What Is the Best Detangler for Matted Hair?

When your hair is matted, it’s time to pull out the big guns. You need a detangler that can tackle the worst knots and tangles. The issue is that not every detangler is up for the job. Luckily, we can help to steer you in the right direction. In this article, we’ll share with you the best detangler for matted hair. 

What’s in a Good Detangler? 

The best detanglers have very specific characteristics. In this section, we will tell you all about them. 

Slip

If you have matted hair, you should use a detangler that has slip. The term “slip” refers to the texture of the product and how it makes your hair feel. If a product feels slippery or makes your hair slippery, it’s said to have slip. 

You should choose a detangler with slip because slippery products make your hair easier to detangle. If you don’t prioritize slip in your detangler, your strands won’t be able to move past each other, and it will remain matted. 

Here are some of the ingredients that make a detangler slippery: 

• Oils/moisturizers - Oils and moisturizers are naturally slick, making your hair more slippery on contact. 
• Fatty alcohols - Fatty alcohols are very different from the drying alcohols that you’re used to. Drying alcohols, like isopropyl alcohol or benzyl alcohol, can dry the hair out and leave you with crunchy, brittle strands. But fatty alcohols, like cetyl alcohol and cetearyl alcohol, do the opposite. Not only do they moisturize your hair, but they smooth the hair cuticles to make tangles and mats easier to get through.  

Silicones  

Silicones are helpful when detangling your hair because they coat your hair and smooth the hair shaft. The smoother your hair is, the easier it will be to work through those tangles and get rid of mats. If you look at the ingredient list on some of the top detanglers, you’ll notice that they have silicones. 

Here are some of the silicones you’ll find in the best detanglers for matted hair: 

• Amodimethicone
• PEG-12 Dimethicone
• Cyclomethicone
• Cyclohexasiloxane 

Hydrolyzed Proteins

Another component of an effective detangler is hydrolyzed protein. These are special proteins that fill in the gaps in your hair cuticles. Once these gaps are filled in, your strands will easily glide past each other.

What’s the Best Detangler for Matted Hair? 

Now that you know some of the best components in a detangler, we’d like to introduce you to one of the best detanglers for matted hair - Daily Dose. We hate to toot our own horn, but this detangler is a fantastic option for anyone with matted hair. 

It is infused with: 

• Silicones to coat your hair and aid in detangling. 
• Aloe vera to not only moisturize the hair but add slip to help you work through those knots and tangles. 
• Fatty alcohols to smooth your hair cuticles. 
• And a ton of other goodies to give you soft, beautiful hair.

The formula feels slippery in your hands and on your hair. No matter how matted your hair is, Daily Dose is your best bet. 

We hope that this article has offered you some insight into what you need in a detangler. We wish you the best of luck as you learn how to best care for your hair. 

Author: Andrea Reyes

Andrea is a mother, wife, writer, and natural hair enthusiast of 15 years. Currently on her natural hair journey, she’s been trying countless products and techniques to understand and embrace her natural hair. She is the creator of NaturallyTextured.com, a new website featuring informative articles that share tips, tricks, and techniques aimed to help others learn to love their hair through proper hair care. She writes with the hope of making hair care easier to understand and implement.