Silicone Spray for Detangling Wigs
A while back fellow friend and cosplayer, Amanda Finley Cosplay, recommended I try using silicone lubricant spray to help detangle my wigs. She said it was like magic. Well, guess what? It is! Hopefully this post will find its way into the hands of frustrated cosplayers who are sick of brushing out wigs for hours only to wind up with half a wig left.
Let’s talk about brand. I didn’t think that it would matter so long as I managed to get pure silicone spray. I was so wrong. Below is a picture of Liquid Wrench’s silicone lubricant spray, and while it says pure silicone I hardly believe it. I tried this on my Black Cat wig to try and bring some life back to it, and I am currently thanking everything for Amazon Prime because it ruined the wig. Try this at your own Risk. The second picture is Ace Hardware’s silicone lubricant spray. This is the brand Amanda recommended, and what I used for the wig in this tutorial. Both brands were about $5 per bottle.
Now that we have the proper brand spray, we need a messy wig that needs some pampering. Oh look, here’s the wig I used that one time for my Briar Rose cosplay that I haven’t touched since the day I wore it back in July… You’ll notice it’s pretty tangled due to the fact that it got tossed in the trunk and left there for about a month after the con.
Basically, follow the instructions on the back of the can before use. Do this in a well ventilated area away from any flames or heat sources. It is highly flammable. Shake the can for about a minute to mix everything up, and apply all over the wig while holding the can a good 3-5 inches away from the wig.
After letting everything dry for about 15-20 minutes you are ready to comb your wig out. Check out the photo below for how natural and vibrant the wig was after just one pass of this stuff! I actually went back over it with one more spray to really get it good. The best part is I can definitely stand behind Amanda’s words that this stuff didn’t leave a residue in my wig. I feel like I hit the jackpot with this tip.
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If you’re using a different spray lubricant, or using it on a wig that’s been dyed, Oil Sheen’d, hairsprayed, etc, DO A TEST PATCH FIRST.
This may sound like a dumb question, but can the wigs be heat styled after applying the silicone spray if they have heat resistant fibers or is it that the chemicals may cause it to burn or ruin it in some way, because I want to try this, but I’m not sure
Silicone spray is 100% silicone lubricant. Silicone is an awesome product because it can support a wide temperature range without changing form. We make specialty products coated in silicone for high temperature ratings, so a heat styling tool that won’t hurt your wig definitely won’t hurt the spray. Just make sure you have 100% silicone, otherwise any additives might make it susceptible to problems.
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Gosh I wish we could get ACE products in Canada. I don’t know what to use here.
Could you possibly order it through this website? https://www.ace-canada.ca/en
This product doesn’t seem to exist in the US anymore. Is there an alternative product?
It looks like you can find it online at other vendors: https://www.stinehome.com/ace-silicone-lubricant-11-oz-aerosol.html
I’ve never looked for it online. I typically just go to the Ace Hardware store. I haven’t bought a new can in years though.
I agree with your brand recommendation! Ace is the best one I’ve tried. And I never have any issues with stying afterward. Just be very careful about where you spray it. If it gets on the floor it is dangerously slippery! Also, have you tried using rollers and a clothes steamer for curling your wigs? We have had a lot of success with it. Also works for straightening!
Does it give it enough slip so it doesn’t tangle as bad during wear as well? I use to use fabric softener/water mix, but I stopped when the smell started grossing me out. Now that I have a bunch of wigs I’ve never used fabric softener on I can see how quickly it was degrading the synthetic fibers! My old wigs look far worse after 2 months of near daily wear & my recent wigs look far better after 6+ months of near daily wear. It makes sense that it would break down the fibers, how else is it “softening” our clothes if it’s not also breaking them down bits at a time?
I’ve found that with better quality wigs, it will help some with tangling during wear, but unfortunately with synthetic hair they are always going to tangle over time. It’s not something you want too much of or your wig will get greasy. It does help detangle quickly though.