DIY Herbal Conditioner

To make a natural Herbal Conditioning Rinse for your hair you don't need many ingredients. However the ones you do use should be organic as that's the way your hair will become shinier, more manageable and remain in peak condition.

What you need

Distilled Spring Water
Assorted Herbs

Instructions

AVOID COMMERICAL CONDITIONERS: Many people don’t bother to condition their hair, or else they buy products which coat the hair with ingredients that cause a lot of harm. When choosing a conditioner, often times people don’t read the label, or else they fail to understand what the ingredient stearalkonium chloride really is. Stearalkonium chloride is a chemical that is regularly used in fabric softener. You may want softer hair, but do you want to add a toxic ingredient?

If you purchase shampoos and conditioners together thinking that you’re being economical, you’re not. You probably just have a pair of matching bottles or containers. Unless you’re using certified organic products, the commercial brands will have shampoo that strips your hair of its natural oils and conditioner that replaces them. No wonder the cosmetic companies are making so much money! But why should you support such a scheme when you can make your own products at a low cost and you’ll be in charge of the quality that you deserve!

HERBS FOR MOST HAIR TYPES:

The herbs that work extremely well for most hair types are:

Burdock Root, Chamomile, Nettle, Lemongrass, Ragweed and Rosemary.

HERBS FOR DANDRUFF:

Especially during the winter months, this can be a problem. Here are some helpful herbs:

Birch Bark, Nettle, Peppermint, and White Willow Bark

Apple Cider Vinegar is also recommended. It can be used alone, or add 1 cup to the recipe.

HERBS FOR DRY HAIR:

Elder Flower, Clover, Comfrey Leaf or Root.

HERBS FOR OILY HAIR:

Lemongrass, Peppermint, Quassia Chips, Rosemary, and White Willow Bark.

EQUIPMENT:

Plastic or glass bottles [8 ounces]

Glass jar [12 ounces or more] OR glass bowl

Tea kettle or saucepan [non-aluminum]

Strainer [stainless steel or bamboo]

Distilled or spring water

Spoon

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup distilled or spring water

5 – 6 Tablespoons of herbs [choose at least two from the above list]

INSTRUCTIONS:

Boil water.

Put herbs in strainer.

Pour boiling water over the herbs, squeezing the last bits with the back of a spoon. Cover the container and allow the herbs to steep for 10-30 minutes, depending upon how strong you want the mixture. Make sure none of the leaves have fallen into the herbal water.

Transfer the herbal mixture into the bottle. You’ve got your herbal hair rinse.

This is a product that does not have a long shelf life. In fact, this recipe yields 1 treatment. To make a larger quantity, increase the ingredients and make sure you have enough bottles, or one large bottle or container!

LABELLING:

If you’re making this is a gift, you can be creative and call it an organic herbal rinse, naming it after yourself or personalizing it for the recipient. Be sure to list the ingredients. You might also want to enclose the recipe if you’re giving it to someone who enjoys making his or her own hair products. Make sure you indicate the length of the shelf life of approximately one month. Refrigeration is recommended.

For your own use it’s a good idea to write down the herbs you’ve used and the amount. Date the product as it has a shelf life of about one month. This is a product that you will want to refrigerate.

This Home Made Recipe was contributed by Lisa Maliga

Looking for a herbal shampoo? Check out our DIY recipe for making your own natural herbal shampoo with basic supplies. We also have a herbal conditioner recipe too.  Home-made shampoos and conditioners are a great way to strip back to basics and control what herbs you are putting into your hair shampoo and products. Store-bought herbal shampoo contains lots of numbers and ingredients that as the consumer we know very little about.