Moringa seed oil comes from the Moringa tree, also known as the Miracle Tree and the Tree of Life. It’s considered a super food because it’s made from seeds of the tree, which are packed with potassium, fiber, and magnesium. These amazing properties makes moringa seed oil a great addition to skin and hair products.
This Moringa & Ginger Hair Conditioner recipe contains 10% moringa oil to nourish the hair without weighing it down. Ginger essential oil adds a zesty scent and gives the conditioner a light cream color. Cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50 work to combine the oil and distilled water.
We tested this conditioner on several hair types including curly, dry, fine, and coarse hair. Everybody who tried it loved it. We used the conditioner normally after shampooing, leaving it on slightly longer than normal for extra conditioning. It can also be used as a deep-conditioning treatment, but it may be heavy to use as a leave-in conditioner.
What You Need:
Four Short 8 oz. Bail Jars
20 oz. Distilled Water (77%)
2.6 oz. Moringa Seed Oil (10%)
1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifer (7%)
0.9 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol (4%)
0.3 oz. Ginger Essential Oil (1%)
0.3 oz. Optiphen (1%)
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Find the supplies you need for this project below
EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing them to dry. To b sage, dip all your utensils, mixing containers, stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come into contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible.
ONE: Pour the distilled water into a heat-safe container. Heat in the microwave until it is about about 160–180° F.
TWO: In a separate heat-safe container, combine the moringa seed oil, cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50. Heat the container in the microwave using 30–60 second bursts until the waxes have fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.
THREE: Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be about 160°–180° F. Once they are the correct temperatures, pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 60–90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release any bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your conditioner.
FOUR: Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 130–140° F. Add the ginger essential oil. Stick blend until completely combined.
FIVE: Once the mixture falls below 120° F, add the Optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60–90 seconds until everything is completely mixed.
SIX: Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise, condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cooled, shut the jars and enjoy!
- Four Short 8 oz. Bail Jars
- 20 oz. Distilled Water
- 2.6 oz. Moringa Seed Oil
- 1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifer
- 0.9 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol
- 0.3 oz. Ginger Essential Oil
- 0.3 oz. Optiphen
- Pour the distilled water into a heat-safe container. Heat in the microwave until it is about about 160–180° F.
- In a separate heat-safe container, combine the moringa seed oil, cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50. Heat the container in the microwave using 30–60 second bursts until the waxes have fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.
- Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be about 160°–180° F. Once they are the correct temperatures, pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 60–90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release any bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your conditioner.
- Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 130–140° F. Add the ginger essential oil. Stick blend until completely combined.
- Once the mixture falls below 120° F, add the Optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60–90 seconds until everything is completely mixed.
- Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise, condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cooled, shut the jars and enjoy!
Hi Kelsey
First if all let me say that your website is awesome and your answer all the queries with lots of patience.
Can I apply this conditioner to roots of my hair also?
All the ingredients are similar to that of a lotion.. so can I use this hair conditioner as a lotion also?
Can I replace Optiphen with Phenoxyethanol?
Yes, you can apply this conditioner to the roots of your hair. We haven’t tried this recipe as a lotion; it may be a little heavy but should work. We recommend using an oil soluble preservative for this recipe like Optiphen or Phenonip.
Optiphen:https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/additives-and-lye/liquids/optiphen/V000582.html
Phenonip: https://www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/additives-and-lye/liquids/phenonip/V000589.html
Thank you!🙂
Hello, I too was wondering if you have a recipe for a solid conditioner bar. I have made this recipe and love it – would just prefer it as a solid bar. Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you have on your website I enjoy making your recipe suggestions and they always turn out great! 😀😀😀😀😀
We do not but I will definitely pass that suggestion on for adding to the new website!
Do you have a recipe for solid conditioner bar.
That’s a great idea. I’ll pass that recipe suggestion along.
Hi there! Could I use this recipe with goat’s milk instead of water? If so, would it need different preservative?
Because Goat Milk needs to be refrigerated to stay fresh in a recipe like this we would not recommend making that substitution.
Can this conditioner be used a leave in conditioner for thick, dry, curly hair?
I would think this conditioner would be a bit too oily to use as a leave in conditioner, though you can leave it in your hair for a longer period of time before washing it off to get a better hydrating affect.
Hi,
Can I substitute the moringa oil for shea butter or another oil?
Shea Butter is a solid butter and would make the conditioner quite a bit thicker. For a similar consistency, Jojoba oil would be your best option. You can also use Avocado Oil.
Jojoba oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Jojoba-Oil-Golden-P3219.aspx
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
This is recipe wonderful! I substituted a blend of Rosemary, Peppermint, and Lavender for the ginger essential oil. I also added brambleberry”s mallow extract. It was so easy. I do have a question. Would this be okay to use as a cream for my feet too? Or must it be used as a wash off product?
Thanks Soap Queen and Staff for an incredible recipe!
We haven’t tried using this recipe as a foot cream, so I can’t say for sure how your feet will like it. I’d recommend a small test batch first to make sure you like the results. Here’s a great recipe for Coffee Butter Foot Creme: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/coffee-butter-foot-creme/
Hi, since you no longer sell cetearyl alcohol, what should I use instead and how much? Does this conditioner work as a good detangler on curly hair?
