Embracing the natural texture of curly hair is a process. Relaxed hair tends to be more manageable. Curly and kinky tresses, on the other hand, need plenty of TLC to avoid breakage. One of the things you have to deal with is tangled hair – even when you’re transitioning. To avoid having a frustrating transitioning process, I had to look for the best detangler for transitioning hair.
These products made my transitioning experience so much easier!
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What Is Transitioning Hair?
You have probably heard of terms like the big chop, going natural, and natural hair transitioning.
In case you are lost in the jargon, you are not alone!
Well, all these terms refer to the process of breaking free from the constant dependency on hair straightening treatments.
Moving towards maintaining natural curls is not easy, mainly because harsh hair straightening products cause extensive damage to curly tresses.
Transitioning hair is hair that typically has two textures – the relaxed part and the natural growth.
You must be careful when handling transitioning hair because it’s very easy for it to break at the line of demarcation.
The best detangling products for transitioning hair are designed to bring back your natural tresses to their former glory.
The products on our list also help to repair damaged hair and prevent breakage.
They do an outstanding job of detangling curly locks, making them more manageable and lustrous.
Best Detangler For Transitioning Hair
Without further ado, let’s go straight to studying some of the top-rated hair products for transitioning hair.
Ready? Let’s begin!
It’s a 10 Haircare Silk Express Miracle Silk Leave-In Product
If you are searching for the perfect leave-in product for everyday use, look no further than the It’s a 10 Haircare Silk Express Miracle Silk Leave-In Product.
This formulation is perfect for transitioning hair.
Just a small amount of product will make your hair softer and more manageable.
Thanks to the use of silk protein, this product restores, moisturizes, repairs, and restores damaged and dry tresses.
The leave-in leaves your hair thoroughly detangled, as well as looking silky and shiny.
Moreover, it seals in the moisture, preventing frizz.
What I loved most is that the lightweight nature of the formula doesn’t weigh down the hair.
For the best possible outcome, use this product after each shampooing session.
I noticed that my mane looked shinier, and stronger with each use.
Pros
- Made with nourishing ingredients – virgin palm oil, mulberry leaf, and Eri silk
- It thoroughly detangles the hair
- Restores, strengthens, and moisturizes hair
- Eliminates frizz
- Doesn’t leave build-up
Cons
- Your hair may appear greasy if too much product is used
Soultanicals Knot Sauce Coil Detangler
Transitioning hair can feel a little brittle, especially at the point of demarcation where the two textures (relaxed and natural growth) meet.
This makes it susceptible to breakage.
If you want to maintain healthy tresses even as you move away from using harsh chemicals, one of the best products you could use is the Soultanicals Knot Sauce Coil Detangler.
It contains ingredients like coconut nectar, blue malva, and broccoli seed oil to make your tresses manageable and less prone to breakage.
For the price, you get a unique formula that does so much more than penetrate knots and detangles them.
This product also penetrates the hair shaft leaving each strand stronger, smoother, nourished, and well hydrated.
Pros
- Quickly detangles knots for easier styling
- Smoothens and moisturizes natural curls
- Light (not greasy)
- Great scent
Cons
- A pump bottle could be better
Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Detangling Leave-In Conditioner
If you need top-quality hair products, it’s hard to go wrong with the Design Essentials line.
This is a leading brand in the market, known for its practical, all-natural, and affordable formulations.
One of the products you can trust to help you detangle your transitioning hair is the Design Essentials Almond & Avocado Detangling Leave-In Conditioner.
This is a lightweight conditioner that sufficiently moisturizes the hair to make it easy to style.
It contains nourishing ingredients like sweet almond oil, avocado oil, Shea butter, and coconut milk.
These ingredients promote healthy hair growth, strengthen each strand, and generally make your mane look shinier and healthier.
This nourishing formula goes deep into the strands to smoothen the cuticle for fast and effortless detangling.
Pros
- It contains a range of nourishing ingredients
- Softens hair cuticles for easy and fast detangling
- It doesn’t contain petrolatum or paraffin
- Lightweight and leaves no residue
Cons
- Some users don’t like the scent
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner
Next on the list is one of the best conditioners for textured hair.
Uncle Funky’s Daughter Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner contains a range of ingredients to strengthen your tresses and make them look sleeker.
It offers your mane a proper dosage of avocado oil to make your wash days less frustrating and more enjoyable.
If you are transitioning, this conditioner is great for detangling your new growth.
Pros
- Excellent detangler for curly and kinky hair
- Moisturizes and repairs damaged curls
- Creamy formula
- Contains all-natural ingredients
- Smells great
Cons
- Contains silicones
Oyin Handmade Oh My Glide! Pre-Styling Detangler
Patience is a virtue you must uphold when taking care of transitioning hair.
Without the right detangler, you may find yourself spending hours trying to style your hair and make it more presentable.
The Oyin Handmade Oh My Glide! Pre-Styling Detangler is designed to make your hair routines easier and quicker.
This formula contains nourishing ingredients, including organic aloe vera, avocado oil, and a whole range of plant extracts that do a fantastic job at easing away tangles and moisturizing your curls.
Whether you have 4C kinks or 4A curls, just a small amount of this product will make it super easy to comb through your mane or run your fingers through it.
Pros
- Excellent detangler and moisturizer
- It gives dry locks an OMG kind of glide
- Ideal for all hair types, including curly and kinky tresses
- Smells fantastic (citrus-scented)
- Contains all-natural ingredients
Cons
- The spray pump tends to gush out too much product
Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Conditioner
Here is a hydrating detangler designed to awe people with type 4 hair.
If you have been searching for the best detangling conditioners without much success, it’s time to give the Mielle Organics Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Conditioner a shot.
