DIY Natural Conditioner Bar For Hair

In recent years I’ve done a lot of travel, from Texas to Iceland and everything in between. And while I love experiencing new things, I don’t always love travelling with liquid conditioner and shampoo. This nourishing conditioner bar recipe is great for traveling or even for use at home!

The best conditioners are ones that detangle hair, are moisturizing, and don’t have sketchy ingredients. I have this homemade hair conditioner I like, but sometimes it’s nice to have a solid conditioner bar.

What’s in a Conditioner Bar?

Shampoo bars have been in style for a while now for hair care routines. I shared a post years ago with a recipe for a hydrating shampoo bar. It’s basically handmade soap that lathers and cleans hair with natural ingredients. Conditioner bars are similar but use more moisturizing ingredients instead of soaps and detergents. They’re popular as a more eco-friendly (and even zero waste) alternative to regular shampoo & conditioner.

There are lots of cleaner versions out there, but most of them still contain behentrimonium methosulfate or chloride. This chemical is made from canola oil (often GMO) and is extracted with solvents (also not a healthy option). While the end result is technically safe, it’s certainly not very natural. There are mixed reviews on this ingredient, but the safety data is a little lacking. So I wanted to create a conditioner bar that skipped it.

I like that DIY conditioner bars are an easy way to skip the parabens, silicones, and sulfates found in conventional shampoos. You can even make a fragrance-free conditioner bar. They’re also single use plastic-free since you can skip the plastic bottles.

It’s easy enough to create a bar that’s completely oil based. These work well for damaged hair, dry hair, curly hair, and frizzy hair. For certain hair types though, like those with thinning hair or fine hair, they can be too heavy. And if you use too much, it can leave hair feeling weighed down, greasy, or frizzy.

Natural Conditioner Bar Ingredients

Some of my daughters and I have long hair, so I wanted something that would work well without making it greasy. And while some of us are blessed with natural curls, my hair is definitely straight and finer.

This conditioner bar recipe incorporates some lighter ingredients, like glycerin and aloe into the mix. And instead of beeswax, it uses cocoa butter and mango butter to harden the bar. I also added hair loving oils like jojoba (or argan) oil and lavender and rosemary essential oils. These promote healthy hair and make it smell nice! If you want an unscented version you can leave the essential oils out, but they do add potent health benefits.

Since the recipe uses both water and oil soluble ingredients, I also use emulsifying wax. This helps to combine all of the ingredients together. Usually when I make lotion bars (a similar process) I simply pour the hot liquid into my silicone molds when done. For this recipe, you have to stir as it cools to prevent the mixture from separating.

This recipe is pretty simple and basically involves melting, stirring, and pouring. It leaves hair feeling soft and smells amazing! Try it along with this DIY shampoo bar.

How to Use a DIY Conditioner Bar

A little bit goes a long way! Avoid using too much conditioner or your hair can feel greasy. And since the scalp naturally produces oils, most people don’t need to condition it.

1. Rub a layer of conditioner bar on your hands.
2. Rub your hands on the ends of your hair and work up. Avoid the scalp.
3. Use very warm water to rinse, which will help the oils further disperse.

Have you ever used a shampoo or conditioner bar before? Leave a comment and let us know!