Just like Prince Akeem from Coming To America - All I need are my juices and berries.

So what I am going to do is create "The Kitchenista Series" filled with inspirations and recipes from others who have done them before me and adjust them to make my own. The great thing about DIY for me is that natural and organic ingredients work better on my hair, which I found out a year ago. So I'm just enhancing my stash. I will also do a style with the products I have created and show a comparison style using commercial products.





So let's get started!

So What About This Flaxseed Gel?





I'm glad you asked. First of all, there are two different kinds of flaxseeds: golden and brown. Either are great to make your gel, but I have read that the brown flaxseeds tend to have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and secrete more gel than the golden seeds. Flaxseed gel is a natural, inexpensive product you can use in your hair to moisturize and define your curls and kinks without creating the stiffy and crunchy nature of commercial or store bought gels. It promotes hair growth, leaves hair soft and shiny, and great for all hair types.





Did I mention that flaxseeds are cost-effective??? You can purchase a bag ANYWHERE (Kroger, Marsh, Wal-Mart, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC...) for about $5.00! Oh, and get this...you can use the same seeds over and over and over and over to create more gel. It's that great! So here we go:





Flaxseed Gel Recipe





You will need:





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Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair ﻿

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1/4 cup whole organic flaxseeds

2 cups water

1tsp Sweet Almond Oil (high in vitamin E, shiny and soft hair, preservative)

2-3 drops of Peppermint essential oil (stimulate blood flow to scalp for hair growth)

2-3 drops of Lavender essential oil (aroma, minimize hair breakage, maximize hair growth)

Spoon

Small sized pot

Glass Bowl

Strainer

Baster

Gel dispenser(s)

Making the flaxseed gel:



Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a small sized pot. Once the water reaches a boil, stir in your flaxseeds and continue to stir often to ensure the seeds won't get stuck on the bottom of the pot.



﻿ Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair









Around 5 minutes, you will see the water become a white, foamy consistency. Around 10 minutes, you will have a trail of gel dripping from your spoon.



Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair









Once you see this trail, turn off the heat and use the strainer to pour your gel in your glass bowl. Do this quickly because the gel will thicken as it cools. Once you have your gel in the bowl, wash your pot, measuring cup, and strainer quickly. It will be difficult to clean if you wait later.



Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair









Once your gel has cooled a bit, add your oils. Stir the mixture vigorously with your spoon, as if you were whisking egg whites with seasonings.



Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair









Once you are satisfied with your gel and the ingredients are once consistency, let it sit some more to cool down. Get your dispensers ready to fill with the gel.





In the meantime, store your used flax seeds in an air tight container or a freezer bag and store in the freezer. You can use these seeds over and over and over and over until the gel consistency is dull.



Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair





Storing the gel in dispensers and the freezer:





I see many kitchenistas put the gel in an open-lid container, the same container they are going to use to style their hair. And that's dandy...but not for me. It's too slimy, slippery, and hard to grasp when you stick your finger in it. Sooooo I bought travel sized dispensers with open caps from the Dollar Tree (3 pack for a $1...just saying lol). I used my baster to get the gel from my bowl and put it in my dispensers. This will be much easier to grasp and use, without being messy and frustrated when doing my hair.

Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair



Also, I have an issue with sticking my fingers in flaxseed gel since it's so organic and pure. I don't want the bacteria from my fingers to mess up my precious gel, so that's another reason why I use the dispenser(s).







Once you are satisfied with your gel in the dispensers, store them in the refrigerator to stay preserved and ready to use. This will keep the gel preserved at least 2-3 weeks. If you have lots left over, you can always put the remaining gel in a container and freeze it. Thaw the container in a bowl of hot water when you are ready to use. But for this recipe, it was enough for 2 small travel sized dispensers.





Anything else to add?

Flaxseed Gel For Natural Hair This gel will last about 2-3 weeks. You will know that the time is up by the way it smells (spoiled and gross). If you have added essential oils, it may be tough to tell...so just mark when you created it on your calendar for 2 weeks.

Also, add labels to your dispensers so you know exactly what you used to make it. This will help if the mixture is awesome and you want to make the same exact gel again. This will also help if the gel wasn't too good and you want to change something. You can also mark the date on the label as well.

One more thing to add: I tried to use a knee-high stocking and tongs to dispense my gel into a container and it was MESSY! It was too tough for me and I wasn't going to have that. So I purchased two strainers (2 pack from Dollar Tree for $1...just saying lol) and that helps a lot! I wouldn't recommend using a knee-high stocking and tongs at all! Just too difficult for something so simple. You will get enough gel to last you 2-3 weeks with this recipe and a strainer. Smile!!

And that's it!

I know for me, flaxseed gel will take the place of my moisturizers, leave-ins, and gels. So that will save me lots of money!!!!!!! Yay, for going GREEN! So try it... it's dirt cheap!!

Of course, you can tweak the recipe to make it your own. I have seen many, many, many different recipes what kitchenistas have used in their flaxseed gel. So adjust it the way you like it!