This is a protein-free conditioner made from organic ingredients like sub-Saharan African mongongo oil, Sacha Inchi oil, and almond oil.
These ingredients work together to help you achieve silky, soft, and healthy-looking tresses.
The formula is great for its ability to provide intense hydration to make styling easier.
Pros
- Detangler with great slip
- Locks in moisture and strengthens weak curls
- Leaves hair looking shiny and smooth
- Ideal for type 4 hair
- 100% organic ingredients
- Smells great
Cons
- The dispenser could be better
Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Detangler
If you are going natural and saying goodbye to hair straightening treatments, one brand you can always count on is Shea Moisture.
The Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Extra-Moisture Detangler, in particular, can make your journey to maintaining natural tresses easier.
This detangler contains a host of essential oils that deeply hydrate each strand to maximize manageability.
You will certainly love this product if you have type 4 hair.
The raw shea butter formula detangles the strands, removing stubborn knots to improve your experience during your regular hair routines.
This could easily cut your post-shampoo styling time by half.
Pros
- It contains essential oils and a range of hair-friendly ingredients
- Performs exceptionally well in detangling and hydrating hair
- Strengthens weak hair follicles
- Minimizes breakage for healthier tresses
- Conditions and renews transitioning hair
Cons
- It’s a little hard to dispense the thick product
Honey Baby Knot My Honey Instant Detangler
This product is among my top picks because it detangles and moisturizes transitioning and natural type 4 hair so well!
It contains silk protein and premium honey that lock in hydration to make kinky and curly hair easier to style.
A small coating of the product allows the strands to detangle with ease.
It’s also hard to deny that the formula smells lovely and comes with an appealing price tag.
Pros
- Conditions and detangles hair for easier styling
- Lightweight and leaves no residue
- Ideal for textured, curly, and coarse hair
- Contains nourishing ingredients
Cons
- The scent isn’t appealing to some users
Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner/Detangler
We all love herbal conditioners because they smell great and soothe the scalp to address concerns like dryness and dandruff.
The Kinky-Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner/Detangler does this and penetrates hair cuticles to make styling your transitioning hair quite easy.
With each use, your tresses will look healthier, shinier, and silkier.
With ingredients like organic slippery elm, organic lemongrass, and organic marshmallow root, this formula works well even on extremely kinky hair.
It is also worth mentioning that it has a sweet earthy scent that will not upset you even if you choose not to rinse out the product.
Pros
- Designed to remove knots and tangles painlessly
- Conditions the hair and soothes the scalp
- Healthy herbal formulation with all-natural ingredients
- Perfect for thick, curly, or kinky hair
- Nice smell
Cons
- Contains alcohol
Alikay Naturals Knots Be Gone
Last but not least is the Alikay Naturals Knots Be Gone detangler for curly and kinky hair.
This formula provides a superior slip, minimizing the tension when detangling natural locks.
In return, there is less hair loss and breakage, and you can cut your styling time by half.
What makes this product superior is the use of ingredients like marshmallow root that offers a jaw-dropping detangling ability.
Aloe vera, on the other hand, conditions and moisturizes the tresses to prevent damage, while hibiscus flower repairs hair cuticles to prevent split ends and promote healthier hair.
For the best outcome, let the product sit for at least 15 minutes before detangling using your fingers or a wide-toothed comb.
Pros
- Superior slip to minimize breakage
- Ideal for kinky, curly, and transitioning hair
- Contains all-natural ingredients
- Moisturizes, detangles, and repairs hair
- Pleasant scent
Cons
- The product is a bit runny
Dos And Don’ts When Detangling Transitioning Hair
If you are just getting started on your journey to natural curls, you should brace yourself for some speed bumps along the way.
It takes time to get accustomed to the new haircare routines, not to mention your new look.
Fortunately, I come bearing useful tips to make your journey easier.
Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind when detangling transitioning hair:
Don’t Use Just Any Product You Can Find
Transitioning hair is delicate, and it needs special care.
However, this doesn’t mean you must break the bank to purchase the latest or perhaps the most popular formulations.
You only need a few essentials, which may include:
- Shampoo (make sure it’s sulfate-free)
- Co-wash/ cleansing conditioner
- Protein-based treatment
- Deep conditioner
- Leave-in conditioner
- Heavy or lightweight hair oils depending on your hair texture
- Styling products
Do Practice Patience
Detangling natural hair and combing through it is not a one-minute task.
It’s important to exercise patience, especially during your wash days.
For the best experience and results, work in sections, and use a quality conditioner that will infuse sufficient moisture into your hair.
Moreover, be sure to use wide-toothed combs.
Do Exercise Caution On The Line Of Demarcation
Simply put, the line of demarcation is where your relaxed hair meets the natural, chemical-free strands (the new growth).
This is by far the most fragile area that is quite prone to breakage and damage.
If you are not prepped to go for the big chop, you may want to be extra cautious when combing through this line.
Again, plenty of patience is needed to prevent unnecessary hair damage.
Don’t Use Texturizers
When transitioning from relaxed to natural hair, it can be a little tempting to use texturizers.
While it is perfectly okay to try and make the process less frustrating, texturizers are chemicals that will only derail the transitioning process.
Do Use Moisture and Protein Treatments
It is crucial to deep condition your tresses during your wash days.
Do not underestimate the importance of using protein and moisture treatments because they help repair and strengthen damaged strands.
Conclusion
If you’ve been wondering what’s the best detangler for transitioning hair, I hope this list will make it easy for you to pick a product that works for you.
These are excellent formulations designed to keep your tresses moisturized to prevent unnecessary breakage.
They also detangle the curls, making the styling process ten times easier.