Learn how to make a natural conditioner bar recipe for zero waste. This is an easy conditioner bar recipe without beeswax or btms. It's made for daily use or use it as leave in hair mask for softer and smoother hair.

DIY Conditioner Bar Recipe

In recent years, the beauty and hair care industry has seen a significant shift toward solid hair care products, with conditioner bars gaining immense popularity.

This movement is fueled by a desire to reduce plastic waste and embrace more eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to traditional liquid conditioners.

Solid conditioner bars not only offer a more environmentally conscious choice but also come packed with a concentrated formula that provides long-lasting nourishment for your hair.

Pair it with my melt and pour shampoo bar for an easy to use, easy to make eco friendly hair care team.

For more DIY hair care, try one of these recipes:

Keep track of your favorite DIY beauty recipes with my essential oil journal. Print the pages to create a 3 ring binder for recipes, essential oil blends, and so much more.

Benefits of Using Conditioner Bars Over Liquid Conditioners

A solid conditioner recipe boasts several advantages over its liquid counterpart. First and foremost, solid conditioners are incredibly travel-friendly, thanks to their compact, spill-proof nature. This makes them ideal for on-the-go hair care without the risk of leakage.

Additionally, conditioner bars are highly concentrated, meaning a little goes a long way. This concentration often translates to more effective conditioning, as the bars are packed with potent, nourishing ingredients.

Lastly, by eliminating the need for plastic packaging, conditioner bars contribute significantly to reducing your environmental footprint.

A Quick Overview of the DIY Process

Learning how to make your own conditioner bars at home is a rewarding process that allows you to tailor the ingredients to your specific hair needs.

The DIY approach not only gives you control over what goes into your hair care products but also provides an opportunity to experiment with different scents, textures, and beneficial additives.

With a few essential ingredients and some basic equipment, you can craft a vegan conditioner bar recipe that rivals store-bought versions.

Essential Ingredients for a Basic Conditioner Bar

This is an easy natural conditioner bar recipe with only four ingredients. There are other recipes that use a conditioning agent like BTMS or that use cetyl alcohol or stearyl alcohol for a smooth texture.

However, I wanted to make a recipe that you can make at home using common ingredients.

BTMS is a conditioning emulsifier, which helps the water on your hair combine with the oils. I used emulsifying wax instead because it's a more commonly used ingredient for DIY recipes.

I use emulsifying wax for an emulsified sugar scrub recipe and for emulsified bath melts.

I also used cocoa butter to make my DIY conditioner bar. Cocoa butter is solid, but it melts at about 93 to 100 degrees F, so it melts in the hot water.

You can also use shea butter, but it might yield a softer conditioner bar recipe. You may need to add beeswax to compensate for this.

Aloe butter or avocado butter would also be great choices. Just keep in mind that it may change the hardness of the natural conditioner bar recipe.

I used coconut oil to moisturize my hair. Coconut oil is high in vitamins and fats that help nourish the hair long after it gets rinsed off.

Coconut oil can be heavy on your hair, but combining it with cocoa butter helps cut down on the oil.

I also added some essential oils. Try one of the following oils or blends:

Lavender essential oil
Rosemary essential oil
Peppermint essential oil
Lemongrass essential oil
Clary sage essential oil

I get my essential oils from Crafty Bubbles or Simply Earth.

You can create your own blend using my essential oil blending worksheet. It has the blending factors for many essential oils, so you know how much of each oil to add.

How to Use DIY Conditioner Bars

To use this solid conditioner recipe, wet your hair thoroughly and rub the bar between your hands to create a creamy lather.

Apply the lather to your hair, focusing on the ends and avoiding the scalp.

Rinse thoroughly with warm water. For best results, use a conditioner bar consistently and adjust the amount used based on your hair's needs.

Transitioning from Liquid Conditioner to Conditioner Bars

Transitioning from liquid conditioner to conditioner bars might take some time as your hair adjusts. Initially, you may notice a difference in texture and manageability.

Be patient and give your hair a few weeks to adapt to the new routine. Using a clarifying shampoo before starting with conditioner bars can help remove buildup from previous products.

Try this clarifying shampoo recipe from Our Oily House or try this Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Clarifying Shampoo.

Alternately, you can learn how to make an herbal apple cider vinegar hair rinse to clarify your hair.

Creating Specialty DIY Conditioner Bars: Anti-Dandruff, Moisturizing, Volumizing

Specialty conditioner bars can address specific hair concerns. For an anti-dandruff bar, add tea tree oil and neem powder.

For a moisturizing bar, use shea butter and aloe vera powder.

For oily hair, add absorbent clays and astringent essential oils like tea tree or rosemary.

To create a volumizing bar, incorporate ingredients like hydrolyzed rice protein and peppermint oil.

Experiment with different formulations to find the perfect combination for your hair needs.

How Long Does a Natural Conditioner Bar Recipe Last?

Your conditioner bar recipe without beeswax will last about 6 to 12 months, depending on how old the oils are that you used.

Signs of spoilage in conditioner bars include changes in color, texture, or scent. If the bar becomes discolored, develops an off smell, or feels unusually sticky or slimy, it is likely spoiled and should be discarded.

Tips to Make Your Own Conditioner

Here are some tips to help you customize your solid conditioner:

The hardness of your oils will affect the final outcome. Some coconut oils are soft, and others are very hard. If you use a soft coconut oil, your bars may be too soft to hold their shape.
If your conditioner bars are too hard, you can remelt them and add some liquid carrier oils. Argan oil and jojoba oil are both good choices for hair.
If your conditioner bars are too soft, you can remelt and add some beeswax if necessary. You can also add more butter or coconut oil, depending on which one is harder.
Infuse the coconut oil with an herb like calendula or chamomile.
You can store your solid conditioner recipe in the fridge or freezer to prevent melting.
This DIY conditioner bar makes a wonderful pre shampoo treatment. Simply apply it to wet or dry hair and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Then rinse, wash, and condition as usual.
Keep in mind that emulsifying wax has a melting point of 122 to 130 degrees. Coconut oil melts at 78 degrees and cocoa butter melts at 93 to 100 degrees. You will need to bring the mixture to 122 to 130 degrees to melt the wax. If it is not fully melted, you will see white flecks in the bars. They are safe to use, but they may not work as well.

Natural Conditioner Bar Recipe Ingredients

Makes 2 bars

1/2 cup cocoa butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon emulsifying wax
15-20 drops of essential oils
Soap mold
Double boiler

How to Make a Conditioner Bar Recipe

Step #1

Place the cocoa butter, coconut oil, and emulsifying wax in a double boiler. Heat it slowly until everything melts. Keep in mind that emulsifying wax has a higher melt point of about 122 to 130 degrees.

Step #2

Once the mixture is melted, remove from heat and stir well to incorporate the emulsifying wax. Let cool slightly and add essential oils. Stir well.

Step #3

Pour into molds. Let cool for 48 hours to fully harden.

Step #4

To use, rub the bar between your hands until it melts. Then rub the oils and butters on your hair. Let rest for a few minutes then rinse. For best results, hair should be damp but not soaking wet.

Now you know how to make your own conditioner. I hope you enjoy this DIY conditioner bar!

Like this post? Pin it!

conditioner bar recipe, diy hair care

Yield: 2 bars

Author: Cari @ Everything Pretty

Estimated cost: $10