DIY Natural Flaxseed Hair Gel

Natural Flaxseed Hair Gel

Hair gel is just one more product you can make at home and avoid buying a product that may have undesirable chemical ingredients and comes in a plastic container. I just use a teaspoon or less on towel dried hair before I blow dry and style it. My hair is thick, and a small amount of hair gel helps. Here is a recipe I have been using:

Ingredients: 2 cups water, ¼ cup whole flax seeds, essential oils for fragrance, ( 1 T glycerine or another oil such as olive, aloe vera, or coconut oil) I had some glycerine so I used that. Essential oil of your choice. I used about 5 drops of lemongrass essential oil.

Instructions:

1. Boil and Simmer:

In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the ¼ cup of flax seed and reduce to a simmer.

2. Simmer and Stir:

Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will thicken and form a gel. Let sit for about 40 minutes.

3. Cool and Strain:

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Line a large container with a nut milk bag or knee hi panty hose, or cheese cloth. Pour the flaxseed mixture into the bag/strainer. I used a milk nut bag set over a metal mixing bowl but might try the panty hose next time and see which method is faster. Pressing the gel out of the milk nut bag felt a little like milking a cow. I did this in the kitchen on the counter and listened to the news on tv while squeezing!

4. Squeeze and Store:

Gently squeeze the bag to extract the gel into the container. If using cheesecloth, you can use a spoon to help push the gel through.

5. Add Essential Oils:

Once the gel is strained and you have removed any remaining flax seeds, you can add a few drops of your favorite oils for fragrance and optionally you can add 1 T of an oil or liquid such as glycerine.

6. Store:

Transfer the flaxseed to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. It should last for about two-three weeks. I froze half of it in a small jar because I wanted it to last longer.

Note: Just put half in a small jar in the frig and the other half in a small jar in the freezer. If you find a small jar later or an applicator type bottle, use that.

The first time I made it a little watery and the second time I made it a little too thick. Just experiment to get the right consistency.