One of the things I am very happy to have learned, is to make my own conditioner. I have practiced the Deva Curl Curly Girl Method since 2015 and like most salon products, they are high quality but they can be a bit expensive. To learn more about this method, here are some links:
- This video explains the washing method. And This is a more recent video that is a bit more detailed for at home hair washing.
- The book: (Aff. link)
The idea behind the method is to be gentle with curls and give them all the hydration they need. So most of the conditioner stays in the hair and it actually helps a lot, it does not weigh the hair down, as curly hair is like a sponge and just drinks up that moisture like water in the desert.
So with that in mind, I chose a lot of good for hair oils for this conditioner such as argan oil, and complemented them with gentle lavender hydrosol instead of some of the distilled water (I used the max recommended substitution from the manufacturer. ) I really liked the final product and I would imagine in retail this would be very expensive, so I am happy I get to make it myself. Next on my list is a conditioner bar!
Here is the formulation if you want to see it:
https://www.icloud.com/numbers/0qCtVDYUvMz7uTB77mYNZD-hg#Curly_hair_conditioner_
The blank spreadsheet can be found here
Where I purchased the supplies:
- I bought the bottles (which are made of soft plastic so the conditioner comes out easily, from the Sage. I got the 16 oz bottles. with these caps.
- Most of the other products were purchased from Lotion Crafter, New Direction Aromatics, Makeyourown, (aff link) and BrambleBerry. You can choose other oils, emulsifier and other ingredients though.
How to:
To learn to make lotion or conditioner (which are pretty much the same except for a few ingredients), I suggest the “Lotion Making” facebook group where Jane Barber has instructional videos and lots of information. Here is a link to it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128481537182158/
By the way, you may notice that BTMS 50 is listed twice. The first time it appears is acting as the emulsifier, which is a formula calculated on the amount of oils used. The second time I am using it as an emollient.
And here is the video of the making:
So here is a picture in the morning right after I washed my hair, I left most of the conditioner on, only rinsed a little bit out since my hair has been looking frizzy (It has been cold outside and we have had the heater on, plus I live in a place with high humidity, so it is not easy on the curls). Then I added Jessicurl gel (which is a product I tried at a curly girl salon)
I put the clips on the roots on top to avoid a super flat look there.
And below it is 4 hours later. It is mostly dry but not totally dry. The curls formed automatically, I did not have to shape each one individually. (I put the focus on the hair on the second picture so you can see it better, since lighting is not very good, it has been raining today) . I can see a “halo” frizz now, humidity is 87% today, which is quite common where I live.
And here it is once dry (a couple of hours after previous picture set):
Notes:
Since this is a cosmetic product regulated by the FDA, I do not make it for sale, just for my own. My sister and I are the only ones who have tried this product.
More Resources:
- https://makingskincare.com/ Highly recommend this site, Jane is very generously providing a lot of great, reliable information on cosmetic making. (She is also the host for the Lotion Making facebook group), and there is a free course there too.
- https://www.humblebeeandme.com/ Marie also has great recipes with lots of different ingredients. She also has a youtube channel where she shows the making of most of her recipes.
- https://www.swiftcraftymonkey.blog/ Susan is very knowledgeable about cosmetic making, most of her products are membership based now or for sale, however, I believe they are worth it.
Soaps by Glenda 
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