Homemade Hair Gel for Amazing Hold and Style (also Tame Frizz)
Are you looking for a no-fuss recipe to make hair gel or rice or maybe both?
When I decided I wanted to learn cooking, I knew I didn’t want to burden myself with an exhaustive list of ingredients to create a complex dish which I would rather frame and not eat.
So I went to my mother with the desire to learn cooking with few ingredients, requiring minimal time and energy. And she taught me to cook perfect rice. Now every time I cook rice, I follow her simple formula, and I get perfect fluffy rice.
What if life gives you such simple formulas for everything? Well, they may not be easy to find. Or what if they are?
I am going to share with you a recipe of homemade hair styling gel that’s not only simple to make but will also give your hair amazing hold, texture, definition and gloss. And you need just two ingredients: flaxseed and water. Yup, nothing more.
But before we see how to make it, let’s find out why make hair gel at home…
Why Make Your Own Hair Gel?
Because it works and it’s easy to make, and you know what goes into it. Whereas, the store-bought gel can contain preservatives, artificial fragrance, colours and other hormone-disrupting ingredients, which can irritate the scalp and give you an itchy rash, thereby causing more harm than good.
Besides, many a time, you douse your hair with all those chemicals, and you are not even getting beautiful hair. So why not give flaxseed gel a try.
Flaxseeds contain high amounts of a gluey, slimy substance called mucilage. It’s released when you cook the seeds with water, turning water into a gel-like consistency. This slimy gel will provide hold, definition and style to your hair.
What’s more, flaxseed gel is not just for external appearances. Since it’s made with natural seeds and that too ‘very beneficial seeds for hair’, it will offer your hair so much more. Flaxseeds are tiny but incredibly nutrient-dense. They are rich in omega-3 fatty, protein, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc and more. All these nutrients are super moisturising and nourishing for hair. Along with good looking hair, you can expect less hair fall and faster and healthier hair growth.
Here’s what flaxseed gel can do for your hair:
- Gives hair nice hold with definition
- Enhances curls and waves
- Spikes short hair
- Tames frizz and flyaways
- Moisturises hair and leaves it soft, shiny and bouncy
- You will also notice less shedding and faster hair growth
How To Make Hair Gel With Flaxseeds
As promised, the basic hair gel requires only two things: flaxseeds and water. No extras if you don’t want to add. But for the hair enthusiasts who wish to add more stuff, I have given few additions below that work well with flaxseeds. So wear your DIY hats, and let’s get making, shall we…
You will need:
- 1/4 cup flaxseeds
- 2 cups water
Making:
- Place flaxseeds and water in a pot and bring to a boil. You will notice white froth on the top.
- Now reduce the flame and let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. During this time, you need to stir it constantly. While you are doing, you will see the water turn to a gel-like consistency.
- The best way to check if your gel is ready is to do a spoon test. Dip the spoon into the cooking gel and watch it drop back into the pan. If it drops too quickly, it needs some more cooking. When the gel starts to run off the spoon in a string form, then it’s done.
- Strain with a steel strainer whilst it’s still hot (use the back of a spoon to press the gel out of the seeds as best as you can). The gel will get thicker as it cools down.
- Once cool, get styling your hair.
Customise Your Flaxseed Gel
The beauty of making flaxseed gel at home is you can put other ingredients to suit your hair needs. It’s like making your own designer gel.
Things to add after flaxseed gel has cooled down:
Aloe vera gives hair a sleek, defined look and adds shine. You can add a tablespoon of aloe gel.
Coconut oil helps lock in moisture and gives hair a soft, conditioned look. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil into the gel and whisk well. You can also try other oils like almond, castor or avocado oil.
Glycerine is a natural humectant and helps to attract moisture from the air. Use a teaspoon if your hair needs extra moisturisation.
Citric acid helps with pH balancing and also great for high porosity hair. Add a tiny pinch (1/4 teaspoon) to the gel.
Things to add when making the flaxseed gel:
Marshmallow root and hibiscus: for those of you with very tangly hair, add a tablespoon of marshmallow root and hibiscus flowers along with flaxseeds. This will help provide slip for easy combing and detangling.
Now that you know about making the gel, and adding all the extras, let find out how you can use it to make your hair behave and look great.
How to Use flaxseed Gel to Style your Hair
The gel works best when you put it on wet hair after shampooing. Take a small amount and rub it in your palms. Apply to your hair from the roots to the ends. If you have thick and long hair, work in a smaller section, and if you have short and fine hair, you can work in a larger section.
For those with curly, wavy hair, use your hands to scrunch the ends to encourage curls and waves. Once the gel is on your hair, don’t manipulate it too much, wait for it to dry before styling.
As with all new thing, it will take 2-3 application to know how to and how much to apply and get comfortable styling with homemade flaxseed gel.
How do you store the Flaxseed Gel?
