Hi :)

So, what's the gossip on BTMS?! I want to make my own cone-free conditioner and I hear that BTMS is a good conditioning emulsifier. Anything I should know before I put this stuff on my hair?! Does it cause cone-like build up problems? Anything nasty about it at all?

Look forward to hearing the lowdown... :D

It's found in a lot of products for curly hair (Jessicurl and others at NC.com). I haven't cared for any of the BTMS based conditioners I've tried. They didn't seem to moisturize at all. Don't base your decision on what I say, though. My hair is usually quite contrary. :lol:

LOL. Thanks Flaxen ;) The recipe I was thinking of using is this -

Water 61.5%
Glycerin 15.4%
Jojoba oil 15.4%
Honey 7.7%

Any thoughts from anyone would be welcome!

This is kind of cobbled together from lots of basic conditioner recipes I've come across. To that recipe I need to add an emulsifier to mix the oil phase and water phase, right? :confused: That's why I was wondering about BTMS. I also need to figure out what percentage of preservative to use, but I'll think about that later. Even this super basic recipe is scary to me!

The Herbarie http://www.theherbarie.com/The-Formulary-p-7.html has some great recipes to get you started. Some of the recipes have cones so if you are cone free you can easily sub out the cone in a recipe for coconut or jojoba oil.

LOL. Thanks Flaxen ;) The recipe I was thinking of using is this -

Water 61.5%
Glycerin 15.4%
Jojoba oil 15.4%
Honey 7.7%

Any thoughts from anyone would be welcome!

This is kind of cobbled together from lots of basic conditioner recipes I've come across. To that recipe I need to add an emulsifier to mix the oil phase and water phase, right? :confused: That's why I was wondering about BTMS. I also need to figure out what percentage of preservative to use, but I'll think about that later. Even this super basic recipe is scary to me!


I replied in your other thread, but found this one too :). Your oil % seems pretty high for a regular condish- you may get oily hair from that with usual use. You are correct that you will have a water and oil phase, and often-times a 3rd phase for things such as fragrance/EO/preservatives. Check the recommendations on your preservative for usage rate, and make sure everything is as clean as possible and you 'heat and hold' your phases to kill off any present bacteria that may be there. When I heat and hold the water phase, I always weigh the whole thing first, then weigh when I'm done- you get some loss from evaporation, so I just add back some distilled water to the original weight.

As far as recipies, there are a ton out there- it also depends on what your hair likes and what you are looking for in a conditioner. here is a recipe I've come up with for a thicker, deeper condish without too many bells and whistles. You can sub out the additives or whatever and just add it to the water % if you don't have/don't want them:

79.55% Water/Aloe juice (I eyeball this, really should determine aloe %)
4% Oils (I like meadowfoam, mowrah butter, and emu)
7% BTMS
0.75% Guar Gum (whisk like a fool as you add this slowly)
5% Glycerin
0.2% Sodium PCA
1.5% Panthenol
1% Optiphen Plus (my preservative of choice- no parabens or formaldehyde releasers)
1% Fragrance/EO (up to 2% if you want stronger smelling)

Thank you Birdiefu :) Hmmmm... Seems like I was a tad enthusiastic with my percentages! lol.