Natural DIY Hair Conditioner

Step 1

Weigh out the distilled water.

Step 2

Heat the water over a double boiler while you measure out the oil(s) and emusifier.

Step 3

Weigh out the oil (or oils) in a double boiler insert.

Step 4

Tare the scale and add the BTMS (or another cationic emulsifier) to the oil(s).

Step 5

Heat the oil and BTMS mixture over the double boiler until the BTMS has melted. Fully stir the ingredients together until well combined and remove from the heat.

Step 6

Add the hot water to the hot oil mixture. Ideally the water and oils should be at around the same temperature (around 70º-75ºC/160º-170ºF). Keep stirring until the mixture comes together and thickens slightly.

Step 7

If you find that the mixture separates like curdled milk rather than come together into a smooth, thick mixture, you probably had ingredients that were too cold or weren’t of similar temperatures. You can usually easily remedy the situation by placing the double boiler insert with the mixture over the heat again, and stirring until everything comes together. Remove from the heat source again.

Step 8

Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding in delicate ingredients like the preservatives, essential oils, or any other additives like silk or wheat protein that are also good for your hair. (See my recipe below.)

Step 9

Add in all of your final ingredients and stir together well. If you are using a natural preservative like Rokonsol that works at a pH of below 5, you may need to lower the pH with a few drops of lactic acid. With a preservative like Leucidal that works on a broader pH range, you probably won’t need to do that, but it’s a good idea to test your conditioner with inexpensive pH strips just to be on the safe side.