Tuesday, November 22, 2011

HAIR RECIPE: Flax Seed Gel


I was asked recently by a natural what to use for extra hold when styling her daughter’s hair. I named every product in my arsenal, and nothing was right. And when I went way, DEEP back in the cabinet and named an Herbal Essence product that I was SURE could help, she informed me that she preferred natural products. Back to the drawing board.

It became my own personal challenge to find something that was natural, inexpensive, and could add extra hold. I came across several sources that used flax seed to make their own hair gel. Here is a basic recipe:

·         ¼ cup whole flax seed

·         2 cups water

·         ¼ teaspoon olive oil

·         ¼ teaspoon aloe vera gel or juice.

Place the flax seed and water in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. STIR the flax seeds that WILL stick to the pot and scorch if you do not stir it. Trust me.
A white frothy mucous will form on top of the liquid. Once the froth develops and, remove the mixture from heat. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture to remove all flax seeds.

 

The oil and aloe vera are optional, but oil will provide lubrication, and aloe vera juice can help regulate the pH of your homemade gel. I added a drop of peppermint essential oil to mine for no reason other than I love the smell of peppermint. Refrigerate to speed cooling process. The gel will thicken as it cools. Here is an image of my final product:

This works well on wet hair. I recommend using sparingly on dry hair. You should probably at LEAST lightly mist with water. The picture above is the image of the recipe listed above. If you like your gel thicker, feel free to slightly reduce the amount of water, or slightly increase the amount of flax seeds. You can see a video demonstration here. If you have tried this recipe, how does it work for you? Did you make changes?

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