Nobody wants to walk around with dry, frizzy, fried hair, especially when there is a simple solution to your problem. Make your homemade conditioner using your favorite essential oils!
You can customize which oils you use depending on your hair type and its needs, and make your very own unique brand of hair care just for you.
The good news is that by changing from shop-bought conditioner to homemade conditioner, you can easily switch up the ingredients depending on what your hair is lacking and also save yourself a lot of money in the process.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the different essential oils out there that are perfect for maintaining that glossy, salon finish, and show you just how easy it is to create several different conditioner recipes for you to try.
How Do Hair Conditioners Work?
Conditioners help to repair damaged hair and rejuvenate dull, lifeless hair, but have you ever wondered exactly how a conditioner does this?
As the name suggests, rather than cleansing hair strands, it conditions your hair follicles and has immediate effect. Your hair is covered in cuticles that are made up of scale-like tiles, and through too much exposure to heat, hair dye, or a simple lack of hair care, these tiles can stand out.
When this happens, your hair can look rough, dull, and out of condition.
When the conditioner is applied to the hair shaft, it helps smooth down these tiles which makes your hair look shiny and healthy. This is possible because of the protein within the ingredients.
This protein binds with the keratin in your hair and they work together to strengthen the hair shaft.
Whereas Shampoo tends to open up the hair’s cuticle to clean and cleanse each strand, a conditioner seals it closed which helps to lock in nutrients. By doing so, the conditioner helps to strengthen the hair shaft which prevents issues such as breakage, hair loss, and split ends.
Benefits Of Hair Conditioners
No matter what type of hair you have, whether it’s curly, kinky, straight, thick, or fine, conditioners provide your hair with the moisture it needs to continue looking sleek and healthy. Other benefits to using conditioner in your hair routine include:
Enhanced shine
The revival of damaged hair
The reduction of frizz
More manageable hair
Essential Oils
Over the years, it seems that everything from rice water rinses to egg hair masks have been tried and tested as potential ways to condition your hair. Some have failed, and some have worked extremely well.
But the newest way to care for your hair is proving incredibly popular and seems to be a step in the right direction for those wanting to ditch big brands and focus on more natural, homemade remedies.
Essential oils are big news for hair and creating your unique blend of essential oils guarantees that your hair is receiving the exact treatment and nourishment that it needs.
Distilled from the plant itself, essential oils typically have the scent of the plant and are usually very highly concentrated. Even though using natural products is better than using harsh chemicals, natural substances can still be irritating, toxic, and can sometimes cause allergic reactions.
Before using any essential oil on your body, it’s important to test a little on a small area of your skin.
Which Essential Oil Should I Use?
Once you’ve decided to make that switch from using a shop-bought conditioner to creating your homemade conditioner, finding the right essential oil to use is the next step. With so many oils available, it can be tricky to know which one is best for your hair type.
Here are some of the best essential oils you can use on your hair and the different hair types they are best matched with.
Hair Type – Normal
For normal hair, the best oils to use are Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Geranium, Orange, Lavender, and Rosemary
Hair Type – Oily
If you suffer from oily hair, the best oils to use are Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cypress, Grapefruit, Lavender, and Lemon.
Hair Type – Dry
If drying your hair is proving a nightmare situation for you, try using Frankincense, Geranium, Lavender, Palmarosa, Rosemary, and Sandalwood Oil.
Hair Type – Damaged
For those who may have damaged their hair with chemicals, the best oils to use are Lavender and Frankincense.
Hair Type – Fine
Fine hair can be hair to keep in tip-top condition, but Geranium oil is great to use if you have this particular hair type.
Hair Type – Dark
Dark hair can look incredibly glossy when it’s healthy, and using Rosemary oil and Thyme oil can help you achieve this.
Hair Type – Fair
Fair hair can often look a little lackluster when it’s not properly cared for, but using Roman Chamomile can work wonders on this hair type.
Hair Type – Gray
As hair ages, it can often look wiry and dull, but Sage oil is fantastic for bringing it back to life.
Washing your hair too often can wash the life, and shine, right out of it. Using Geranium, Horsetail, Lavender, and Rosemary oil is perfect for restoring its natural moisture and shine.
Hair Type – Thinning hair
Thinning hair can be a tough situation to find yourself in. But, to ensure that your hair is still in the best condition possible, Basil, Clary Sage, Cypress, Palmarosa, Rosemary, Thyme, and Cedarwood, are all fantastic oils to help maintain a healthy mop of hair.
