I’ve had loads of requests for a cleansing conditioner, and I’m really excited to finally have one to share! This one is decadently creamy and works through the hair with no lather. It rinses out beautifully, leaving the hair clean and wonderfully manageable (I couldn’t believe how easily I could finger comb through my hair after the first use!). If you’ve ever made lotion you’ll find this wonderfully easy to make, and if you’re a fan of CO washing, I think thisĀ Cream of Earl Grey Cleansing Conditioner is right up your alley 😊
Want to watch this project instead of read it?
I wasn’t originally planning on making this a cleansing conditioner, but as I was writing up the formula and choosing my ingredients, I remembered some posts I’d seen in the surfactant and conditioner focussed Making Skincare Facebook group I’m a member of. There was some general discussion of a commercially manufactured cleansing conditioner that was basically a fairly standard conditioner with a small amount of cocamidopropyl betaine included. So, on a whim, I included 2%Ā cocamidopropyl betaine in my water phase and carried on. The rest of the water phase features some plant-derived keratin for some shine, and glycerine and panthenol for hydration.
Our oil phase is pretty small, which I find tends to work best for conditioners. My hair doesn’t need a ton of oil, and keeping the oil phase on the smaller side helps ensure the conditioner doesn’t leave my hair looking dirtier than it was when I started! We’re using BTMS-50 as our emulsifier as it’s also conditioning, which contributes hugely to how wonderful my hair feels after using this conditioner. You can likely use BTMS-25 instead, but the end result won’t be as conditioning.
For oils, we’re using coconut oil and argan oil. Coconut oil is special in hair care as its ability to actually penetrate the hair shaft has been well documented, with 95% “lipids that can ‘seep’ under cuticles“. Argan oil contains 98% such lipids, though its penetrative ability is not documented. I’ve also included some cetearyl alcohol for some fluffy, rich thickening. Given the small size of the oil phase this conditioner would be pretty drooly without a thickener!
Our cool down phase features a new-to-the-blog ingredient:Ā silicone ester copolymerĀ from Windy Point (thanks, Michele!). I’ve included it at just 1% for added shine and slip. Our essential oil blend is vanilla-like benzoin, bright bergamot, and palmarosa, which is reminiscent of sweet black tea. The three combine to channel the scent of a sweet Earl Grey latte. Yum!
Want to watch this project instead of read it?
Cream of Earl Grey Cleansing Conditioner
Water Phase
74.69g | 74.69% distilled water
2g | 2%Ā plant-derived keratin (USA / Canada) (look for products with names like phytokeratin or vegekeratin)
3g | 3%Ā vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
3g | 3%Ā panthenol powder (vitamin B5) (USA / Canada)
2g | 2%Ā Cocamidopropyl Betaine (USA / Canada)Oil Phase
4g | 4%Ā BTMS-50 (USA / Canada)
3g | 3%Ā virgin coconut oil
3g | 3%Ā argan oil (USA / Canada)
2g | 2%Ā cetearyl alcohol (USA / Canada)Cool Down Phase
1g | 1% silicone ester copolymer
0.06g | 0.06%Ā Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
0.5g | 0.50%Ā Liquid Germall Plusā¢ (USA / Canada)
0.5g | 0.50%Ā benzoin resinoid
0.75g | 0.75%Ā palmarosa essential oil
0.5g | 0.50%Ā bergamot essential oilPrepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a wide, flat-bottomed sautĆ© pan.
Weigh the water phase into a small heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Weigh the entire lot (measuring cup + ingredients) and note that weight for use later. Weigh the oil phase into a second heat-resistant glass measuring cup. Place both measuring cups in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
After about 20ā30 minutes the oil part should be completely melted and the water part should be thoroughly dissolved. Remove the water bath from the heat and weigh it. Add enough hot distilled water to bring the weight back up to what it was before heat and hold, and then pour the water part into the oil part. Stir with a flexible silicone spatula to incorporate.
Grab your immersion blender and begin blending the conditioner, starting with short bursts so the still-very-liquid conditioner doesn’t whirl up and spray everywhere. Blend for about a minute, leave to cool for ten, blend for another minute or two, and repeat this blend-cool-blend cycle until the outside of the glass measuring cup is barely warm to the touch and the lotion is thick and creamy.
Once the lotion has cooled, stir in the cool down ingredients. Given the small weights, you’ll likely want to use a more accurate scale, but more accurate scales typically have maximum weights well below the weight of the measuring cup you’ve been blending in. So, I weigh the cool down ingredients into a small dish on a more precise scale, stir a bit of conditioner in, and then stir all of that back into the parent batch.
