Ahhh flax seed gel. It’s a staple for wavy/curly/kinky-curly girls everywhere. This wonderful gel provides moisture, shine, and enhances curls. The only thing is that flax seed gel can be both hard to find, and expensive to buy. The good news? You can make it at home for extremely cheap, and it is done in only about 15 minutes. This DIY easy flax seed gel is faster and more sustainable than other recipes I’ve seen. And it’s an excellent curl enhancer! While many methods tell you to use nylons, I find this wasteful and messy. Instead, we will use a fine mesh strainer. Another key different is pouring the gel through the fine mesh strainer while hot. Because the gel is hot, it is much thinner and strains without effort. If you wait and allow the gel to cool this part will become much more difficult.
What you will need to make your DIY Easy Flax Seed Gel
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- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup flax seed (raw, whole – click here to see some)
- Small pot for boiling
- Fine mesh strainer (I found one at Dollar Tree! click here for a link to one at Target)
- Glass bowl
- Glass jar or applicator bottle. It’s up to you.
Making Easy Flax Seed Gel (Without Nylons!)
- Boil the water over medium-high heat
- Pour in the flax seeds
- Allow to boil for about 10minutes, until a “mucus string” forms.
- Place your fine mesh strainer over the glass bowl
- Immediately take the hot flax seed gel and pour through the strainer into the glass bowl. You may need to shake the strainer a bit to get all of the gel to run through. Do not wait for this to cool at all. If you do, the gel will not easily strain.
- Pour the gel into the glass jar or applicator bottle. Allow to cool. Once cooled, this usually takes about an hour or two, your gel is ready to use!
Note: This DIY easy flax seed gel must be stored in the refrigerator because it does not contain preservatives. I simply grab the jar before my shower and return after use. Each batch lasts up to two weeks in the fridge. My recommendation if you have any leftover at the end of this time (I usually do!), is to freeze the remaining gel. I freeze mine in silicone muffin pans {link!} then grab and warm prior to use.
-Rachel
Did this help? Share the image below on Pinterest to help another wavy friend! Or flax seed loving human…
Can you use the flax seeds that remain in the strainer for anything?
you can, but not for hair-related things. You can add them into foods/smoothies as they still contain the fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. Great point and I think I’ll try to make it a point to repurpose them!
I made some flax gel but unfortunately didn’t work for me. I washed my hair and put some in generously and slept on it. Woke up to flat frizzy stupid hair. I had been using Aveda mousse and got a great result but was hoping the flax gel would replace it, The recipe I used is similar to yours (great idea with the strainer) so not sure what went wrong. Btw love your site and info 🙂
Aww bummer. Maybe try using sparingly! I’m not using it right now either because it can be annoying to use up before it expires. Glad you like the site 🙂 -Rachel
[…] Don’t let the name fool you! For wavies, when you use the right amount, this flaxseed gel helps enhance waves, not elongate them into straight strings. Very curly, coily, and kinky-curly hair have the elongated effect. Flax Seed gel is a great enhancer, and you an even make it at home easily with our DIY Flax Seed Gel recipe. […]