How to make a homemade leave-in hair conditioner to help moisturise and detangle hair. This leave-in hair conditioner is great to use before or after swimming in the ocean, as it protects the hair from drying out in the salt water, and is a great detangler. Simply apply the conditioner to the hair before swimming, leave it in, braid your hair, and watch as it protects hair from drying out in the salt water. Alternatively, you can apply it after swimming for a similar effect.

When I find myself spending too much time on my computer or shut up indoors, I like to go the beach and spend some time exploring the underwater world. I find that all of my worries and stresses are washed away when I resurface from the sea, and that those things that were once bothering me before, don’t seem so big anymore.

But, this love for swimming in the salty sea water comes at a cost. My hair gets so dry and brittle from the salt water, and splits ends inevitably form.

I’ve learned a lot about caring for long hair over the past few years, one thing being that long hair can’t just be combed with a ‘regular’ hair brush. Oh no, a paddle brush works so much better. At least that’s been my experience. A paddle brush is a wide, flat hair brush with soft, flexible bristles that help to detangle and smoothen out any type of hair. I love it for my thick, long hair, as this brush banishes knottiness (I also use a leave-in conditioning detangler treatment on my hair) and gives the scalp a heavenly massage.

I’ve also been using all sorts of products on my hair to help keep it looking silky smooth and healthy while I’ve been growing it out, with this leave-in hair conditioner being a recent game changer for me in helping to combat the damage my hair endures after long swims in the ocean.

For those of you who are tired of toxic, chemical-filled leave-in conditioners, here is a recipe for a natural leave-in conditioner that’s inexpensive, won’t leave any residue (very important), and can be made in less than five minutes! This recipe works for all hair types hair, whether you have straight or curly hair, and helps to hydrate dry hair without those ingredients that often weigh hair down (such as coconut oil or shea butter).

Ingredients Used in this Natural Leave-In Conditioner

This DIY leave-in hair conditioner recipe works better than most of the store-bought products (in my opinion). In fact, this natural homemade version is by far the best, and I’m really excited to share it with you! The following ingredients have been selected for their moisturising and beneficial properties.

Glycerin

Vegetable glycerin is a sugar alcohol derived from plants or vegetable fats. There is also a synthetic version made from petroleum, but I recommend staying away from that. Glycerin is used in many beauty products because of its moisturising properties, as it has the ability to pull moisture from the air. It’s not recommended, however, to use glycerin on its own as it can strip the hair of its moisture. But, when its diluted, glycerin is able to soften the hair and reduce frizziness.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera gel (found inside the leaves of the aloe vera plant) is great for moisturising the skin and hair. Aloe has the ability to seal in moisture, and contains many beneficial nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E, which help promote healthy cell growth and strong, shiny hair. I recommend this aloe vera gel. If you’re using aloe vera gel straight from the plant, here is a guide on how to extract as much of the gel as possible.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is technically a wax, not an oil, and works perfectly in hair care because it closely mimics the body’s own natural sebum (oil). This allows it to moisturise hair without leaving it feeling overly greasy, and may help in minimising frizz.

Coconut Milk

While coconut oil can be used to make many beauty products ranging from shampoo bars to homemade deodorant (or simply to rub on as a lovely body oil), when it comes to using it as a DIY leave-in conditioner, it’s not so great. It can be too heavy for most hair types.

Heavy oils and butters can weigh down hair and leave a greasy residue, and the goal of this recipe is to provide a hydrating, revitalising effect to hair and aid in detangling, without needing to wash out the leave-in conditioner (which is the whole aim of a leave-in conditioner).

Coconut milk, on the other hand, softens and conditions the hair without weighing it down, and only takes minutes to make into a conditioner.

Please note that the coconut milk must be kept to a very small amount, below 5%, which is about 1 teaspoon per 100 mL of the conditioner mixture, and must also be diluted and strained to help prevent this conditioner from becoming greasy, unstable, and more likely to spoil.

Solubiliser

This is important to include in this spray as, if you skip this ingredient, the oil will separate and the spray may come out uneven or oily in sections when applied to the hair.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Pure rosemary oil (rosmarinus officinalis) is great for hair health as it may improve hair growth by increasing blood circulation to the scalp, stimulating hair growth, and counteract the effects of the hormone, DHT, a testosterone that shrinks hair follicles. Here is how to make your own rosemary-infused oil at home for hair growth.

Recipe Tutorial Video

Before we get started in learning how to make this homemade leave-in hair conditioner, if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!

Homemade Natural Leave-In Conditioner

Making this homemade leave-in hair conditioner takes less than five minutes and doesn’t require any special equipment.

Use this homemade leave-in conditioner just as you would any store-bought leave-in conditioner. Just spray the conditioner generously onto hair strands, let it sit for a couple of minutes (to work its conditioning magic), then comb the product through the hair. I recommend using a wet brush or comb to evenly distribute the conditioner throughout the hair.

This recipe makes about 100 mL (3.5 ounces) of conditioner spray.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup (80 mL) distilled water (or rosemary hydrosol)
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) diluted aloe vera gel (or aloe vera juice if you want a lighter spray)
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) glycerin
• 1/4 teaspoon (1-1.5 mL) jojoba oil
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon natural solubiliser
• 2-4 drops rosemary essential oil (or if using on a child, opt for essential oils that are safe for use on children)
• 4 ounce glass spray bottle

To Make:

1. To begin, start by sanitising the equipment you’ll be using. Wash and sterilise the blender, bowls, spoon, whisk, and spray bottle. This is essential as the conditioner formula contains water, aloe vera, and coconut milk.
2. Next, prepare the coconut milk for this recipe. As this ingredient is quite heavy, it needs to be properly diluted to prevent greasiness in the conditioner spray. Combine 1 part coconut milk with 2 to 3 parts of distilled water. For this recipe, combine 1 teaspoon of coconut milk with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the distilled water. Whisk together well to combine the ingredients.
3. Pour this mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove any fat clumps, separated oils, and any fibrous pieces.
4. Before adding the diluted coconut milk to the conditioner formula, an optional step is to quickly whisk or blend this coconut milk dilution to give it a smoother texture.
5. In a glass bowl, combine the distilled water (or hydrosol), aloe vera, diluted coconut milk, and glycerin, and whisk the mixture well to combine the ingredients. I like to use a hand mixer with a whisk attachment for this.
6. In a separate small glass bowl, combine the jojoba oil, essential oil, and solubiliser together and stir the mixture well to combine.
7. Slowly pour the oils with the water mixture, whisking on high until well combined.
8. Whisk the mixture for around 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer the solution to a fine mist spray bottle.
9. Allow the mixture to sit for 12 to 24 hours to check the stability of the conditioner. Look for separation. If the mixture does separate, simply shake the bottle well before each use, and slightly increase the amount of solubiliser in the recipe for the next batch.
10. Store this natural leave-in hair conditioner in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake the bottle before each use as the ingredients may separate.
11. Use as you would a normal leave-in conditioner. Simply spray the hair generously with the leave-in conditioner. Allow the product to sit on the hair for a couple of minutes, then brush it through with a wet brush or comb to coat each hair strand.

Please note that rosemary essential oil is NOT recommended for children under 10 years of age.

This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Have you made homemade leave-in hair conditioner before? How was it? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

Vanessa