The very first carrier oil I ever bought was argan oil. I’d initially fallen for it as a facial moisturizer, and the popularity of Morrocanoil—a haircare brand built around Morroco’s famous argan oil—was impossible to miss at the time. So, of course, I tried combing some pure argan oil through my hair. From everything I’d read about the long history of using argan oil for haircare I expected to be rewarded with silky, shiny tresses worthy of a fairytale princess. Instead, I ended up looking much more like someone who was trying to feed an unsuspecting princess a poisoned apple—my hair was greasy, limp, and really stringy
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So, yeah… if you’ve ever had a similar experience with oils, you’re definitely not alone! So, let’s get into why that happens and how to make hair oils that deliver the fairytale princess magic I was dreaming of. I’m sharing two silicone-free hair oil formulations (one natural, one not) + tips on how to customize your hair oils to suit your hair.
Post Overview
What is Hair Oil?
Hair oil is a leave-in haircare product that enhances shine, smooths flyaways, reduces frizz, makes hair easier to comb, and often imparts a lovely scent. I most often use hair outs to “scrunch out the crunch”—break the cast of my hair gel or mousse—on wash day.
They are anhydrous—or water free—formulations. I’ve found a few commercial products that call themselves “hair oil” yet have water as the first ingredient, but that’s not the sort of thing we’re talking about in this post.
Wash-out hair oils like pre-shampoo oils or treatment oils also exist, but they’re different enough that I won’t be covering them in this post.
Commercial hair oils vs. DIY ones
The name “hair oil” conjures up images of golden blends of gorgeous oils like argan oil, sweet almond oil, and rosehip oil—but if your hair is anything like mine, you’ll quickly learn a gorgeous oil blend gives very different results than most commercial hair oils.
This is because commercial hair oils are built around lighter, not-oil ingredients. These ingredients dilute richer carrier oils, creating a final product that doesn’t leave your hair greasy or weighed down.
There are two broad categories of “lighter, not-oil ingredients”: volatile & non-volatile.
Option 1: Volatile
Volatile ingredients are incredibly lightweight liquids that actually evaporate, so they’re the best option if your goal is to create a super lightweight final product that will nearly vanish after being applied, leaving behind nothing but a silky whisper and the lovely carrier oils. This is the approach you’ll see in hair oils marketed as “Weightless”, “Vanishing”, and “for fine hair”.
Verb’s “Ghost Weightless Oil” is primarily volatile silicones so it’s ultra lightweight.
Cyclomethicone—an ultra light silicone—is the most popular option, but isododecane is also excellent for creating super light formulations. These are both synethetic, and unfortunately I can’t get my hands on any natural, volatile options at this time. LexFeel® WOW DT (INCI: C13-16 Isoalkane & Heptyl Undecylenate) from Inolex looks really promising (it’s described as being “partially volatile” and “100% plant-based”), but at this time nobody seems to sell this ingredient to at-home DIYers.
When I first started formulating I remember scoffing at silicone-based hair oils; the company was just being cheap by replacing real oils with inexpensive silicone! As I’ve grown as a formulator, though, that logic really doesn’t hold up. Cyclomethicone is certainly cheaper than argan oil, but it’s also more expensive than plenty of carrier oils (like sunflower, grapeseed, and almond oil). When I started formulating with cyclomethicone, I realized it’s sort of the MSG of formulating; it’s a super easy way to improve products, but has a pretty bad (though undeserved) reputation.
Cyclomethicone not only lightens true oils; it also helps smooth the hair (reducing breakage potential), offers heat protection, boosts shine, and feels straight up luxurious (and leaves your hair feeling fabulous, too). Calling it a cheap filler ingredient is just untrue—you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to, but there are good reasons people love products that use it.
Learn why silicone isn’t horrible for your hair: Silicone Mythbusting by Lab Muffin Beauty Science
For our volatile formulation I’m using a silicone alternative called SiClone® SR-5 (INCI: Isohexadecane & Isododecane & C13-15 Alkane) that I’ve really been enjoying working with lately. It’s made up of two volatile emollients (Isohexadecane & Isododecane) and a wee bit hemisqualane (C13-15 Alkane).
I’m keeping this formulation super light, so the amount of oil in here is quite low at just 8%. I’ve chosen jojoba oil as the star oil because it doesn’t penetrate the hair, instead boosting shine and improving slip. An oil soluble botanical extract adds some herbal loveliness, but you could replace it with more jojoba oil if you don’t have one. Vitamin E—an antioxidant—helps extend the shelf life of the hair oil by helping slow the oil going rancid.
Silicone-Free Hair Oil Formulation
Vanishing Jojoba Hair Oil
22.25g | 89% SiClone® SR-5
2g | 8% jojoba oil (USA / Canada)
0.25g | 1% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
0.25g | 1% oil soluble calendula extract
0.25g | 1% fragrance oilWeigh all the ingredients into a small beaker and stir to combine. Transfer into a bottle with a dropper, orifice reducer, treatment pump, or mister cap; this batch size will fill a 30mL (1fl oz) bottle nicely.
To use, smooth a few drops over your hair as needed. I mostly use hair oil to “scrunch out the crunch” of my gel or mousse after my hair has fully dried.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this product does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the formulation, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this formulation in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams, this formulation will make 25g, which will fill a 30mL (1fl oz) bottle nicely.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list (vitamin E) please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- You could use a volatile silicone (Cyclomethicone + other cyclo-siloxanes) or Isododecane instead of SiClone® SR-5.
- You can use a different carrier oil (or blend of carrier oils).
- You can use a different oil-soluble botanical extract or simply replace it with more jojoba oil.
- If you’d like to incorporate an essential oil, please read this.
- You can play with the ratios in the formulation, using more oil and less SiClone® SR-5 for a richer product, and vice versa for a lighter product. If you begin dramatically shifting the balance of the volatile emollient and oil please start with small batches & package them in clear bottles to watch for splitting as this can happen with higher % of oil and lower % of silicone.
- If you’d like your hair oil to be unscented just replace the fragrance with more SiClone® SR-5 or jojoba oil.
Option 1: Non-Volatile
The second category of lightening-things-up ingredients are ultra-light, non-volatile emollients. Since they aren’t volatile they don’t create weightless formulations like volatile emollients can, but there are a lot more options, including many natural ones.
Accessible options include Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate (and) Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables (aka EcoSil), C12-15 alkyl benzoate, and Isoamyl cocoate, Coco-Caprylate, and Neossance® Hemisqualane. This category includes many products marketed as natural cyclomethicone alternatives that don’t have the volatility that real cyclomethicone does.
I’m going to use EcoSil as our lightweight base for our non-volatile, all-natural hair oil formulation. This ingredient is sold all over the world under a lot of different names, so be sure to look at the INCI to make sure you’re purchasing the right thing! I’ve listed a bunch of the different names in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia entry on this ingredient.
This formulation is a bit richer than our first one because it doesn’t have a volatile base, and because it contains almost twice as much oil. This doesn’t seem like a big difference, but my hair (which, admittedly, does not love oil) can definitely tell!
The star oil is camellia seed oil (which has been used in haircare and skincare for centuries in China and Japan), with a wee bit of richer castor oil and some Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride to further soften the hair.
As with our first formulation, a bit of vitamin E and something that smells lovely finish things off. An essential oil is an obvious choice, but I’ve decided to use a natural fragrance oil to scent my hair oil. I know natural fragrance oils sound like an oxymoron, but they’re a real—and natural—thing! Learn more about them with this post.
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All-Natural Hair Oil Formulation
All-Natural Green Tea Hair Oil
20.75g | 83% Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate (and) Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables (USA / Canada / Germany / Aus)
2.5g | 10% camellia seed oil
0.75g | 3% castor oil (USA / Canada)
0.5g | 2% medium chain triglycerides (USA / Canada / UK / Aus / NZ)
0.25g | 1% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)
0.25g | 1% natural fragrance oil or essential oilWeigh all the ingredients into a small beaker and stir to combine. Transfer into a bottle with a dropper, orifice reducer, treatment pump, or mister cap; this batch size will fill a 30mL (1fl oz) bottle nicely.
