Perhaps you are thinking “but Marie, didn’t you just publish a hair conditioner recipe?”. And you wouldn’t be wrong—it’s barely been a month. But I am smitten. I love my Olive & Jojoba Silk Hair Conditioner. I’ve been asking coworkers to touch my hair to prove how soft it is (they agree it is very soft). I keep running my hands through my hair like I just left the hairdresser. It’s amazing stuff. Conditioner is my new BFF. So I had to make more, obviously, and this Restorative Hydrating Hair Conditioner is just as awesome. Maybe even more awesome.
I found some panthenol (aka Vitamin B5) and Soap & More when I was last in and bought a wee bag on a whim. I recalled seeing it on assorted labels for various hair products, and hey—I do love new toys. Vitamin B5 is a super strong humectant, helping to attract moisture to the hair, keeping it soft, hydrated, and happy. Combined with some silk, you’ve got a fantastic hydrating, strengthening set of additives for a conditioner to help revitalize tired, dry hair.
For oils I used a blend of silicone-like broccoli seed oil and shiny castor oil (USA / Canada). Broccoli seed oil is great for hair; it’s lightweight and smooths down the cuticle, leaving hair smooth and shiny. It’s sometimes called a ‘natural’ dimethicone, which is pretty cool. If you don’t have it there aren’t a lot of similar oils, but I’d probably go with jojoba or camellia seed oil.
The scent blend is an intoxicating one; deep, beguiling labdanum and sweet rose. I used a rose essential oil my friend Clarke brought me back from the Mısır Çarşısı spice bazaar in Istanbul. It’s unlike any rose I’ve ever smelled before—more fruity, and not as sweet. I’ll be heartbroken when I’ve used it all, but for now I really want my hair to smell like that. Mmm.
Restorative Hydrating Hair Conditioner
3g | 0.1oz complete emulsifying wax (not beeswax!)
2g | 0.07oz castor oil (USA / Canada)
4g | 0.14oz broccoli seed oil
1g | 0.03oz Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)80g | 1.41oz just-boiled water
10g | 0.35oz vegetable glycerine (USA / Canada)
1/2 tsp silk peptides (don’t have silk?)
1/4 tsp panthenol (Vitamin B-5) (optional—the silk is also a great humectant)1g | 0.03oz bamboo bioferment (optional)
4 drops rose essential oil (optional—lavender would be a nice alternative)
2 blobs labdanum essential oilBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Weigh the emulsifying wax with the castor oil (USA / Canada), broccoli seed oil, and Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada) into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.
While the emulsifying wax mixture is melting, combine the water, glycerin, silk, and vitamin B5 in a small glass measuring cup and gently warm.
Once the emulsifying wax mixture has melted, add the water mixture. Heat through to ensure everything is melted before removing the pan from the heat.
Whisk the mixture as it cools—it will thicken into a nice white cream. I’d recommend using an immersion blender, especially if you are using a different emulsifying wax than emulsimulse, to help the conditioner thicken up quickly.
Whisk in the essential oils and the bamboo bioferment (if using). Add your preservative (though do check the instructions for your specific preservative—some have special instructions for adding to concoctions) and decant the mixture to a 120mL/ 4oz plastic pump-top bottle (avoid glass since this’ll be in your shower, and avoid wide mouthed jars so you don’t get lots of extra water into your conditioner when you try to use it). Enjoy!
Don’t have the oils called for in the recipe? Check this out.
I also found vitamin B5 at Lotion Crafter and on Amazon.
New to lotion/conditioner making? Watch my basic lotion how to video!
Does this eliminate the need for an ACW rinse if using homemade soap/shampoo bars?
No. You’ll still need an acidic rinse to smooth the scales on the hair cuticle back down and prevent tangles. The conditioner just moisturizers your hair and makes it silky soft and even easier to comb, imo.
Nope—read this for more info 🙂
I thought you needed a btms do you have a recipe for conditioner with shea butter that uses butters for people with super dry brittle hair, hemp seed oil, neem oil I know this is a bit much im looking to make something for my breakages type 3 hair ewax can be used for hair?
Yes, BTMS-50 would be a much better choice here to make it a true conditioner; I developed this recipe before I had any. You can simply use it instead of the ewax. No, I don’t have a recipe with all those things in it, sorry!
What’s the best/cheapest version of silk protein?
The only one I’ve worked with at this point is from New Directions Aromatics, and I like it!
Is this a leave in or rinse out conditioner?
I rinse it out, but you could certainly apply significantly less and leave it in 🙂
GOod morning, Marie! Thanks for another great recipe. Quick question about the silk: I have Liquid Silk ( https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Silk-P4097.aspx ); is this acceptable in place of what you recommend in the recipe? Just want to double check. 🙂 Thanks so much! Have a great day!
Hey Maevyn! I wrote an FAQ on this 🙂
I just read your article on rinse (ie vinegar) vs. conditioner ie oils… would you recommend a rinse along with this? Or can I add vinegar/lemon juice/citric acid into this conditioner to round it out? thank you so much for the fantastic recipes!!!