When everything is all combined you’re ready to bottle it! This batch makes 100g (3.5oz) and will do well in a 120mL/4 fl oz container. I’d recommend a tottle or squeeze bottleāI used this one from Windy Point.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this conditioner contains water, you must include a broad-spectrum preservative to ward off microbial growth. This is non-optional. Even with a preservative this project is likely to eventually spoil as our kitchens are not sterile laboratories, so in the event you notice any change in colour, scent, or texture, chuck it out and make a fresh batch.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 100g.
- You can try a different hydrolyzed protein, likeĀ hydrolyzed oat proteinĀ orĀ hydrolyzed silk (USA / Canada)Ā in place of the plant-sourced keratin
- You can replace theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine with more water, but this will decrease the wash-off of the end product and it will no longer be a cleansing conditioner. You can increase the cleansing strength by increasing it to 4%, removing that extra 2% from the distilled water. You could use a different amphoteric surfactant for theĀ Cocamidopropyl Betaine, but I haven’t had much luck finding any that are available to homecrafters.Ā Les Ćmes Fleurs sells babassuamidopropyl betaine, which should be a good alternative.
- Do not swap the BTMS-50 for a non-cationic emulsifying wax; if you do you’re no longer making hair conditioner
- You can tryĀ babassu oil in place of the coconut oil. You can also use refined coconut oil instead of virgin.
- You can u se another liquid oil your hair loves in place of argan oil;Ā meadowfoam seed oil, jojoba oil (USA / Canada), andĀ broccoli seed oil would all be good options.
- You can useĀ cetyl alcohol (USA / Canada) instead of cetearyl alcohol.
- Dimethicone 350 will work well instead of the silicone ester copolymer. You can also replace it with more water (lighter) or liquid oil (heavier).
- You can use a different essential oil blend or fragrance oil if you prefer.
So would one use this without first shampooing the hair? Is it kind of like a conditioning shampoo? I am a little confused, clearly. š
It’s a two-in-one, though more on the conditioner side than you’d typically find with store bought two-in-one products. I find you need quite a lotāI used about 50g in one go! Thoroughly work the product through all your hair, let it sit while you tend to your other shower tasks, and then thoroughly rinse it out (until you can “squeak” everywhere). That’s it! You won’t believe how easy it is to comb through you hair š Happy making!
I am intrigued by this product but am a bit confused also. Is this meant to replace shampoo and also conditioner – so that you would use this one product to both wash and condition your hair?
Thanks Marie!
Hi Joan! It is meant to replace shampoo– conditioner washing (co-washing) is really big in the curly hair community. For those with really dry hair, replacing shampoo with a conditioner wash can do wonders. Personally, I co-wash, then use a rinse out conditioner, then a leave-in conditioner (I have curly dry hair). Straight hair or oily hair might not need the additional conditioners š
Yes, it’s basically an all-in-one š It feels like conditioner in the hair, but cleanses as well!
Hooray! Thanks Marie I was hoping you would make a cleansing conditioner
I will be making this on the weekend
Woo! I look forward to hearing your thoughts š
Are the essential oils just for fragrance? If so, If I choose to go unscented and leave out the essential oils, do I need to add anything in their place?
They are just for scent š If you want to leave it unscented I’d recommend replacing the amount of EO with more water; typically you’d replace an oil soluble thing with another oil soluble thing, but we don’t want any more lipid type oils in this product, so if you don’t want anything smelly more water is the best bet! Happy making š
YAY! I’ve been a cowashing curly girl for years and would LOVE to make my own cowashing conditioner. Thanks for including a silicone free option š
Wonderful! I look forward to hearing what you think š I’m already planning my next cowash recipe!
I’m having a hard time tracking down BTMS50 other than at Lotion Crafter, which has INSANE shipping costs for a small order. I found BTMS25 on Amazon. What would happen if I used that instead?
BTMS-25 is only half as conditioning as BTMS-50, so it would be less conditioning. I also wouldn’t swear to the stability of the emulsion as I haven’t yet worked with BTMS-25.
Marie,
Oh dear, I just found a huge lot that included two bags of BTMS50 and loads of other fun things on eBay. I may have bid on it… (I totally bid on it.) If I don’t get that, I’ll just have to wait to make a proper LotionCrafter order š Thanks for the advice.
OOooooer š Good luck!
This formula looks amazing for my dry haired friends. One question, what does Palmarosa smell like? Is there another recommendation you make that would work with the Benzoin/Bergamot combo?
It smells a lot like black tea, which is pretty darn cool! You could use more benzoin instead for a stronger citrus/vanilla scent if you don’t have it š
I made this right away! I had to make a few adjustments because of what I had on hand: I used hydrolyzed silk instead of a keratin and rice bran oil instead of argan oil. I also used a different blend of essential oils so mine smells different than yours, but it was terrific. I think the 2% Cocamidopropyl Betaine is just enough cleanser to make this a great co-wash.