To use, smooth a few drops over your hair as needed. I mostly use hair oil to “scrunch out the crunch” of my gel or mousse after my hair has fully dried.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this product does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Substitutions
As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the formulation, you will get a different final product than I did.
- As I’ve provided this formulation in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams, this formulation will make 25g, which will fill a 30mL (1fl oz) bottle nicely.
- To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list (vitamin E) please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
- You can use a different lightweight emollient instead of EcoSil (or create a blend with EcoSil). As this ingredient makes up over 80% of the formulation, changing it will noticeably change the finished hair oil. Some options include C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Neossance® Hemisqualane, Isoamyl laurate, Isoamyl cocoate, and Coco-Caprylate. If an ingredient is described as a “natural cyclomethicone alternative” that’s a sign it’s a good option.
- You can use a different carrier oil (or blend of carrier oils).
- If you’re using an essential oil, please make sure the oil (or blend) you choose is safe for use at 1% in IFRA category 7B products.
- You can play with the ratios in the formulation, using more oil and less lightweight emollient(s) for a richer product, and vice versa for a lighter product.
- If you’d like your hair oil to be unscented just replace the fragrance/essential oil with more EcoSil or carrier oil.
Bottle it up
When packaging a hair oil, the most important thing is choosing something that encourages people to use a reasonable (read: small) amount of it. You generally want to start with just a few drops of hair oil at a time so you can spread it through your hair evenly, so whatever you package your hair oil in should make it easy to get just a couple drops out at a time. You can always go back for more, while getting too much oil of your hair is quite a bit harder!
Glass bottles with dropper tops are popular, but they can spill easily if knocked over, so they’re not my favourite option.
If you want your hair oil to pump out, choose a treatment pump rather than a lotion-style pump.
A bottle with a small orifice reducer is an easy and inexpensive choice; I recommend choosing a bottle that you can squeeze so you aren’t stuck shaking and waiting like you’re trying to dispense some ketchup from a glass bottle.
And, if your oil is really fluid, you can package it in a mister bottle for a hair oil mist! I find this works best with really lightweight formulations as it’s easy to over-do it with the mister. It’s also easy to accidentally grease your shower or floor and create a slipping hazard, so be careful!
How can I start customizing these formulations?
Customization is all about what your hair likes, so think about that first. Fine, low-porosity hair that is easily weighed down will probably prefer a volatile base and a lower oil content. If your hair is drier or high-porosity you might prefer a hair oil built around non-volatile emollients with a high oil content. And of course, if your hair adores true oils and butters, you might not need any lightening-up ingredients at all!
Once you know what sort of formulation structure works for you, you can experiment with different carrier oils, different ratios (between the oils and between the lightening-up ingredients + oils), and oil-soluble extracts and actives. I’ve been enjoying Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (an oil soluble format of vitamin C) in some of my hair oil formulations lately! You can also combine the two strategies, blending volatile and non-volatile lightweight emollients to create the base of your formulation.
When you start experimenting I recommend making a small batch and putting it in a clear bottle so you can watch for separation; if you’ve combined emollients with widely varying polarities they can split.
Relevant links & further reading
- Cyclomethicone + other cyclo-siloxanes in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- SiClone® SR-5in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate (and) Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Jojoba Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Camellia Seed Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Castor Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- Medium chain triglycerides (aka Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride) in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
- How long will ______ last? What is its shelf life? in the Humblebee & Me FAQ
- Similar formulations:
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Gifting Disclosure
The SiClone® SR-5, castor oil, Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT aka Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride), and jojoba oil were gifted by YellowBee.
The camellia seed oil was gifted by Formulator Sample Shop.
The vitamin E & EcoSil were gifted by Voyageur Soap & Candle.
The calendula extract & natural fragrance oil were gifted by Bramble Berry.
Links to Amazon are affiliate links.
Hmmm… something I can try using the isododecane I bought. I don’t remember what I originally bought it for. lol.
Hi Marie,
Maybe I can use this as a base to craft a hair pomade with clay!