After years of relying heavily on tons of expensive commercial hair styling products to keep my curls defined and frizz free, imagine my shock when I first heard that there was a natural alternative made using only flaxseeds. Not going to lie, I was skeptical. But after making my own DIY flaxseed gel and loving it, I had to admit that I was wrong.
It was in fact very similar to the expensive products I had been using, but at a fraction of the price, and with only natural ingredients. In this video, I will be sharing with you how to make and apply your own natural DIY flaxseed hair gel.
Whether you have curly or straight hair, this recipe is going to be helpful for you. For straight or fine haired people, this light gel can be a great tool for when you are putting your hair into a protective style, to help it stay in place and prevent flyaways. And of course, for us curly haired people, this awesome gel helps define curls and can be a great stand in when we are moving away from conventional, commercial gels and mousses.
Keep reading for the recipe, the technique of how to apply it, and to see my finished results with this gel. At the end of this article will be some added thoughts on situations in which you may want to be cautious with this gel, as well as some more expert tips for making it better.
RECIPE
1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
2 cups filtered water
Bring water to a boil on the stove. Add in flaxseeds and stir frequently while simmering for 6-9 minutes, until gel is your desired consistency. Pour through a fine mesh strainer while hot. Once cool, optionally add in essential oils. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Apply to wet hair and scrunch for defining curls, or use as a leave-in conditioner. Enjoy!
Extra Tips and Cautions
Before we wrap up, I’d like to give a few expert tips that I actually learnt from an Instagram commenter (@amandacurlylocks) when I published a reel about flaxseed gel. First of all, one of the hardest parts of making flaxseed gel is the straining process and getting the gel all pushed through the strainer - especially if you wait until it is cool.
A lot of other videos suggest using stockings to strain, but I have actually found this option worse than the metal strainer personally. So what this comments suggested and I think is a great option though I haven’t tried it yet, is using a couple layers of cheesecloth to strain the gel. This is malleable so you can massage it, but unlike the stockings option, the holes are bigger - if you layer up at least two pieces of cheesecloth, this should be perfect to withhold the flaxseeds while allowing the gel through.
So one situation in which you may want to avoid flaxseed gel or use it very minimally, is ironically, when you are dry-detangling your hair - which is what I personally do with my hair, and what I recommend. Flaxseed gel, while it is much lighter than commercial hair gels, can create somewhat of a crisy hold effect on the hair, which makes dry detangling difficult. My main caveats to avoid this problem are: 1) use a minimal amount of flaxseed gel, and 2) wait as long as you can to begin dry detangling, until the effects of the gel have worn off. Applying light oil like jojoba to your hair can also help reduce the hold of the flaxseed gel before dry detangling. I also only use my fingers to detangle, so that helps.
Another tip is to actually blend the flaxseed gel after making, before using. This apparently makes it more liquidy and easier to only get a little bit on your fingers and apply to your hair more minimally with excessive crispiness.
I hope you all enjoyed this natural DIY hair care recipe! If you are feeling inspired to try this recipe, be sure to let me know in the comments! If you found this recipe wildly helpful and inspiring, consider “buying me a coffee” through the buttons in this article.
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