5 Homemade Leave-ins to Strengthen Your Hair

4 minutes

Last update: 03 July, 2015

If you don’t use a leave-in conditioner, you could be leaving your hair without any protection against the sun’s rays and the drying wind, rain and cold. Adding in a natural leave-in condition to your routine could really make your hair stronger in the long term. Try out these recipes you can make at home!

Sprays, tonics and detanglers are really all just the same thing! Leave-in conditioners. However, many products you can buy in chemists and supermarkets contain a lot of moisturisers, silicones, protein and other strengthening and moisturising agents that can pile up on your hair and do it damage over time, especially if they aren’t designed for your hair type.

Leave-ins are important because they smooth and restore the suppleness and elasticity of your hair. They make brushing and combing easier, and help your hair hold on to moisture so it doesn’t dry out between washes. Yes, you can add more between washes if you want to, or if you have very dry hair, but a good leave-in should protect your hair right through to the next wash.

Most people apply their leave-in when their hair is dripping wet, on clean shampooed and conditioned hair that’s been rinsed well, in cold water for best results. It should go on the bottom half of your hair. Use about a fifty-pence piece sized amount of the leave-in for medium-length hair. Increase the amount if you feel you need more or you have longer hair.

Here are the best leave-ins we’ve found that you can make at home. Whereas the leave-ins that contains oils are best for afro-Caribbean hair or very dry hair, the ones that contain silicon-free conditioners, aloe vera and glycerine are best for Caucasian hair types. Even using these ingredients on their own can work really well.

Cream for dry hair

If you want a leave-in that will really nourish dry hair, here’s a great one.

Ingredients:

30 ml of extra virgin coconut oil, melted
60 ml of aloe vera gel
1 teaspoon of avocado oil

Directions:

Pour the ingredients into a bowl and mix them with a hand mixer on medium speed. Use on damp, clean hair or dry hair that will soon be washed. Store in a closed, preferably glass container.

Hair conditioning cream

This recipe is great for normal to dry hair.

Ingredients:

120ml of distilled water
30ml Tresemme Naturals Conditioner, or Suave Naturals Conditioner (or other conditioner that contains no silicones or proteins)
30ml avocado oil or olive oil

Pour all the ingredients into a spray bottle or mister, shake the bottle well and then it’s ready to use on freshly washed hair or dry hair (use less of it). Keep it in the fridge so it will keep for longer.

Cream to hydrate the hair

Ingredients:

60-125ml vegetable glycerine
80-125ml aloe vera gel or juice
240ml distilled or boiled water
2 heaping tablespoons of MSM powder
10 drops of peppermint oil
10 drops of lemongrass oil
A spray bottle

Mix the MSM powder with water, making sure it’s all dissolved well. Add the aloe, shake the bottle and then add the glycerine. Shake the bottle again and add the oils. Spritz this leave-in onto your hair after showering.

Leave-in to smooth and strengthen hair

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of shea butter (raw)
5-10 large drops of honey
Oils of your choice, including tea tree, avocado, jojoba or grapeseed.

To make this leave-in, simply start by melting the coconut oil, the shea butter and the honey in a bain marie pan for 2-5 mins or a microwave for 15-30 seconds. Pour the melted oils into a bowl and the essential or other oils into the mix, and stir well. Pour it into a dark glass container with a lid, and then pop it into the freezer for 5-10 mins. Once hard, take it out and store it in your bathroom.

Restorative hair cream

This restorative hair cream is potent, so just use a little if your hair is normal or dry when your hair is wet. You can add some to the ends a few hours before you wash your hair, too, or before you go swimming, for extra protection.

Ingredients