Hair Type – Dandruff
Dealing with dandruff can be an embarrassing situation to find yourself in, as you constantly want to scratch your scalp and may often find your clothes covered in little white flakes of skin. Using Cedarwood, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree, Thyme, and Patchouli, will help restore any moisture your hair and scalp are lacking and prevent dandruff from returning anytime soon.
What Does Each Oil Provide?
Knowing more about what each type of essential oil provides is key if you are wanting to include them in your homemade conditioner and products. Our list below will help you to understand a little more about how you can benefit from each oil.
Almond Oil
If you find that your scalp is dry, this oil is perfect for helping to soothe and moisturize it. It’s packed with nutrients and vitamins such as Omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids, Vitamin E, and magnesium.
Use this oil if you want to strengthen and nourish damaged hair or treat hair loss. By using just a few drops, you’ll quickly notice a difference in how silky, shiny, and nourished your hair will look and feel.
Cedar Oil
Cedar oil is renowned for its antibacterial and antifungal properties and using it for your hair can work wonders. Just like the rest of your body, your scalp needs to be cleansed for it to stay healthy and free from any infection.
Your scalp is affected daily by pollutants in the air, a temperature change, from fibers in clothing, and even from your shampoo, conditioner, and styling products.
As well as the natural oil produced by your hair follicles, your scalp can become clogged with dirt quickly. If left untreated, this can lead to hair loss and slower healthy growth.
Cedarwood oil helps to cleanse away this build-up of dirt and rebalance the natural oils of your hair. Including it in your hair routine will help to keep your scalp clean and in great condition leading to a healthy head of hair.
Chamomile Oil
If you find that your hair is a little on the dry side, chamomile oil will be your new best friend. It nourishes your hair by keeping it moisturized as well as helping to fight any damage it may have encountered from dirt, dust, grime, and harmful UV rays. Just by adding a couple of drops into your hair care routine, chamomile oil will soon have your hair feeling soft, smooth, and revitalized.
Sage Oil
Sage oil is great for not only improving the texture of your hair but also helping to prevent hair loss.
It’s packed with nourishing nutrients as well as antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that your hair loves. It also provides your hair with a dose of Vitamin A, B, and C, potassium, and calcium that all help improve the strength and condition of your hair.
It can easily penetrate the scalp meaning that these nutrients are delivered straight to the hair follicles. It also helps keep the scalp free from any buildup, bacteria, and free radicals by cleansing the scalp from any excess oil.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is perfect if you are seeking soft, lustrous hair, and no matter what your hair type, this oil is suitable for everyone. It’s packed with fatty acids that your hair, and skin, adore and because it’s similar to natural hair proteins, it’s particularly great at penetrating the hair shaft.
It limits everyday hair damage by treating the hair shaft which reduces the amount of water absorbed into the hair. Doing so also helps to reduce protein loss which can have a huge effect on the texture and health of the hair.
Geranium Oil
Geranium oil is brilliant for strengthening hair and can help regulate dryness and excess oil. With its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, this oil is great for cleansing the hair while at the same time creating a silky, smooth finish.
It helps to restore the natural pH of the scalp, and with a healthy scalp comes a healthy head of hair. As well as affecting the texture of your hair, geranium oil also helps promote new hair growth, so if you have noticed your hair starting to thin, this is the answer for you.
Jojoba Oil
If your hair is dry and lifeless, a few drops of jojoba oil is all it takes to help turn things around. As it has an oily composition, jojoba oil is perfect for adding moisture to each strand of hair, while at the same time, protecting the hair against future breakage and split ends.
Rich in vitamins C, B, and E, this oil is full of all the goodness your hair craves and needs to stay in peak condition. It also provides your hair with copper and zinc which, along with the vitamins, can help promote hair thickness and growth.
Lavender Oil
This popular oil is great if your hair requires a deep condition. As well as being deeply nourishing for hair, it can also help stimulate new hair growth, fight dandruff, and soothe a scalp that may be suffering from inflammation or infection.
Its antibacterial properties are perfect for cleansing the scalp and creating a perfect environment for your hair to grow. By nourishing the shaft of each hair strand, adding lavender oil to your hair care routine will leave you with perfectly smooth, shiny hair with the possibility of extra hair growth.
Sandalwood Oil
Sandalwood oil is incredibly valuable when it comes to treating hair problems such as dandruff, and when looking for a remedy to help strengthen hair and prevent breakage.
