Growing your hair out into a long mermaid mane can be challenging for someone with easily damaged hair. In fact, it’s one of the main reasons I haven’t been able to grow my hair out longer than my shoulder blades – it always breaks off at the ends mere weeks after getting a trim despite the fact that I don’t use heat on my hair very often. So, what’s a girl to do when she wants those long luscious locks she’s always dreamed of? Find a way to lessen the damage.
Aside from the usual things like sleeping in a protective hairstyle, avoiding harsh chemicals, and brushing/combing with care, what else can you do to help keep your hair strong and healthy? Serums!
I used to be a skeptic when it came to using just oil on my face, and it was no different when it came to my hair. Besides being quite frizzy, my hair is oily, thin, fine, and is very easily weighed down. There was no way I was going to start putting MORE oil in it! But desperate times call for desperate measures and if I want my hair to ever reach the length I’ve always wanted then I need to nourish and moisturize it.
That’s when I decided to try making my own conditioning hair serum, and you know what? It’s working!
How to Make a Conditioning Hair Serum for Easily Damaged Hair
One of the best things about making your own beauty care products – hair serums included – is you get to customize your formula whenever you like.
Want a different scent? Easy! Just swap around your essential oils.
Need something heavier or lighter in consistency? Change the ratios of your carrier oils, add in new ones, or omit certain oils altogether.
Since my hair is fine, I reach for lighter oils like jojoba, grapeseed, or safflower as a base. For moisture, argan oil is my go to as it nourishes the hair and tames those pesky flyaways without being too heavy.
You can also get creative and get into the more exotic oils like broccoli seed, pomegranate, and evening primrose to add more potent nourishing effects.
If you have thicker coarser hair, you can get into heavier carrier oils like avocado, coconut, macadamia nut, and castor.
Conditioning Hair Serum Recipe
Since everyone’s hair is different, feel free to play around with different oils to see what works best for your hair.
Below is my recipe for a hair serum that’s light yet moisturizing enough for fine hair.
Here’s what you need to make it:
• A 2oz dropper bottle
• 2TB jojoba oil
• 2TB argan oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
If you want to add exotic oils, simply lessen the argan oil by 1tsp and then add 1tsp of the exotic oil of choice.
To Use
Apply a few drops as needed to wet or damp hair, focusing on the length and ends. Work the serum into the hair evenly for best results. Use once a day or more as needed for moisture, control, and protection.
Why These Ingredients Work
Argan Oil
Argan oil is known to stimulate the scalp and increase nourishing circulation to the roots of your hair. It renews and regenerates dry damaged skin and hair, reduces dandruff, and helps new hair to grow. It contains vitamin E, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and is one of the best oils for moisturizing all types of hair.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil, which is actually a wax, is the closest oil in consistency to our own body’s sebum. This reason alone is what makes it the perfect choice for fine/oily hair types as it’s light and non-greasy. It combats dandruff, improves the texture of your hair, and eliminates frizz. Jojoba oil is also full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – most notably silicone – a mineral that smooths hair and gives it shine and bounce.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender essential oil is an excellent oil for hair growth and overall hair health. Used diluted on the scalp, lavender EO can help stimulate hair growth, nourish the scalp, improve blood circulation, and is a powerful antiseptic against bacteria, fungi, and other scalp inhabiting microbes. One study even found that lavender EO increased the number of hair follicles when used 5x a week for 4 weeks on the scalp!
Applying it to the hair itself in a serum is a great way to help strengthen and deep condition the hair.
The scent of lavender alone is known to help reduce stress and improve sleep.
Rosemary Essential Oil
One of the best essential oils to use for overall hair health, rosemary essential oil is a must have for almost every DIY haircare recipe. It stimulates the roots, increases hair growth when applied diluted to the scalp, and encourages healthy blood flow. It combats dandruff, hair loss, and minimizes dry itchy skin and flakiness.
When applied to the hair itself, rosemary can help reduce split ends and add body, shine, and bounce to dull lifeless hair.
The scent or rosemary EO is also known to reduce stress in just a few seconds!
What have been your favorite carrier oils and EOs for conditioning your hair? Please let me know in the comments below!
You may also enjoy:
DIY Coconut Oil Hair Treatment
DIY Dry Shampoo Spray for Oily Hair
Essential Oils for Dry Hair
Essential Oils for Hair Loss and Alopecia
J says
Hello,
What about adding essential oils to shampoo? If you think that it is a good idea what oil/shampoo ratio would you recommend?
Thank you
Vidhya Sivakumar says
Hi Tash
What would be shelf life of this serum if kept out
Pamela says
Hi Tash! I love your website-and what you do! Thank you for your great article on diy hair serum! I am looking to concoct a hair serum - but in spray form. Would you recommend the addition of distilled water to this receipe (lessening amount of Jojoba/Argan oil)? If so, what would that ratio be? Have you tried Cedarwood? What are your thoughts about incorporating? Thank you!
Tash says
Hi Pamela!
I would be wary of adding water to an oil-based recipe only because it will become the perfect environment for mold to grow. If you did add water, just make sure to keep the spray in the fridge. It should keep for a week or two. Maybe try a 50/50 ratio and see how that works out for your hair!
Cedarwood essential oil is fantastic for hair growth. If you wanted to add it to your recipe, try adding 5 drops for every TB of jojoba oil.
Yoddit McLean says
Hey Tash,
Just wanted to say that the first two lines of this article sound like they came out of my head. I struggle with this same issue, I have no idea why my ends are the driest, crunchiest parts of my hair. They act different from the rest of the strand, they're frizzier and crazier than the rest. I soooo appreciate this article and will try this ASAP. If it works for me, I'll be sure to share!
Thanks again!