Homemade Hair Conditioner Recipes
Do you wake up in the morning with frizzy hair and a dry scalp that itches like crazy?
Your natural tendency would be to declare war on the serpentine strands of convoluted hair and go to town, scratching your head. But all war ends in bloodshed, and a fair assumption would be that you’re left with a fist-full of hair, frustrated with this early morning debacle.
Thankfully, homemade hair conditioners offer much-needed relief, reducing split ends, cleaning the scalp, and preventing hair loss. So, say goodbye to “bad hair days” with our selection of the most popular homemade conditioners.
Homemade Hair Conditioners
A. Simple Recipes
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
There are various skincare products to reverse aging, clothes to make you look cool, and eye shades for a striking appearance. But amidst all this, people often forget about their hair. Fortunately, the apple cider vinegar conditioner[1] is one of the best conditioning recipes, guaranteeing a healthy scalp while enhancing your natural hair color. Remember the trauma of waking up with frizz? You won’t anymore, thanks to this formula.
Ingredients List:
- Two cups of water
- ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
Preparation Method:
It is easy to make, and you’ll need only five minutes to prepare this suitable homemade conditioner. For starters, dilute the apple cider vinegar with water and let it rest while you wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo.
Then condition the wet hair with the homemade solution, gently massaging it into the scalp. Ensure that it spreads throughout your scalp and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing with cold water.
2. Orange And Yogurt Conditioner
While making a homemade hair conditioner for damaged hair, combining organic ingredients that won’t cause side effects is essential. Two such compounds found in most kitchens are oranges and yogurt. You can combine the two to create a healthy mix that reduces hair loss and improves growth.
Ingredients List:
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- ¼ cup of orange juice
- An egg
- ¼ cup of coconut milk
- Plain yogurt
Preparation Method:
Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix the solution till you get a smooth consistency. Before that, clean your scalp and make sure your hair is slightly wet so that the mixture spreads evenly.
Massage it onto the scalp and let it rest for 30 minutes; you can wear a shower cap if needed. Lastly, wash it off with clean water and shampoo for the best results.
3. Honey And Olive Oil
Most people want hair like Jennifer Aniston but have to contend with comparisons to Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter Series. This mainly stems from their reluctance to use conditioners, fearing further damage to their depleting hairline. And so, we have picked two premium-quality compounds, ensuring that you never lose the shine and gloss from your nourished hair – honey and olive oil. With regular use, you’ll have stronger and smoother hair.
Ingredients List:
Preparation Method:
Take a bowl to mix the honey and olive oil into a smooth consistency for even application throughout the scalp. As the mixture rests, part your hair into four sections, making it easier to apply the paste.
After massaging it onto the scalp, cover your hair with the shower cap and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. Once you’re satisfied, rinse your head with cold water and shampoo to clean the paste.
4. Avocado And Shea Butter
When purchasing hair conditioners, most people look at the ingredients present in the formula to see if it contains any essential oil. While essential oils are necessary, the solution should have other compounds like avocado and shea butter, the main ingredients in our next homemade conditioner.
Ingredients List:
Preparation Method:
You have to add all these ingredients to the blender, churning them to create a smooth mixture. After it’s ready, gently apply it to the roots and tips of the hair and leave your hair to rest for 30 minutes. Finally, rinse with cold water and shampoo, and remember to repeat this process for several weeks.
5. Coconut Oil And Honey
Another DIY homemade hair conditioner recipe suitable for any hair type involves a mixture of coconut oil and honey. If you’re into hair care, then you already know about the benefits of coconut oil[4] and how it contains fatty acids to provide nourishment from deep within the scalp. Add to that honey, and you won’t have to worry about dry hair, thanks to its moisture retentive properties.
Ingredients List:
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
Preparation Method:
You need to add the required amount of honey and coconut oil to a bowl, heating it gently so that they melt. Also, make sure to mix the solution and apply it to the scalp, right down to the hair tips.
After slathering your head with this paste, keep your hair covered with a hot towel and wait for 45 minutes before rinsing with cold water.
6. Aloe Vera And Banana
When using a natural conditioner, time is of the essence because you can’t expect to see immediate results. However, using certain ingredients does increase the chances of improving the hair texture and quality. One compound that has been used for centuries to strengthen brittle hair and rejuvenate worn-out follicles is aloe vera. But we bet you didn’t know that it forms a potent combination with banana slices.
Ingredients List:
- Fresh aloe vera leaf
- 2 bananas
- Olive oil
- Honey
Preparation Method:
Extract the aloe vera pulp and peel the bananas, adding them into a blender together with olive oil and honey. Ask someone to keep blending to remove the pulps while you shampoo and dry your hair. Next, gently massage the mixture into the follicles, leaving it to rest for 2 hours before washing your hair with cold water.
7. Cinnamon And Coconut Milk
At times commercial hair conditioners fail to have the desired effect, and don’t you just wish to combine suitable ingredients to create a potent solution? Now you can, thanks to the cinnamon and coconut milk homemade hair conditioner that helps strengthen brittle or curly hair. This is because coconut milk is a hair emollient, comprising Vitamins C, E, and B for hair health.
