Best Detangler For Curly Hair [Review] in 2022

So now we’ve spoken about the best detangling products and best detangling brush for curly hair, now it’s onto the best bits. How to use them correctly and the ultimate buying guide so you can be sure to be getting the best detangler for your natural hair.

Detangling gently is super important for curly hair as the only time you detangle your curls is before cleansing and after cleansing when you have wet or damp hair. Your curls are most fragile while wet, so snagging and pulling can cause the most damage.

Getting a leave-in treatment with detangling properties and detangling brush safe to use on curly hair is a must to prevent damage. Many detangling treatments for curly hair provide slip as well as essential hydration and strengthening qualities, so brushing your hair while wet is not the end of the world.

Getting either a wide-tooth comb or detangling brush for curly hair along with these treatments can make wash day super easy. Having the right curly hair tools, right products and a bit of patience will make this detangling process a breeze– trust me. 

But enough of me rambling on, let’s delve into the ultimate guide to detangling curly hair like a pro with minimal damage; it’s time to up our curl game and gets the products and the technique that our curls deserve. Here’s everything you need to know when detangling curls!

So there are a few times that you will need to know how to detangle curly hair, before washing and after washing, on damp hair. For each, you will detangle slightly differently; knowing how to brush curly hair is key, after all.

So here are some tips on the best ways to detangle curly hair without snagging or pulling curls.

Detangling Curls Before Shampooing:

The first tip is to only detangle wet or damp curls; never detangle dry curls! So despite it being recommended to detangle your curls before shampooing, your should dampen down the hair first. So wet down your curls until they are damp first.

This is because knots are even more stubborn when dry and do not have any slip, so either dampening down your hair or coating the ends with a leave-in detangler or oil will help provide the slip you need to detangle. You don’t need soaking wet hair.

You’ll then want to apply your leave-in detangler or detangling treatment to the ends of your curls and start detangling. Work in sections starting underneath; I like to section to 2-inch sections, apply some detangling treatment and then comb through.

Working in smaller sections makes detangling much easier without snagging or pulling on curls. Not only will it make your curls more manageable, but it will ensure that you are doing a thorough job of removing all stubborn knots; this also helps with curl definition.

Since you will be shampooing after, don’t be afraid to be generous with the detangling treatment as it will not leave a greasy residue. Take your time to detangle before washing, don’t tug or rip through curls impatiently, as this can cause damage to your hair and curls.

You can even apply a pre-treatment once detangled to leave on before washing; I personally love using Olaplex No.3 on curly hair as it is free of silicones and offers an intensive reparative treatment for your curls. It is even safe to use when doing the Curly Girl Method!

Detangling Curls After Shampooing, Before Styling:

The second time you will need to detangle curly hair is once you’ve shampooed, as after all the massaging, your curls will most likely be tangled again (but not as bad as before). Detangling in sections can also help with curl definition.

So once you’re out of the shower, then apply your leave-in conditioner and detangler to sopping wet curls. What I like to do is sit in front of the mirror and take my time; I spray each section down and apply my leave-in detangler, and comb through each section.

I then apply my curl defining cream, heat protectant, and styling gel on top and style. I detangle firstly with my detangling brush and then go in with my Denman styling brush to create tension and twist as I go down the curl; this helps with curl definition.

By working in small 2-3 inch sections, you can work to achieve more curl definition, and it makes detangling more manageable. You want to focus on moisture and strengthen ingredients for this step like Jamaican Black Castor Oil to restore moisture to the strands.

Moisture, patience, and slip are key to detangling your curls!

There are some key ingredients to look out for when looking for a detangler for curly hair; some natural ingredients are brilliant for curls, while there are some ingredients like silicones in which you should avoid as it causes buildup on curls.

So let’s talk about the dos and don’t when buying detangling products for curly hair.

Coconut Oil:

Coconut oil is brilliant at detangling your curls; due to the texture of curly hair, it makes it most prone to tangles. Coconut oil penetrates deeply into the hair shaft to gently ease tangles, strengthen the hair follicle and make curls more manageable.

