Make Your Own Hair Conditioner

The personal grooming and hair care aisle in your local beauty supply store is most likely overwhelming by virtue of its sheer volume of available options. Even narrowing it down to hair conditioner alone, there is the option of choosing a leave-in conditioner or one that will rinse out. It is tempting to just buy one or the other, but to truly get your money’s worth, it is best to make your own leave-in hair conditioner. The process is cheap and simple, and you are certain to have the best hair conditioner available when you make it yourself.

Make Your Own Leave-In Hair Conditioner

*Begin by assessing your hair’s needs. Hair that is permed, colored, straightened or otherwise altered will have different needs than hair that is only gently brushed. An experienced hairdresser can quickly and easily assess your hair’s overall health and needs.


*Purchase filtered water in individual bottles. Filtered water is purified and has been rid of chlorine, long known to wreak havoc on blond hair. It is also devoid of many minerals that would normally lead to unsightly buildup and thus it makes it a perfect addition to your homemade leave-in conditioner.


*Mix 1 oz. of commercial hair conditioner with 5 oz. of purified water. Pour the components of the mixture into the spray bottle.


*Gently stir the mixture with a wooden or glass stirrer until it is well blended. You now have a bottle of homemade leave-in hair conditioner that takes a minimum amount of time and work and costs a fraction of the price you would spend for a similar product from the store.

Tips & Warnings

*Buying purified water in individual bottles is preferable to buying it in a gallon jug, since repeated opening and closing introduces contaminants that may lead to algae buildup in the bottle.
*Buy a small bottle of the conditioner to avoid storing a partially used bottle for a long period of time. The exposure to air and contaminants may alter the quality of the conditioner and since you will use it sparingly, getting your money’s worth depends on using the entire content of the bottle.
*Adjust the nozzle to use as little or as much of the leave-in hair conditioner as your hair’s condition requires. If you have just deep conditioned your hair, you will undoubtedly need less; if the weather looks like it might cause your hair to get frizzy, use more.
*Do not mistake filtered water for spring water. Some spring water is enhanced with minerals that will not work well for a leave-in hair conditioner.
*Do not use the same distilled water that you are using for your iron.