If you love making your own hair conditioner, it’s time to take it to the next level and learn how to formulate your own recipe!
Whether you make your own hair products because of hair health issues or because you just enjoy making DIY products, creating your own recipe will allow you to customise the ingredients for your needs and wants.
In this blog, we are going to guide you through the elements of a hair conditioner formulation, how each ingredient works, and knowing when to use them!
If you are not confident with the process of making your own conditioner, try our simple conditioner recipe first!
Contents
- Why Formulate Your Own Hair Conditioner Recipe?
- Rinse-Off Hair Conditioner Recipe Guideline
- What Ingredients Should You Avoid In A Hair Conditioner?
- What is Water Phase, Oil Phase and Cool Down Phase?
- How a Finished Recipe Should Look
- Test Your Recipe
- Rinse-Off Conditioner Compared To Leave-In Conditioner
- Final Thoughts
Why Formulate Your Own Hair Conditioner Recipe?
If you make your own hair conditioner but you use recipes online, why not try formulating your own recipe? You have complete control of which ingredients go into the product, so you don’t have to use that one ingredient you don’t like!
It’s ideal for those who struggle with hair and scalp issues, as you can avoid ingredients that may have a negative effect on your hair.
Plus, it’s so much more fun to formulate your own hair products from scratch!
Rinse-Off Hair Conditioner Recipe Guideline
The guideline below outlines the key elements of a hair conditioner formulation, along with a recommended percentage range for each. When formulating your first hair conditioner recipe, use these ranges as a guide and ensure that each ingredient remains within the suggested range.
- Conditioning emulsifier - 3-6%
- Thickener - 2-5%
- Emollients - 5-25%
- Preservative - 0.5-1.5%
- Active ingredients - 0-10%
- Fragrance - 0-1%
- Water - Remainder to 100%
- pH adjuster
But what are all of these elements? Let’s go through each one…
Conditioning Emulsifier
An emulsifier binds the water and oil in the recipe, so they do not separate. It forms a creamy consistency and adds a conditioning effect to the product. The two best conditioning emulsifiers for hair care products are:
- BTMS 25 - This is made up of behentrimonium methosulfate and cetearyl alcohol. It contains 25% of the active ingredient behentrimonium methosulfate. This emulsifier is a great choice if you want a gentler product for fine hair.
- BTMS 50 - This is made up of Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetyl Alcohol and Butylene Glycol. It contains 50% of the active ingredient behentrimonium methosulfate. This has more of a conditioning effect than BTMS 25, and it is ideal for hair that needs stronger detangling.
Both BTMS ingredients are commonly used at about 5% in a conditioner recipe.
Thickeners
Thickeners increase the viscosity of a formulation, while also improving the texture and consistency.
You’ll notice some of the individual usage rates may be higher than the overall guideline for a hair conditioner (2-5%). However, the total usage level should remain within the recommended guideline for hair conditioner, otherwise it may be too thick!
There are two different types of thickeners you can choose from: fatty alcohols and natural powders:
Fatty Alcohols
These ingredients add a creamy texture to a conditioner product. They not only thicken the formula, but they also help moisturise and smooth the hair. Fatty alcohols are generally more commonly used in hair products as thickeners than natural thickeners.
- Cetyl alcohol - The usage rate for hair conditioners is between 1-10%. It produces a silky, lightweight and smooth texture.
- Cetearyl alcohol - This is made up of 70% stearyl alcohol and 30% cetyl alcohol. In hair conditioners, the usage rate is between 1-25%. This creates a rich, creamy and more luxurious texture.
- Stearic acid - The usage rate for hair conditioners is between 1-5%. This makes a much thicker and heavier product.
Natural Powders
These thickeners increase viscosity and they can also increase the slip of a product. While these thickeners are a great natural alternative, they aren’t as popular as they don’t improve the texture as much as fatty alcohols.
- Guar gum - The usage rate for guar gum in a hair conditioner is 0.5% or less. It creates a slippery gel when used in formulations.
- Xanthan gum - The usage rate for hair conditioners is between 0.1-0.3%. It adds slip to a formulation and also assists with the stability of the product.
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose - The usage rate for hair conditioners is between 0.1-3%. Out of the 3 natural powder thickeners, this one has the best feel in a hair conditioner.
