I had posted about this on nc.com and decided to repeat what I said about it... ;)

I have used this flax seed gel for my curly hair and when I sleep in sponge rollers to get a straight look temporarily.

I can say with all honesty that homemade flax seed gel is wonderful for my hair. When naturally curly it gives my hair tremendous curl definition and shine....

When my hair is straight it also gives it great shine... but, the best thing is how HEALTHY it makes my hair look and my hair feels like it has more body. Not in the way of making it poofy, but, more heavy in texture and for my fine hair this is a joy. My hair feels so luxurious now and I get so many compliments when I use this gel in my hair.

I think because Flax seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty oils that this is what makes it give hair such great shine and a healthier looking appearance.

Here is the recipe for Flax Gel:

1.) 4 to 8 tablespoons of Dark Flax Whole Seeds (I Use all 8 )

2.) 2 cups filtered water

***Boil seeds in a small pot with filtered water 2 to 3 minutes (I boil seeds 12 minutes to get the most gel out of seeds and to make gel stronger). {Make sure to keep it on a medium flame as it can boil over} Strain seeds while still hot into thick plastic wide-mouthed jar using a metal or cloth mesh strainer. When mixture cools add Vitamin E (preservative) and if you like add your favorite essential oil for fragrance, then refrigerate (I usually keep the gel only for a week, then throw it out and make a new batch).

That's about it.

Take care all :D :D

Hey Wepa,

So, do ya just throw away the boiled seeds and keep the water from it? This sounds neat. Do you know if this is similar to aloe vera gel?

Hey Notjomama... :) Yep, you must strain the gel/water from the seeds, if not you got a God awful mess of seeds in there and that won't be good when putting the gel in your hair. ;)

I can't tell you if it's like aloe vera because I am extrememly allergic to aloe, it makes my face swell up like a tomato and I itch like crazy. All I can say is the Flax seed homemade gel is the best thing I have ever used on my hair.


Take care all :D :D

Thanks for posting this, Wepacurlz. I tried the recipe tonight, using the full 8 tablespoons of flax seeds and boiling the mixture for 10 minutes. The mixture came out very thick, so I was only able to get about 1/2 cup of gel through a fine mesh metal strainer. Maybe cheesecloth would have worked better for straining.

How much gel do you usually get from a batch? I may have to add a little water to mine, because it's soo thick. I added vitamin E and a drop each of ylang ylang and jasmine EOs.

bunniee

Wepa, thanks for the info. I might try it.

That's wild about the aloe! I just assumed that no one would ever be allergic to something like that.

notjomama: this stuff has more hold than aloe vera gel, IMO. the consistency is like mucous/snot...and if you think too long about it (like myself) it starts to look like it, too....vs. aloe vera gel, which is definitely more gel-like in consistency.

wepacurlz: how much do you use in your hair? i read the same recipe on nc.com, and tried to use it to bring out the texture in my hair...it ended up making it straighter, so maybe i'll try using it for when i straighten, like you did. it IS very similar in consistency to phytodefrisant (which i luv).

notjomama: this stuff has more hold than aloe vera gel, IMO. the consistency is like mucous/snot...and if you think too long about it (like myself) it starts to look like it, too....vs. aloe vera gel, which is definitely more gel-like in consistency.

I was going to mention the snot consistency, but didn't want to gross anyone out. And yes, it does look like that too. LOLOL!

bunniee

:Star:

:puke: :puke: :puke: Oh yum? I am glad it has more holding power than the aloe gel. I've been using Equestrian's glossing gel. I LOVE IT!! But I want sumthing stronger. So, I'll try the snot stuff. hehehe :)

Hey, shall we name it? :) I vote for Snot Stuff

Notjomama... I like the "Snot Stuff" title for the flax gel... but, I would like to add another version of it... how about "I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff" as the name. LOLOLOOLOL :P :P

bunniee... I get a cup of gel out of the two cups of boiled flax seeds. I think a cloth mesh strainer would be good if you are having problems in straining most of the gel from the seeds.

