From the Kid's Aisle: Manzanilla Grisi Kids Detangling Lotion

I love thinking outside of the box when it comes to drugstore products. Why limit yourself to US products and why limit yourself to adult products? So today I've got the best of both worlds for you: a kid's product that's also found in the Latino haircare section of the drugstore! And the best part? This product retails for under $4!

A few years ago, I did a post about my favorite products from the kid's aisle of the drugstore. I still love many of the products featured in that post, and one thing I can't recommend highly enough for those of you with chronic tangles (like me), is children's detanglers. Why spend tons of dough on "adult detanglers" when kids detanglers contain essentially the same ingredients, PLUS they come in fun, yummy scents (and they're usually at least half the price of adult detanglers).

A few months ago when I was wandering the kid's/infant toiletries aisle at my local CVS, I spotted the section of Latino hair, bath and beauty products for kids. If you don't live in a border town like I do (San Diego) your local drugstores and grocery stores many not have sections devoted to Latino bath, beauty and haircare. But luckily for me, just about every grocery store and drugstore in San Diego has an amazing Latino haircare/bath/skincare aisle and sometimes even a section devoted just to Latino kid's products. And that's exactly where I found this product at my local CVS, and when I saw that it was only $3.49, it went straight into my basket.

But not to worry because, if you absolutely have to try this product, and you can't find it in your area, you can purchase it online through Amazon and other sites.

 Manzanilla Grisi Kids Detangling Lotion

(retail: $3.49 at CVS, 8.4 oz)

Among the many things I love about this product is the shape of the bottle. It fits in the hand so perfectly and it's super easy to grip. My number one complaint about the Johnson's No More Tangles Spray (which I LOVE, by the way) is that the bottle is round and it slips out of my hands like nobody's business. Combine that with the fact that my hands are usually wet (since I apply this right after the shower) and it's a pain to keep that bottle in my hands and spray it at the same time.

I also love that the second ingredient is this product is Chamomile Extract. This is not a new ingredient for haircare by any means, as it's in tons of shampoos and conditioners already on the market. But I love it nonetheless because it has a soothing effect and it makes this product smell pretty amazing (more on that later). I know that there are claims that chamomile can have a soft lightening effect on the hair (it actually says "Lightens Naturally" right on the front of this bottle), but I haven't noticed any lightening to my hair since using this (but for the record, I already have light brown/dark blonde hair). 

For those unfamiliar with the brand Grisi, they're a HUGE corporation that's well-known in the Latino community for their haircare and body care products. They make the popular Maja España products that have been around for decades, and Manzanilla Grisi Kids is actually an offshoot of their popular Manzanilla adult line of haircare. All of the products in the Manzanilla Grisi Kids and Manzanilla line contain chamomile.

So now that you're up to speed on Grisi, let's talk about how this particular product works for my tangly hair:

This is a gentle detangler. If you're expecting to spray this on wet, tangled hair and then be able to comb through your hair like a hot knife through butter, think again. Ain't gonna happen. BUT, it does help to loosen up tangles and prep the hair for a good combing. I love applying it right out of the shower, and then letting it sit in my wet hair for a few minutes before I comb my hair. I find that it really helps to loosen things up and it makes the tangles much, much easier to work through.

Unlike a few other drugstore detanglers I've used in the past, this one doesn't make my hair greasy or slick-feeling when it dries. Sometimes, with other detanglers, if I apply too much, my hair just has this weird, slick coating that ultimately causes my hair to look limp and lifeless when it dries. Not so with this product! No matter how much I apply, this product never seems to build up and cause my hair to look limp when it dries. My hair always feels soft and looks a bit smoother when I use this detangler, although I do want to note that it doesn't do anything to help improve my curls. In fact, it makes my curls look softer and looser, but this happens with every detangler I've ever used. To combat looser curls, it's best to use another styling product after using this product, just to get your curls springy and defined (if you like your curls that way). If you like looser, beachy curls, then I'd recommend using this product and then just letting your hair air-dry.

In addition to using this product on wet hair, you can also use it on dry hair. I've done that a few times and I can report that it doesn't make the hair greasy when applied on dry hair. It might look greasy at first, but after you comb it through, your hair will spring back to normal. 

According the website, this product is watermelon-scented. While I do get a tiny watermelon note to this product, I mostly get chamomile, which I LOVE. It's got this sweet, calming fragrance to it with an underlying juicy, fruity note. Seriously, it smells amazing, if you're into sweet fragrances (which of course you know I am).

FINAL VERDICT: Are you ready to think outside of the box and try a kid's product on your hair? If so, then Manaznilla Grisi Kids Detangling Lotion might be just the ticket for you. I adore the scent of this product, the way it loosens up my tangles making them easier to work through, and I especially love that it doesn't leave any greasy or slick residue behind. If you can find this detangler in your area, I'd say it's worth a shot. And if you can't find it in your area and don't want to order online, try Johnson's No More Tangles (beware of the slippery bottle though), Suave Kids detangler or L'Oreal Kids detangler. The Suave and L'Oreal varieties come in yummy scents, they're super inexpensive and they work quite well to loosen up tangles on both kids and adults.

Do you use kid's detangling sprays? If so, what are some of your drugstore favorites?