Moved from my old blog, originally posted on Sep 26, 2009
This recipe has been circulating the net for a while now, and I felt it was about time I tried it out. I have naturally curly hair, as do my two eldest children. My third child doesn’t have enough hair yet to ascertain whether or not it will be curly!
Prior to trying out this recipe, I was using clear hair gel bought from the store. If you read about my fiance’s situation, then I won’t need to explain why I’m willing to try an alternative. Also, I love dabbling with home-made concoctions, saving money, being natural, the whole nine yards.
I’m not sure how true this is, but it has been claimed that this gel was used by the flappers in the good old days to set their pin curls. If anyone knows more about this, I’d love to hear about it!
I have made this gel once before and that batch has run out, so since I’m due to cook up some more, now would be a great time to share the recipe with you. It needs to be sealed in a container, and if refrigerated, will last two weeks, if not, it’ll last one week. I find it’s very nourishing on my curls, gives it a good shine and takes the frizz away.
The recipe is very simple, and I stuck to it to the letter last time, but this time I multiplied the batch by eight, and think that’s the amount I’ll stick with since three people in this house use it.
Here’s the recipe:
1 Tablespoon of flaxseeds (also called linseeds)
1 Cup of water.
This is so simple, it’s insane! Put both ingredients into a saucepan and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. That’s it! If you want it to be runnier, you’d not boil it for as long, if you want a thicker gel, boil it longer to reduce it down further. It’s good to stick to the recipe the first time, just so you know what to expect. Once you’re finished cooking, drain the seeds away and let it cool. If you want to add essential oils, you need to wait until it’s cooked and cooled down to mix it in.
A 500g bag of flaxseeds set me back between $4-$5 at the supermarket, so this is very cost effective. The kids are just fascinated by the whole idea, too!
I will be adding more cool home-made recipes like this in the near future, so stay tuned!
