How to Make a Spray Detangler

Co-authored by Lorena Barcal

Last Updated: January 29, 2023

Do you dread unraveling your labyrinth of knots? Does your little girl cry with the sight of a brush? A homemade detangler spray makes this much easier, without breaking your wallet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Detangler for Curly Hair

1
Start with storebought or homemade conditioner. Leave-in or rinse-out conditioner will work for this purpose. A quality conditioner adds oils to your hair, helping them slide past each other without tangling
- To make your own conditioner, try ½ cup (120mL) Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp (45mL) honey, and 5 tbsp (75mL) natural oil. A light or medium oil such as grapeseed or olive oil works best, since you'll leave this mixture sitting in your hair.
2
Mix in more oil. Although you can use conditioner on its own, oil gives the mixture more "slip," which makes curly hair much easier to detangle without breaking. Add the oil about a tablespoon (15mL) at a time, mixing well. Test it on your hair after each spoonful, detangling with your fingers. Keep adding oil until the hair strands glide past each other seamlessly.
- While you can use any type of oil, a heavy oil can leave your hair feeling greasy and limp. Try grapeseed oil or olive oil instead.
- Each person's hair requires different amounts of oil. If you rarely have issues with dry hair, you may even be able to skip this step.
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3
Bottle your mixture. Look for a heavy-duty, reusable spray bottle, or rinse out another bottle and attach a spray top. Cheap spray bottles wear down quickly, making them more expensive and tiresome in the long run.
4
Detangle. Spray your hair with the detangler. Gently detangle with your fingers, a wide-toothed comb, or a rubber-bristled brush. When finished, just leave the spray in your hair. This will keep your curls shiny and bouncy, and avoid damage from excessive rinsing.^{[1]
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- If your hair feels too greasy after detangling, try making the spray with a lighter oil.
5
Adjust the amounts. Depending on the length and thickness of your hair, you may need more or less detangler spray than you bottled. Homemade conditioner goes bad within one or two weeks. If using it as the basis of our spray, only make enough to last one or two sittings.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Detangler for Straight Hair

1
Fill a spray bottle halfway with conditioner. This can be rinse-out or leave-in conditioner, as long as it suits your hair type.
- A sturdy, reusable spray bottle is more cost-effective in the long run.
2
Add water. Fill ¼ of the bottle with water. Put the top back on the bottle and shake it gently. .^{[2]
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- If you have damaged or very dry hair, you may want to skip this step and use plain conditioner.
3
Add sea salt for a beach spray (optional). This is not necessary for detangling, but can easily be added to the spray. Shake in a little sea salt and you'll have a texturizing spray that gives beachy, wavy hair.^{[3]
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- Skip this step if your hair is severely tangled.
4
Detangle. Spray your hair and detangle with a brush or comb. Work from the ends upward.^{[4]
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Research source} When finished, you can leave it in or rinse out the excess spray. Rinsing is recommended if your hair tends to get greasy easily.
- Rosemary essential oil is a good ingredient for homemade hair products.
- It has a strong anti-inflammatory effect on the scalp and hair. It stimulates your scalp helping it heal faster.
- Generally, eggs, shea butter, and argan oil are good for hair.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you know if your hair gets greasy easily?

Community Answer

You'll feel it! If your hair looks different from some of your peers at school/college/work, or you feel uncomfortable about it, then talk to a trusted friend or relative. You can get special treatments from your GP if the greasiness is really bad. Always wash your hair regularly (twice a week or more) and keep it cut and tangle-free. If you have scalp psoriasis or dandruff, then you have a higher chance of having greasy hair.
Question

Where would be a good place to get a spray bottle?

Community Answer

The dollar store because is a good place to find cheap but good quality spray bottles. Other places include the hardware store, some craft stores and online sources.
Question

What if the conditioner is a wash-out one instead of a leave-in conditioner?

Community Answer

It's fine, though if you don't want to leave it in, you can wash it out. Personally, I use wash-out as a leave-in, but only a tad. As long as you don't put in too much, you can leave it. If it really bothers you, wash it out.

Warnings

Water can increase friction in curly hair. Do not use the straight hair detangler spray on curly hair.

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Helpful 24 Not Helpful 3
The detangler spray for curly hair can make straight hair feel greasy, but it will not cause damage.

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Things You'll Need

Curly Hair

Spray bottle
Conditioner (regular or leave-in)
or make your own conditioner:
- Greek yogurt
- Honey
- Grapeseed oil, olive oil, or preferred natural oil