No. You’ll still need an acidic rinse to smooth the scales on the hair cuticle back down and prevent tangles. The conditioner just moisturizers your hair and makes it silky soft and even easier to comb, imo.
I would be cautious trying to add vinegar or citric acid to an emulsion; dramatic changes in the pH can cause the emulsion to break and separate. However if you succeed, please share your chemistry skills! I for one am curious! I’m just another fan but we should stick together while we DIY.
Hey Karly! I’m using this rinse these days 🙂 I’m hesitant to recommend adding acidic ingredients to an emulsion without trying it first as it may split.
I love your blog and wait for new recipes to come but then when some ingredients are missing it’s hard to make them then I try to collect the stuff I want so I could order together from NDA
Could you please make a leave in conditioner and an intense conditioning mask for hair
Thanks Nina! You are welcome to fill out the recipe request form if you have ideas for recipes you would like to see 🙂 Don’t forget to search as well, I have over 800 posts up here and several could be leave in conditioners.
How much does this make and how long is the shelf life? I have long hair (to my butt) and I live in Colorado, so I need to condition regularly. Also, I use a shampoo bar and rinse with apple cider vinegar, before using a natural conditioner. I suppose that I should experiment to see what works for my hair but I’m curious about your experience/advice. I’ll definitely be buying some ingredients on the next paycheck!
Hi Sally! You can always figure out how much a recipe makes by adding up the ingredients; in this case it’s about 100g. I use conditioner after natural shampoo and my ACV rinse, and I’ll let the conditioner soak in while I shave my legs before rinsing it out thoroughly.
Read this for more information on shelf life, but the short version is “I have no way of knowing how long the version you make will live in the conditions you store it it”. If you include a broad spectrum preservative it sounds like you’d use it all up well before it’ll spoil based on how much hair you have!
What about using BTMS-50 instead of a standard e-wax. It is also emulsifier but would add so much more, in fact take btms-50, water + preservative and that by it self is a good conditioner.
You definitely can use BTMS-50 instead; I just got my first batch of it, so watch for it in future recipes 🙂
Hey Marie! I just have to tell you I just love your “site!” I have learned so much from you in my ventures of also becoming as you say, “stubbornly DIY!” And yes, I will definitely be getting your book — congrats on your accomplishment, cause it really is! Anyway, I made your Olive & jojoba hair conditioner & it is absolutely, heaven!!! My hair loves it. I’ve been doing the baking soda wash for about 2 yrs now & my hair does very well with it, but sometimes it’s inconvenient when traveling cause you have to heat up your water (not all hotels have a microwave :(. Anyway, I started doing clay washes & they work easily, & I don’t have to heat up the water first. I use the prior mentioned hair cond., & that works wonders. I also henna my hair for conditioning & coloring; I use “Lawson” henna which is different than the usual “compound” hennas made available in most beauty stores. No metals or “extras” are in it. I want to try this new conditioner you’ve posted, but I thot I would experiment with a product new to me to incorporate in it & thot I would mention it to you,(since I know you like to try new things)– It’s called Neossance™ Hemisqualane- Lotion Crafter carries it. Sometimes known as, Squalane Light. If you read the description, it’s GMO-free & a sugar-based product that is an alternative to paraffin based products & silicones. It’s also ECOCERT approved. I haven’t opened the bottle yet, but I will be down the road here when I try your new recipe! Thanx for all your efforts!!
Hi Abygale,
Thanks for the intro for Neossance™ Hemisqualane. Sound so great. I will also give it a trial.
I couldn’t wait till it was time to make more hair conditioner, so I opened my bottle of Neossance “Hemi”, as I refer to it, bcause you can use it on skin as well! It is wonderful !! I used it in some makeup I needed as I will be traveling & on the road again & I didn’t want store bought cosmetics. Thanks to one of Marie’s recipes (airbrushing foundation), I tweeked it a bit by adding some titanium dioxide, a bit more colorant & some “hemi”; it has more smoothness, very silky & has a bit more coverage which is what I need. I hope you have fun with it — it is a wonderful lil product. I wish Marie could get it.
Oooh, neat! This sounds like such a fun new toy 🙂 Also, if you’re loving DIY cosmetics you should definitely sign up to pre-order my new book, which is packed with DIY makeup recipes!
Thanks, Abygale! I’m not sure I’ll get a chance to try Neossance™ Hemisqualane since I’m in Canada and the exchange rate + cross border shipping is often really painful, but it definitely sounds like fun to play with 🙂 I look forward to hearing how it works for you in your ever-developing hair care journey. Happy making and thanks for DIYing with me!
HI, IF I GET THE RAW MATERIAL FROM LOTION CRAFTER, HOW TO YOU MAKE IT INTO A LOTION OR HAIR PRODUCT? ALSO WHAT % OF Neossance™ Hemisqualane DO YOU USE?
