A rundown of 17 of the best detangling creams and sprays for naturally tight kinks and coils. Because the struggle is real.
Patience and the right type of products go a long way when it comes to detangling tightly coiled hair. Type 4C hair is often dry and porous so hydration is a major key. “The main thing is you want your hair to have moisture and slip to it,” says celebrity hairstylist and Maui Moisture Curl Pro Alexander Armand, whose clients include Naomi Campbell, Skai Jackson and Aja Naomi King.
“If it’s dry and you just brush through, it’s going to catch. And, that’s going to be problematic," he shares. "You need to coat your hair with a nourishing leave-in conditioner or moisturizing butter beforehand to make the process much easier.”
The solve requires a bit of work. Armand recommends separating your hair into four quadrants. Then, loosely braid or two-strand twist each section to stretch out your coils before you begin detangling your hair. (He swears it'll make the comb out process much easier if your hair isn't contracted.)
When working through a quadrant, saturate it with an oil, butter or leave-in. Then take a small section of hair and using a wide-tooth comb or brush, start the detangling process by working your way up from the ends up to the root. When you’re done with a section, twist and pin it up so it’s out of the way before you begin the next section. “It’s definitely a process, but it’s worth it if you want to minimize breakage and save yourself the hassle of having the brush stuck in your hair,” adds Armand.
Below is a rundown of 17—yup, we're giving you options—of the best detangling creams and sprays for naturally tight kinks and coils. Keep scrolling.
Sea kelp, argan oil and organic shea butter are the moisturizing hero ingredients in one of our fave detanglers that lets us effortlessly undo tricky knots in our highly-textured hair.
Perfect for use during the take-down process of your protective style, this peppermint and avocado-enriched cream melts away buildup while softening brittle strands so you can easily work through the snarls.
You know a line dedicated solely to the care of the glorious zig-zags and coils of highly textured hair is going to come through! This lush leave-in contains slippery elm for maximum moisture and maximum slip.
Spritz your hair with this nourishing treatment for less tugging and tears.
Founder Tracee Ellis Ross worked on developing her haircare line for over 10 years to try address the needs of us curly- and coily-headed gals. Cocktail a bit of this magical lotion with TER’s argan oil for an extra divine dose of moisture saturation and minimum friction while you're brushing your hair.
Honey is a natural humectant and a great emollient. It’s been utilized for centuries for softening and detangling very coarse hair.
Enriched with aloe vera and macadamia oil, the Maui Moisture detangling mist combined with the brand’s rich hair butters quenches tight, frizzy coils leaving them looking and feeling supple all day long.
Amino acids and pro-vitamin B5 help fortify the bonds within your hair shaft while a luxurious blend of baobab, argan and jojoba oil improves hair malleability, rendering the comb-out process of matted tresses more bearable.
Natural minerals and botanical extracts, such as chamomile and yarrow, help improve the elasticity and manageability of frizzy locks.
Brazilian bacuri butter, coconut oil and shea butter will help you glide through the tangles, while biotin and creatin help strengthen fragile strands.
This ultra-conditioning spray silkens and hydrates tightly-packed, parched coils.
This multivitamin (A, C, E, and B) and antioxidant rich complex is loaded with coconut oil and mango seed butter to soften and revitalize overworked strands.
We love saturating our hair with this yummy-smelling concoction. The polyphenols and flavonoids in green apple helps balance the pH levels of our frazzled cuticle strands while the aloe vera provides us with enough slip to allow us to rake through any interlocked strands.
This lightweight hair detangler boasts a fragrant herbal-blend of tamanu, rooibos and rosemary to condition dry tresses and a touch of honey to add manageability.
One of the original brands for afro-textured hair, AfroSheen’s detangling spray is boosted with a trio of priming moisturizing goodness—Madagascar vanilla, coconut oil and shea butter— to coat and smooth hair cuticles so that you can easily separate difficult knots and snares.
Coat your locks with this hydrating pre-poo infused with coconut water, marshmallow root and aloe vera to minimize breakage on wash day.
We recommend using this multi-tasking antioxidant-rich condish as a leave-in; it has a load of slip, making the detangling process a breeze.