Thanks!
You can use stearic acid instead of cetearyl alcohol. It can be used at the same amount: https://www.brambleberry.com/Stearic-Acid-P4210.aspx
This conditioner is fairly moisturizing, so it will hydrate the hair. I’m not sure if it helps detangle – you may want to make a small test batch to see how it works with your hair.
Sunny – it seems to be pretty good at detangling. I have wavy, long hair and this conditioner is AMAZING! I did decrease the ginger essential oil down to .01 and added .02 of bamboo extract.
That’s great to hear, thanks for letting us know!
One option is to infuse the distilled water with marshmallow root prior to using it in the recipe. That will give you slip.
hi, can i subtitute BTMS-50 conditioning Emulsifer with any other emulsifer for this recipe?
regards.
Yes, you can use another option like e-wax. It will feel different because BTMS-50 adds conditioning properties. You may want to make a small test batch to see what you think.
E-wax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Emulsifying-Wax-P4896.aspx
Polawax: https://www.brambleberry.com/Polawax-Emulsifying-Wax-P4209.aspx
If I have the btms 50 do I have to have the cetearyl alcohol? What does that even do? Also can I use Germaben
Cetearyl alcohol helps to thicken the lotion and stabilize the emulsion. We recommend it in this recipe to ensure the oil and water stay mixed. If you don’t have it, you can also use stearic acid: https://www.brambleberry.com/Stearic-Acid-P4210.aspx
You can use Germaben in this recipe: https://www.brambleberry.com/Germaben-Preservative-P3972.aspx
Learn more about lotion ingredients here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-create-homemade-lotion-recipes/
Is there a corresponding shampoo that goes with this conditioner?
No, but we do have a few shampoo bar recipes that would work well with this conditioner. I’ll link those below.
Sudsy Shampoo Bar: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/sudsy-shampoo-bars/
Invigorating Shampoo Bar: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/invigorating-shampoo-bars/
It would also go well with our shampoo base: https://www.brambleberry.com/Liquid-Shampoo-Base-P4204.aspx
Hi can I add guarsilk,panthenol and glycerin? Can optiphen be replaced with optiphen plus? Can the ginger eo be increased? I want to feel the warm tingling sensation.
You can add DL-Panthenol at 1-5%, glycerin at 1-5%, and Optiphen Plus at 1% if you like. We haven’t worked with guarsilk so I’m not sure about that one. With all the substitutions you’ll want to make a small test batch to test the consistency.
DL-Panthenol: https://www.brambleberry.com/DL-Panthenol-P4852.aspx
Glycerin: https://www.brambleberry.com/Glycerin-Liquid-P5965.aspx
As for the ginger essential oil, you can add up to 0.8 oz. in this recipe. We don’t recommend more than that as it can cause irritation.
Find that amount with our Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Thank you. One more thing do you sell this kit in bulk sizes?
You can find larger sizes of all these items on our website: https://www.brambleberry.com/Default.aspx
Is this conditioner ph balanced?
I believe this conditioner is around pH 7.
This is absolutely the best conditioner I have ever used on my hair! In fact, this conditioner is so awesome that the sheen it creates sometimes makes me think my hair is oily. It’s not oily. It shiny! I have dry/damaged hair from bleach so the extra moisture is so awesome. Everyone I have sampled this conditioner out to loves it. The only person that doesn’t love it is my daughter. Her hair is already shiny and so healthy that she doesn’t like the extra shine… but she is perfect so what is she know?! This is a total winner!
So glad to hear this conditioner is working well for your hair. Moringa oil is one of our new favorites, it really adds something special to skin and hair care products. 🙂
I normally don’t “gush” about a product that I make, but this stuff works wonderfully! I use it on my beard since I no longer have much hair on my head. This conditioner makes my beard so soft and easy to comb; It is better than anything I have paid for over the counter. I will definitely continue to make this and hopefully can persuade other guys to use it on their beards!
That’s awesome, so glad it’s working well for you. 🙂
I made this recipe and absolutely love it but would like to try it with a different fragrance. Would I still use 0.3 ounces of fragrance/essential oil?
So glad you’re loving this recipe Jessica. You can definitely add another scent, find out how much to use with our Fragrance Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
Find fragrances here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Fragrance-Oils-C161.aspx
And essential oils here: https://www.brambleberry.com/Essential-Oils-C157.aspx
Can you please help me? I’d like your very best recipe for dry, brittle and damaged hair. My 4 daughters and I all have very fine hair, but we have a lot of it. Because it’s so fine it breaks so easily! And, we get such horrible split ends. By the time we get our hair trimmed every 6 weeks we have to get the equivalent cut off that we’ve grown in that time, thus never allowing our hair to get any longer than it is at present. I’d like to make a very nourishing, creamy conditioner with lots of vitamins, protein, liquid silk and all the best stuff…for as economically as possible. I’d like to make gallons of this for our family for Christmas presents. Preferably scented with a fruity or floral scent similar to Juicy Couture. Can you help??? Thank you!
