Hair Detangler Styling Products
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This hair detangler guide contains styling product options in what I consider the “best-better-bad-worst” categories as well as the explanation as to why they belong there. Some of the safest, in my opinion, hair detangler options are:
Evolvh SmartCurl Leave-In Conditioner (IREAD15 code)
Evolvh SmartStart Leave-In Conditioner (IREAD15 code)
Evolvh SmartVolume Leave-In Conditioner (IREAD15 code)
Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave-In Conditioner
Pure Haven Supergreens Detangler
For more information and product options, read below.
More info
The selection of the BEST detanglers (aka the SAFEST, in my opinion) is based on a survey of 34 hair detangler styling products requested by my large social media audience. Specifically, I organized all the products and their ingredients in a spreadsheet, analyzed them, and grouped them into categories.
Below are the tables with ten BEST products, six BETTER ones, fifteen BAD detanglers, and three WORST ones. In addition, I have included a table with the explanation of concerning ingredients at the bottom of this post.
BEST Hair Detangler Styling Products
| California Baby Calming Hair Detangler | |
| Evolvh SmartCurl Leave-In Conditioner | Use the IREAD15 code for 15% off (read my review on Evolvh products here) |
| Evolvh SmartStart Leave-In Conditioner | Use the IREAD15 code for 15% off |
| Evolvh SmartVolume Leave-In Conditioner | Use the IREAD15 code for 15% off |
| Honest Co. Conditioning Detangler, Everyday Gentle – Sweet Orange Vanilla | |
| Innersense Sweet Spirit Leave-In Conditioner | Read my review on Innersense hair care products here |
| John Master’s Organics Leave-in Conditioning Mist with Green Tea & Calendula | |
| Pure Haven Supergreens Detangler | Read my review on Pure Haven products here |
| T is for Tame Hair Taming & Detangling Spray |
BETTER Detanglers
| Product | Concern |
| Alba Botanica More Moisture Leave-In Conditioning Mist | ⚠️Limonene
⚠️Myroxylon Pereirae (Balsam Peru) Oil ⚠️Phenoxyethanol ⚠️Retinyl Palmitate |
| Attitude Little Leaves™ Kids Hair Detangler | ⚠️Dimethyl Heptena |
| Briogeo Aloe + Oat Milk Fragrance-Free Hypoallergenic Detangling Spray | ⚠️Too many different preservatives |
| Honest Co. Conditioning Detangler, Gently Nourishing – Sweet Almond | ⚠️Phenoxyethanol
⚠️Limonene |
| Olyin Handmade Oh My Glide! Prestyling Detangler | ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Poofy Organics Citrus Coconut Leave-In Conditioner | ⚠️Natural flavors (ingredients are not disclosed) |
BAD Hair Detangler Styling Products
| Product | Concern |
| Amika The Wizard Detangling Hair Primer | ❌Cyclopentasiloxane
❌Fragrance |
| Aveda Nutriplenish™ Leave-in Conditioner | ❌Ethoxylated (Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil)
❌Fragrance |
| Babo Botanicals Smoothing Berry Primrose Leave-In Conditioning Spray | ❌Fragrance |
| Child’s Farm Hair Detangler Grapefruit & Tea Tree
|
⚠️Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool
❌Fragrance ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Davines OI All in One Leave-In Hydrating Hair Milk Spray to Reduce Frizz
|
❌Cyclopentasiloxane
❌Ethoxylated (e.g., Trideceth-5, Trideceth-12) ❌Fragrance |
| Fairy Tales Tangle Tamer® Static Free Kids Detangling Spray | ❌Fragrance |
| Kevin Murphy UNTANGLED
|
⚠️Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool
⚠️Chlorphenesin ❌Cyclopentasiloxane ❌Ethoxylated (e.g., Sodium Laneth-40 Maleate/Styrene Sulfonate Copolymer) ❌Fragrance ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Monat UNKNOT DETANGLER Infused with REJUVENIQE S™
|
❌Fragrance
⚠️Limonene, Linalool |
| Not Your Mother’s Tahitian Gardenia Flower & Mango Butter Detangler Curl Definition
|
❌Ethoxylated (PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Ethylhexanoate)
❌Fragrance ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Original Sprouts Miracle Detangler | ❌Fragrance |
| Pacifica Coconut Milk Detangle Elixir | ❌Parfum |
| Raw Sugar Kids Kids Detangler Banana + Coconut Milk
|
❌Fragrance
⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Kids Extra-Moisturizing Detangler | ❌Fragrance |
| Tubby Todd Hair Detangler
|
❌Ethoxylated Ingredient (Polysorbate 80)
❌Fragrance ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
| Unite 7 Seconds Detangler
|
⚠️Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
❌Butylphenyl Methylpropional ❌Ethoxylated Ingredient (Trideceth-12) ❌Fragrance ⚠️Phenoxyethanol |
WORST Detanglers
| Product | Concern |
| It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In | ❌Cyclopentasiloxane
❌Fragrance ❌Parabens |
| Paul Mitchell The Detangler | ❌Ethoxylated (Bisamino PEG/ PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone)
❌Fragrance ❌Methylisothiazolinone ❌Synthetic Dyes (Orange 4, Yellow 5) |
| Revlon UniquOne Uniqone™ Hair Treatment | ❌Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
❌Cyclopentasiloxane ❌Parfum ❌Parabens ⚠️Propylene Glycol |
CONCERNING INGREDIENTS
| Ingredient
❌- high to medium concern ⚠️- low concern |
Cause for Concern |
| ⚠️Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Dimethyl Heptena, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool | Fragrance components, potential allergens (more here) |
| ❌Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane | Under assessment as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (ECHA) |
| ❌Butylphenyl Methylpropional | Potential allergen and toxic to reproduction (ECHA) |
| ⚠️Chlorphenesin | Suspected of being persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (ECHA) (more here) |
| ❌Cyclopentasiloxane | Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to the environment; may be contaminated with cyclotetrasiloxane (more here) |
| ❌Ethoxylated Ingredients (-eth, Polysorbates, PEGs) | Potential contamination with carcinogenic substances (more here) |
| ❌Fragrance (Parfum) and Natural Fragrance | Undisclosed ingredients; may interfere with the endocrine system, cause allergies, and increase the risk of cancer (more here) |
| ❌Methylisothiazolinone | Potential allergen/sensitizer (more here) |
| ⚠️Myroxylon Pereirae (Balsam Peru) Oil | Potential allergen (source) |
| ❌Parabens (e.g., Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben) | Linked to endocrine disruption (source) |
| ⚠️Phenoxyethanol | Potential allergen (more here) |
| ⚠️Propylene Glycol | May cause allergic and irritant contact dermatitis (source) |
| ⚠️Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A) | May have photo-carcinogenic effects (more here) |
| ❌Synthetic Dyes (Orange 4, Yellow 5) | Unnecessary, potentially allergenic, potentially made with petroleum and potential heavy metal contaminants (more here) |