Emollients
An emollient adds moisturising benefits, they help lock in moisture and protect the hair from environmental damage. The best natural emollients are:
- Oils - Carrier oils can be used in a hair conditioner recipe on their own or combined with other emollients. If you want a lighter feeling product, then we would recommend just using carrier oils as your emollient. There are many different carrier oils that you can choose from and each oil has its own unique properties and benefits. Some oils are very lightweight, which is good for fine hair, and some oils are much thicker and deeply nourishing. Some of the most popular carrier oils are argan oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, castor oil. Explore our full carrier oil range!
- Butters - Butters add richness and make a thicker product. We recommend using a small amount of butters combined with the carrier oils, rather than just using butters alone as they can make a heavy product. Like carrier oils, there are many butters to choose from and each one has its own benefits. Some of the most popular butters for hair are coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and kokum butter. Explore our full butters range!
Preservatives
When making a water based cosmetic product, you will always need a preservative. They stop the growth of bacteria in the product, making it last longer and improving stability. There are many preservatives you can use, but we like using more natural preservatives like:
-
Geogard ultra - This is made up of 70-80% Gluconolactone, 22-28% Sodium Benzoate and 1-2% Calcium Gluconate.The usage rate for geogard ultra is between 0.75-2%. It is one of the most natural broad spectrum preservatives.
Active Ingredients
Active ingredients provide specific, targeted benefits. They can be used for boosting moisturisation and hydration, reducing frizz, reducing irritated scalp, strengthening damaged hair and more!
If you choose a selection of actives, ensure the total amount you use stays within the guideline for hair conditioners (0-10%).
Here are some of the most popular active ingredients:
- Panthenol - The usage rate for rinse-off hair conditioners is 1-5%. Panthenol adds moisture to the hair and it leaves hair looking shiny. It also offers protection to the hair shaft which can prevent breakage.
- Hydrolysed proteins - The usage rates for proteins differ between each protein. On average, the range is usually between 2-5%. Each protein can offer its own benefits, but overall, they can help retain moisture, strengthen the hair, leave hair looking smooth and shiny, reduce existing hair damage and prevent further damage.
- Botanical extracts - Usage rates can differ for each extract. On average, the range is usually between 1.5-3%. Each botanical extract has its own benefits, but they are generally used for their soothing and moisturising properties.
- Vegetable glycerin - A rough usage rate for glycerin in hair products is between 1-10%. Using too much glycerin can have a negative effect, so we recommend starting with a small amount. Glycerin is a humectant meaning it helps attract and retain moisture in the hair.
- Vitamin E oil - This is made up of 70% tocopherol and 30% helianthus annuus seed oil. Its usage rate in hair products is between 0.5-1%. It helps to lock in moisture and reduce dryness and frizz.
- Polyquaternium 7 - The usage rate for hair conditioners is between 0.2-5.0%. This is the ultimate anti frizz ingredient! PQ7 forms a thin coating on the hair shaft that is later absorbed by the hair, which stops moisture from causing frizz.
Fragrance
If you want your hair conditioner to smell nice, you can add our favourite fragrance oil or essential oils. However, it is very important not to add too much, as they can be irritating if too much is used.
Before choosing your essential oil, check Category 7A of the IFRA document to find out the maximum usage for that oil. We recommend adding no more than 0.5-1%.
For more information on how to read IFRA documents, read this in-depth blog!
Water
Water is the base of your recipe. It makes up the rest of your recipe. So whatever you have left in order to reach 100%, this will be water.
For example, if you have 3% emulsifier, 2% thickener, 5% emollients, 1% preservative and 10% active ingredients, that’s 21% all together. So you still have 79% left to make 100%. That will be the water.
pH Adjuster
The pH level of the hair conditioner is extremely important. After you have created your product, you need to test the pH and ensure it is between 4.5 - 5.5. Depending on the starting pH result, you can either use citric acid (to reduce the pH) or sodium hydroxide (to increase the pH).
What Ingredients Should You Avoid In A Hair Conditioner?
When making your own hair conditioner, you get to decide which ingredients to use and which ones to avoid! This means you don't have to use any nasty chemical or synthetic products. We recommend using natural ingredients where you can and avoiding using these:
- Alcohols - Harsh alcohols can cause breakage, strip moisture, weaken the hair and cause frizz.
- Silicones - This can build up in your hair over time causing hair to become dull, heavy and block moisture.
- Parabens - This can be an irritating ingredient for the scalp and cause hair to dry out.
What is Water Phase, Oil Phase and Cool Down Phase?
Now you know what ingredients you are going to use, you need to understand when to use them.
Different ingredients are soluble in different liquids like water or oil. Because of this, the ingredients with different solubility, need to be added at different stages.
There are 3 stages when making a hair conditioner, heated water phase, heated oil phase and a cool down phase.
- Heated Water Phase - In this phase, you will use all of the ingredients that are water soluble and not heat sensitive.
- Heated Oil Phase - In this phase, you will use all of the ingredients that are oil soluble and not heat sensitive.
- Cool Down Phase - This is when you add the remaining, heat sensitive ingredients.
How a Finished Recipe Should Look
Your recipe will look different to ours as you’ll be using the ingredients you have chosen, but if you want to check if the basic elements of your hair conditioner recipe are correct, then have a look at our example:
Test Your Recipe
Once your recipe is complete, it’s time to test it!
Don’t worry if the formula isn’t perfect the first time! Once you test it and understand what you’re not happy about, tweak those ingredients a little and test it again.
It is very important not to forget to test the pH as well! This is so important with hair conditioners, as the wrong pH has a negative impact on hair. So every time you finish testing a new formula, check the pH and adjust it if needed.
Conditioner is Too Thick - This can be potentially caused by 3 elements: the thickener, emulsifier or butters. Look at each element and work out which one may have caused it (it may be all of them). Reduce the element you think there is too much of (or reduce them all) and test it again! Keep going through this process until you are happy with the consistency.
The Conditioner Separates - There are quite a lot of things that can cause separation. However, a lot of them relate to how the product was made. In terms of your formulation, the main thing you want to look at is the emulsifier. If there is not enough emulsifier, this can cause separation. Try increasing it slightly and see how that goes. If this isn’t helping then it may be to do with the process of making the conditioner.
Conditioner Has A Lumpy Consistency - This can be caused by there not being enough emulsifier. Try increasing the amount slightly and test it again. If you have used powders in the conditioner, they can also cause lumps if they are not dissolved properly. If you are still finding it has a lumpy consistency, it may be to do with the process of making the conditioner.
Rinse-Off Conditioner Compared To Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in formulations are very similar to rinse-off conditioners. The main difference is they are much lighter products.
Because leave-in conditioners are not washed out, the ingredients we use will be sitting on the hair. If you use as much as you would for a rinse-off conditioner, it will make the hair feel heavy.
Emulsifiers
The amount of emulsifier you need to use in a leave-in product is much lower than for a rinse-off conditioner. If you use too much emulsifier, it will build up on the hair making it feel heavy.
- BTMS 25 - 1-4%
- BTMS 50 - 2-5%
Thickeners
As this is a much lighter weight product, you may not need a thickener. If you do use a thickener, we recommend using the bottom end of their range for a hair conditioner.
Emollients
We don’t recommend using butters in a leave-in conditioner as you want it to be as lightweight as possible. Use the bottom end of the range for a hair conditioner and use lightweight oils.
Preservative
The usage rate for geogard ultra actually doesn’t change for leave-in products, as it doesn’t affect the consistency, texture or performance of the final product.
Active Ingredients
For a leave-in hair conditioner, it is recommended to use up to 10% active ingredients. However, the more you add, the heavier the product becomes. We recommend using the lower end of the usage rate range for each active ingredient.
It is important to be aware that some usage rates change for leave-in products like panthenol. For leave-in conditioners, the usage rate for panthenol is between 0.1-0.5%.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of elements to formulating your own hair conditioner, but once you make a recipe that works, you can use that as your guide for your next recipe!
Now you know how to get started, you have complete creative freedom to formulate an amazing hair conditioner.
So whether you want to try new weird and wonderful ingredients or keep it as simple as possible, you can now do that!
Continue Reading
Now you know how to formulate your own hair conditioner recipe, why not try more recipes?
- Learn how to formulate your own cold process soap recipe with this guide!
- Want to make your own natural hair mask? Try this rhassoul clay hair mask recipe!
- Interested in making your own skincare? Try this calendula face cream recipe!
Let us know how your hair conditioner formulation went! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook or use our hashtag #thesoaperyuk
