By Sabrina Perkins of Seriouslynatural.org
If you’re someone who dreads the idea of wash day because of the long, hard hours you spend detangling, you’re not alone. Many naturals are in the struggle right along with you, but I’m here to help! Check out these budget-friendly, highly effective, detangling hacks to save you sweat, tears, and dollars!
4 Natural Hair Detangling Hacks
#1 Use gloves
This one makes so much sense to me, but is still baffling! I was confused as to why my hair managed to glide so easily through the gloves as opposed to my fingers, even though I was detangling the exact same way. My guess is there’s nothing for the hair to grip on to (and no nails to snag on), so it has no choice but to gently separate.
Make sure you’re wearing gloves that aren’t too big, or they may cause further tangling and knots. Also, make sure your hair is completely saturated with conditioner, and then finger detangle as usual. Easy!
#2 Warm Your Products!
When I read this it was like, “Duh, that makes sense,” but this is something I’ve never even thought of doing. Warming the conditioner or even your pre-poo allows it to penetrate the hair shaft faster and better since the heat opens the cuticle, which allows the hair to become more pliable and easy to detangle. It’s best to warm the conditioner in a hot water bath so that you don’t destroy its properties. Bring about 3-4 cups of water to a boil and pour into a deep bowl. Place the conditioner bottle into the bowl for about 5 minutes or until the conditioner is warmed all the way through. Apply as needed and detangle as usual.
#3 Try a Clay Mask
It was wash day again and I had a week-old twist-out that was tangled, matted, dry, etc., but I didn’t have the time to detangle. I decided to apply the mask (made with bentonite clay and Aloe Vera juice) to my dry hair to see what would happen. Although I’ve done clay masks in the past, I had always detangled my hair beforehand. I was amazed to find that once I rinsed the mask out of my hair, detangling wasn’t even necessary. My hair felt like butter! I was removing shed hair with ease and I loved it! Total easy button.
I usually use bentonite clay and some form of Aloe Vera juice or apple cider vinegar, but make the mask as you’re accustomed to doing, apply to either wet or dry hair, leave on for 25 minutes and rinse out. Finger detangle to remove any shed hair.
#4 Try Marshmallow Root
I ran across this method on Pinterest and thought it was pretty interesting. Apparently, using marshmallow root (an easy-to-find flowering plant that has been popular in herbal medicine for centuries) to detangle will make your process very easy. Since the mucous-like consistency of marshmallow root is similar to flax seed and Aloe Vera gel, it makes the hair very slippery and easy to detangle.
Here’s a popular recipe:
- 1-1/2 c. distilled water
- 3 tbsp Marshmallow root powder
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
Bring the water to a slow simmer and take off of the stove to cool for about 1 minute. Place Marshmallow root powder into a ceramic or glass bowl and pour the hot water over it, cover and allow it to steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to get rid of any bits left from the powder. Add remaining ingredients and let cool to room temperature then store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, just apply it to your hair in sections and finger detangle.
For my DIYers who love watching videos, I’m sharing this popular and easy-to-follow video by My Natural Sistas. She shares a great detangling recipe with the magical marshmallow root (which can be found at health food stores) and slippery elm to bring tangles to their knees!
What detangling hacks do you have? Leave your comments below!
Sabrina Perkins is an author and beauty maven with two successful blogs, seriouslynatural.org
and naturalhairforbeginners.com. A natural hair expert with over 10 years in the field, her newest book, Natural Hair For Beginners – A Beginners Guide To Going Natural Successfully! has received rave reviews, and breaks down the basics of natural hair and how to keep it healthy.
