Leave-in conditioners are great for keeping your hair soft and moisturized. They also make it easier to comb through tangled hair. If you recently ran out of your favorite leave-in conditioner or are just looking to explore some more home-made natural options, you may be wondering if there are any substitutes for leave in conditioner. As it turns out, there are some really great substitutes for store-bought leave-in conditioners. Keep reading, and we’ll share these alternatives with you and teach you how to make leave in conditioner.
Table of Contents
- Why Use Leave-In Conditioner
- Benefits of Making Your Own Leave-In Conditioner
- What can I use instead of leave in conditioner?
- DIY Dry Hair Leave-In Conditioner
- FAQs
- Choosing the Right Leave-In Conditioner Substitute
Why Use Leave-In Conditioner
Applying leave-in conditioner to your hair should be an important part of your hair care routine. Some of the reasons to start (or keep) using leave-in conditioner include:
- Keeping your hair hydrated and moisturized
- Softening your hair
- Making it easier to detangle and comb through your hair
- Protecting your hair against damage from friction and the strong UV rays from the sun
Benefits of Making Your Own Leave-In Conditioner
Now that we’ve covered the main benefits of using leave-in conditioner, why should you consider making your own leave-in conditioner rather than using something you can purchase at the store? While you can certainly find some high-quality leave-in conditioners at a store or online, there are a few stand-out benefits of making your own.
They include:
- Healthier for your hair: A homemade leave-in conditioner can be better for your hair than one you can buy already made. You get to control the ingredients and won’t need to wonder whether everything is actually safe and healthy for your hair.
- Less expensive: Making your own DIY leave-in conditioner can save you money in the long run. While you may need to put out a little extra money at first to gather the ingredients you’ll need, they’ll last for a while and allow you to make multiple bottles worth.
- Ability to tailor the ingredients list to your specific needs: If you have dry hair, curly hair, damaged hair, straight hair, or another hair type that requires a special type of care, you can easily adjust the ingredients you add to your DIY conditioner to help it meet your needs.
- Can be more effective: A homemade conditioner may even work more quickly than one bought at the store. You could begin to see noticeable results after a few weeks.
What can I use instead of leave in conditioner?
How do you make homemade leave-in conditioner? Read on, and we’ll share 4 different leave-in conditioner recipes that you can try at home. Each of these recipes are easy to make and incorporate ingredients that you may already have on hand.
Just remember to shake the bottle each time before you apply your leave-in conditioner. Store-bought brands are made with an emulsifier to keep the ingredients mixed together, but that is not the case for a homemade recipe.
DIY Dry Hair Leave-In Conditioner
If you are looking for the best natural leave-in conditioner for dry hair, we think you’ll like this hydrating and nourishing recipe. The oils used for this recipe are certain to leave your dry hair feeling and looking its best. Just mix all the listed ingredients together, and apply the conditioner to your hair in the same manner you’d apply any other leave-in conditioners.
- 1 cup distilled aloe vera juice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon almond oil
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
DIY Damaged Hair Leave-In Conditioner
Is your hair damaged from heated tools, too many chemical hair treatments, or any of the other many things that can cause damage to hair? If so, try this homemade leave-in conditioner recipe. The ingredients will help to strengthen and improve the overall health of your hair.
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon almond oil
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 tablespoons protein powder
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
DIY Curly Hair Leave-In Conditioner
What can I use if I ran out of leave in conditioner? Well, if you have curly hair, you may want to give this DIY recipe a try. Once you mix up this leave-in conditioner recipe, aim to apply it to your hair at least 2 to 4 times each week. You’ll find that the combination of olive oil, aloe vera, distilled water, and essential oils works wonders on your curly locks.
- 3 tablespoons aloe vera
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup distilled water
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
DIY Natural Hair Leave-In Conditioner
Are you looking for a leave in conditioner substitute for your natural hair? We think you’ll like how this recipe helps improve the strength and smoothness of your hair.
- 1 1/2 cup aloe vera juice
- 12 drops avocado oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon vegetable glycerin
- 15 drops of your favorite essential oil
FAQs
Can I skip leave in conditioner?
While leave in conditioner isn’t required, there are a lot of benefits associated with adding leave-in conditioner to your hair care routine. Leave-in conditioner helps decrease frizz, improves the look and feel of hair, and gets hair ready for styling.
Can I use regular conditioner as leave in?
No, it is not recommended to leave regular conditioner, or rinse-out conditioner, in your hair for an extended period of time. The key rinse out vs leave-in conditioner difference lies in each product’s name: leave-in conditioners are meant to be left in the hair and rinse-out conditioners are meant to be rinsed out after a few minutes. Leaving a rinse-out conditioner in your hair could irritate your scalp or even weaken your hair or cause it to break.
Choosing the Right Leave-In Conditioner Substitute
Now that you have some wonderful leave-in conditioner substitutes to consider, it is time for you to decide which one you’d like to try. To do this, think about your hair type and its needs. Choose one of the leave-in conditioner recipes shared above that uses ingredients that will enhance the overall health of your hair. Which recipe are you excited to try? We’d love for you to come back and share your experiences with us in the comments section.
Learn more about taking care of hair with one of these related posts on our blog:
:D!
Such great leave-in conditioner recommendations!
-Ashley
New post featuring a fun summer-to-fall look here 🙂