Natural Black Hair Care – Flax Seed Gel Moisturizer

Natural Hair Care – Flax Seed Gel Recipe

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)

Place 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.

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.

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!

Click here to download this recipe in a PDF

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.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Tags: black hair care, black women natural hair, conditioning natural hair, flax seed gel recipe, grow long natural hair, leave in conditioning treatment, natural hair care

Category: Looking Your Best, Women's Issues