Make A DIY Hair Detangler In 2 Minutes Flat & Say Goodbye To Split Ends

Ahead, we'll clue you in to who desperately needs a detangler, plus expert-approved recipes to make a DIY spray in less than two minutes.  

Those with curls know well: Comb through the snarls without some sort of detangler (or—gasp—when the ringlets are bone dry), and you're on the fast track to shedding, scalp irritation, and split ends. That said, conditioner works, too, if you like to detangle your strands in the shower (again, just some sort of slip is necessary)—just work through the knots after loading up on your conditioner of choice. If you're partial to detangling post-shower, though, that's where you might need to spritz on a detangling product. 

While you can snag a market detangler to give your hair some slip, these sprays are incredibly easy to make at home. Below, three ways to customize your own detangler in two minutes flat: 

"Leave-in conditioners and detanglers are pretty much synonymous," says Huffnagle. These not only help seal in moisture post-shower, but they also soften the strands with nourishing, nutritious actives. Simply choose a leave-in conditioner (see here for our selects), apply on freshly washed hair, and comb through. 

According to celebrity colorist George Papanikolas, diluting your conditioner is an easy way to create a DIY detangler at home. Since many detangle their conditioner-soaked strands in the shower anyway, you can simply bring your conditioner with you to the sink. Here's what you'll need: 

If you want to go the extra mile, hairstylist and licensed cosmetologist Christina Marie says you can add a few drops of essential oils. Find a signature scent, and make it yours.

For a natural option, coconut oil—in all its moisturizing, fatty acid-rich glory—makes one great detangler. As hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of natural hair care brand Miss Jessie's, once told us about coconut oil for hair, raking the all-natural product through your strands is so easy and effective: "Apply warm coconut oil to hair—section by section—massaging into the roots and saturating hair throughout the tips," she says. "Then run a wide-toothed comb throughout your entire hair to gently detangle." If you don't want to keep dipping into the jar, you can also warm the oil (so it liquefies), and keep it in a spray bottle to spritz on the hair before detangling. 

Once you have your detangler at the ready, here's exactly how to use it:

If you detangle your strands while they're wet, you need some sort of physical barrier to provide some slip. Not to worry! You can easily create your own detangler spray at home, and you likely have all the ingredients you need.