Easy Homemade Deep Conditioners to try for Natural Hair 

Deep conditioning treatments are an essential part of many Naturalista’s hair care routine. It’s that one treat your hair will thank you for once done because of its nourishing, hydrating and moisturising benefits. With natural hair care costs being more expensive compared to our counterparts. There’s no surprise homemade deep conditioners have become increasingly popular. They’re easy to make, significantly cheaper and give you more control on what ingredients you apply to your hair and scalp.

We’ll give you a run down on the best ingredients to include in your homemade deep conditioners and some recipes to help your natural hair thrive. If you’re not a fan of DIY and prefer a ready made product, then read our post on Top 8 Deep Conditioners to try for Type 4 hair. 

How do you make deep conditioner for natural hair at home? 

The process is pretty simple, all you need is a blender or whisk, some containers and the right ingredients. The process shouldn’t take too long and if you like you can batch create the conditioners and store them away. Depending on the ingredients you’ll be using, you may have to store them in the fridge to keep them from going bad. 

What are the best ingredients for homemade deep conditioners for natural hair?

The ingredients you choose will vary depending on your hair needs. Regardless of what deep conditioner you decide to make, you’ll either opt for one with moisturising or protein benefits. Or you can opt for one with a balance of both. The most common ingredients included in most homemade deep conditioners include;

• Avocados : Rich in vitamins and biotin which helps strengthen, moisturise and repair your hair leaving it looking healthy and shiny
• Shea Butter : It’s full of fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties. Which helps hydrate your hair and minimises frizz leaving you with healthy looking kinks, coils and curls.
• Coconut Milk : Another ingredient full of fatty acids and moisturising benefits. It helps restore your hair and scalp whilst nourishing and protecting damaged strands from breakage.
• Yoghurt : Rich in vitamins and nutrients which helps revive limp and dry hair. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits which is great for treating dandruff and strengthening your hair follicles.
• Mayonnaise : Contains protein and great for restoring damaged, dry and brittle hair. It’s quite oily as it contains vegetable oil but it’s great for adding that extra shine and leaving your hair soft. 
• Honey : A natural humectant which helps hair retain moisture. It adds a nice slip to the product making it easy to apply but also leaves your hair feeling soft and aids with detangling.
• Eggs : Mainly used for strengthening treatments due to its high protein content protecting your hair strands and preventing breakage. Some naturals have raved about eggs’ ability to promote hair growth but results may vary.
• Oils : Great for adding extra shine and helping lock in moisture. They have additional wide ranging benefits which will vary depending on what oils you use. 

TIP – purchase organic ingredients, they’re less likely to have any added chemicals in them and you want to be using the best ingredients when making homemade deep conditioners.

What oils to use in homemade deep conditioners for natural hair?

It’s best to use lightweight oils with moisturising benefits to help the ingredients penetrate through the hair shaft. Moisturising oils are known for their ability to penetrate through the inner and outer layers, helping you preserve moisture inside your hair follicles and preventing it from leaving. This makes it a great option for deep conditioning treatments as opposed to sealing oils. Which are known for sitting on top of the hair strands locking out moisture.

Here are list of oils you’ll want to choose ; 

• Olive Oil 
• Avocado Oil
• Coconut Oil 
• Peppermint oil 
• Rosemary Oil 
• Castor or JBCO Oil (this is a sealing oil but works great in deep conditioners too)

Click here to learn more about moisturising vs sealing oils and when to use them.

5 homemade deep conditioners for natural hair 

1. Avocado & Honey Deep Conditioner 

Great for all Type 4’s (4A, 4B & 4C) and helps prevent damage and breakage whilst strengthening your natural hair. It has multiple moisturising benefits and helps eliminate frizz. 

Ingredients 

• 1 Avocado 
• ½ a cup of Coconut Milk
• 2 Tablespoons of Honey 
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil 

How to Make?

1. Break the avocado into smaller pieces to make blending easier
2. Put the avocado, honey and coconut milk into the blender
3. Pulse the blender until it become slightly smooth and then add the olive oil
4. Blend the mixture again until it has a smooth consistency
5. Voila! Your deep conditioner is ready to use 
6. Apply to length of your hair and let it sit for at least 30 mins before rinsing

2. Banana & Coconut Oil Deep Conditioner

Bananas contain potassium and lots of vitamins which will help improve the overall health of your hair. It’s also great for those who suffer from itchiness and dandruff. 

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 overripe bananas 
• 2 tablespoons of honey 
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 

How to Make?

