Flax gel rinse out conditioner

[proo]

I'm an infrequent washer, especially in winter, so not into leave-ins as they attract lint.
Have any of y'all used homemade flax gel as a rinse out conditioner?
is it considered a protein treatment?

[likelikepenny]

I'm an infrequent washer, especially in winter, so not into leave-ins as they attract lint.
Have any of y'all used homemade flax gel as a rinse out conditioner?
is it considered a protein treatment?

I've tried it, but it didn't really condition my hair, just defined my curls lol.

[Stub]

I've used homemade flax gel to glue down wispies in summer and my hair is always very soft after I rinse it out.

[Nymphe]

No, it is not a protein treatment. I am thinking about using it along with marshmallow root as a leave-in. I wonder if you made it thin enough, you could use it as a final rinse.

Here is an old thread: Flaxseed Wash (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21727)


I've tried it, but it didn't really condition my hair, just defined my curls lol.

That is good to know.

[likelikepenny]

I've tried it, but it didn't really condition my hair, just defined my curls lol.

I will add to this by saying, even though it didn't have any traditional "conditioning" properties for me, it does make a very good sealant/leave in.

[proo]

Thanks for the link nymphe, very interesting;
I would be using it as rinse out conditioner after a highly dilute sls rinse/wash
Probably followed by a highly dilute vinegar rinse.

I came across a youtuber making soapnut shampoo in a blender-
Very rich creamy lather.
Has anyone tried that?

[proo]

Also intrigued by pine needle hair rinse since I live amongst em

[Nymphe]

Thanks for the link nymphe, very interesting;
I would be using it as rinse out conditioner after a highly dilute sls rinse/wash
Probably followed by a highly dilute vinegar rinse.

I came across a youtuber making soapnut shampoo in a blender-
Very rich creamy lather.
Has anyone tried that?

I have not, I would tried a powder form first.


Also intrigued by pine needle hair rinse since I live amongst em

I know pine needles are acidic and have heard of people drinking pine needle tea, but a rinse is a new one to me.

[proo]

Update:
Conditioned after highly dilute sls wash/rinse with flax gel made with catnip tea.
Baggyed for about 30 minutes, rinsed with highly dilute vinegar rinse
Cold rinsed again, sealed with about 4 drops MO.
Success! - hair feels stronger and more moisturized all the way down ( slightly longer than bsl).
I also tied it up in a big silk scarf for a couple days as it dried because I was home working and I like to protect it from the intense dryness of my heater in that situation
I know that contributed to it's conditioned state.
I'll be trying this again in a month since I rinse monthly.

[likelikepenny]

Update:
Conditioned after highly dilute sls wash/rinse with flax gel made with catnip tea.
Baggyed for about 30 minutes, rinsed with highly dilute vinegar rinse
Cold rinsed again, sealed with about 4 drops MO.
Success! - hair feels stronger and more moisturized all the way down ( slightly longer than bsl).
I also tied it up in a big silk scarf for a couple days as it dried because I was home working and I like to protect it from the intense dryness of my heater in that situation
I know that contributed to it's conditioned state.
I'll be trying this again in a month since I rinse monthly.

I've been wondering about infusing flaxseed gel with say green tea or catnip tea, how did you do it? How was the consistency?

[proo]

I simply used already brewed catnip tea as the water when I made the gel.
Didn't let the gel simmer very long since I wanted a loose consistency
Dumped it into a large bowl, think I added more water then dunked head/dumped mixture throughout.

[Nymphe]

Thanks for the feedback, proo. Definitely on the list of things to try.

[likelikepenny]

I simply used already brewed catnip tea as the water when I made the gel.
Didn't let the gel simmer very long since I wanted a loose consistency
Dumped it into a large bowl, think I added more water then dunked head/dumped mixture throughout.

I'll be trying this soon.

[proo]

You could also probably brew the whole thing at once-
Catnip and flax seeds.
I didn't because my strainer isn't very fine, didn't want to deal with particles.
Since I rinse only once per month I'm always interested in finding ways of preserving moisture without product.
Product = dull, dirty hair quickly for me.
No product= clean moisturized hair for me
Highly diluting my shampoo and vinegar rinse is key, as are protective updos and my silk scarf.
I consider myself nw/so since I never completely strip my own sebum and follow the protocol.
Since my hair has achieved this state it's a whole nother animal.

[likelikepenny]

You could also probably brew the whole thing at once-
Catnip and flax seeds.
I didn't because my strainer isn't very fine, didn't want to deal with particles.
Since I rinse only once per month I'm always interested in finding ways of preserving moisture without product.
Product = dull, dirty hair quickly for me.
No product= clean moisturized hair for me
Highly diluting my shampoo and vinegar rinse is key, as are protective updos and my silk scarf.
I consider myself nw/so since I never completely strip my own sebum and follow the protocol.
Since my hair has achieved this state it's a whole nother animal.

That makes sense. You say product makes your hair very dull and greasy, how does sebum only differ? Wouldn't the waxy sebum build up?

[proo]

Well lil one, I'm 58 so not kicking out sebum as I once did-
But I'm convinced that had I known what effect product was having I could have avoided a lot of fumbling around because I'd have known the true nature of my hair and I didn't because it was loaded with stuff.
Sebum is quite different from product; it can be cleansed by preening or other mechanical methods
Lint and dirt are removed and sheen is restored.
In my experience this is exclusive to sebum.

[likelikepenny]

May I ask your hair type? I've been considering WO but my hair is so curly, it makes it more difficult for sebum to move down the hair shaft.

[proo]

Not knowledgeable on hair typing but here goes:
Under layer is fine, dense and wavy
Top/mohawk section is coarse, dense, fairly tight zigzags, prone to frizz.
It used to be porous from heat damage but now it's not
All the damage is long gone; I'm about half silver and those hairs are thicker
I spent a lot of time and $$ trying to fix that mohawk with product, NOthing worked.
Till I stumbled upon this site and WO which led to my current routine.

[likelikepenny]

Not knowledgeable on hair typing but here goes:
Under layer is fine, dense and wavy
Top/mohawk section is coarse, dense, fairly tight zigzags, prone to frizz.
It used to be porous from heat damage but now it's not
All the damage is long gone; I'm about half silver and those hairs are thicker
I spent a lot of time and $$ trying to fix that mohawk with product, NOthing worked.
Till I stumbled upon this site and WO which led to my current routine.

Wow I'm really interested in trying this. I guess I'll skip over to the WO thread and research. Thank you for your feedback.