As we are not adding any preservatives, you have to store it in the fridge. It will keep for a week. But you can extend the shelf life by freezing flaxseed gel in ice cube trays and popping out a cube or two each time you want to style your hair.
Mistakes to Avoid: When making flaxseed gel, don’t let the gel get too thick as it will be difficult to strain. But don’t worry if gets thick, just add more water and make it thinner, and strain whilst it’s still hot. Matter solved.
That was simple to make flaxseed gel. Have fun creating, see you next time…and with the hope you and I find many more simple formulas to make hair and life in general better.
Do let me know how flaxseed gel works for you…
I have a seafood and egg allergy. Can I use this or no?
Thank you so much for the recipe! Because I have developed many allergies, I am unable to use most commercial hair products. This flaxseed gel works perfectly for my short, thin, curly hair and I love that it is non-toxic. For those who haven’t used this type of gel before, I have found that I need to use more gel in my hair than with commercial products. If you use too much, it can easily be scrunched soft after your hair dries.
Hey there. I was wanting to try this too, but would like to know also if there is a better way to preserve it. Thanks
I’m going to try this ! I’m super excited, praying it works for all hair styling
My white hair gets a yellow tinge to it when I use this gel. Do you have any suggestions?
Love ur pleasant, no nonsense, right to the point recipe instructions. I will definitively try this recipe. Been looking for such. I’m also sending it to my daughter-in-law. Who knew it is so simple. Thanks for the DIY solution.
Sounds interesting. But can I sleep with it on my hair?, does IT DIRTY THE BED? COULD IT CWUSE FLIES COME TO TGE HAIR? THANKS
No, it won’t leave your bed dirty. The gel dries on your hair, just as any commercial product would. You can sleep with it on your hair. I have been using this gel for the last year and sleep with it on every night. There is no yucky residue on my hair (or anything else). It does not have a heavy fragrance and does not attract bugs of any kind.
When growing up we didnt live in the best of circumstances yet during that time I had the most beautiful hair this recipe reminded me why mom always would put me this slimy recipe
Hi Angelica, you did have a resourceful mom.
I’m excited to try. The gel sounds really great and I think it will help my hair. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi,
I just made some of your hair gel. I would like to know if it is supposed to be a solid gel or a runny type of gel?
I had to simmer mine for 10min because I use an induction hot plate. It was dripping of the spoon like you’re picture shows but seems to be cooling like a thick runny sort of gel.
Thank you,
Jan
Hi Janet, sounds like you did a little under (it’s solid type after it cools). But, you can still use it.
Cool recipe, but didn’t see the part about storing and it turned moldy in 2 days before I got to try it. Storing in the fridge and freezer ice trays is too much hassle for me. Also I used the ground flax, but strained it through paper towels. If you come up with a solution that allows me to keep it in the bathroom, I’d definitely try it!
Thank you for your recipe! I’ve been making my own shampoo bars for a number of years, but still buying a leave-in conditioner to style my short white hair. As you might imagine, I don’t need much so it takes a long time to go through a whole tube, but I’d like to try your recipe instead. Do you think that using distilled water, as well as an oil that contains Vitamin E, might preserve it longer without needing the fridge?
I would love to try this gel on my coarse dry hair if I can get some help. I followed the recipe, but my gel never thickened up.
This gel is amazing! I just retired from work in which I had hat hair and to fix my hair I wore a pixie. When retired I let my hair grow. But my hair was frizzy and lifeless. I read about your gel and used ground flax I could not find the seeds. I used a double strainer which got most of the flax. I put it on yesterday. My hair feels fantastic and looks awesome. I got up in the morning just run my fingers through my hair and arrange hair over my thin spots. Thanks for sharing this
Yeh! that’s fantastic. Thanks for letting me know.
This is wonderful, and so are you for sharing it!
I have used flaxseed boiled down to a syrup just like this when I had a terrible sore throat and I was on the verge of pneumonia. There was another ingredient also added and for the life of me I cannot remember what it was, but it all worked very well together just like your hair gel recipe.
Thanks Minaz for such a useful and easy to make hair styling gel receipie.
You are welcome. Let me know how it works for you.
Can’t wait to try it….I did make it, but with ground flax seeds-lol! Will not strain out the bits if you do this!!! Duh! Thanks for all the great recipes and help with hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not tried your recipe yet ;but sounds wonderful for my dry fly away what they call cotton candy 🍭 hair; will reply soon as I do;
It works really well…..
Awesome!
Hello,
thanx dear for your beautiful home made hair products have really loved them and this has inspired me to make my own.
Please research and let us know what safe preservative can we add to all the above you have posted.
Thank you once again.
Thanks Minaz. Another excellent post with so many great recipes.
Thanks for reading Leenaji!
I always wanted to use Hair Styling Gels as it keeps the hair set for hours. But feared to give it a try because of the harmful chemicals in it. But with this Organic Gel, I can not only style but also nourish my hairs naturally. Thanks for sharing this easy to make Hair Gel Recipe.