For this recipe, I decided to go all out on hydration to make a homemade deep conditioner for damaged hair. It’s packed with some amazing moisturizing ingredients such as Jojoba Oil, silk protein, Panthenol Powder (pro-vitamin B5), and Dimethicone for shine.
Apart from hydration one of the best things about this conditioner is its pink grapefruit aroma. To be honest citrus essential oils in hair products have always been my favorites, they have a fruity freshness about them that just seems to shout clean!
I’ve gone for a rich thick creamy texture for this conditioner, it’s almost like a cross between a conditioner and a treatment. All the ingredients have been chosen to help prevent and restore damaged hair ensuring perfect health from root to tip.
But we’ll talk more about how these ingredients make this homemade deep conditioner so special. Stay tuned for more!
Pink Grapefruit Deep Conditioner For Damaged Hair
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Ingredients
Water Phase A
- 150 g Distilled Water
- 4 g Glycerine
- 4 g D-Panthenol Powder
Oil Phase B
- 14 g BTMS-50 Emulsifying Wax
- 4 g Cetyl Alcohol
- 12 g Jojoba Oil
Cool Down Phase C
Video
Instructions
Measure Phase A
- In one of the beakers place all of the phase A ingredients and give it a quick stir to combine.150 g Distilled Water, 4 g Glycerine, 4 g D-Panthenol Powder
Measure Phase B
- In a separate beaker place all of the phase B ingredients.14 g BTMS-50 Emulsifying Wax, 4 g Cetyl Alcohol, 12 g Jojoba Oil
Heat & Combine Both Phases
- Place both beakers into bain marie or a shallow pan of simmering water, making sure the water is not so high that the beakers are moving. Let them sit until the waxes have completely melted and the waters have heated through.
- Once melted remove both beakers from the water and quickly pour the beaker containing water (phase A) into the beaker containing the oils (phase B)
Homogenize the Emulsion
- Stir briskly with a spatula until the conditioner starts to cool and thicken. You will need to stir it regularly until the conditioner has cooled to 40c (104f).For larger batches than this recipe, I recommend a stick blender rather than hand stirring. This would make this process much faster and easier. Start blending as soon as the oils and water have been combined, blend for a couple of minutes then leave the conditioner to cool for a few minutes. As the conditioner cools, keep an eye on it and give it a quick stir with a spatula every couple of minutes. If you notice any separation, a good brisk stir or blitz with the blender should bring it back together.
Cool Down Phase C
- When the conditioner has cooled to 40c (104f) you will notice that the conditioner has a lovely thick and creamy texture. So it's now ready for the cool down ingredients.Â
- Add the cool-down ingredients (phase C). Give the conditioner a good stir to make sure everything is well combined.4 g Dimethicone, 4 g Hydrolyzed Silk Peptides, 2 g Geogard ECT, 2 g Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil
- As this is an intense conditioner with a good thick consistency, we've opted for putting it in a jar rather than a bottle. That's not to say it won't go into a pump top bottle. It will be as long as the inner tube is wide enough. I just find it more cost-effective in a jar as I can scrape out the last little bit.
How To Use & Store Homemade Deep Conditioner
Product Shelf Life: 6-12 months (with preservative)
Storage Instructions: Store in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight
Storage Notes: It’s important to choose the right container for this recipe. Because of the presence of essential oils, our container must be made from PET plastic, glass or aluminium. Because this conditioner is much thicker than your average, I recommend using a pot with wide mouth for easy access.
How To Use:
- Shampoo your hair as normal
- Massage into the scalp and roots of the hair
- Work the conditioner to the tips of your hair
- Leave for 5 minutes to allow the product to sink into the hair
- Rinse, dry and style as usual
Frequency Of Use: Safe to use after every shampoo wash. It’s recommended that you wash your hair no more than once or twice a week.
We recommend pairing this homemade deep conditioner with a diy shampoo as well for added benefit!
How to use it
- For damaged hair use each time you wash your hair. Massage it well into the roots and ends of the tips of the hair.
- Leave the conditioner in your hair for a least two minutes before rinsing it off.
- As your hair becomes less damaged, once a week should be sufficient.
Tip Although we love the everyday white of a conditioner, adding a touch of pink mica to the finished product can help it stand out and emphasize the pink grapefruit.
In-Depth Analysis
Ingredient Specification and Purpose
BTMS 50
I’ve got to be honest I haven’t come across a better emulsifying wax that has the conditioning powder like BTMS 50. So it makes perfect sense to have it in a homemade deep conditioner for damaged hair. We have teamed it up with cetyl alcohol to improve the texture and density of the conditioner. Both have fantastic benefits for the hair as they can smooth the hair cuticle, reduce frizz, and enhance shine.
Jojoba oil,
Our oil of choice is Jojoba oil, it’s a lightweight oil that’s close to the natural oils that our scalp produces, giving excellent moisturizing and conditioning benefits. But that’s not all as Jojoba is full of vitamins and minerals that can help to reduce dryness and breakage and promote hair growth. The perfect carrier oil for a homemade deep conditioner.
Dimethicone
We wanted to add something that would give protection from heated tools such as hair dryers and straighteners. Dimethicone is great for this as it traps moisture by forming a protective barrier around the hair shafts. This also helps to reduce frizz and adds shine.
Hydrolyzed silk protein
Anyone with dry damaged hair is going to love this ingredient as it can deeply penetrate the strands hydrating them from the inside out. It can reduce the appearance of split ends leaving the hair looking smoother and making it easier to manage. Adding a small amount of silk protein will keep your hair hydrated and help prevent breakage until the next wash.
Glycerin and panthenol
These are two ingredients that I always like to add. Glycerin is probably one of the best humectants around, it is very economical and has superb moisturizing benefits.
Panthenol pro-vitamin B not only softens and hydrates but helps to improve the hair’s elasticity, making the hair smoother and more manageable. Plus it gives a little more added protection from heated styling tools. They’re both wonderful ingredients that really made this homemade deep conditioner so intense.
Pink Grapefruit essential oil
One of the main reasons for adding this particular oil is because I absolutely love the scent of pink grapefruit, it works wonderfully in hair products as it always adds a fresh upbeat aroma.
Another benefit is that it’s rich in antioxidants, keeping the scalp healthy and protected. I’ve also heard that it could potentially stimulate hair growth but I’ll wait for more clinical trials before making a judgment on that. Research has also shown that it’s good for fighting dandruff, too!
Substitutions
Distilled Water: You could substitute some or all of this with a hydrosol
Panthenol Powder: This can be substituted for liquid panthenol, however, this is not heat stable, so you will need to add it with the cool-down ingredients.
BTMS 50: You could try BTMS25 however this is less conditioning, and would make it more waxy.
Jojoba Oil: Argon, avocado, and coconut oil would be nice
Cetyl Alcohol: Cetearyl alcohol should work
Dimethicone: You could leave it out or try olive squalane or Coco-caprylate.
Hydrolyzed Silk Protein: Another protein such as rice or wheat. You could use an extract, chamomile CO2, or calendula CO2 at a lower usage rate (1%)
Preservative ECO: Another broad-spectrum preservative. Always check the recommended usage rate and adapt if need be. Grapefruit Essential Oil: Essential oil of choice, or you could use a fragrance oil.
