Natural Black Hair Care – Flax Seed Gel Moisturizer

. 07/23/2012 . 0 Comments

Natural Hair Care – Flax Seed Gel Recipeflax seed gel recipe for natural black hair care black hair moisturizing treatment

I love being a mixologist of natural hair care products. Reminds me of when I was a little kid and would go into the back yard in my playhouse with my play dishes and cups of “stuff” I squandered from my Mom. I’d have flour and cornmeal, milk, water and catsup, olives, Cheerios, macaroni or rice, grass cuttings, chocolate chips, dirt, sand, dead bugs, sawdust, rose petals, bubble bath, and whatever else I could find or beg my parents out of.

Then I would take my treasures to the playhouse, get my little bowls out and start mixing stuff. I was 3-4 years old and thought that was so much fun!

So last night I made flax seed Gel then put my mini-twists back in. This stuff is the bomb. My hair is soft, shiny, moisturized, and the natural curl pattern is quite evident. When I take the twists out the definition is fabulous and my hair doesn’t frizz. You really should try it if you haven’t already.

To make your flax seed gel, you will need:

  • 2-1/2 cups distilled water
  • 1/3 cup whole raw (whole) flax seeds
  • Aloe Vera juice (optional)
  • Avocado, Jojoba or Argon oil (optional)
  • Small wire whisk
  • Wooden cooking spoon
  • Large sauce pan (non-stick is best)

flax seed gel recipe natural black hair care moisturizerPlace seeds and water in large sauce pan. Turn heat to medium.

Gently simmer while constantly stirring seeds in the water to avoid seeds sticking to bottom of pan.  When gel foams and reaches a slightly thickened consistency (seeds will appear to be ‘floating’ in the pan), immediately remove from heat and pour contents of pan into a strainer placed over your mixing bowl. I prefer to use a cheapo knee  high stocking that is stretched over a Glad bowl thing for easier handling and straining the last bits of gel from the seeds.

Let it drain from the strainer or stocking as much as possible. If using a strainer, stir and gently press mixture against strainer to extract as much of the thicker gel as possible. If using the pantyhose method, use plastic gripper tongs to squeeze the remaining gel out of the stocking into the bowl. Don’t use your fingers because the mixture is extremely hot!!

This whole “start simmering to finish” process should take no longer than about 6-7 minutes. Don’t boil it too hard or too long, or your gel will end up very thick and more difficult to strain. However, if you plan to wear a hairstyle requiring firmer hold (such as spiral curls), cooking your gel an additional 1-3 minutes will give you the thick gel you desire.

Once the gel cools to lukewarm you can whisk in the oil and aloe into the flax seed gel until well mixed (but both are optional). Add a few drops of Tea Tree or Grapefruit Essential Oil as an anti-bacterial preservative if you won’t use your gel up within a two week period.natural black hair care flax seed gel recipe

Store your gel in the refrigerator. Keep it no longer than about 3-4 weeks even with the preservative essential oil. You should not use it once it goes bad (you’ll know by the smell!). If you have concerns about not using it in time, you could just halve the recipe or put half in the freezer.

When seeds cool slightly, scrape seeds from stocking or strainer. Put seeds in airtight container in the fridge or freezer to use again if you want. I just throw everything out because flax seeds and the 99 cent store half stockings are so cheap, why bother?

Best used on towel dried or totally dry hair right before styling. You can also mix a tablespoon into water for a daily spritz. You can use it as a wash and go , or to put on your hair in individual sections if you plan to wear braids or twists.

Be sure to stir before use to redistribute the oils evenly through the product.flax seed gel moisturizing conditioner for dry hair natural hair care

For braid-outs and twist-outs, put your leave-in conditioner on first, followed by the flax seed gel. No additional oil is usually necessary, but you can use a dab of melted coconut oil or Shea butter on the ends of your braids or twists if they are very dry.

If you prefer to use oil on your hair separate from the oil in the gel, I suggest putting liquified Shea or coconut oil on dry hair section by section, then adding the flax seed gel on top.

Pictures of the results below!

 

 

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Flax Seed Gel (Twists Out )

picture of flax seedsTwists as presented are unseparated, and untouched, merely untwisted after being wet-twisted right after shampooing and conditioning my hair.

The products on my hair are Giovanni Direct Leave in conditioner and this recipe for home made flax seed gel. Since my hair had been in braids for many years and is extremely dry, I used a finger dab of liquified Shea butter on the ends of my hair to seal them after twisting.

Use your mouse scroll wheel or the directional arrows on your keyboard to navigate through the slides.

Twists Out Close Up

I cannot recommend flax seed gel highly enough. My hair is never this frizz free, even with commercial products. Well, shooting in the shade kinda sucks.

Twist Definition

twist out with flax seed gelNotice the shine, the soft appearance of the hair, the total lack of frizz (except where my hair is broken off here and there from the braids).

Twist Shine

Okay, the lighting is better on this shot. You can see the crinkle pattern very clearly on the upper left hand side where the twist started to separate a little. But see how smooth it is 0 NO FRIZZ! Yippee!

Moisturized from Flax Seed Gel

definition achieved with flax seed gel in twist outAgain, notice how smooth the crimps are from twists. Looks like it would be stiff, but my hair is extremely soft and smooth to the touch.

Mini Twists Out Using Flax Seed Gel

Here I've taken some of the mini-twists I put in out to show you what it looks like with smaller twists.

So, I hope you give flax seed gel a try. Remember, it keeps only about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and after that you should make a new batch. But since it costs you like what - 20 cents? That shouldn't be a problem. If you can't use it all by re-twisting or styling between washes, then just make half the recipe.

Deborrah

Veteran social researcher, relationship advice columnist, author and radio host. Author of hundreds of articles on American and black culture, gender issues, singles, dating and relationships. Author of "Sucka Free Love!" , "The 24 Types of Suckas to Avoid," "The Black Church - Where Women Pray and Men Pray," and "Why Vegan is the New Black" all available on Amazon.Com. Her unique voice and insightful commentary have delighted fans and riled haters for 20 years. Read her stuff on SurvivingDating.Com and AskHeartBeat.Com.

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