Ingredients List:
- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon powder[5]
- 4 tablespoons of coconut milk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Preparation Method:
Rather than a blender, add the ingredients to a jar and mix them well. On that note, it would be best to place the jar in a bowl of warm water so that it mixes freely and melts into a paste.
You can apply this paste to the hair, letting it rest for 30 minutes until rinsing with cold water.
B. Hair Conditioner Recipe Based On Hair Type
1. Normal Hair
Sometimes, simple homemade conditioners may not have the desired effect, and it would help to develop a formula based on the hair type. Suppose you have normal hair; in that case, we recommend opting for a combination of essential oil, carrier oil, vitamins, and emulsifiers. They should provide the necessary nourishment so that your hair appears lively and not dull when you venture outdoors.
Ingredients List:
- ½ tbsp of jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin
- ½ cup distilled water
- ½ tbsp Vitamin E
- 1 tbsp of emulsifying wax
- Essential oils like cedarwood, geranium, lavender, and lemon
Preparation Method:
Add the carrier oil, emulsifier, and glycerin to a boiler and slowly crank up the heat. After it’s slightly warm, add Vitamin E and warm water, following which you need to whisk the mixture into a creamy paste. Then, pour the essential oils into the solution, stirring it briskly until the mixture is ready to use.
2. Dandruff
Imagine this – you have long, flowing hair that people admire but running your hand through the hairline leaves a trail of white, flaking skin on the shoulder or collar. Nothing to worry about – it’s just dandruff, but you might feel ashamed as it points to an unhealthy scalp. Luckily, our homemade hair conditioner can help fight dandruff and ensure that the issue doesn’t resurface.
Ingredients List:
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil
- Vitamin E
- Emulsifying wax
- Vegetable glycerin
- Essential oils, such as lavender, rosemary, and tea tree
- Grapefruit seed extract
Preparation Method:
The initial steps are pretty much the same, which involves stirring the carrier oil, glycerin, and emulsifier in a bowl and slowly heating them. Once heated, add Vitamin E and warm water while stirring the mixture to get a nice, creamy consistency. When the solution starts changing, pour the essential oils into it, giving the mixture one final whirr before letting it cool.
3. Dry Hair
A major problem in maintaining hair quality is dryness due to the pollutants in the air that make your hair appear lifeless. Naturally, the best way to rejuvenate the follicles and prevent drying is by using a moisturizing agent so that your hair retains its shiny appearance.
Ingredients List:
- Coconut oil
- Emulsifying wax
- Distilled water
- Vegetable glycerin
- Vitamin E
- Lavender, chamomile, clary sage, and other essential oils
Preparation Method:
Again, the process isn’t that different from the other methods though the preparation time may vary. You can start by adding coconut oil, emulsifying wax, and glycerin to a bowl while gently heating it.
This will melt the compounds, making it easy to add warm water and Vitamin E to stir the paste. You should get a creamy texture, which means it’s time to pour the essential oils and whisk the solution one last time to get it ready.
4. Hair Loss
Usually, most hair-related issues result in hair loss, with people spending an unfortunate amount of time in front of the mirror, looking at their receding hairline. While your hair can’t magically grow back, and considering the numerous factors that lead to premature balding, using homemade hair conditioners may offer a solution. That’s why we have included this DIY conditioner recipe for natural hair growth.
Ingredients List:
- Castor oil
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Peppermint, rosemary, and bay essential oil
- Vitamin E
- Warm water
- Emulsifier
- Vegetable glycerin
Preparation Method:
Start by heating the emulsifier, glycerin, and castor oil in a bowl, ensuring they melt together. Then, you need to pour warm water and Vitamin E before whisking the solution to get a consistent white paste. And the final step is to pour the essential oils, stir again, and leave the mixture to cool.
5. Oily Hair
We have already spoken about dry hair, but there’s a condition whereby people suffer from oily hair. As unlikely as it may seem, having oily hair is another sign of poor hair quality, owing to which the sebaceous glands produce excess sebum. You can usually remedy it by following a proper diet, lowering stress, and using a natural hair conditioner.
Ingredients List:
- Vegetable glycerin
- Jojoba oil
- Emulsifier
- Vitamin E
- Juniper, rosemary, and cedarwood essential oil
- Distilled water
- Grapefruit seed extract
Preparation Method:
The first step is gently heating the emulsifier, glycerin, and jojoba oil into a liquid. Next, add the Vitamin E and water while stirring the mixture to turn it into a paste.
As the conditioner starts taking shape, pour the essential oils and stir again before allowing it to cool.
Final Words
We have exhausted our list of the best homemade hair conditioner recipes, and now it’s over to you.
To create a potent formula, you can refer to the ingredients mentioned in this guide or use mix and match techniques. The bottom line is that using homemade conditioners guarantees noticeable results without costing a fortune, making them suitable for most people.
So, feel free to develop your own unique formula and get longer, thicker hair in no time to do all the hair flips for your Instagram reels.
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8706394/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11485891/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6356572/