Tangled? No More Tears!

I recently had a friend remind me of the stress of having hair that tangles easily.  I have spent thousands of dollars buying products to try and make my hair easy to comb after a shampoo.  I have totes in the garage of products to prove it.

Over time I have collected easy DIY detangler recipes that are made with  natural ingredients.  I believe these products work better and hey, some of the stuff on the bottles of stuff I have bought I can't even pronounce!  Try some of these recipes and hints and let me know if you love them as much as I do!

Ingredients you will find useful to have on hand.  And what they do with your hair (or your Child's hair):

Glycerin: Glycerin is a sugar alcohol derived from plants or vegetable fats (there is also a synthetic version which I recommend staying away from). Glycerin is used in many beauty products due to its moisturizing properties. Glycerin is known as a “hygroscopic.” This means glycerin pulls moisture from the air.  This is why glycerin makes a fantastic detangler! On its own glycerin can destroy the hair and strip it of moisture, but when diluted glycerin softens the hair and even reduces frizz.

Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe vera gel comes from the aloe vera plant. The gel (found inside the leaves) is great for moisturizing the skin and hair. Aloe not only attracts moisture to the hair, but also seals it in. Aloe also contains many minerals which are beneficial for the body (including the hair and skin!).

Essential Oil: This ingredient is completely optional. If you would like to add essential oils for scent, I recommend going with an oil that may provide some beneficial properties to the hair. Orange, lavender, and rosemary are great oils to add I use oils made by a local lady and they are very strong--you can use store bought ones just as well.  You may find that you need to add more drops for a fragrance strength you like.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:Apple cider vinegar flattens the hair surface, allowing a comb or brush to glide easily through the hair. It also reduces frizz and it is a natural conditioner

DISTILLED WATER:I also recommend working with distilled water when making skincare products because it cuts down the chance that you’ll introduce a contaminant to your recipe. Your recipe will last much longer with distilled water. 

RECIPE #1

1TBSP aloe vera gel I believe you can also use pure aloe juice.

1/2-1 TBSP vegetable glycerin this amount depends on your hair. I recommend starting with 1/2 TBSP and working your way up to a higher amount. Almost 1 TBSP is perfect for me. Some people may need more or less.

10 drops lavender essential oil or orange or rosemary

 distilled water

Recipe # 2 (Prolly my favorite)

• 1.5 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• • 5 drops lavender essential oil (which smells great and softens your hair)
  • • distilled water

Recipe #3

1. Aloe Vera Gel

1. 1/4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1. 2 drops Orange Essential Oil

1. 2 drops Rosemary Essential Oil

1. 3 drops Lavender Essential Oil

1. Filtered Water

Instructions for all the recipes:

In a spray bottle,(about 4-6 ounces is good.  Just make little recipes at a time.  Since we are not putting chemical preservatives in here you pretty much want to make a new bottle each month)

 combine all the ingredients. Give the bottle a gentle shake until the Ingredients are combined. That's it! Can't get much easier!

Recipe Notes

To Use: Spray the detangler on wet or damp hair (I've also used this on dry hair, but wet or damp hair is best). Let the detangler rest for a minute onthe hair, then brush. Apply more detangler as needed directly on knots and then brush  or comb them out.

Ingredient Notes*Rosemary essential oil isn’t recommended for children under 10 years-old.

When you introduce water into a product without a preservative you always run the risk of introducing bacteria, so use water-based products quickly.  Using distilled water reduces the chance of adding contaminants.

Recipe Variation: If you don’t have aloe on hand, skip it! I’ve used glycerin and water many times when I don’t have aloe available.  I like the moisturizing benefits and even the “hold” aloes provides curly hair, but for a simple detangler just glycerin and water also work great. Use the same recipe as above, just omit the aloe.

Climate Note: Glycerin may cause the hair to swell when it’s applied in a very humid environment (remember, glycerin pulls moisture from the air). If you live in a very dry climate, glycerin may cause hair breakage. The bottom line: If you don’t live in an extreme climate, diluted glycerin is a great hair product.