If You’re Prone to Hair Breakage, the New Oribe Detangling Shampoo Is a Game Changer

My hair is wavy, dry, and has never had much natural slip; if you were to loop it into a knot, it would stay put. This stubbornness makes me prone to tangles—most of which I pry apart, gingerly, with a wide-tooth comb—though, on a few occasions, I’ve had to snip them out with scissors.

When I was eight years old, my mother would buy me detangling shampoo and spend what seemed like hours raking though my hair—waist-length, at the time—with a wide-tooth comb. Since then, my hair has been bleached and bobbed. Ostensibly, my current short style should mean fewer tangles, but bleaching has actually rendered my hair rougher—and more knot-prone—than ever. Detangling ultra-damaged hair—especially when wet—can have consequences like breakage and tearing.

Oribe Run Through Detangling Shampoo — $49.00

For this reason, I always saturate my hair with a glide-y product post-shower and pre-combing; usually a leave-in conditioner. Until I caught wind of the new Oribe Detangling Shampoo, however, I hadn’t considered how hair-wash might affect overall slip (cue the flashbacks of using detangling shampoo two decades ago).

The product, housed in a powder-blue rendition of Oribe’s signature packaging, is packed with ingredients prized for their softening, cuticle-smoothing properties. Stars include shea butter and red algae extract, which prime strands for maximum suppleness (and minimum tangling). Designed to cleanse without feeling soapy or stripping the hair of moisture, this formula is like the creamy, gentle cleanser of the shampoo world.

While many shampoos seem to tighten and twist my hair as soon as I start to lather, the Oribe Detangling Shampoo has a seemingly loose, flowy quality. Instead of getting stuck mid-shaft every few seconds, my fingers glide freely through my strands when I use this shampoo. This small shift makes hair-washing feel more like a luxury rather than a daunting, damaging chore.

To date, Oribe has not created a conditioner component to its detangling line—only a leave-in Primer, which I have yet to try. For now, I follow with one of the three conditioner/hair mask choices in my shower and finish, as always, with a spritz of leave-in conditioner. To my surprise, combing does actually feel less cumbersome when I use this shampoo. And, while my hair will never feel like silk, the shampoo does seem to leave it less hay-like and ever-so-slightly healthier looking.

The Oribe Detangling shampoo is designed to work on every hair type and texture. Of course, I can only speak to my own experience, but I’d venture to recommend it to anyone who’s tired of tearing through tangles.

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