I would recommend giving the recipe in this video a try: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/hair-recipe-roundup-throwbackthursday-video/
It’s made with liquid silk, glycerin, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil. All those ingredients are nice and moisturizing for the hair.
Your hair may also benefit from a hair oil, which is very hydrating. You can use it to smooth split ends and as a hair treatment. The oils in this recipe absorb quickly so they don’t weight the hair down too much: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/hydrating-lavender-hair-oil-tutorial/
Can I use the same measurement for Citric Acid? 0.9oz? Thank you.
What are you wanting to use the citric acid for?
I am assuming it’s to replace the 0.9 oz of cetearyl alcohol
I am not the best mathematician so I will ask the question instead of breaking my brain trying to figure it out on my own. If I want this to go into a squeezable bottle, how should I change the water and or the BTMS 50 percentages? Thanks in advance!
Right now the water is at 79%. To make this recipe thinner, you can add more water to it. You may need to play around with that amount to get the consistency you like, but I would recommend starting around 80-85%. The BTMS-50 is at 7%, I would recommend leaving it where it is to ensure everything stays emulsified, especially if you’re adding more water.
To find those amounts, multiply the total weight of the recipe (25.3) by the new percentage you want (.8-.85).
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I want to put this in a squeeze bottle too, I took about 8oz of it made up (super thick) and added almost another 4 oz of distilled water. The consistency works great in a squeeze bottle. My question is, do I need to add more Optiphen to it?
I used Brambleberries Ginger Patchouli fragrance. Love the smell.
You don’t need to add more Optiphen. That was a small enough amount of water to still keep the Optiphen at 1% of the recipe.
May I subtitute the cetearyl alcohol with stereatic acid? And may I use Stabyl instead of Optiphen?
You can use cetearyl alcohol instead of stearic acid, however it will change the consistency of the lotion. Stearic acid thickens as well as helps emulsify, while cetearyl alcohol just helps emulsify. You may want to make a small test batch to see what you think of the consistency.
Learn more about making lotion here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-create-homemade-lotion-recipes/
Also, we haven’t tried Stabyl so I’m not entirely sure. Germaben II would work well though. This post has more on preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This sounds amazing! Since Moringa Seed Oil alone has a shelf life of about 1-2 years… how long would this conditioner shelf life be with the other added ingredients?
We recommend 1 year when you are dealing with water and oil mixtures like this recipe has.
Can I substitute the cetearyl alcohol with anything else? Also can I substitute the morning a seed oil with kukui nut oil?
Thank you
The cetearyl alcohol is a co-emulsifier, which means it helps the conditioner stay mixed and prevent separating. If you do skip it, you’ll need to add another co-emulsifier or add more emulsifier, like the BTMS-50. You can substitute the moringa for kukui. Those substitutions will affect the final batch, so I would recommend a small test batch to see how the conditioner feels.
Learn more about making emulsified products here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-create-homemade-lotion-recipes/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Kukui Nut Oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Kukui-Nut-Oil-P6705.aspx
I would love to try this conditioner and want to make a small test batch right away…. But I don’t have any Moringa seed oil yet. Can you recommend a temporary substitute?
If this conditioner is too thick for a bottle, would you recommend adding more water or decreasing the BTMS-50? If so, by how much?
Thank you for your help.
Sly
Jojoba oil has a similar consistency to moringa, so it would be a good substitute. You can also use avocado oil. To thin the conditioner out, you can increase the water. Right now it’s at 77%, so you can bump that up to about 78-80% to start with. If you want it thinner, you can increase the water from there.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Jojoba oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Jojoba-Oil-Golden-P3219.aspx
Avocado oil: https://www.brambleberry.com/Avocado-Oil-P3198.aspx
I only have BTMS-25 here, can I substitue it for BTMS 50 & Cetearyl alcohol (cox I think BTMS 25 already has 75% cetearyl alcohol, but do I need duoble up the use of this emulsifier?). And how is the consistensy of the conditioner? Can I use a pump bottle instead to limit water getting in the container?
We haven’t tried this conditioner with BTMS-25, so I’m not entirely sure. You may contact the manufacturer to find the usage rate, then try a small test batch with the substitutions to see how it works. Also, this conditioner is fairly thick so I don’t think it would pump out very easily. You can increase the water in the recipe to thin it out though.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
How did the testers use the conditioner. Are there recommendations on how to use it as most people are familiar with more of a liquid type conditioner. Rub and rinse out but how do you protect it from water being introduced?
We used this like a liquid conditioner! Personally, I washed and rinsed my hair, grabbed about a half dollar size of conditioner, worked it into my hair, left it for a few minutes, and rinsed out. I have pretty thick and oily hair, so you may need more or less conditioner depending on your hair type.
If you like, you can also use it like a deep conditioner/hair mask. To do that, apply the conditioner to dry hair. Wrap your hair in a warm, dry towel and allow the conditioner to penetrate the hair for about 30 minutes. Then, wash out thoroughly.
Because this conditioner is in a jar, it will get water in it. It does have a preservative (Optiphen) to protect against mold and bacteria if that happens. In between uses, we recommend storing in a cool, dry place so it keeps longer. Learn more about storing products here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry