This article contains sponsored links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.
Flax seed gel is basically flax seed extract used as a natural styling gel in the curly hair community. A jar of flax seed gel can be made for less than 25 cents, leaving hair moisturized, frizz free, and never crunchy like traditional hair gels. I’m in complete awe that you do not need to use heat to create flax seed gel.
I’ve revisited flax seed gel for an ingredient in a new leave-in hair product that provides a slight hold. This time I decided not to cook the flax seeds in water on the stove. Instead I put 1/4 cup of flax seeds in 1 cup of boiled water in a glass jar and left it alone for 24 hours. The gel released on its own and strained easily through a nylon with tongs. I added a few drops of neem oil and other essential oils for their antibacterial properties.
This method was almost too easy. Less cleanup with amazing results. Flax seed gel should be stored in the refrigerator after it has been strained and reintroduced to air. The price and effectiveness of making this curly hair concoction can’t be beat!
Whole flax seeds can be purchased from any natural grocery store or online here. Check out the alternative way to make flax seed gel on the stovetop here.
*Using room temperature water using this method yields more of a very light extract similar to a curl refreshing spray.
If you are interested in more DIY hair leave-in/stylers go here. To see my latest beauty regimen included hair care go here.
(General Note: Please research new herbs to ensure there is no conflict with pregnancy or medical conditions before using.)
(Image by Dawn Michelle)
ek says
I’m going to try this tip today! I’ve been making flax seed gel and spray for a couple of years now. My partner and I have been trying to figure out a good way to travel with it and this may be it. I like the fact that it wouldn’t have to be refrigerated until the jar is opened and that it can be made on the road without a pot to boil the water. Thanks for the tip!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi ek,
After doing this a couple of times I found that this method creates a lighter gel more like a curl refreshing gel spray with light hold compared to when you boil he flaxseeds. It works even better if you soak the seeds in boiled water. I think it’s nice creating different products with only flaxseeds. Let me know how it works out for you.
Peace and Sunshine,
Dawn Michelle
tishushu says
Wow, no stove flax gel. I have a plug in teapot, and I sooooooo wanna try this. This is nice. I like the boil method, but the hold was a little tight. If this makes a lighter softer hold gel, this is perfect for my hair. And i have lots of neem thanks to my partner’s Ayurvedic practice. Thanks for sharing!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tishushu, If you are looking for a curl refresher spray gel then you will love this!
BrownCurls says
Hey Dawn!
I have really been enjoying your website!
I had made Flaxseed gel many years ago by boiling the water as it’s traditionally done. I was pretty curious to try your cold method as it seems simpler and also I know that the oils in flaxseed are pretty fragile and are better preserved in coller temps.
So I tried this, 1/4 cup seeds in 8oz water in tightly closed glass jar overnight….what I found was that a very light watery liquid sat at the top and the swollen, muhc larger amount of seeds sat at the bottom. The amount of water was much less than 8oz. I didn’t measure but I eyeball it at about 2 or 3 oz?
So I thought this was much less product than I used to get back in the day when boiling, and I also noticed that seeds were all clumped together gel-like. So I though, what would happen if I add more water? so I added 8 more oz of hot water from the tap…and voila! a bunch of the gel separated from the seeds and as I kept stirring the “liquid” became denser and denser, and more like the gel I remembered from back in the day…
I dumped all the stuff into a nylon stocking and squeezed the heck out of it and ended up with about 8oz of gel. Since I have very freezy 3/b/3c long curls I need quite a bit of hold, so I added 1/2 a teaspoon of agave nectar, as I had read about that in some other website. This mix worked out very well for me. I thought I’d share, since I really appreciate so many of your tips! (I made a facial oil following some of your suggestions, thanks!)
Dawn Michelle says
Hi BrownCurls, Thanks for sharing how you made your flax gel! I have been using flax seed gel non stop as it is one of my favorite hair stylers other than shea butter. Quick tip: Used boiled water for your DIY products or purified water to make the product last as long as possible. Also I’ve gotten a few friends into using flax seed gel and one told me that after the holidays she now has her whole family using it! Best wishes!
rachael says
do i need to refrigerate this?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Rachael,
Yes you will need to refrigerate this flax seed gel because it contains water without a preservative.
Best wishes!
Tutu says
Hello Dawn,
Came across your blog by accident and am loving it! I have made flaxseed gel a couple of times using the boiling method, but to my disappointment my hair always gets white flakes when the gel dries up. I also add a few drops of olive oil in it. What could I be doing wrong ? Thanks and have a great weekend!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Tutu,
The only thing I can think of if the flaxseed gel is flaking is that maybe you are making it too thick or it could be another product that you may be using with it. I’m honestly not sure. If your hair can handle more oil you can also try adding 1 tsp to 1 tbsp of oil (more if you like) to your flaxseed gel after you have strained it. Use a food processor, stick blender, or electric mixer for an even mix, yet a fork does a good job too. Hope this helps and enjoy your weekend too!
LIN says
Hi, Dawn! What should I use as the strainer?
Dawn Michelle says
Hi LIN,
I use a fine mesh metal strainer. You can also use a clean pair of tights if you don’t have one yet. Best wishes!