Hi Marie,
Long time fan of yours. Great site, great writing (in fact, love your writing)& great formulations. Learned so much from you.
I used to make & use shampoo soap, then later liquid soap shampoo (your previous formulation), follow with ACV rinse. My coarse hair didn’t like it. Kinking & roughness resulted. So I started making shampoo & conditioners using emulsifiers. That made a big improvement. I ask my husband to run his fingers through my silky smooth hair. Just wanted to share my experience. I have successfully used Cetearyl glucoside & sorbitan olivate and BTMS. Of the 2, I like BTMS the most. I also keep my conditioner at pH 4 (sometime 4.5). I felt that it make a big different to the smoothness of my hair. Just make sure all of your ingredients are suitable for this pH level. HTH.
Love your site & keep up with the good work.
Thanks, Carol! 😀 I’m so glad you’ve found something that works for you hair! I just started working with BTMS-50 and so far I’m really enjoying it in a new conditioner recipe. Are you doing an all-in-one emulsified product or separate ones?
Marie,
I can’t find BTMS-50 here, I can only find BTMS (aka BTMS-25). I still have some failed emulsions here & there. BTMS is cation & I can understand how it benefit your hair as a conditioner emulsifier, as it adhere & hence coat your hair. I don’t believe in 2 in 1. I think, the cleansing & conditioning functions don’t seem to go on well together. Sorry for being unclear.
Ah, ok, thanks 🙂 I am working on a 2-in-1 conditioner where the “2” are conditioning and acidic rinse since my hair washing requires 3 parts. So far so good!
Hi Marie!
I just tried this recipe and love it, but it seems to leave a greasy feeling in my hair. Have you ever thought of adding KOH or NaOH in small percentages (1-2%) to make it easier to rinse?
Hmm, interesting. I haven’t though of adding any lye, but you could try adding some Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate… I sense a new hair conditioner formula coming up for me in the near future 😛
Hey there 🙂
This conditioner is watery/runny and difficult to control during application (I’d hate to waste such good ingredients!). What would you recommend as a thickener? Guar gum, perhaps?
Thank you!
I’d probably choose xanthan since it’s stronger, but guar would likely work as well 🙂
Thank you Marie! I appreciate the reply 🙂
Hi Marie! I’ve kind of a newbie when it comes to making conditioners and lotions….haven’t done that many, but I keep having problems with separation, with this recipe, and the 2 in 1 recipe. I’m using BTMS 50 as the emulsifier. I was using Optiphen Plus, but read that it’s notorious for causing breakdown of emulsions, so I switched to liquid Germall. Still getting same results though. I use a battery operated whisk when blending, which still seems to incorporate a fair bit of air, no matter how careful I try to be…could that cause problems? I’ve read up a bit on the issue in general, and see references to ‘heating and holding’ as being important when making lotions and conditioners. My question is, could that be the problem? You don’t mention that in any of your recipes.
Hmm. Honestly, I didn’t heat and hold for years of lotion making and never had a problem with that, and I’m not convinced it’s necessary. Are you using distilled water? Are your phases the same temperature? I hand whisked my lotions for years, too, and that didn’t cause them to separate, despite low-shear mixing being a lotion no-no as well. How long does it take before separation happens?
I am using distilled water. It must be the temperature. I did not realize phases needed to be the SAME temp….just heated. Usually separation happens fairly soon after. I’ll improve my dedication to mixing. Could be that, too. I bought Susan Nichols’ book Lotion Making 101 a few days ago and I’ve learned a lot, but interestingly, her book really drives home the heat and hold and phase inversion principles. The article you link to makes a lot of sense, though. There are a surprising number of variations in what’s taught in diy skincare.
Have you considered trying another e-wax? I am sort of wondering if maybe you were sold BTMS-25 instead of 50… hmm. It’s just that most ewaxes are pretty foolproof, so since it sounds like you’re doing everything right, I’m starting to suspect the ewax. Hmmmm.
I don’t have the bioferment but I do have the powdered botanical extract concentrate. What’s the base of your bioferments? Alcohol, glycerine, water, or something else? I figured I can just use any of them to reconstitute my extracts, but I know it can change the final product.
Bioferments and powdered botanical extracts aren’t the same thing—I’m unclear as to if you are implying they are, so I figured I’d say so just in case. In any event, you would just re-hydrate the botanical extract in the water part of a recipe; no need to reconstitute it with anything else first 🙂
I thought I’d try to substitute, as the bamboo extract and bioferment seem to have very similar descriptions. Not quite, but still close!
Ok! Happy making 🙂
Hello and thank you for giving so many great recipes and tutorials. My question is if I double the amount of water, can I use this as a leave in? Thanks Rhonda
Hi Rhonda! I don’t recommend simply doubling the water as that will throw off the rest of the formulation; I shared a leave-in conditioner formulation here 🙂 Happy making!