With three long-haired girls in our house, we spend a lot of time brushing and grooming and braiding hair. Hair detangler spray certainly makes this job easier, but I was tired of buying bottle after bottle at the store. I wanted a natural alternative that really worked and used ingredients I already had in my house, thus this recipe for Homemade Hair Detangler Spray was born.
Let’s go deeper into my requirements because I don’t want it to seem like we just did a quick internet search and found this recipe that we’re presenting to you as our own. We only pass along recipes that work for us – real people using real products.
(See the actual results below on two of my daughters!)
Most of the recipes I found online were simply watered down conditioner. I had three issues with this approach:
- That’s not really a recipe. Add water?
- Conditioner isn’t actually meant to be left in your hair without rinsing. This would surely leave a residue.
- Most of the conditioners people recommended weren’t natural and I didn’t have them in my house.
So I pressed on to look deeper into maybe using straight aloe vera gel with water. This is probably workable for some people. But I found that the aloe-only approach didn’t really leave great texture to the hair all by itself. I know it added nourishing components but I was still wanting more shine and volume from the product.
Next, I tried diluted vegetable glycerine. This really left the hair moisturized and shiny and full of body. Now we’re getting somewhere.
Just a touch of carrier oil is what we needed. I chose apricot oil because it has almost no smell and it’s really powerful so you don’t have to use a lot to get great results. You can choose another carrier oil that you have on hand. Remember to only use the amount called for or it will weigh down the hair and make it heavy and greasy.
Lavender Essential Oil in this recipe is primarily for the hair-brushing experience. The aroma adds calm and peacefulness to the activity. Plus, lavender is gentle enough for all members of your family.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
Homemade Hair Detangler
Ingredients
- 10 teaspoons distilled water
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable glycerine
- 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 2 drops apricot oil
- 1 spray bottle (2 ounce size)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in your spray bottle. Swirl to combine.
- Store in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.
- To use: Spray onto hair and use brush to gently smooth out tangled strands.
This recipe will have a shelf life of a few weeks. I make this in small batches and remake it often to keep a fresh batch on hand.
More essential oil beauty recipes you might enjoy:
- Foaming Face Wash
- Nourishing Scalp Massage & Cleansing Hair Rinse
- Overnight Deep Conditioning & Spray On Conditioner
- Soothing After Sun Spray
Randi Oesch says
I wondered if I could substitute Rose water in place of the distilled water?
Beth K says
That sounds amazing! Plus since rose water is made with distilled water it will have the same great shelf life. What a wonderful substitution, Randi!
Laura says
This sounds awesome! What in it causes the shelf life? I would love to make a bigger batch!
Beth K says
Well, there isn’t really a “preserving” ingredient in this like witch hazel or alcohol like in regular detangler sprays you buy from the store. You could make a large batch and keep it in the fridge for a few months. I hope this helps!
juli says
Do you think this would work for people of color? if not do you have an another recipe that might!
Beth K says
I’m not sure. If you try it, please let us know how it works and any tweaks you make. We’d love to add your tips to the post if it goes well for you.
Amanda says
Try fractionated coconut oil it will extend the shelf like.
Amanda says
Shelf life
Nada says
Any substitution for vegetable glycerine ?
Jenn says
We do not have a substitute for that. You are welcome to experiment and leave it out, if desired. We did not test it that way, so the results are unknown to use. If you do find a great substitute though, be sure to let us know as we love options, too. 🙂
Manjinder says
Do you use this on wet and dry hair? Or just wet hair?
Beth K says
I use it on both. When their hair is wet it’s great to add a little more moisture grabbing power. Mostly we use it on dry hair because otherwise that’s just an impossible mess.
Val says
I have organic almond and grape seed oils. Any preference of which is best for hair?? 🙂
Michelle says
Does this weigh down curly hair?
Diana M says
Hi Michelle! I use this on my daughter and she has very curly hair. I would start out with a small amount to see how your hair reacts and add more spray if needed.