Jae6... The gel actually makes my hair more curly, go figure. Each head of hair has a mind of its own on how it responds to different products.

I use a bunch of the flax gel. I make sure to spread it over my palms and rub hands together so there won't be any excess globs, then scrunch in the flax gel.

Each palm coated with flax gel is enough to scrunch every 5 inches of hair. I work my way down scrunching it while bent over the whole length of hair.

I want to make it clear that I don't have a huge glob of gel spread on my palms that is why I rub my hands together to smooth it out. I have just enough gel to leave a normal coating on my palms. (Does this make sense to you? LOL)

***Note: Make sure to scrunch in the flax gel good into ones hair... If you leave any globs and it dries, it WILL look like "Snot Stuff" in your hair. heheheheeh :twisted:

Take care all :D :D

If you leave any globs and it dries, it WILL look like "Snot Stuff" in your hair. heheheheeh

:puke: :puke: ewwwww ewwwwwww ewwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, if ya DO leave a glob, what color does it dry to???? :puke:

If done correctly, does it dry crunchy? Years and years ago, I had a perm and used lots of gel (I've had MANY perms). My nickname at work was "Quaker State"!!! lol I looked like I had greasy curls.


"I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff" :rockerdude: :rockerdude: :rockerdude: YES!!!! Excellent name!!!

Question-

I too have curly hair and I am very interested in flax seed gel. But I only wash my hair once a week. Can you keep the gel in the fridge longer than a week??

Thanks
:D

Another vote for "I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff". LOL!

I found an alternate method of making the flaxseed gel on nc.com, which I'm going to try next time:

http://naturallycurly2.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=243656&highlight=#243656

TXcuralgal5 (yay, another texan!), I'd be hesitant to keep the gel longer than a week without a preservative. If bacterial contamination started before the gel began to smell bad, that would be some nasty stuff to get near your scalp. You could try making a small batch, and throw out what you don't use after a week. Flaxseeds are pretty cheap if you can find them in bulk. I get them for $1.19 a lb at Wholefoods, which is a huge amount.

bunniee

:Star:

Hey all you curly girls...so this stuff makes your hair straighter?

I'm wondering if it would make my straight hair hold a curl or a wave? I thought I'd put the question out there before I make up a batch of snot and try it myself. And does it wash or rinse out easily?

Well, I'm sorry to report the first batch of "I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff" I tried was not very good. It made my hair super crunchy, and I ended up rinsing the stuff out because I couldn't stand it. I think I used too much, and it was hard to work with because the gel turned out so thick. It did straighten my hair rather than make it wavy, which was not the look I was going for. I tried spritzing my hair with water and adding a few drops of oil, but that didn't help the crunch factor.

I still have some flaxseeds left, and plan to try another batch using the method I posted earlier. The flax-based gel I got from Jessicurl is much thinner, almost watery, so I think I need to add more water or use less flaxseed to get the right consistency.

Heidi, I don't know if this gel would help straight hair hold a curl. It did wash out easy enough. Even though I had to throw out the first batch, it only cost about 25 cents to make, so no big loss. :)

bunniee

:Star:

i made a batch last nite using the recipe off the recipe board-

3 tablespoons flaxseeds boiled for 5 minutes in a cup of water.

the result is thick but not tooooooo thick.

it stuck to the pan though, so i'm worried that it will stick in my hair the same way. thinking of trying it on half of my head this morning after i wash. it would be nice if it worked as a halo containing gel for those days when i want my updos to look smooth and sleek :)

heather

Heidi... I have curly hair and if anything it adds more definition to my curls, I have more curls than before and it gives me better hold.

I don't see how it would straighten curly hair. The only thing I can think of is in the way you apply the gel to ones hair or what you do beforehand (comb hair in the shower which might pull out curls...etc).

