It happened again over spring break—poor Caroline’s blonde hair turned green from all the hours spent in the swimming pool. We treated the green, and I started conditioning her hair like crazy. But, I’m embarrassed to admit, my kids see me coming with the jar of coconut oil, and they start running!
So I made this coconut milk conditioner spray with hair-strengthening ingredients like argan oil, coconut milk, and yes, coconut oil—and it doesn’t look like I’m using coconut oil! I call that a win-win.
Why coconut milk?
I was surprised to learn how good coconut milk is for skin, but also for the hair. Its high fat content, proteins, and vitamin E nourish hair from roots to ends, helping to restore thinning hair, split ends, and dry, damaged hair. It also works as a conditioner and detangler while improving hair growth.
You can use it in homemade shampoo or as a leave-in conditioner to thicken strands and provide volume without making hair greasy. But it does need to be refrigerated, so keep your coconut milk in the fridge.
The other ingredients provide a laundry list of benefits for hair:
Argan oil is a mega moisturizer for hair. It’s great for controlling frizz and adding shine to dull hair. It has also been said to help thicken hair and prevent thinning [source].
Jojoba oil is ideal for healthily hydrating skin and hair because it’s anti-inflammatory [source]. It has also been shown to work well as a conditioning agent that prevents breakage, even in chemically treated hair [source]. Use it to both add condition and tame frizz.
Coconut oil is great for just about everything (we even use it in hairspray). It has been shown to help prevent protein loss from hair and to help prevent scalp infection [source]. Use fractionated coconut oil so the conditioner doesn’t solidify.
Essential oils like rosemary [source], lavender [source], peppermint [source] all are great for strengthening hair and preventing thermal damage.
Leave-In Coconut Milk Conditioner Spray
- 2 tbsps fractionated coconut oil
- 1 tbsp jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp argan oil
- 10 drops essential oil
- 4 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- 8-ounce spray bottle
Add the oils to an empty 8-ounce spray bottle, and then add 10 drops of a hair-approved essential oil and swirl together. If you’re growing your hair, try this hair growth essential oil blend.
Then add the coconut milk. If you open the can of coconut milk and it’s solid, dump it into a bowl first and whip it to get a smooth texture. After you add the coconut milk to the spray bottle, swirl the bottle to fully combine the oils and milk.
You’ll want to keep the coconut milk conditioner spray in the refrigerator, so just set it out on the counter for a few minutes before you plan to use it to let the ingredients soften. Then shake again to combine and spritz directly onto the hair, concentrating on the ends.
After mixing up the conditioning spray, use the leftover coconut milk for an immediate hair mask. Or feel free to make some chia pudding!
If you have extra oil, you can let it cool and use it as lip balm or lotion. Or you can also whip it to make a deep conditioning hair mask.
How to Use a Leave-In Conditioning Spray
How and when to use leave-in conditioner really depends on your hair type. But these tips will get you started:
1. Wash and gently towel dry your hair to remove excess moisture.
2. Spray the leave-in conditioner on your hair, concentrating on the ends. If you have thin or oily hair, it’s best to avoid the roots since conditioner can weigh down your hair. If you don’t, apply it to roots as long as it works for you and your hair type.
3. Comb through your hair using a wide-tooth comb.
4. Let hair air-dry or style as usual.
Feel free to experiment with the amount you use and how you apply it. And as always, do what works best for you.
Conditioner Spray FAQs
How long will this conditioner last?
Canned coconut milk only lasts a few days, even if refrigerated. I recommend keeping it in the fridge for up to a week and then making a fresh batch. To make it last longer, switch out the coconut milk for hair conditioner, aloe vera, or rosewater.
Can this recipe be used on colored hair?
Yes, it should be helpful. If you’re especially concerned, test it on a small patch of hair to verify the colorfastness before applying all over.
Can I use canned coconut milk?
Yes! In fact, that’s what we used.
Can I use vitamin E as a natural preservative?