Thank you for this amazing DIY resource! I was so excited to see that you’re right here in my city!
WHEEE!!! I’m so glad! I’m already brainstorming things to try on my next one š This recipe is almost all gone, so I better get on it š And hello to a fellow Calgarian! I’d love to see you at a class or perhaps a meetup š Happy making!
Good morning Marie! Can’t wait to start making this, however the surfactants I have are Decyl Glucoside, Foaming Soy, Gentle foam (SCG) and coco glucoside. Do you know if I can replace the surfactant with any of these? They are all liquid š Thanks a lot for this recipe love!
You could try any of them; all of those surfactants are non-ionic or anionic, while Cocamidopropyl Betaine is amphoteric. I’d probably try one of the non-ionic ones first. Let me know how it goes!
I have been looking at the various ideas for how to replace my shampoo and conditioner. My old giant bottles that I bought years ago are finally almost out. I have curly hair that I color. I think I am going to give this a try first. I have not really used co-washing much in the past be cause I feel like they tend to under condition. So I am excited to give this a try. Sounds like it doesnāt last long so I will probably scale up from the get go.
I look forward to hearing what you think! I definitely don’t feel like this under-conditions, but if you want to amp it up you could include a polyquat or honeyquat as well š
I love this DIY. I had most of all the ingredients and it cleaned my hair and made my hair so soft
Yay, I am so glad! Thanks so much for DIYing with me š
I made this as a “normal” conditioner, since I tend to wash only my scalp and use conditioner from the ears down. I tried it today and I love both the smell (don’t have palmarosa yet but it still smells amazing) and the consistency. I tried one of your earlier conditioner recipes recently and even though it worked fine, it was quite watery and I didn’t feel like it stayed on the hair.
I love your substitution suggestions btw – it can be hard to find the exact same ingredients here on the other side of the pond.
Yay! I’m so glad š The cetearyl alcohol really does give the product the most wonderful consistency š Thanks for DIYing with me!
Warm hello Marie !
I’ve been looking up your site since days and hope to try a few makeup recipes for me and my sister. Your stubborn diying is inspirational like WOW ! I have a question and probably a bit of a challenge for exploring if this hasn’t been looked into before. Back in the 90’s my aunt came over and she was using this product which i thought was breathtaking genius; hair mascara ! Do you have any idea how i can make a natural version work for my sister ? She has alopecia and her guy loves highlights. So i’ve been hoping to find something that would not only not damage her hair but semi nourish it too (no nourishing would be fine, as long as it’s not damaging and works !). I’ve been thinking on the lines of something including fuller’s earth (multani mitti) and lavendar and rosemary essential oils, micas, cornflour but i’m severely inexperienced and have no idea how this would dry, i thought i should rather ask someone so versed in homemade items ! I’d super appreciate some help !
Bless you and your diying ! <3
Hey! There is a mascara recipe in my bookāthat’s probably where I’d start. My concern about putting a DIY’d mascara on the head would be the messāthe pigments are strong and will stain hats, sheets, etc.
Last week I coloured my hair for the first time in 3yrs and aaaaaagghh! My hair felt like a brillo pad š (even after using the shampoo and conditioner supplied with the colourant, and I haven’t used commercial products for years).I made this using Jojoba and water soluble shea butter, Benzoin and blood orange EO’s (I just love citrus). I didn’t think my hair would feel clean as there isn’t any foaming (I was wrong).I have used it three times so far, and it’s GREAT! Even from the first use (and I didn’t need to use a lot) my hair feels so soft and silky š Thank you for a great idea and recipe Marie. I can’t wait for the next cleansing conditioner, hope it’s soon.
Woo, I’m SO glad! That’s amazing š I definitely have another one in the works already š
Ooh great! š Will we have long to wait for it? I hope it’s as good as this one, I don’t know if you can beat it, š
46 days š
Hi Marie! I made this cleansing conditioner and my only change was cetyl alcohol instead of cetearyl as I didnāt have it. I have to admit I was not sure what a cleansing conditioner was so I Googled about it. After doing some reading I decided to go ahead and make this. I scaled it up on the get-go because I had a feeling I was going to like it based on what I had read. I have coarse, curly/wavy type hair and I have a lot of it. It is just past my shoulders but itās quite thick and full. Due to the coarseness itās not too shiny and it can be very unmanageable.
Anyhow…I used this product for the first time yesterday and I was absolutely impressed! First of all it smells amazing but more important than that it was WONDERFUL for my hair. I let my hair air dry because it was later on a Saturday and I try to give my hair a break on the weekends. Typically when I air dry my hair the results are a frizzy, poofy, mess! This day however all I can say is wow,wow,wow it wasnāt like that after drying on itās own! It feels so soft! My comb glided through my hair! AND when I woke up on Sunday morning my hair was calm instead of itās usual wild mess. I expected a good product since Iāve been so impressed with your recipes but I didnāt expect it was going to be SO lovely for my hair. Iām excited to continue on with this product and I hope it really makes a difference with my hair! THANK YOU!