The antiseptic property in sandalwood oil is great for stimulating blood circulation, especially in the scalp which helps encourage hair growth.
The astringent property of sandalwood oil helps to control and regulate the sebum production in the scalp, so for those suffering from greasy hair, sandalwood oil is a must.
Homemade Conditioner Recipes
These recipes guarantee you salon locks every time. Check out some of our favorite homemade recipes we’ve come across!
For all Hair Types
2 tbsp cocoa butter
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp jojoba oil
1 tsp aloe vera
15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil
This conditioner is perfect for anyone wanting to create their homemade alternative. To make, melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil together and set them aside to cool. Once cooled for 5 minutes, add in the jojoba oil, aloe vera, and essential oil and stir. Place the mix into a container and use after shampooing by rubbing a teaspoon of the conditioner into the scalp. After 2 minutes rinse the conditioner out and enjoy your new soft, flowing, glossy locks.
Promote Hair Growth
1 part cedarwood oil
1 part rosemary oil
1 part clary sage oil
Add the oils to a bottle and mix them. To use, apply to hair. Pay attention to the scalp and ends of your hair and rinse well. You can also place this mixture in a spray bottle and use it throughout the day to keep your hair nourished.
For Damaged Hair
1 part clary sage oil
1 part lavender oil
1 part rosemary oil
1 part tea tree oil
Add the oils to a bottle and mix them. To use, apply it to your hair paying attention to the mid-lengths to ends of your hair. Again, you can use this as a conditioner top-up throughout the day by placing it in a spray bottle and adding a light mist to your hair.
For Dry Hair
3 parts rosemary oil
2 parts lavender oil
2 parts peppermint oil
Mix the oils and store them in a bottle. For best results, add this blend to your mid-lengths to ends after shampooing your hair. You can also use a small amount of this on dry hair for gloriously glossy locks.
For Oily Hair
3 parts peppermint oil
2 parts lemon
1 part lavender oil
If you suffer from oily hair this treatment will work wonders for you. Mix the oils and place them in a bottle. After shampooing, massage into your scalp and work through to your mid-lengths before rinsing.
Coconut Oil Conditioner
14oz organic coconut oil
2 tsp jojoba oil
2 tsp vitamin E oil
10 drops lavender oil
This conditioner is great to use as a deep conditioning treatment for hair that may have been chemically damaged. To make, melt the coconut oil and set it aside to cool slightly. Add the jojoba oil, vitamin E oil, and lavender oil and mix. Place into a container and use after shampooing. Massage into the scalp and work the mixture through the mid-lengths to the ends of your hair. Leave on for 2 minutes and rinse.
Avocado Deep Mask
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2-3 drops lavender oil
Avocado is a great ingredient to use if your hair needs a deep treatment as it moisturizes the scalp and hair. Mash up the avocado until you have a creamy consistency, or use a food processor to create a smooth mix.
Add in the olive oil, honey, and essential oil and mix. Store this in a container and use it as a hair mask as and when needed. Coat the hair in the mixture and rinse after 30 minutes for nourished hair.
Shea Butter Mask
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp shea butter
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp argan oil
4 drops lavender oil
2 drops cedarwood oil
This hair mask recipe is perfect for treating any scalp dryness you may suffer from as well as giving your hair a huge dose of moisture. To make, melt the coconut oil and shea butter and set them aside to cool slightly.
Add in the lemon juice, argan oil, lavender oil, and cedarwood oil and mix. Add the mixture to a container and use it after shampooing. Massage the mixture into the scalp and right through to the ends before rinsing.
Final Thought
Making a homemade conditioner is a perfect way to focus on your hair’s specific needs and provide it with the correct treatments and nourishment it is desperate for. Not only are homemade conditioners better for you, but they’re also better for the environment.
With a decrease in the amount of plastic packaging you’ll be using, as well as the chemical ingredients that get washed into our waterways, you will truly be taking a step in living a sustainable, environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Even better news, you’ll be doing it all with incredibly glossy, tamed, sleek-looking locks.
Hi, my name is Hannah Shiftle, and I started using essential oils 15 years ago. At first, I was dubious of them, much like a lot of people. However, as I began to use them on a daily basis, I quickly discovered how much of a difference they had on both my physical and mental health.
Through Oil Health Benefits, I will be sharing my knowledge and passion for essential oils with you, providing readers with all the information they need to know. From the best oils to use for illnesses, to understanding what makes essential oils pure, I have covered all these topics.