If you’re going to use a preservative, I recommend using a full-spectrum one made specifically for homemade beauty products, like Leucidal Complete.
Can I leave the coconut milk out to keep it from solidifying?
Yes, you can skip the coconut milk entirely, but that will affect the texture of your conditioning spray. You might need to adjust the other ingredients in order to find a blend you like.
More summer hair care
5 DIY Sprays To Protect Your Hair from Sun, Heat & Humidity
10 Summer Hair Care Products to Stop Buying and Start Making
Coconut Milk Leave-In Conditioner Spray
Equipment
- 8 ounce spray bottle
Materials
- 2 tbsps fractionated coconut oil
- 1 tbsp jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp argan oil
- 10 drops essential oil
- 4 ounces full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Melt coconut oil and stir in the jojoba, argan, and essential oils. Fill an empty spray bottle 1/4 of the way with melted oils and the rest of the bottle with coconut milk. Replace cap and shake to combine.
- To use, spritz directly onto damp hair, concentrating on the ends. Comb through and leave on.
Notes
This post was medically reviewed by Dr. Rina Mary Allawh, M.D., a dermatologist who practices adult and pediatric medical dermatology, skin cancer treatment, and cosmetic dermatology. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Photos by Ana-Maria Stanciu
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Thank you!
Just what I needed!
Very informative indeed!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Great work author! Keep posting such researched blogs.
What is the shelf life of the conditioner? How long can you keep it before it expires?
Anyone find out the spray bottle size? The photo looks like 4 oz but the link is to a 16 oz bottle.
what size spray bottle
Thank you for stopping by and sharing our recipes! I really appreciate it.
Can this be used on colored hair next question if it last only a week do its okay to maybe set the small bottle in warm water to in solidify. I have also heard you can use coconut oil and 100 pure rosemary as a rinse twice weekly for same results?
How long does the conditioner last with the coconut milk can it spoil?
Can I use canned coconut milk?
OMG! So Many friends of mine told me about but I didn’t trust them, but now I realize that they are actually true what they said, I read the whole article, found that handmade coconut conditioner superb for the hair. thanks for explaining and provide detailed.
I made this and it was locate the primary couple of days and afterward one day I utilized it, it noticed shocking. Is this typical or has it turned sour?
will it coconut milk conditioner works for the person who have psoriasis?
I made this and it was find the first couple of days and then one day I used it, it smelled horrible. Is this normal or has it gone bad? If so what can I do to prevent this.
You can add some vitamin e oil (a natural preservative) to help or last a little longer but unfortunately without chemicals it just doesn’t have a shelf life of more than a week typically. I’d just make very small batches at a time & keep them in the fridge. Since the coconut oil may solidify you may want to add a bit of glycerin to combat that and take the bottle with you when you go to shower so the steam helps to re-melt the coconut oil. The only other option would be to use coconut milk (the kind in a carton with a cap that you can use just a little bit of at a time) and keep it in it’s own spray bottle seperate from the other ingredients & spray it on before spraying the rest of the ingredients in. It’s a hassle but still beats yucky chemicals!
try the Shielo Leave in Protectant BEFORE you heat style your hair – pre hot iron, pre blow dry. Its the ONLY way to avoid frizz….and you can use throughout the day as needed. PLUS it makes my hair smell great – even my husband (who never noticed anything) said: “Love how your hair smells!” :)
Could the coconut oil be left out? I find that anytime I use it in something like this it does solidify and I end up having to warm it for a far amount of time before using it. I also find it can clog up the sprayer. Has this happened when you’ve made this and if so, is there a way to avoid it?
Won’t the coconut oil solidify in the fridge?
I was wondering if it doesn’t become solid if it is kept refrigerated?
They sell fractionated (liquid) coconut oil. It’s a little more expensive but blends soooo much better (and won’t solidify) in any beauty spray/potion.
Is there another oil I can use in place of argan oil?
I far prefer hemp seed oil or avocado oil
Sure! That will works as well!