1. Peel the bananas and mash with a fork 
2. Melt the coconut oil over a stove or in the microwave 
3. Place the mashed bananas, coconut oil and honey into a blender
4. Blend the mixture until you achieve a smooth consistency
5. Voila! Your deep conditioner is ready to use 
6. Apply to length of your hair and let it sit for at least 30 mins before rinsing

TIP – if you suffer from extreme itchiness then massage into your scalp before letting the mixture sit.

3. Mayonnaise & Egg Deep Conditioner – Great for damaged, dry, colour treated and brittle hair

Great for damaged and brittle hair. Especially if you’ve experienced damage from heat, hair dye or bleaching. Both mayonnaise and eggs are high in protein which will act as a strengthening treatment. It helps strengthen your hair and reverse damage whilst adding thickness. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil (this is optional, mayonnaise contains a lot of vegetable oil so only use if needed) 

How to Make?

1. Place the mayonnaise into a mixing bowl
2. Crack the 2 eggs and whip into the mayonnaise
3. Add the honey to the mixture and mix until you achieve a smooth consistency 
4. If mixture is dry, add the olive oil and give it a mix
5. Voila! Your deep conditioner is ready
6. Apply to length of your hair and let it sit for at least 30 mins before rinsing

4. Shea Butter & Avocado Deep Conditioner

Avocado and Shea Butter are both rich in fatty acids and have great moisturising benefits. This is a rich mixture so you’ll need more oils for a smooth consistency. This is great for all Type 4’s (4A, 4B, 4C) especially if you’re experiencing dryness or just want to give your coils and curls extra hydration.

Ingredients

• ½ to ¾ cup Shea Butter depending on your hairs length
• 1 Avocado
• 3 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of rosemary oil
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Other: depending on your hairs needs you can opt for other oils such as tea tree oil, castor oil, JBCO, argan oil etc. you can experiment with different oils with this mixture – the choice is yours!

How to Make?

1. Melt the shea butter and mash the avocado
2. Place them in a blender and pulse until it becomes slightly smooth
3. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture
4. Add the olive and rosemary to the blender and mix until you achieve a smooth consistency 
5. Voila! Your deep conditioner is ready
6. Apply to length of your hair and let it sit for at least 30 mins before rinsing

5. Greek Yoghurt and Banana Deep Conditioner 

Yoghurt is cheap but has many benefits for your natural hair. Just make sure you pick a plain yoghurt with no added extras. You can either use plain or greek yoghurt depending on your preference. Regular yoghurt is great for moisture treatments whilst greek yoghurt is great for protein treatments. 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup of plain or greek yoghurt
• 1 – 2 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon of honey 
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil 

How to Make?

1. Mash the banana 
2. Mix the mashed banana with the yoghurt
3. Add honey and olive oil to the mixture and whisk until smooth 
4. Voila! Your deep conditioner is ready
5. Apply to length of your hair and let it sit for at least 30 mins before rinsing

How long will the benefits last?

You should start feeling the benefits of your deep conditioning treatment from the moment you rinse out the product. This typically lasts anything from 2 – 4 weeks but consistency is the key to experience long-lasting benefits. Aim to deep condition your hair at least once a month. It may feel like a time consuming process but trust me, your hair will thank you in the long run. If you’re experiencing dryness or damage then try and do it every 2 weeks until you see improvements to the health of your hair. If you don’t have time then use a heat cap or steamer to speed up the process. 

Deep conditioning Tips for Natural Hair 

• Start of with freshly washed and detangled hair
• Comb or brush the product through your hair to ensure its evenly distributed across the length of your hair 
• Always use heat to help open up your hair cuticles and let the ingredients penetrate 
• Let it sit for at least 30 mins – 1 hour
• Don’t overload on protein and moisture treatments, alternate between the 2 depending on your hair needs. You’re hair needs moisture more than protein so it’s likely you’ll be doing the moisture treatments more often
• Ensure the product has been thoroughly been rinsed out with lukewarm water
• Always apply leave in conditioner after treatment 

Final Thoughts 

Making homemade deep conditioners for your natural hair helps you customise treatments to suit your hair needs. It allows you to tackle the problem you’re facing at that point in time i.e. heat damage, itchy scalp, dry hair etc. It’s also fun to make your own treatments and experiment from time to time. We’ve included some recipes if you’re not sure on what deep conditioner to make and if you like, feel free to add additional ingredients where you see fit.

Have you tried making your own homemade deep conditioner? What’s your go-to recipe?