1 c. spring water, or boiled water (to keep out impurities)
2 Tbsp flaxseed
2 drops essential oil for fragrance (optional, but avoid using the citris types-lemon, tangerine,lime etc-they are phototoxic when exposed to light within 12 of application)
*all optional:
a few drops of vitamin e moisture
2 Tbsp aloe vera juice for moisture,
1/4-1/2 t epsom salf-curl enhancer (
1/2 t. hemp oil or shea butter (makes it more of a cream than gel)
1/2 tsp honey or agave necter for hold and moisture
1/2 tsp beneficial oil (sweet almond oil, or apricot kernal oil for example)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum for added thickness
Combine water and flaxseed in a small pot over med heat and bring to a boil. stiring continuously wait till the white foam apears add keep stirring on heat for about another minute or two. Then take off heat and immediately pour into a bowl through fine strainer. you may need to stir in the strainer to get more out.
you can repeat this process using the same seeds and get more gel out. I did it 3 or 4 times with the same batch.
once the gel has cooled, stir in your Essential oil, and other mix in's a put the gel into a jar or squirt bottle. and put in the fridge till you are ready to use. without preservatives it lasts about a week or two in the fridge. But if you made more you can keep it in the freezer and unthaw the amount you need. takes about 6-8 minutes to make.
This stuff is really cheep to make. You can get flaxseed at a grocery store in bulk for .50 cent a pound or at a nature store. the higher the quality of seeds the more you can reuse them. It is great stuff but you will need to use about 2 oz. at at time. Fights the frizz, and has lasting hold and is very light in your hair. Many girls on naturallycurly.com swear by it. One of them sells it on etsy for 15$ for 8oz. good stuff and costs pennies to make.
*** read comments before you make it for tips
1 comment:
so after making different batches i would recommend just making the basic batch with flaxseed and water. right after you strain it, add in a little beneficial oil and then add the xanthan gum, and whip it to mix it in-i prefer the hand blender, and it will thicken and fluff so you can easily spred through your hair. also, once you have tried the basic recipe, slowly add in the optionals if you want. when using the epsom salts, add them in with the flaxseed and water in the begining, it may not dry your hair out as much and will mix in better. my hair likes the flaxseed, water, sweet almond oil, and xanthan gum. the others don't work for me.
Post a Comment