Coconut oil is a savior for curly hair. It penetrates deep into the hair shaft rather than sitting on the surface; damaged hair is more prone to tangles and damage. Coconut oil repairs damage helps heal protein loss adds moisture and strengthens the hair from within.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is another brilliant ingredient for detangling natural hair; it has a natural detangling effect and nourishes hair deeply, leaving it soft and shiny. Using it as a hot oil treatment is recommended for a detangling treatment, especially for matted hair.

Olive oil helps to decrease frizz on the hair and helps decrease friction on the hair, which helps aid with detangling. Olive oil is one of the best nourishing oils for curls as it penetrates and repairs from the inside out.

Just apply olive oil to the ends of your curls in sections and wait a minute for it to soak in before combing through; this will help the oil penetrate deeper and make detangling easier. Many detanglers for curly hair will have olive oil in them.

You can mix with raw shea butter for additional moisture, hydration, and repair.

Avocado Oil:

Avocado oil is especially brilliant for kinky and curly hair; it is a brilliant natural detangler and conditioner as it is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. This will work to smooth the cuticle and creates great slip.

These natural ingredients also work to repair damage from within so your curls will feel nourished, more manageable, and hydrated. It can also protect your strands from further damage by lubricating and creating a barrier over the strands.

Jamaican Black Castor Oil:

Jamaican black castor oil is another brilliant natural oil for detangling curly hair; it not only detangles strands but can help repair split ends and restore the hair from within. It keeps your curls free from tangles as it deeply moisturizes each strand.

But there are many other benefits of Jamaican black castor oil; it also helps promote hair growth by promoting blood flow and creating the perfect environment for hair growth. It can help the scalp in many ways; it can even help with flaky and dry scalp too!

Argan Oil:

Argan oil is yet another brilliant ingredient you should be looking for when buying a detangler; it gets the name “liquid gold” for a reason. It has smaller molecules, so it can penetrate the hair easier than any other oil, making it less prone to tangling in the first place.

It is perfect for low porosity hair as it penetrates through the flat cuticle and offers serious detangling properties. Since it penetrates better, it makes the curls softer, so again, less prone to tangling and works wonders for easing tough knots.

Definitely worth looking out for if you have low porosity hair and struggle with stubborn knots and tangles.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil closely mimics the natural oils that your body produces, making it the perfect detangler. It is rich in vitamins and minerals that deeply nourish and strengthen your strands. This makes curls visibly softer and helps to ease those tough knots.

It may not be as good as coconut oil or argan oil, but there are some serious benefits of jojoba oil for detangling. It moisturizes the hair follicle, which prevents dryness; most dry hair is prone to tangling, so deeply moisturizing helps prevent this.

Try To Avoid Non-Soluble Silicones:

If you are strictly following the Curly Girl Method, then it is advised that you restrict all silicones, especially non-soluble silicones, as they buildup on hair. But for those going by the CGM but not strictly, then you can still use water-soluble silicones, which wash out with water.

I personally love water-soluble silicones as they help with hydration and moisture retention; since they wash out with water, they are unlikely to buildup on the hair, but just doing a clarifying shampoo once every month or two is recommended for curly hair anyway.

Water-soluble silicones are found in many products, like the Olaplex range. Unlike non-soluble silicones, water-soluble silicones have some benefits on curly hair, such as hydration. They can also help promote the natural curl shape as well as detangle.

They provide slip and act as a lubricant over the strands of hair to reduce the forces required when detangling hair. It also works to smooth the cuticle, making it less prone to tangles, frizz, and breakage. So while you should avoid all silicones, water-soluble silicones are better than the wrap they get.

This is completely up to you and your hair, but most people recommend that you detangle your curls at least once a week. You should aim to detangle your curls every wash day with a detangling product and detangling brush, and work in sections.

Since you cannot brush your hair while dry as it causes a whirl of frizz, it means that detangling on wash day can be quite a challenge– we’ve all seen the scene where the brush is stuck in the afro like curls, let’s make sure this isn’t us on wash day!

