This $5 Deep Conditioner Magically Melts Away All My Tangles

Friends don't let friends miss out on all the cool, under-the-radar things they know about, like which little-known beauty brand is low-key making the best highlighter around. And because we consider our readers to be like friends, we gather together all our best finds in our Don't Sleep On Thisseries. Check in every week to see what things we can't wait to share with you.

I love my hair. I love my hair despite the fact that society has told me not to. I love my hair despite the predominance of European beauty standards in media. I love my hair despite the shrinkage and the kinks and its inability to hold moisture of any kind. It's taken me a while (years!) to get here, but I'm here, and it's nice. But even things you love often contain within them aspects you don't like very much, but have to tolerate. That, for me, are the tangles my tightly wound curls produce.

My hair starts knotting as soon as I step out of the shower, right after detangling. It doesn't matter how diligent I am about getting trims, or the number of "pre-poo" treatments I incorporate; I've come to terms with the fact that there's no such thing as a tangle-free life for me. But one thing that has helped both my sanity and my poor, strained arms is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Curls Deep Conditioner.

When I first went natural almost four years ago, I, like most natural newbies, clung onto every word of bloggers' product recommendations. If they raved about it, I tried it. Of course, what works for one person doesn't work for every person, which I soon learned. But there did seem to be one universal detangling miracle worker that seemed to pop up in every review and vlog—and it was contained within a, let's be real, aesthetically unappealing, purple bottle.

I was skeptical. For one, it wasn't a product specifically for curls, and up until a couple of years ago, most mainstream brands didn't know how to formulate products that worked on hair with any kind of texture. Second, it was a—gasp—drugstore product that cost less than $5. My bougie hair and I were of the belief that, if the item didn't cost more than $15, there's no way it was going to work. I was knocked off my high horse swiftly upon the first use.

Not only does the thick, creamy product melt away my tangles, but it does so quickly and efficiently. Most deep conditioners require you to let the product sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes so that it can do what it's supposed to do, which is make your hair more manageable. This didn't. Washing and detangling my hair became a 30-minute process rather than a two-hour one (if we're factoring in the amount of time I let my treatment sit). Aussie, recently, also came out with a new curl-specific version, which works its same magic and includes coconut and jojoba oil.

Some people use this as a leave-in conditioner. I wouldn't. As great as it is for detangling, it also has silicones in the ingredient list, which isn't the best for curly hair and tends to cause buildup over time. I always make sure to wash it out thoroughly after using and follow up with a regular leave-in conditioner and my typical styling products. I know curly haired girls side-eye any ingredient that ends with "cone," but take it from someone who won't let another stylist even touch their curls unless they have curls themselves, I think you'll be okay.

Aussie, 3 Minute Miracle Curls Deep Conditioner, $4.99, available at Target.

NYLON uses affiliate links and may earn a commission if you purchase something through those links, but every product chosen is selected independently.