If you rake the gel or slide hands down over hair pulling down on your curls, then I can see it loosening up ones curls or if you comb hair before putting it on. Also, if you section off your hair and put a bunch of the gel that way without watering it down alittle or using it sparingly, then you will definitely get major crunch from overkill use of the gel on these smaller sections of hair. I put it on by scrunching it in with both hands (that have a normal layer of gel on the palms I have rubbed together) at the same time (no sectioning of hair). While bent over I have one palm scrunching the outer hair and the other palm scrunching the underside of my hair.

bunniee... In your case as you said adding less flax seeds would be ideal and alittle more water to make it not as strong. Also, 5 minutes is a pretty short time to boil it. I do it for 12 minutes and even then it is alittle runny the mixture. Perhaps you are boiling it on a high flame all the way. I use a medium even flame for the 12 minutes I do it.

I get alittle crunch, but, I scrunch some coconut oil in and it's gone easy. Try using less of the gel next time. HTH :D

Heather... One cup of water is not enough from my experience with making the gel. You said that it stuck to the pot... Do you mean the seeds stuck or the gel? If it's the seeds, then the one cup you are using is not enough and as water evaporates and boils down, it will cause the seeds to stick to the pot or you are using too high a flame and the water is evaporating too quickly and as good cooks know, when water boils (for example in beef stews or soups) down too much the food in the pot will start to stick to the bottom and start to burn. If you mean the gel, then that is a given that this will happen. Some warm water will loosen it up and just wipe it with a sponge. Do you use a non-stick pot? That is what I use and have no sticky problems at all. HTH :D

***Note: Less flax seeds means the gel will be weaker and more seeds stronger.

All in all... I am totally in love with the Flax seed gel in how it makes my hair look...the shine, curl definition and so on. It will be a lifetime keeper for me. ;)

Take care all and I hope you keep experimenting and don't go away defeated by the "I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff" LOLOL :D :D

my gel didn't burn or anything, just the residual coating of it really clung to the pan, so i was worried that it would cling to my hair the same way. a warm water soak did remove it, so i'm not worried anymore about it building up on my hair. (btw, my batch did turn out into a single thick gelatinous mass that i used to scare my boyfriend with this morning, ha!)

i tried it on half of my head, and i can't really see much difference between the two sides. my hair is pretty much straight, so i'm not gonna get much curl definition ;) in it's favor, i didn't get crunchie or sticky or anything bad. i'm wondering now if using a good dose would help my hair to look thicker, but beyond that, i don't think i need to use it (i never use any kind of gel, so that's not too much of a surprise :) )

it was easy and fun to make, though, thanks!
heather

Wepacurlz, thanks for the help. I think the flame may have been too high; I'll lower it next time and use less flaxseed. yeah, I used waaay too much gel for my hair, which is probably why it came out crunchy and weighed down.

Heather, I had flaxseed goo stuck to the bottom of my pan too. I just soaked the pan in warm soapy water and it washed right out.

I was going to write more about the consistency of the gel, but it might gross people out even more. :wacko:

bunniee

:Star:

Success at last!

Made another batch of flaxseed gel yesterday, using 6 tbsp of flaxseed, 2 tbsp dried lavender, and 2 cups water. I kept the pot on a low flame this time and only let the mixture 'cook' about 6 minutes. It was much easier to strain, and the consistency is just right - not too thick or too runny.

I used a small amount of the gel last night after washing my hair, and got nice beach waves. No crunch or stiffness this time, either. A cup of gel only cost me about 25 cents to make, so it's a real bargain as well. 8)

bunniee

:Star:

Ahhhhhhhh bunniee :D :D Congrats on your first successful batch of "I can't believe it's S'not Snot-Stuff" :rockerdude:

Seeeeee.... lower flame gives you better results... I am very proud of you grasshopper, because of your Flax gel making skills you may now leave the Shaolin Long hair monastery. :P :P


Merry Christmas to you and ALL THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AT LHC!!! :love:

Wepa (who is very happy with one of the gifts I was given of a 2 feet tall Porcelain Ballerina doll with long curly brown hair... so precious and cute is this doll) :D :D:D:D:D:D