Conditioner
- Aloe vera gel
- Vegetable glycerin
- Lavender essential oil
- Green tea extract
Fine, limp hair needs lightweight moisture to avoid weighing it down. Aloe, glycerin, and green tea nourish hair gently without oils.
Soothing Detangler for Itchy Scalp
- Conditioner
- Aloe vera juice
- Coconut oil
- Peppermint & tea tree essential oils
The aloe and oils soothe itchiness and dryness, while tea tree and peppermint provide antimicrobial properties to balance the scalp.
Kid-Friendly Detangler
- Conditioner
- Chamomile tea
- Lavender essential oil
- Glycerin
- Honey
Gentle ingredients perfect for children’s sensitive scalps. Chamomile calms the scalp while lavender oil provides a soothing aroma.
Anti-Frizz Detangler
- Conditioner
- Aloe vera gel
- Honey
- Macadamia oil
- Silk amino acids
- Rose extract
Great for frizzy hair in humid weather. Macadamia oil and silk amino acids tame flyaways. Honey and rose seal in moisture to prevent puffing.
How To Use Your DIY Detangler for Best Results
Using your homemade detangler properly is key to reap the benefits:
- Start with clean, wet hair – detanglers work best on freshly washed hair.
- Spray or evenly apply the detangler throughout sections of hair. Focus on the mid-lengths and ends.
- Let sit for 2-3 minutes so the oils and conditioners can penetrate.
- Start combing out tangles at the bottom/ends first, working up towards the scalp in sections.
- Use a wide-tooth comb, wet brush, or fingers to gently detangle – avoid harsh pulling.
- Rinse out thoroughly with cool water if your hair tends to get greasy easily.
- Style as normal – your hair will air dry smoother, softer and more manageable.
- Store any leftover detangler in a pump bottle or jar up to 1-2 weeks. Shake before each use.
Be patient and work in sections to gently ease out knots instead of ripping through them. Over time, using a natural detangler will lead to less tangles, less breakage, and healthier hair overall!
Tips for Making Your Own DIY Detanglers
Follow these helpful tips for creating effective homemade hair detanglers:
- Measure precisely – to achieve the right liquid-to-oil/butter ratios for optimal consistency and performance.
- Mix thoroughly – use a whisk or blender to combine ingredients into a homogeneous emulsion.
- Strain oils/butters – heat just until melted, then strain through cheesecloth to remove particles before adding to conditioner.
- Patch test – try any new DIY recipe on a small section of hair before wider use to test for allergic reactions.
- Add natural preservative – vitamin E oil or optiphen can extend the shelf life of your homemade detangler.
- Avoid certain ingredients – steering clear of drying alcohols and sulfates is best for maintaining hair health.
- Adjust as needed – Tweak recipes based on your hair’s changing needs and seasonal weather.
- Shake before use – to re-blend separated ingredients for consistency.
- Store properly – Keep in an airtight container, away from direct light and heat to maintain freshness.
Have fun experimenting with different ingredient combinations and essential oil scents until you find the perfect custom detangler for your hair.
Troubleshooting DIY Hair Detanglers
Here are some common issues and fixes for homemade detangler recipes:
Too thin/runny – Try reducing water or aloe vera juice. Or use more conditioner, butters or waxes to thicken.
Too thick/greasy – Add more water or liquid to thin out. Reduce the amount of oils and butters.
Not effective/lacks slip – Ensure you’re using a good silicone-free conditioner as the base. Or try a different conditioner brand.
Hair dried out – Avoid ingredients like sulfates and alcohol that strip natural oils. Or use more nourishing oils/butters.
Causes buildup – Clarify hair with an apple cider vinegar rinse. And reduce oil amounts in future batches.
Separates/not blending – Use an emulsifier like polysorbate 80. And shake vigorously before each use.
Goes bad quickly – Check that products are sealed and stored properly. Or add natural preservative like vitamin E oil.
With some trial and error, you’ll learn how to tweak recipes to create the perfect custom detangler for your needs.
Conclusion
Making your own all-natural hair detanglers at home is a great way to save money while controlling the ingredients. With the right oils, conditioners, and butters you can customize effective formulas for your specific hair type.
Gently spraying on your DIY detangler before combing will lead to less breakage, less knots, and smoother, damage-free hair.
We hope this comprehensive guide gives you all the knowledge you need to start blending up your own signature blends. Just keep tweaking recipes until you create the perfect detangler to make brushing and styling easier.
Share your homemade hair detangler tips and tricks in the comments below!