Hi Everyone!

I have been trying out some new natural products such as DIY flaxseed gel and aloe vera for my curly hair recently. I have read so many rave reviews online about the DIY flaxseed gel from lots of curly hair blogs and on Pinterest so I decided to try it out for myself. I had some flaxseeds in the cupboard as I eat them with my cereal in the mornings often. You can buy them in most health food shops. It is a simple process but it is quite messy and takes a bit of time.

Aloe vera is a fantastic product to have in your beauty regime. I wrote an extensive post on the benefits here. Although I regularly use aloe vera gel on my skin, I had never used it in my hair until now. Considering I recently discovered that gel works really well in taming my unruly curls, I decided to give it a go. Firstly though, I will show you how the flax seed gel is made and what my verdict on that was. Here goes…

What you need –

1/4 cup of flax seeds

2 cups of water

A medium sized pot

A heatproof container with a lid

The foot part of some old nylon stockings/tights – see pics below

A sieve and a bowl

A whisk/fork and a spoon

A heatproof pouring jug

Lavender essential oil (optional)

Directions –

Put the flax seeds and water into your bowl to make sure it is big enough.

Pour the flaxseeds and water into the pot and bring to the boil on low/medium heat.

Keep stirring it regularly so that the seeds don’t stick.

You will notice a foamy froth beginning to form on the top after a few minutes.

Remove from the heat once a gel like substance is forming. For me it was around 5 minutes.

Don’t leave it on the heat too much longer as you don’t want it to be too thick.

Leave it to cool for a few minutes until the steam subsides.

Now place the stocking over your container and make sure its on securely.

Prepare your bowl and sieve and gently pour the contents into the sieve over the bowl.

You will have quite a bit of gel left in the sieve that you probably won’t be able to push though.

Pour the remaining seeds and gel into the stocking.

Once the mixture isn’t too hot, you can remove the stocking from the sides and start squeezing the gel out.

If it is too hot, then just leave it to rest for a few minutes more.

Squeeze the gel through the stocking to get as much gel as you can into your container.

Dispose of the stocking and seeds and wash your hands.

Now transfer the contents of the bowl into the pouring jug.

Spoon the gel from your container into the pouring jug and mix it all together with the whisk/fork.

If you have some lavender essential oil, add it in now and mix well.

Now pour the gel mixture into the container and replace the lid.

Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If it goes off it will have a bad scent so you will know.

You can use the gel after washing, on damp-wet hair but use sparingly as it can make your hair crunchy otherwise.

I raked it through, section by section, making sure to coat all of the hair for an even coverage.

Then I left it to dry naturally without touching it at all for around an hour or so.

The result was quite good and I know flax seeds are very nourishing for the hair as they are full of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 nourishes the follicles and hair shafts, making them stronger and less prone to damage. Flax seeds are a great source of vitamin E and help to balance the pH level of your hair. Flax seeds condition and also balance oil production. This helps to strengthen, promote hair growth, reduce breakage and prevent split-ends.

I did notice some frizz later on in the day however, which was a little disappointing! I guess I dreamed that flax seed gel would magically perfect my curly mop but it was my first time using it so I said I would stick with it anyway. My hair is still damaged from years of using heated tongs to straighten it so I am still working on it. All in all, I know it really nourishes the hair and does help promote growth and hair health so I will continue using it.

I decided to try the aloe vera gel since I figured it was worth a try. I was delighted with the instant taming effect it had and especially because it didn’t make my hair feel crunchy at all. Some gels will smooth out the hair as you apply them and look great, but afterwards you can end up with a crunchy feel to your hair. I hate that!! I don’t mind a little stiffness once a gel is working to prevent frizz but often times gels (especially chemically formulated ones) both cause a crunchy effect as well as frizz once they dry.

The great thing about the aloe vera gel is that it feels soft, it hydrates and genuinely prevents frizz! I am absolutely amazed that I have never even thought of trying the gel in my hair up until now! It is working really well for me so far. It is chock full of vitamins and minerals, fatty acids and essential amino acids and plant steroids. Aloe vera helps to stimulate blood circulation and improve delivery of oxygen and nutrition to hair follicles too! So really, it is a wonder product. It is reasonably priced and most people have it at home for burns as it is so multifunctional.

I apply it the same way as before by raking it through, section by section, making sure to coat all of the hair for an even coverage. You can use it sparingly as a little goes a long way and it is nice and light, a lovely consistency. You can use it on damp or dry hair so that is really a huge plus-point.

Here is the one I have, which is organic and natural and I recommend it –

Have you tried DIY flaxseed gel or aloe vera for hair gels? Let me know your verdict in the comments. I love hearing your feedback!

Catch up next week!

Ciara x