How to || Homemade Hair Gel!

A few weeks ago I stumbled across an old recipe I had created for a flaxseed hair gel. Upon noticing the terrible photos I decided it would be time to do an updated version, with a few tweaks I have learned along the way. In this version I have chosen to add honey, aloe vera and argan oil. Honey adds moisture as it is a humectant, meaning it draws water from the air. This will help to keep hair moisturised, hydrated and frizz free! Aloe vera enhanced curls, locks in moisture acting as a protective barrier. It also helping to maintain the ph balance of hair. I have also added Argan oil as it is well known as being very nourishing and great for smoothing hair.

You will need
Flaxseeds/Linseeds || 1/2 Cup. Water || 2 Cups. Cup Measures. Spoon Measures. A Sieve/Strainer. A Bowl. Honey || 1 Tbsp. Aloe Vera Gel || 1 Tbsp. Argan Oil || 1 Tsp. Essential Oils (Optional) || A few drops.

The first thing to do is soak the flaxseeds in a bowl with 2 cups of water. You can either leave the seeds to soak overnight (which will produce more gel) or leave for a few hours. I usually leave for a few hours as I find this produces more than enough gel. This also means I can make it in one day as I tend to lose focus pretty quickly!

After soaking, pour the seeds and water into a pan and boil on a medium heat for around 10 minutes. It should start to thicken fairly quickly. A good indicator that it is ready is when there are no seeds sinking to the bottom of the pan as the gel has become thick enough to suspend them. If in doubt, scoop out some of the gel and if it feels similar in texture to regular hair gel, then it will probably be fine. Remove the pan from the heat.

Once off the heat, strain the seeds so that you are only left with the gel. This process can be a little time consuming, depending on the thickness of the gel and how fine your sieve/strainer is. You may need to use a spoon to aid straining but if you are still finding it very difficult you can add a little water but the more you add the thinner the mixture will become.

Once strained allow to cool for around half an hour. Then add the Honey (don't worry, it won't make it sticky!), Aloe Vera, Argan Oil and stir thoroughly. This would also be the time to add any essential oils, such as lavender. Once all the ingredients are added and the gel is cool transfer to a glass jar. for storage. At this point I always make sure that I label and date the jar as it can and will go off. You can usually store the gel for around 2 weeks but please do keep an eye on it and always err on the side of caution!

P.s Wash your pans and equipment straight away! This stuff can set and become a little difficult to wash off! Not too difficult but who has time to soak nowadays?


Do you have any DIY beauty recipes?
Let me know!