Flax seed gel

**Eloa** · November 5th, 2008, 03:59 PM

As soon as I've used up my Aloe Vera gel, I'm going to try this out... it's just way cheaper! (at least from my German point of view...

) Flax seed gel has about the same qualities as Aloe Vera, right?

**meganb990** · November 5th, 2008, 08:53 PM

For me it gave control, shine, and a fairly firm hold.

**morrsken** · November 6th, 2008, 09:19 AM

I did this once when trying to do fingerwaves. I had a hard time separating the seeds after boiling it to a gel. I was using a metal strainer and I really had to try to force the gel through it. I think I will try the other methods written here if I do it again sometime. Now I don't use any styling at all regularly. Very rarely I use conventional spray or mousse, but I would rather have flax in my hair than chemical nastyness. I like the smell of the flax gel. It's soft and pleasant.

**mellie** · November 6th, 2008, 09:46 AM

Nayver helped me with that straining problem! The trick is to take it off the heat before it coagulates too much. Then it is still runny enough to go through your strainer easily!

**longhairedfairy** · November 6th, 2008, 08:24 PM

Can you do this with milled flax seed? That's all I have, but it is pretty oily.

**mellie** · November 7th, 2008, 06:55 AM

Hm, I don't see why not....give it a try!

**Treecrown** · November 7th, 2008, 07:28 AM

In my experience, ground flax seed will give you sort of flax mush/porridge--nice as a gentle facial scrub, but not suitable for hair (no way to strain out the little bits of seed) but it may depend on how you prepare it.

**nayver** · November 7th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by longhairedfairy

Can you do this with milled flax seed? That's all I have, but it is pretty oily.

I don't think is a good idea. It is better with the entire seeds. (I don't know is this is the right word) Otherwise you will have like a mash and the residues will remain on your hair.

**Aries_jb** · November 8th, 2008, 08:49 PM

I tried this a long time ago and I remember liking it. In fact, I like it a lot more than aloe gel. I've tried aloe so many different ways, and I just can't get it to work right for when I leave my hair down. Luckily it works great for smoothing updos, but I love the idea of using a natural gel when my hair is down. Mmmm, flax gel with lavender EO...

.