YAY!!! This comment put such a huge smile on my face š Thank you so much for sharingāI am so glad your hair is loving this cleansing conditioner! WHEEE!!!
Hey Marie I don’t wanna use dimethicones in my products can u tell how much oil I could use instead or how much oil to replace it completely.
This is explicitly covered in the substitutions list; please read it.
I loved this product! It was perfect for my hair. I’m curious, do you think it is possible to make a solid cleansing conditioner? I’m travelling soon and am trying to reduce the number of liquids I have with me. Thanks for an awesome blog
Perhaps, but I’m not certaināyou’d have to do the experiments yourself and see how it goes. Given solid things have to be mostly fatty type things it would be more likely to work if your hair is more tolerant of oilsāthe cleansing conditioners that work for me are usually at least 80% water, which isn’t possible with solid things, of course (unless frozen, lol). I’d probably just stick with a shampoo bar + conditioner bar pairing š
I just made my second double batch and just love this recipe. Next time I’ll just quadruple it. This is my official farewell to Deva Curl products!!!
I used bergamot and litsea for and orangey-lemony scent. It goes great with your Lemon Chiffon Lotion recipe. š
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and recipes so generously!
Hello Elaine!
You’re a star! Have you been taking pictures of your creations and posting them on Instagram?
Hi Marie,
Nice article! I plan on trying it out. I will try using Daicon Seed oil as a silicone replacement and see how it works. I am thinking though that I would incorporate it into the oil phase? What are your thoughts?
Thanks so much for such well-researched formulations. š
Hey Eva!
Now, I’ve not experimented with Daicon Seed Oil, but looking at the substitutions listed on the formula page and knowing what I know about subbing ingredients, there is no harm is swapping it and giving it a try! Just be aware that swapping one ingredient for another alters the final product.
Happy making!
Barb
So I made this original version which I love and my hair does also, never using shampoo again. I decided to swap out the coconut oil for MonoĆÆ De Tahiti and leave out essential oils. This was definitely runnier. Iām guessing I should have re added the weight from the essential oils I left out in either more MonoĆÆ or Argan. Iām still going to use it donāt want to waste it. Iām sure it will still clean my hair, but itās a lesson learned. Both options smell amazing. So is that where I went wrong?
Marie, I LOVE what this does for my hair but would love a little more cleaning. I realize that i could just up the surfactant a bit, but how about adding another surfactant? Is that possible with all the other ingredients in the recipe? What other surfactant would you recommend?
I made a big batch of this (after trying a single batch first), and I am finding that while I LOVE the results for my hair, my scalp itches SO MUCH for at least a day after I wash it with this. The only things I swap are: 1) I use cetyl alcohol, 2) I use LuxGlide 350, 3) I used Jojoba oil, 4) I used a fragrance oil + a little EO. These seem like minor swaps to me. I tested the ph out of curiosity and it looks like it’s a 6 or 6.5 (using strips). I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be for hair. Maybe the Cocamidopropyl Betaine is too strong for me and I need a milder one? 2% seems low, though. I just don’t know. Am I forgetting something to consider when trying to figure thise type of thing out?
Hey Elizabeth! So, the first thing I would do is remove the fragrance and essential oil entirely, replacing them with water. In my experience, those ingredients are the ones most likely to cause a negative reaction š I definitely have a few “can’t use” essential oils and fragrance oils in my pantry. Le sigh. The next thing to look at would be the BTMS-50; can you use that in other formulations without issues? Cationic ingredients have the potential to be irritating, but this one is usually fine.
After that… allergies? Could any be coming into play here?
Good luck!
I’m waiting for it to cool now. I’m excited! I need to wash my hair after work because I care for sick and very contagious people, even if my hair isn’t really dirty. (I also just bought some scrub caps!!! Double hygiene measures!) I’m hoping this cleanser will help give my hair a break from full-on shampooing.
I hope you love it! ā¤ļø
This is doing a fantastic job of preserving my fresh hair color (zero dye bleed when I use this versus purple lather when I shampoo) and leaves my hair feeling soft and clean.
I made a version of this with 2% dimethicone instead of 1% silicone ester copolymer, 50% more BTMS-50, and 50% more oil. It spread much more easily through my hair and I was about to use 1/4-1/3 of the batch instead of 1/2. I’m not sure if it was due to the dimethicone, the oil, or both, but I’m thrilled! I may have to try the changes separately and figure out which one was the key, but I’m leaning towards the dimethicone, based on the mediocre spreadability of a recent experiment with a very large oil phase and no silicone of any kind.