Easy DIY Hair Conditioner (That Actually Works)
Make your own DIY hair conditioner with simple ingredients you can customize. This real conditioner leaves your hair soft, smooth, and easy to detangle and can even be used as a leave-in.
When I first wrote this post, I had just taken the Dressing Your Truth® course, and it changed how I was doing my hair.
Up until then, I had been straightening it all the time. It helped me realize I didn’t need to fight my natural texture, so for the first time in over 20 years, I started letting my hair do its natural curly and wavy thing.
To help support my waves, I started washing my hair less often and using a homemade flaxseed hair gel. I used this conditioner as a co-wash during the week and my homemade clarifying shampoo about once a week. The difference was immediate. I started seeing waves and curls I didn’t even know I had, and now I can just let it do its thing and I love how it looks.
This isn’t just a mix of oils or a quick DIY shortcut. It’s a real conditioner, similar to what you’d buy in a store, but you get to control what goes into it and adjust it to suit your hair.
Watch the full tutorial
Here’s exactly how I make it step by step, along with ingredient tips, troubleshooting, and customization ideas.
Why make a homemade conditioner?
There are a lot of reasons to make your own conditioner.
When you realize that most conditioners are mostly water, it starts to make sense. You can make something very similar at home for much less, even when using high-quality ingredients.
A lot of products highlight a specific oil or “miracle” ingredient, but in reality, those are often only used in small amounts. The rest of the formula may include ingredients you may not love or may prefer to avoid.
When you make your own, you get to decide exactly what goes into it and what to leave out. That’s always been my main reason for making things myself. I like knowing what I’m using and being able to adjust things depending on what my hair needs.
It’s also surprisingly affordable, and you can reuse your containers to cut down on waste. If you’d rather skip bottles altogether, you can also try my homemade conditioner bar.
The ingredients
A basic conditioner only uses a few simple types of ingredients: water, oil, an emulsifier, and a preservative. From there, you can keep it simple or customize it with things like vitamins or essential oils.
To make a conditioner, we’re making a simple emulsion. It’s just like making a simple lotion. The main difference is the type of emulsifier used. In this case, we’re using a cationic emulsifier, BTMS, which is what gives this conditioner its conditioning properties.
What is BTMS?
The main ingredient that makes this a true conditioner is BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate).
This is what gives the conditioner its slip and makes it easier to detangle your hair. Without it, you’d end up with something more like a lotion, which won’t have the same feel or work nearly as well on hair.
BTMS is what’s called a cationic emulsifier, which just means it has a positive charge. Hair has a slight negative charge, so the BTMS is attracted to it. It lightly coats the hair and helps smooth it so the strands don’t catch on each other as much. That’s what gives you that soft, slippery feel and makes it easier to comb through.
When I first shared this recipe, I described it as a “natural” conditioner because I had taken a course that used BTMS in their formulas. Since then, I’ve learned that not everyone considers BTMS to be natural, especially when it comes to stricter certifications.
That said, this is still the version I reach for most often because it simply works better for my hair. I’ve tried other options, but they just don’t give the same slip or leave my hair feeling as soft.
Substituting BTMS
If you’d rather not use BTMS, there are other cationic emulsifiers that can be used to make a conditioner.
That said, they don’t all give the same results. In my experience, BTMS gives the best slip and leaves the hair feeling the softest.
I’ve experimented with a few alternatives, and I’ll be sharing more details about those options in a separate post.
BTMS-25 vs. BTMS-50
When I first wrote this post, I didn’t even realize that BTMS was sold in different versions. My supplier just called it “BTMS,” but after looking into it more, I realized I had been using BTMS-25.
BTMS-25 is a combination of Behentrimonium Methosulfate and cetearyl alcohol, which acts as a co-emulsifier. The amount of the active conditioning ingredient is lower, but it tends to give a thicker, creamier conditioner.
BTMS-50 has a higher percentage of Behentrimonium Methosulfate, along with cetyl alcohol and butylene glycol. Because of that, it usually makes a slightly lighter conditioner.
Some people prefer BTMS-25 because it has fewer ingredients, while others choose to avoid BTMS-50 due to the butylene glycol. While it’s generally considered safe, some people prefer to avoid glycols or more processed ingredients.
You can use either one in this recipe, just keep in mind that the final texture may be a little different.
The oil phase
In this recipe, I use a small amount of oil to help soften the hair and add a bit of shine. I often use argan oil, but you don’t have to use it.
You can swap it out for another oil or even use a combination of oils, depending on your hair type and what you have on hand. Just try to keep the total amount about the same so the consistency stays similar.
Some oils are lighter, like jojoba or argan oil, while others like coconut, olive oil, or avocado oil can feel heavier. Shea butter can also be used, especially for thicker or curlier hair, but it may be too much for finer hair.
The water phase
The main ingredient in most conditioners is water, and this recipe is no exception.
I like to use distilled water because it doesn’t contain minerals or impurities that can affect the final product. If you don’t have distilled water, you can use filtered water that has been recently boiled and cooled.
You can also replace part of the water with something like a hydrosol or aloe juice if you want to customize it a bit.
If you start adding a lot of things like aloe, hydrosols, or other botanicals, just keep in mind that they can make the conditioner a bit harder to preserve, so it’s best to keep things fairly simple.
About glycerin
Glycerin is a humectant, which means it helps draw moisture into the hair.
That said, it doesn’t work well for everyone. In very dry or very humid climates, it can sometimes make hair feel dry or sticky instead.
If you’d rather not use it, you can simply leave it out and replace it with more water.
Adding a preservative
Because this conditioner contains water, it needs a preservative. There’s really no safe way around this if you plan to store it at room temperature.
Without one, it can grow bacteria or mold, even if you can’t see it right away. So this is one step you don’t want to skip.
The good news is that there are several preservatives available for home use that work well in recipes like this. I’ve used options like Cosgard (Geogard 221), Sharomix, and others over the years.
If you want to learn more about the different preservative options, I have a post about natural preservatives that goes into more detail.
Beginner’s Guide to Natural Preservatives
Just make sure to use a broad-spectrum preservative and follow the recommended usage rate for the one you choose. Most are used at around 1% of the recipe, but always check your specific product.
It’s also important that the pH of your product works with your preservative, since some only work within certain ranges. I go into more detail about that in my post about pH in cosmetics.
Optional ingredients
You can also customize this conditioner with a few optional ingredients.
For scent, I usually add essential oils. I like lavender and rosemary, but you can use whatever you prefer. Keep the total amount low, usually around 0.5–1% of the recipe.
You can also add things like d-panthenol or proteins like rice or wheat protein to help support the hair.
If you’d like to see a full example of how this recipe can be customized, I’ve shared an example of a customized conditioner using aloe juice, different oils, and added ingredients like panthenol and protein.
How to make it
Making this conditioner is very similar to making a simple lotion. You’ll heat the water phase and oil phase separately, combine them, and then blend everything together until it forms a smooth, creamy emulsion.
Start by heating the distilled water in a double boiler. (1) At the same time, in a separate heat-safe container, combine the oil and BTMS and heat them until the BTMS has fully melted. (2) Once both phases are hot and roughly the same temperature, slowly pour the water into the oil mixture while blending or stirring.
At first, the mixture will look thin, but as you continue blending, it will quickly turn creamy and opaque. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Once it has cooled down to around 30°C/90°F, you can add the preservative, essential oils, and any other heat-sensitive ingredients.
After that, check the pH and adjust if needed. Then transfer the finished conditioner to your container and let it cool completely before closing it.
How long does it keep?
With a preservative, this conditioner should last around 3 months when stored properly. It will probably keep longer than that, but since we’re not doing formal stability testing at home, I like to stay on the safe side.
I still prefer to make smaller batches so it’s always fresh, and I keep an eye on it and remake it if anything seems off.
If you choose not to use a preservative, you’ll need to treat it more like a food. Keep it in the refrigerator and use it within about a week.
How to use it
I usually use this as a rinse-out conditioner after washing my hair.
Apply a small amount to the ends of your hair, work it through, and comb it through to help detangle. Then rinse it out.
You can also use a small amount as a leave-in conditioner, especially on damp hair. Just be careful not to use too much, as a little goes a long way.
You can also use it as a co-wash if you’re trying to wash your hair less often. Just massage it into your scalp and rinse it out well.
I’ve also used it between washes to help refresh my curls. I lightly mist my hair with water, then mix a small amount of conditioner with a bit of homemade hair gel (or flaxseed hair gel) and scrunch it through to bring the curls back.
You can store this in a pump bottle or another reusable container. I also like using silicone travel tubes since they’re easy to squeeze and work well if you’re taking it with you.
If your hair is very fine, start with a very small amount and adjust as needed.
FAQs
You can, but it won’t really be the same. BTMS is what gives the conditioner its slip and detangling ability. Without it, you’ll end up with something more like a lotion, which doesn’t work nearly as well on hair.
Yes, but results will vary. Other cationic emulsifiers can work, but in my experience, they don’t give the same softness or slip. BTMS is still the one that consistently works best.
If you’re storing it at room temperature, no. Because this recipe contains water, it needs a preservative to prevent mold and bacteria growth.
If you really want to skip it, you’d need to keep it in the fridge and use it within about a week.
It’s best to use distilled water. Tap water can contain minerals or impurities that may affect the final product or reduce shelf life. If needed, you can use filtered water that’s been recently boiled and cooled.
This usually happens if:
The oil and water phases weren’t at a similar temperature
It wasn’t blended enough
The emulsifier wasn’t fully melted
Try blending a bit longer next time and make sure everything is fully heated before combining.
Small changes can affect the texture:
Too thick: reduce the BTMS slightly or increase the water
Too thin: increase the BTMS a bit
It will also thicken more as it cools, so don’t judge it too early.
Yes, but use a very small amount. A little goes a long way, especially for finer hair.
Absolutely. You can swap the oil for something else or use a blend. Just keep the total amount about the same so the consistency doesn’t change too much.
Yes, but keep it simple at first. Adding more ingredients can make the conditioner harder to preserve, so make sure your preservative can handle the final formula.
With a preservative, about 2–3 months is a safe estimate. Without one, about a week in the fridge.
Prefer a faster overview?
Easy DIY Hair Conditioner
Equipment
- pump bottle
Materials
- 83 g distilled water
- 5 g BTMS
- 5 g glycerin
- 5 g argan oil or other oil(s)
- 1 g preservative (or use your preservative at its recommended rate)
- 1 g lavender essential oil or other essential oils
- lactic acid (for pH adjustment, optional)
Instructions
- Clean your work surfaces, utensils, and packaging. (You can use alcohol to better sanitize surfaces.)
- Weigh out the distilled water.
- Heat the water over a double boiler while you measure out the oil(s) and emulsifier.
- Weigh out the oil (or oils) in a double boiler insert.
- Tare the scale and add the BTMS (or another cationic emulsifier) to the oil(s).
- 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.
- Slowly add the hot water to the hot oil mixture while stirring or blending, keeping both phases at a similar temperature (around 70–75°C / 160–170°F).Blend with an immersion blender (or stir vigorously) until the mixture comes together and begins to thicken.
- Allow the mixture to cool, stirring occasionally, until it reaches around 90ºF/30ºC. Then add the preservative, essential oils, and any other heat-sensitive ingredients. Mix well to fully incorporate.
- Test the pH of the conditioner. Ideally, you want the pH to be in a good range for both your hair (around 4.5–5) and for the effectiveness of your preservative. (It’s easiest to choose a preservative that works in that range rather than adjusting the whole recipe.) Adjust the pH down with a couple of drops of lactic acid (or, less likely, up with a solution of NaOH).
- Bottle your conditioner. Wait until fully cooled to cap the bottle to prevent condensation from forming above the conditioner. You can now use it as needed!
Notes
- Make small batches and use within about 3 months.
- You can substitute the argan oil with another oil or a blend of oils.
- Glycerin is optional and can be replaced with more water if preferred.
- If your conditioner feels too thick, you can reduce the BTMS slightly or increase the water a bit in your next batch.
- Use a broad-spectrum preservative suitable for water-based products and follow its recommended usage rate. Most are used at around 0.5–1%, but always check your specific product.
- Make sure your preservative works within the pH range of this recipe (around 4.5–5).
- For a full example of how to customize this recipe, see my example of a customized conditioner.
This post was originally published on March 9, 2017. It has been updated with new photos, clearer instructions, and a step-by-step video.
Easy to make! I bought a scale and followed the recipe exactly, minus the double boiler part. I got a nice thick cream. Am I supposed to shampoo it out of my hair though? It left my hair oily. I’m going to tonight. Cheers!
Hi Elizabeth,
No, you shouldn’t have to shampoo it out!
Are you using BTMS-50 or BTMS-25. With BTMS-25 it should be pretty light. I’ve heard the other can feel heavy/oily to some people, but others love it!
I sometimes even leave some in my hair as a leave-in and it doesn’t feel oily to me at all.
If you have a low porous, fine hair, you may have that sensation more than other people. You could alter the recipe to suit your hair better by reducing (or even completely removing the oil). You could also reduce the amount of BTMS used.
I hope that helps!
Hi Tracy, can conditioners be made without oils or butters? If so can you direct me to a recipe? I’d really truly appreciate it, my hair is so fussy with most of the conditioners I’ve tried.
Hi Marwa,
You can theoretically leave out the oil and just use the BTMS and water. I was just heading off to bed right now, but I can try to take a look at how to modify the recipe later. (It may just be a matter of switching the oils for more water, but I want to look at the percentage of BTMS that I used before I say that for sure.)
Thankyou so much, I really appreciate it. Please let me know what you find out, it would mean so much.
Hi Marwa-
Sorry, I completely forgot.
I’ll write myself a note because I have to get my son ready for school now too- and am likely to forget again. 😉
Would colloidal oatmeal be any good in conditioner? or better in a shampoo bar please?
Hi Samantha,
I don’t really know as I’ve never tried it.
I am planning on working on making shampoo bars, though, soon! I can look into it maybe.
Very interesting…I cannot wait to test your recipe.
Hi Olivhiay,
I hope it goes well for you!
When making conditioner do you always have to use water? Could I replace water with aloe juice? Or just make conditioner not using water at all? Just trying to weight out my options.
Hello Jai,
Yes, you can switch out the water for other water-based products like aloe juice or floral waters. The problem with switching it all out completely for aloe juice is that it makes it more difficult to preserve with natural preservatives. I’d choose to only use aloe juice as part of the water part of the recipe.
While you can make conditioners without water, and use oils, they are much thicker and not as light. It would make a totally different type product.
It would probably end up a lot like my emulsified sugar scrub– without the sugar. I think you’d probably end up with a hair butter that would emulsify into a lighter conditioner when you rinse it, but I’m not sure.
You’d have to experiment.
Can you double or triple the ingredients to make extra ?
Hi Mildred,
Yes, that’s fine- as long as you double or triple all of the ingredients. For easy adjusting of my recipes, click on the number in the servings box of the recipe. (In this case 100g in a turquoise box) A slider will come up that will allow you to adjust the ingredient amounts up or down as needed!
Keep in mind that it’s a bit more difficult to emulsify larger batches, though. So, it may be a good idea to do a smaller test batch to see how the process goes if you’re aking this sort of product for the first time. 🙂
You mentioned adding lactic acid to adjust ph. Where can I get lactic acid? Bulk apothecary Monuntain Rose Herbs and Brambleberry don’t have it. I found one on lotioncrafter.com, 90%. I hope that is the right one. I also noticed that lotioncrafter had 4 different types of Leucidal. I’m a beginner. Which one is most versital? I want to start experimenting with different facial and body lotions and scrubs but have no idea what preservatives to buy and usr in different products.
Yes, you can use whatever lactic acid you can find, really… just add it slowly, a couple of drops at a time because it really lowers the pH pretty quickly!
As for the Leucidal… one of my immediate goals is to write posts both on natural preservatives and natural emulsifiers. In all honesty, when I first started making my products, I used Leucidal because it sounded the most natural and so many people who read my blog are looking for as natural as they can get. My supplier didn’t specify which one it was. (I’ve since also seen that several are available. I’ll have to ask my supplier which one they sell.)
Since then, I’ve experimented with a lot of different, more natural preservatives, and I like to use some of the others now. What I don’t really like about Leucidal is that you have to use a lot more of it that you would with other preservatives (3-4% vs around 1% for most of the others.)
I’ve also read that it can be prone to mold, but I’ve never seen any mold in any products I’ve made with it.
Lately, I’ve been using Geogard (aka Cosgard) and Sharomix.
I think the preservative you choose will depend on the pH range of the product you are making, etc., but in the end, it really doesn’t matter too much other than that. Some preservatives can make clear products cloudy, but for this sort of recipe, that’s not really an issue. 😉
I have Neodefend and Millard Non GMO emulsifying wax pastilles on had. Can I use those min place of the BTMS and Leucidal? If so, same ratios? Thanks!
Hi Brenda,
You can make a conditioner with other emulsifiers, but the results won’t be the same. Each emulsifier will give a different feel and will work differently on the hair.
The reason that BTMS makes such a great hair conditioner is that it is a cationic emulsifier. Cationic emulsifiers cling better to the hair and a bit stays behind even after you wash it out. That doesn’t mean that you can’t experiment with other emulsifiers. I’ve tried making a hair conditioner with Olivem, for example, for people who have a sensitivity to BTMS. It was OK, but I didn’t like the feel as much. I wouldn’t use that one as a leave-in conditioner either. When using other emulsifiers, you may also want to experiment with adding in some oils (by switching them out for part of the water if you want to keep all of the percentages the same in your recipe).
As for the preservative, yes, it’s completely fine to switch that one out. I’m constantly trying out and using new preservatives.
Just make sure that the product falls into the right pH range for whatever preservative that you decide to use so that it will be effective. You’ll also want to use it at the recommended percentage for the recipe. (Leucidal needs to be used in higher percentages (3-4%) than most natural preservatives (most fall around 1%)). 😉
Hello Tracy, I love your conditioner that you have shared with us. I was wondering could you add Shea butter and/or mango butter to it as well? If so how much would you add? What would the ratio have to be for the water, oils, and emulsifier wax?
Hi Janet,
You can definitely switch up the oils for butters.
I’d either sub the argan oil for another oil or butter, or, yes, you could add slightly more, but keep in mind that doing so can make the conditioner feel heavier and make it harder to remove from the hair. It may end up weighing your hair down.
It really depends on our hair types, though. That’s why I’d suggest you experiment with it to find out how much extra oil your hair can handle. 😉
(I can’t really give you a precise ratio- I’d suggest playing with mine and altering it to suit your needs!)
Are there two ways of making the hair conditioner and from where could I find the BTMS
Hello Katniss,
I’m not sure what you mean about the two ways of making this conditioner?
The BTMS can be found online in many places. Amazon has it, and there is a link to where you can buy it on Amazon on the BTMS in the recipe itself.
I’m working on formulating new types of conditioners very soon. (I just finished taking a natural hair products formulation class, and am now working on playing with what I have learned.)
Hi, Tracy. I enjoy reading you blog very much. Your recipes are practical; instructions simple and easy to follow; ingredients approachable. I have tried the hair conditioner using the emulsifying wax (Cetearyl Alcohol/PEG-20 Stearate), because this is what I have at hand. It worked, but without the silky feel I want.
I am searching to buy BTMs right now. I come cross BTMs 25 and BTMs 50. Could you please let me know which one you use in this recipe? June
Hi June,
Thank you!
I used BTMS 25. I should update and specify. When I first wrote the post, though, I didn’t even know both types existed as my supplier only referred to it as BTMS. My supplier is on the more natural side, and BTMS 50 has the addition of butylene glycol which may be why they don’t supply both. Many people are trying to avoid the PEG’s and glycols so they stick with BTMS-25. I don’t think it’s an unsafe ingredient, but it is what it is.
Anyway, either should work fine in this recipe. Some say 50 gives more slip. Others say it’s heavier and feels like it leaves more buildup. I haven’t tried it to know for sure. This one already gives great slip/conditioning so I’m quite happy to stick with BTMS-25.
When making a conditioner with regular emulsifying wax, you’re really making more of a lotion. Don’t throw yours away- use it on your skin instead. 😉
The main difference is that you need a cationic emulsifier like BTMS to give that nice slip and detangling. You can use what you used, but, as you mentioned, it doesn’t have that nice slippery feeling on your hair.