How to make Conditioner: DIY Cowash Recipes

You don’t have a safe conditioner? Have you run out of conditioner? Need a break from using your store-bought products? I hope my go-to DIY conditioner recipes help you also! Let me know if it does. 

Note: DIY Cowash is Part 5 of the COWASH Series. This blog is reader-supported so if you use any of the affiliated links here to purchase products I earn a commission. Thank you for your support and encouragement!

Buy Here:

• Olive Oil
• Oats
• Protein Filler 
• Vitamin C Powder
• Organic Honey
• Coconut Milk

DIY Conditioner Recipes 

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A post shared by Liz | Your Curly Mentor (@honestlizhere)

A Gentle Cleansing Conditioner with Oat Milk

Try this anytime! It is perfectly balanced with both protein and moisture. It works for all hair types.

• Blend 3 parts hot water with 1 part rolled oats.
• Strain to get the “oat milk” (repurpose the solid oats for baking or cook it as oatmeal, don’t waste it) 
• Simmer the oat milk and bring to boil until gooey consistency. Turn off heat. 
• Add a dash of organic honey for extra shine.
• Add Olive Oil (or any oil of your choice.)
• Cool and use it as your conditioner or the last rinse!
• Add overripe bananas, aloe and spin this into a deep conditioner too. Boom. 

Here’s Jannelle’s informative video on the Benefits of Oats for our hair. Must watch! 

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A Nourishing Rich Conditioner made with Coconut Milk 

Try this when you hair feels extremely damaged, dry, and parched.

Eyeball the quantities based on your hair length and density. Keep for 20min, rinsed out with cold water.⁣ This is for my medium length, high porosity thick hair. 

• 2 tbsp of coconut milk
• +few drops of protein filler (optional) +
• 1 tbsp of a storebought mask (optional)
• 1 tbsp of organic honey to make it extra moisturizing 🙂

Apply coconut milk straight without a mask for best results – Remember, a little goes a long way so do not use a whole can of coconut milk! Noooo! 

Benefits Coconut Milk 

• Coconut milk is rich in protein.
• Has hair strengthening properties.
• Anti-bacterial properties to help treat scalp issues like dandruff and itchy scalp!
• The nourishing fatty acids moisturize hair as well.⁣ 

To use canned coconut milk or the cold kind in a carton? It doesn’t matter. They all gave me the same results! Use what you can get or make your own coconut milk with the real stuff 🙂 

Caution: Coconut products may dry hair out! I experienced coconut-sensitivity postpartum. Coconut made my hair very brittle and unmanageable. In fact going coconut-free worked best for me at the time. So use your discretion, as always.  

Mix both coconut milk and oats to create a DIY cowash conditioner. 

This homemade cowash is only for those desperate days when my curly hair just feels helpless. Both can be rich so I don’t recommend using it each time but use your discretion. Remember to always use organic ingredients and repurpose the strained oats for a face mask later 🙂 

• Get 2 cups of coconut milk in a pot
• Add 1/3rd cup rolled oats
• Simmer together for 3 minutes
• Strain, cool, cowash! 

Clarifying Conditioner with Chickpeas

Try this when you need a thorough cleanse. No, it may not remove hot oil treatments. So prepoo lightly.

Inspired by @CurlyandKind : Mix Besan with lime juice and conditioner for a clarifying cowash. I use my edible food grade Vitamin C powder for extra shine and clarifying effects instead of lime juice. Also, I blend overripe bananas with honey in this recipe. I do not use regular conditioner on my scalp. You can tweak this recipe depending on your preferences and hair length. Keep 5-10min for clarifying effect. If hair feels dry, then deep condition afterwards to balance the moisture.

Atoya a famous stylist from USA says the end of conditioning, your curls should resemble slimy wet noodles! Learn more from articles here: 

• How to use Vitamin C for Cowashing Curly Hair
• Part 4: Best Cowash for Curly Hair

Thank you for watching & reading!

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