Natural Hair Detangling Spray (You Can Make at Home)

Katie Wells Avatar

Reading Time: 4 minutes

This post contains affiliate links.

Read my affiliate policy.

DIY Hair Detangling Spray
Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » Natural Hair Detangling Spray (You Can Make at Home)

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.

Homemade natural spray detangler recipeThis 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:

  1. Shea Moisture Organic Restorative Conditioner (I love all of their products)
  2. Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Conditioner (more earthy/tea tree scent but organic and works really well)
  3. 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.

DIY Hair Detangling Spray
Print
4.85 from 13 votes

Hair Detangling Spray Recipe

This DIY hair detangling spray is natural, inexpensive, and easy to make.
Prep Time30 minutes
Yield: 1 cups
Author: Katie Wells

Materials

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

I really like these kid-safe essential oil blends when creating products for children, as it takes the guesswork out of safe essential oil use.

Do you use detangling spray? Ever made your own? Share below!

This homemade hair detangling spray is simple to make, chemical free and saves money over store bought versions. The secret ingredient is marshmallow root!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

162 responses to “Natural Hair Detangling Spray (You Can Make at Home)”

  1. Laurie Swier Avatar
    Laurie Swier

    Lily of the Valley Aloe Vera juice inner fillet in a spray bottle (need to keep refrigerated), heard is a good detangler as well.

  2. Ramona Avatar

    Is this working as a conditioner as well? I have thin, wavy hair and I’m afraid that using both a conditioner and the detangler, which I need, will weigh down my hair.
    Is this formula greasy or not? Thanks so much, great website!

  3. Marie Avatar

    Thanks 🙂 It is the only spray that actually worked on my daughter’s hair ! A life saver !!

  4. Ann Shelton Avatar
    Ann Shelton

    Is there anything non sticky that could be added to this detangle recipe for flat iron protection?
    Thank you
    Ann

  5. Michaelyn Avatar
    Michaelyn

    How much nettle should be used in this recipe? I see others have asked this question, but it hasn’t been answered. Thanks for your suggestions.

  6. Susan Avatar

    I am so excited to try this on myself and my little super curly “tender headed” girl. Thanks so much for sharing! Off to Amazon to order my supplies.

  7. Sarah Avatar

    5 stars
    Thank you, Katie, for this recipe (as well as many others)! I made this today, and it was the first time since quitting commercial shampoos (about 2 weeks ago) that I’ve been able to get a detangling comb through my hair without being near tears. I know I have a while to go before the detox period is over, but hopefully your hair detox (which I also did today) helps the process.

  8. Annie Avatar

    5 stars
    Thank you for creating an awesome recipe! After using it on my 3 year old, she said her hair “sparkled.” I tried it on my hair too, and it added a lot of body without being greasy. I adjusted the recipe slightly and used a little less conditioner, and also added chamomile (same amount as marshmallow root).

    For those who had problems with the conditioner mixing into the rest of the solution, I have a tip. Easiest is to use a latte/milk frother drink tool. I got my from IKEA for $7. It basically spins really fast and is small and is the perfect size for this. If you don’t have that, you could also use a blender or even immersion blender.

    Love this! It was WAY cheaper than the store-bought version. Thanks Katie! YOU ROCK GIRL and have made a huge difference in my life. Thanks a ton!!! 🙂

  9. lydia Avatar

    Hi Katie! I am a big fan. Loved the wellness summit too. Wondering, could I use slippery elm instead of the marshmallow? I happen to have that and like to use things I already have… thanks! Lydia

  10. Mychal Avatar

    I just had a question about the nettle leaf and camomile. Do you add while the marshmallow root is boiling or its own separate water? I haven’t yet made a batch wanted to ask this first.

  11. Laura Avatar

    5 stars
    I love this detangled and have been using it on my four year old for at least a year! Do you have any suggestions for getting the conditioner to mix in? I end up with what seems like a lot of the conditioner separating (actually, its separated from the beginning even if I shake for a while) and coating the inside of the bottle. I’d love to get it to mix in better.

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      Maybe make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature? Also, it could be the conditioner you chose. If it’s pretty oily, that could be causing it to separate out. You might try also putting it through a blender, with a messy cleanup disclaimer.

  12. Nina Avatar

    5 stars
    Hi, I made a batch of this for my 2 y.o. little boy who has really tight spirals that matt up very easily and while it seems to work fairly well, Id like it to be more slippery than watery. Any suggestions?

    Thank you much,

    Nina

  13. Ali Avatar

    Hi Katie – Wellness Mama ,

    Would love to try is for my 8 year old.
    Please let me know about the following things
    1. Mostly people are asking the conditioner and liquid mixture is not mixing properly. How can that be corrected?

    2. How can nettle be added to this recipe?

    3. How much liquid should be left after simmering marshmallow root?

    Thanks
    Ali

  14. kim petersen Avatar
    kim petersen

    I want to use this on my Old English Sheepdog…. how long time does it have to stay in the hair before brushing,,,,,,

  15. Theresa Avatar

    I am excited to try this as my daughter and I have crazy thick hair. I never use a brush no matter how wonderful it is to detangle hair. I use a super wide comb first as brushes just mat it otherwise, then finish up with the brush.

  16. Maria Avatar

    Hi what is ACV?
    But more importantly does this work when hair is matted up because of tangling so fast. My daughters hair is a nightmare to brush out, it is so long and fine and like others she wants it long but the stress of combing it out. If she stays at her dad’s it doesn’t get brushed properly, she can’t do it herself and no hope of dad doing it for her. So it ends up like a bird’s nest by the time she comes home. Also would the brush mentioned work for her and if so which one?
    Great site so glad I googled detangling hair and this came up.
    Brilliant Katie – wellness mama

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      ACV is apple cider vinegar. The spray does work well even if the hair is a bit matted up. you can spray it on and really massage to work it in and then leave it a minute or two to really help. The brush may certainly help her. Really it’s down to the size on the brush… choose a size that will fit our hand and be appropriate for her hair density.

  17. Carol Avatar

    What essential oil do you use? Which one will have the best benefits for healthy hair?

  18. Dina Avatar

    Hi, when do you add the optional herbs (nettle and chamomile specifically)? Can’t wait to make this!

  19. Janet Avatar

    How long does this last? In article you state you use 1 bottle for 1 year but the recipe stays 2 months. Thanks

    1. Dianne Matthews Avatar
      Dianne Matthews

      When Katie said 1 year, she was talking about the bottle of natural conditioner. Her point was that while the conditioners she listed are expensive, you only use 2 tablespoons each time you make the detangling spray. So the bottle of conditioner lasts a year.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating