Homemade Conditioner: Nourish Your Hair Naturally - Dr. Axe
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Homemade Conditioner: Nourish Your Hair Naturally

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Homemade conditioner

Creating your own homemade conditioner is an easy, cost-effective way to maintain healthy, hydrated hair without relying on store-bought products full of synthetic chemicals. By using natural ingredients, you can craft a conditioner tailored to your hair’s unique needs.

This homemade conditioner recipe is awesome.

It helps restore hair’s natural pH, thus rehydrating it. The result is soft, luscious and healthy hair!

Try it today.

Key ingredients

1. Water

Water is the foundation of hydration. It helps distribute the conditioner evenly throughout your hair, ensuring that all strands receive nourishment.

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Proper hydration also prevents dryness and brittleness.

2. Apple cider vinegar (ACV)

Apple cider vinegar is a powerhouse ingredient for hair health. Here’s why it’s so effective:

  • Restores pH balance: The hair and scalp have a natural acidity (pH 4.5-5.5). Many shampoos strip away this balance, leading to dryness and irritation. ACV helps bring the pH back to optimal levels.
  • Adds shine and softness: The acidity smooths the hair cuticle, reducing frizz and enhancing shine.
  • Detangles hair: By sealing the hair cuticle, ACV makes detangling easier and prevents breakage.
  • Combats dandruff and scalp irritation: Its antimicrobial properties help eliminate dandruff-causing bacteria and soothe itchiness.

3. Essential oils

Essential oils not only enhance the scent of your homemade conditioner, but also provide targeted benefits for different hair types:

For all hair types:

For oily hair:

  • Lemon oil: Clarifies and removes excess oil while adding a fresh scent.
  • Bergamot oil: Regulates sebum production and promotes scalp health.
  • Tea tree oil: Antimicrobial and antifungal properties help combat buildup and dandruff.

For dry or dandruff-prone hair:

How to make homemade conditioner

This homemade hair conditioner could not be easier or quicker to make. It literally takes just a couple of minutes.

To start, mix the water, apple cider vinegar and essential oils in an eight-ounce spray bottle. Then shake the bottle well.

That’s it! Your homemade conditioner is ready to use.

Shake well before each use to ensure the ingredients are blended.

It’s best to use after shampooing by spraying the homemade conditioner evenly throughout your hair, focusing on the ends. Let it sit in your hair for five minutes to allow it to absorb into your scalp and hair.

Then rinse thoroughly with cool or lukewarm water, and you’re done!

This homemade conditioner helps improve scalp health, adds shine and keeps hair manageable. By customizing the essential oils, you can address specific hair concerns naturally!

More DIY hair products

If you’re looking for more hair care products you can make yourself, here are some to give a try:

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Homemade Conditioner: Nourish Your Hair Naturally

  • Author: Kyra Oliver
  • Total Time: 2 min
  • Yield: 30 uses 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This homemade conditioner recipe is awesome. It helps restore hair’s natural pH, thus rehydrating it. The result is soft, luscious and healthy hair! Try it today.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 10 drops of essential oils (customize your conditioner: rosemary or sage essential oils for all types of hair; lemon, bergamot or tea tree essential oils for oily hair; lavender, sandalwood or geranium essential oils for dry hair or dandruff)
  • BPA-free plastic bottle or glass bottle with dispenser

Instructions

  1. Mix all the ingredients together in an eight-ounce spray bottle.
  2. Shake the bottle before using, and then spray your hair.
  3. Leave it in your hair for 5 minutes, then rinse.

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40 Comments

  2. Paula Rodgers on

    Thanks for all your great natural recipes. I am looking for a natural recipe for face lotion. Can you help me out?

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      I will look at adding one to the site! I like to use coconut oil mixed with a few drops of essential oils on my face otherwise these options would work as well: https://draxe.com/beauty/homemade-body-butter-lotion/
      https://draxe.com/beauty/homemade-anti-aging-serum/

  4. Charlotte on

    i recently read an article about someone using Apple cider vinegar on their hair for a prolonged amount of time (2 years) and the user stated their hair fell out due to improper ph. What should Ph be for a conditioner? Since your recipe is diluted ACV would that make it be better for hair?

  6. Desire' on

    I have been using baking soda wash and a recipe similar to this for a conditioning rinse, and I love the results! It took a while for my hair to detox from the buildup of product, but even my hairstylist was able to see a difference.
    My recommendation is to use a glass oil bottle with spout like you would put olive oil or vinegar in for cooking. It makes it easy to pour right on to your scalp.

  7. Ana on

    What are your thoughts on using corn starch on oily hair? Would this have an effect on your scalp-adjusting-time while using homemade shampoos?

    Thanks for your work!

  8. AD on

    I must be the only person who this conditioner makes their hair dry and brittle. I have been using this for over 6 months, all while using the honey shampoo, and yet my hair looks so dry. Any suggestions on what I can add to help out? Any type of oil seems to cling to my hair and make it look oily but I am out of ideas of what to try next.

  12. Angela on

    I always read how Apple Cider Vinegar leaves someone’s hair shiny and soft but it fails to do that for mine. I end up with coarse, dry looking hair when I use this method. I shampoo my hair with a mixture of Dr. Bonner’s mild soap, avocado oil and Rosemary so it is not from exposing it to a harsh washing method. Any ideas of an alternative to Apple Cider Vinegar for a conditioner?

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      The Dr Bronner’s soap can be hard on some people’s hair and really strip it of oil. I would try decreasing the amount of that in the shampoo mixture you use.

  13. Karthik on

    HI Dr. Axe,
    New fan! Great stuff. Do you have anything for graying hair? It does not run in our family, and I have started having this since the last two years (am 35), Think it might be the water, but… :)
    thx
    Karthik

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      Great to have you! For gray hair, one cause is a lack of the essential nutrients, especially vitamin A and B group vitamins, along with the minerals copper, iron and zinc. Another big thing is lowering stress levels and anxiety…Maybe take a vacation, doctors orders? :)

      • Karthik on

        Thank you Doctor!! Guess its the Vitamins in my case :) Make it a point to take vacations and meditate/veg diet for stress elimination :) Any specific recommendations for getting those complexes?
        Thank you again!
        Karthik

      • Dr. Josh Axe on

        I think Axe Naturals and the Garden of Life multivitamins are great. Garden of Life also has a good B complex – something that I am coming out with in the next few weeks as well!

  15. LauraH on

    I’ve been using this for years. Don’t worry about the ‘vinegar’ smell at first because with the EO’s, that ‘salad dressing smell’ disappears. Also, I’ve been using homemade soap as shampoo. This rinse gets rid of all the gross, thick, coated feeling the soap leaves on hair (when it’s dried and not using any rinse), and the end result is nice, silky, shiny, wonderful-smelling hair.

  16. Trudy on

    Wow, I just recently discovered your .com site and am quite impressed. I’ve told many friends and acquaintances to check your site out. You sound like quite a busy man and I am amazed that you are able to answer so many queries. I have four sebaceous cysts on my head that have grown back after having them surgically removed. Two of my adult sons my brother and my mother also grow these cysts. My doctor and surgeon cannot tell me why they grow and say that there is nothing I can do to prevent them. I was wondering if the homemade shampoo and conditioner would help, or if there were any vitamins or essential oils that would heal and prevent the growth of these cysts. I thank God that He has given you wisdom to help others and thank you for using this gift for His glory.

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      There are many things that could be causing it like overproduction of oil, hormone imbalance, blockage of oil, etc. There are a few things you could try incorporating to see if you notice any changes.
      -Apply tea tree oil topically 3-4x each day
      -Use a DIY shampoo containing tea tree oil and aloe vera gel
      -Apply witch hazel topically
      -Apply apple cider vinegar topically
      I would also follow protocols in this article: https://draxe.com/health/10-ways-balance-hormones-naturally/

  17. Mary Earle on

    I used this and my hair is so soft and shiney. Of course it has a different “feel” when you put it on, as opposed to commercial conditioners, but my hair just feels healthier! I am looking forward to trying the natural shampoo. Thank you!

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      It’s hard to say because everyone is different! It also depends on the current condition of your hair, if you’ve been using conventional shampoo that strips your hair of its natural oils, etc. I would give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes.

  19. MARTIE JUMEL on

    I made up the shampoo recipe recently but it leaves my hair limp and it gets oily quickly. Will the conditioner help that? or maybe I should cut back the olive oil in the shampoo?

    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      You could cut back on the olive oil to see if that helps but it also may take a bit for your scalp to normalize the frequency and amount of oil it produces. After using conventional shampoo, your scalp produces oil at a much higher rate then it would otherwise because the shampoo strips your hair of the natural oils. These oils are good for your hair, it may just take a little time.

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