Kinky-Curly

Knot Today Natural Leave-In Detangler

Leave-in / Light leave-in, lightweight

Leave-in
cream
Detangler
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size8 fl oz

Price$16.99seen at one store · 8 oz

Price / oz$2.12/ozat 8 oz

Where to buy1 store

Scent:

Notes: herbal.

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types All types Not in your profile

Moisture level None found Not in your profile

Oils and butters None Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Light Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Low Not in your profile

Scent Mint & herbalStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol None Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Cruelty-free · PETA-listed Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Not heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence None Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 9 ingredientsA short list Not in your profile

Price tier Masstige Not in your profile

Where to buy it Amazon · Target +1Widely sold Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

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Upper-mid price for a leave-in

$2.12/oz at 8 oz — more than 50% of the 477 leave-ins , which mostly run $1.17–5.50/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Fine hairthat flattens under most products

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Stretching wash daysnothing here needs a detergent to remove

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Very dry hairno humectant appears in the list

Coarse, very dry hairthis is a light formula for its category

Whether this weight sits well on your hair depends on density, porosity, and how much you already layer — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Weight on the hair Light

Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.

Slip and detangling High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.

Water-binding (humectants) None found

No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair.

Oils and butters None

No oils or butters in the list.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
Organic Mango Fruit Extract	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root ExtractOrganic Slippery Elm	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root ExtractOrganic Marshmallow Root	botanical extract	A plant extract, marketed as much as functional	Neutral
Organic Lemongrass	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Cetyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Body and a little conditioning	Softens
Behentrimonium Methosulfate	conditioning agent	Adds slip, lower in the list	Detangles
Citric Acid	pH adjuster	Fine-tunes the pH	pH balancer
Phenoxyethanol	preservative	Keeps the product from spoiling	Stabilizes
FragranceNatural Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates, silicones, or drying alcohols. Protein-free: this is built for moisture rather than for strengthening. Contains fragrance.

Full ingredient list (9)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Organic Mango Fruit Extract

General function
An extract from the fruit of Organic Mango. Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- botanical extract
2 Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract · Organic Slippery Elm

General function
An extract from the root of Marshmallow (Althaea Officinalis). Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- botanical extract
3 Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root Extract · Organic Marshmallow Root

General function
An extract from the root of Marshmallow (Althaea Officinalis). Plant extracts are used across a wide range of levels, and label order is the best guide to how much is here.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- botanical extract
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
4 Organic Lemongrass

General function
Lemongrass, used as a citrus-herbal scent note. Essential oils are a common source of declared allergens.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
- fragrance
- botanical extract
5 Cetyl Alcohol

General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
6 Behentrimonium Methosulfate

General function
A mild cationic conditioner known for heavy detangling with a light rinse-out feel. Common in curly-hair conditioners.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- emulsifier
7 Citric Acid

General function
Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
8 Phenoxyethanol

General function
The most common modern preservative; it keeps the product free of bacteria and mould. It sits well below 1% of the formula.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChem
- preservative
9 Fragrance · Natural Fragrance

General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance

What the whole list adds up to

4 botanical extracts
2 fragrances
1 fatty alcohol
1 emollient
1 thickener
1 conditioning agent
1 emulsifier
1 pH adjuster
1 hard-water chelator
1 preservative
1 declared fragrance

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-21. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 8 oz

Seen at $16.99 1 store · checked Aug 21

Good value under $14 Under $1.76/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $14 line; products that do this job typically go for about $16 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 8 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Target
$16.99

8 oz · $2.12/oz

Aug 21Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.

How we work this out

8 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Seen at $16.99 is the price we have observed for the 8 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $14 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.76/oz; at 8 oz that is $14. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $16 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8 oz.

Formula

Formula score

7 of 10

Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a leave-in does and costs about what leave-ins cost per ounce.

How the score is counted

1 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 50% of the 477 leave-ins we’ve priced
No humectant in the formula
Masstige tier, sold at Amazon and Target

Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.2 pts
A light baseWater or a volatile carrier first, so it does not weigh hair down.2 pts
Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
No detergent-dependent filmNothing that needs a clarifying wash to remove.1 pt
Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

Not Your Mother'sLowest cost per oz Kids' Daily Care 3-in-1 Detangler $0.87/oz $1.25/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Lightweight

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Also: Fruity scent, not mint
Drugstore tier

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Worth skipping for anyone sensitive to fragrance, soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein, or very dry hair looking for water-binding

Best alternative if not

Not Your Mother's Kids' Daily Care 3-in-1 Detangler — for similar results at a lower price

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Smooths the cuticle and moisturizes hair for softness and bounce

Nothing in the list reads as a moisture system.

Cetyl Alcohol

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Free from parabens and sulfates

No sulfate detergents appear in the ingredient list.

—

Supported

Gentler on colour and coils.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

Effective detangling with lightweight feel and minimal buildup

various curl patterns

Can feel sticky when applied in larger amounts

Mixed sentiment on value/price relative to size, with recent price increases noted

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
4 sources consulted for this product (3 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 4 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.