You’ll want your hair to be damp when detangling as it creates the slip you need to get the comb through. Since I am about to wash my curls, I tend to work in sections and apply a generous amount of detangling product to each section and detangle using a detangling brush.

I always do a treatment on wash day as I set it for every Sunday, so I have time to do so. So once I’ve detangled, I tend to pop a pre-treatment on my hair like Olaplex No. 3 and sit around with it on my hair for around 45 minutes to an hour before washing it off.

So fast forward to washing, conditioning, or deep conditioning, time to hop out of the shower. I don’t know about you, but my hair is now knotty again from all the scrubbing. I tend to sit in front of the mirror, work in sections and spray each section down with the water spray and apply all of my detangling products and styling products.

Then I go in with my detangling brush, followed by my styling Denman Brush ( I created a full guide on how to use a Denman brush, so be sure to check it out). The products, soaking wet hair, and working in sections create enough slip to make detangling a breeze.

So if you co-wash in between shampoos, then every time you get your hair wet, you should detangle. After all, how are you going to style a bird’s nest? But as a general rule of thumb, NEVER detangle dry hair; it will be a painful process– both mentally and physically.

When should you detangle curly hair?

For the most defined curls, you should detangle your curly hair in two parts– before shampooing and after your condition before styling. I like to use a generous amount of detangling products before shampooing and detangling in sections.

It will make the detangling process so much easier after shampooing; all you’ll be left with is a few stubborn knots caused by massaging your scalp. Never detangle dry hair; always damp down your curls with a detangler or chosen oil, as this will create slip and prevent breakage.

Can you detangle curly hair without breakage?

Yes, absolutely, but patience is key. You sure use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers to comb through the knots, starting at the bottom and working your way up. This should help ease through most knots; then, you should work in sections.

Always apply a detangling treatment or oil to your hair when detangling as it will create slip and help to ease tangles as you go along. I like to apply a detangling treatment all over and leave for 5 minutes before taming my curls.

When working in sections, add a generous amount of leave-in conditioner or detangling spray and use a detangling brush; this will help ease through stubborn knots and tangles while offering minimal breakage. These treatments can even strengthen your curls.

Just taking your time and not ripping the brush through your curls is key to detangling without breakage.

Why should you detangle curly hair before washing it?

Tangled, matted curls get much worse when wet from water and shampoo, and since you only detangle on wash day, all of the tangles and knots from the week will only get worse if you hop in the shower before detangling the worst of it.

Oils and detanglers work best before shampooing as it works to ease tangles; if you try to do this after shampooing, it will be like taming a bird’s nest, and you’re likely to suffer from more damage. You’ll also want your hair to be damp and not wet when detangling.

This is because hair is most fragile while wet, so not only are the knots worse off when detangling after shampooing, you’re more likely to cause more breakage and damage to your natural curl shape so it is always best to detangle before and after shampooing.

Can you make your own DIY detangler spray for curly hair?

Absolutely there are some pretty incredible DIY recipes for detangling curly hair. I have created a full guide of my favorite DIY detangler spray recipes so be sure to check that out, they are all curly girl-friendly. 

If you’re not a fan of all the harsh chemicals then going all natural may be the way to go. Give some of these recipes a try, I can guarantee that you will love the results– and your curls will too!

So there you have it the importance of using a hair detangler on curly hair. The best hair detanglers provide enough slip to ease through the curly hair’s knots and work to strengthen and hydrate from within; after all, dryness is our kryptonite.

All hair types can benefit from using a detangling treatment before and after shampooing if you want minimal breakage and minimal snagging and pulling when trying to get a brush through your hair. Just remember a wide-toothed comb or detangling brush will be your best friend.

The detangling treatments I have chosen for you offer incredible slip, softening agents and help curls retain moisture for ultimate healthy hair. So whether you have curly, coily, or just wavy hair, you can benefit from these treatments.

It’s time to detangle our curly hair easily without breakage or damage.