How to Make Your Own Deep Conditioner

Co-authored by Arthur Sebastian

Last Updated: April 30, 2024 References

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Hair, much like skin, requires lots of care and attention to keep looking its best. Sometimes, despite a person's best efforts, hair still ends up being dry, brittle, or weak. If your hair is prone to dryness or breaking, you need a deep conditioner. A deep conditioner is a hair mask that is applied to wet hair, and left on for a length of time.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 29 April 2019.} You can always buy a deep conditioner at a store, but why do that when you could make a great conditioner at home using ingredients from your kitchen? Best of all, you will know exactly what is going into your conditioner and won't have to worry about chemicals and other mysterious ingredients!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making a Deep Conditioner for All Hair Types

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1
Put 8 tablespoons of coconut oil into a mixing bowl and stir it with a whisk until it becomes soft.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Laura Martin
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview.} You do not need to melt the coconut oil, but it should be at room temperature. The heat created by all that whisking will soften the oil up some more on its own.
- You are making enough deep conditioner to last you a few uses. If you plan on using this just one time, use only 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.^{[3]
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Add 4 tablespoons of jojoba oil. If you can't find any jojoba oil, you can also use argan oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil.^{[4]
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- If you plan on using this deep conditioner just once, use 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil.^{[5]
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Add 15 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance. While this is not completely necessary, it will give your deep conditioner a nice smell. You can use any type of essential oil you want, such as clary sage, geranium, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, or peppermint.^{[6]
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Research source} Some people find tea tree oil to be especially moisturizing when it comes to hair.^{[7]
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- If you are making a one-time-use mask, you will only need 3 to 4 drops of essential oil.^{[8]
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- Consider testing the essential oil on your inner arm first to see if you have an allergic reaction.^{[9]
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Apply the oil to your hair, starting from the roots. You do not need to apply all of the deep conditioner' you made enough to last several treatments. At most, you will only need 2 to 3 tablespoons in order to coat your hair.
- If you have very long hair, you may find it helpful to divide your hair into smaller sections first.
- If your hair is very oily, do not put any oil on your scalp. If you tend to get dandruff, however, massaging the oil into your scalp may help relieve some of it.
This will help trap the heat and moisture, and make the mask more effective. If you do not have a plastic shower cap, a plastic bag will also work.
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Wrap a hot towel around your head, and secure it with a hair clip, if needed. The heat from the towel will cause the hair follicles to open up. This will make it easier for your hair to absorb the oil. You can also simply heat your hair with a blow dryer for a few minutes, just don't take the shower cap off!
- A hooded dryer is a great option to heat your hair too, if you have one available to you.
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Wait 3 to 5 minutes.^{[10]
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Research source} Do not take the shower cap off during this time. If you wrapped a hot towel around your head earlier, leave it on as well.^{[11]
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- If you wish to get even more benefits out of this deep conditioner, leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes.
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Wash the deep conditioner out with shampoo. You may have to shampoo your hair twice in order to get all of the coconut oil out. When you are done, simply style your hair as you usually do. Thanks to the deep conditioning you did earlier, you do not need to use any conditioner afterwards.^{[12]
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- If you have trouble removing the coconut oil from your hair with your regular shampoo, try washing once with a clarifying shampoo.
You can use this deep conditioner once every three weeks.^{[13]
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Research source} If the oils separate, simply stir them up again with a spoon.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Deep Conditioner for Dry Hair

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Keep blending until the mixture is smooth. Bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin A, both of which will help hydrate and strengthen your hair. The olive oil will help the deep conditioner soak into your hair. It will also help hydrate your hair and add shine as well.
Yogurt is great for the hair because it is naturally hydrating. It is also full of proteins, which can help strengthen your hair. Honey, on the other hand, is a natural humectant, so it will help hydrate your hair and seal the moisture in.^{[14]
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The strainer will remove any lumps or clumps and give you a smoother conditioner to work with. Discard any lumps caught in the strainer.
Get into the shower, and dampen your hair. Spread the conditioner evenly through your hair. If you have very long or thick hair, you might find it helpful to separate your hair into smaller sections first. If you have any leftover conditioner, throw it out; it will not hold well, even in the fridge.
Leave the shower cap on during this time. If you'd like, you can wrap a warm towel around your head; this will help further trap the heat and make the mask more effective.
If you need to, apply some conditioner to the ends of your hair. After that, style your hair as you usually do.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Making a Deep Conditioner for Damaged or Brittle Hair

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You can do this with a fork in a small bowl or in a blender. Avocados have lots of vitamins and essential fatty acids, which will help strengthen and restore your hair.
Honey is a humectant, so it will help draw and seal moisture into your hair; hydration is a big part of caring for damaged or brittle hair. The olive oil will help further penetrate and moisturize your hair.
If the ingredients are not mixing together evenly, pause the blender, and scrape any lumps or clumps down towards the bottom of the blender.
Dampen your hair first, then spread the deep conditioner throughout it. If you have long or thick hair, you might want to divide your hair into smaller sections first. If you have any leftover conditioner, throw it out; it won't last long.
To get even more out of this mask, wrap a warm towel around your head. The plastic shower cap will help trap heat and moisture, and make this mask more effective.
If you need to, apply some regular conditioner afterwards. Once your hair is clean, style is as your normally would.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Making a Deep Conditioner for Weak or Brittle Hair

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^{[15]
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Expert Source

Laura Martin
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview.} You can do this using a fork or mini whisk. Keep whisking until the yolk is all broken up, and mixed evenly with the white. Eggs are full of protein, which will help strengthen your hair.
Yogurt is packed with protein and lactic acid, both of which will help hydrate and strengthen your hair.
The castor oil will help strengthen your hair, while the coconut oil will help nourish and moisturize it.
Make sure that there are no streaks or swirls of unmixed egg yolk or oil.
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Apply the mixture to wet hair. Dampen your hair first, then apply the mixture to it. If you have very long or thick hair, divide your hair into smaller sections first. If you have any mixture left over, discard it.
- Because this conditioner contains raw egg, be very careful not to get any on your face.
Many people recommend heating your hair with a dryer, hot towel, or hood dryer to make deep conditioners more effective. This deep condition is an exception, so do not apply any heat to it, or you will risk cooking the eggs.
Do not use hot water or you will end up cooking the egg in the mask. Use the coolest water you can stand. If you need to, follow up with some regular conditioner.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can you use regular conditioner to deep condition your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can experience some added benefits from a regular conditioner by leaving it on longer and adding heat. However, a true deep conditioner has richer oils in a higher concentration and may contain strengthening proteins that are not present in a daily conditioner.

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Question

Can coconut oil be used as a deep conditioner?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can use coconut oil to condition your hair, and it's great for dry and damaged hair types. However, coconut oil stays on the surface of the hair, protecting and smoothing. It doesn't penetrate deeply, so it's not a true deep conditioner.

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Question

Can I put eggs and mayonnaise in my hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Yes, both eggs and mayonnaise are very beneficial to the hair. These products contain fats that the hair readily absorbs and eggs have strengthening protein too.

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Tips

Try to use full-fat Greek yogurt if you can. It will be more nourishing than 2% or skim yogurt. Avoid the flavored kind, such as strawberry or vanilla.

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You can use these deep conditioners once a month.

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You may have to shampoo your hair twice in order to get all of the conditioner out. You typically will not need to apply any conditioner afterwards.

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Warnings

Not every deep conditioner will work for everyone. What works for your sister or friend may not work for you, even if she has the exact same hair type and texture.

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Honey may lighten hair over time. If you use the deep conditioner once a week, however, you should not notice any significant differences.^{[16]
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