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As the mother of daughters with long hair, I know the battle of the brush all too well. At certain times my daughters have had hair down to their waists, and their hair tends to be thick and wavy. To make matters more difficult, they are the most tender-headed children alive. How do we make it work? Only with a good detangling spray!
Homemade Detangling Spray for Hair (No Tears, No Fears)
As documented in the picture below and in my homemade natural shampoo post, my girls have had long, thick, wavy hair at various points over the years. (Some have even suggested I put hair extensions in their hair for these pictures. Nope, she was three!)
I’ve had to use detangling spray on my oldest daughter since she was a few months old. (She was born with about two inches of hair!) We’ve found a couple of special brushes that really help (especially this one and this one) but they still weren’t enough to convince my daughter not to be afraid of brushing her beautiful hair.
I never liked that most store-bought detangling sprays contain a lot of chemicals, especially since I would need to use it daily on my young kids. At least at the time I started tinkering with this recipe, there were very few natural store-bought alternatives, so I started making my own with just conditioner and water.
This simple combo works pretty well, but I later came across a post on Frugally Sustainable about how she uses marshmallow root in her homemade hair detangling spray. Conveniently, I already had marshmallow root on hand for making our homemade marshmallows. (This is my marshmallow root source.)
The new and improved formula transformed our daily routine. She loved the fresh but light scent and how soft it made her hair (not to mention how much pain it saved her), so she even started using it herself.
And I could save my energy for other more important battles!
What I Did
The recipe continued to evolve for a while as I tried different things from my arsenal of natural ingredients to find the best result. I tried chamomile (known to lighten hair) and nettle (known to help hair growth).
I always feel like it’s a win when I figure out how to make something at home from ingredients I already have and can cross one more thing off my shopping list. There are just 3 essential ingredients (and a few optional ones) in this recipe. Add to a spray bottle, shake, and you’re good to go.
What I Used
This recipe does require the addition of a healthy store-bought conditioner with mostly natural, safe ingredients. (I’ve listed a few that have worked for me below.) Thankfully, there are a lot of reputable companies now that avoid the parabens, preservatives, and heavy fragrances commonly found in store-bought beauty products.
To make this detangling spray, I use distilled water, marshmallow root, conditioner and optional essential oils. Any conditioner will work, but I prefer a natural one, especially for kids. Natural conditioner are more expensive, but with as little as you need for this recipe, one bottle lasts over a year for all three of my daughters.
The top natural brands that I’ve tried that smell good, work well, and don’t have harmful ingredients are:
- Shea Moisture Organic Restorative Conditioner (I love all of their products)
- Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Conditioner (more earthy/tea tree scent but organic and works really well)
- Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner (light and fresh scent)
I used a glass spray bottle I got during a Zulily sale, but I’ve also used this spray bottle from Amazon and the sprayer actually works better for this.
How It Worked
This detangling spray leaves hair shiny, clean, and smelling fresh. It doesn’t leave hair (even fine kids’ hair) weighed down or oily. In the picture above, I sprayed my daughter’s damp hair with the detangling spray after a shower and let it air dry.
Hair Detangling Spray Recipe
Materials
- 1½ cups distilled water
- 3 TBSP marshmallow root
- 2 TBSP natural conditioner
- 10 drops essential oil (optional, adds scent and some hair benefits -- see note below)
Instructions
- In a small pan, bring the water and marshmallow root to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Cool slightly and strain through a cheesecloth or very thin wire strainer.
- While still warm, pour the marshmallow infused water into a glass spray bottle.
- Add the conditioner and essential oils, if using.
- Shake until mixed.
- Store for up to 2 months (this is as long as I’ve tested).
Notes
Do you use detangling spray? Ever made your own? Share below!
How to Make a Nourishing Natural Cuticle Cream at Home
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I, too, have had the issue with the conditioner not mixing in, leaving chunks that clump together instead. Has anyone found the solution to this? I used Trader Joe’s tea tree conditioner, so I wouldn’t recommend that one for this recipe. Which conditioners have mixed well? Thanks!
I made this up today after all of my items came from Amazon. It’s amazing! It didn’t take a whole lot and all three of my kids hair was instantly tamed and softened. My daughters showed marked improvement and now has a natural wave to it that hasn’t been seen before because we have to soak her hair in either water or store bought detangling spray just to comb it out. I doubled the recipe and ended up adding in 16 ounces of additional water halfway through the boil time but I did come out with exactly 24 ounces of detangling spray. I also used the Acure Organics Morroccan Argan Oil Conditioner and my essential oil of choice was Orange Blossom. It smells fantastic and is just slightly darker in color the one pictured here. Love, love, love!!! On a side note, I did get this spray bottle off amazon…I wouldn’t purchase the same one again. The spray pump handle broke in the first use and it either sprays the whole room or jets out–not much in between. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SRBYP2/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
We love this detangler! I’ve been using chemical-laden detanglers for years on my sensitive-headed girls, and I was excited to find one without all that junk. I do have a question about it! We can’t seem to get past the smell! I used a natural conditioner and I added about 10 drops of lavender essential oil, but it still has a very strong odor. My girls both cry and fuss because it’s “stinky”. Any tips for this? Wondering if it’s the smell of the conditioner paired with the smell of the marshmallow root? Or, wondering if my concentration of marshmallow root is too strong? Thanks!
You can try reducing the marshmallow root. which natural conditioner did you use? We use Shea Moisture most often now and it smells great
Currently, we’re using Calming Lemon-Lavender Shea Butter Conditioner & Detangler by Everyday Shea. I might try again with less marshmallow root. Thank you!
I bought a big bag of lavendar buds and some lavendar oil last year because it’s a natural deterrent for fleas, but found out quickly that: 1. It is a very strong smell. 2. I’m one of the few who don’t like the smell and 3. Some people are actually allergic to the smell and have strong reactions. I would suggest using some other type of essential oil and see how that goes with the girls.
Does the product seperate? My conditioner would not mix in, in seperated
Thank you! I’m loving your natural beauty recipes. What’s the reason for distilled water in this recipe though? Can I use RO water?
Yes. distilled just makes sure bacteria won’t grow but either works
Hi Katie! Quick question. What purpose does the marshmallow root serve? If it lightens hair at all, I am unsure about using it. I use henna/indigo on my gray hair to color to a dark brown. If there is another herb that would be better for dark hair, can you tell me what that would be? Thank you so much!
It is just naturally detangling due to its silky properties. Shouldn’t lighter hair..
I bought a marshmallow root herbal extract at Whole Foods. Will that work in place of getting the actual herb? If so, how many drops of that do you think I would use? The bottle says “Fresh herb/menstruum ratio 1 : 25”
It should work but you can also just leave it out…
just made this detangler to use with my daughter it is not near as light colored as the one in the pic..is that normal?
Yes, it depends a lot on the type of conditioner and it also changes over time
After simmering the marshmallow root and water, then straining, I am left with only 1/3 C of liquid! Is this the amount that is supposed to be left over after simmering?
Thanks!
Do you HAVE to use conditioner, or could I try apple cider vinegar instead? My hair looks awful with any kind of conditioner and frankly, a
I hate the way it feels.