Everything You Need to Know about Flaxseed Gel
What's all this hype with flaxseed gel? If you're not sure then you have stumbled across the right page!
Flaxseed gel is a super food...for your curly hair. With all its nutrients it really nourishes your curls while providing a bit of hold for some curl longevity. (And I mean, who doesn't want to get an extra day out of their curls!)
Alright so let's get into it. Here is everything you ever wanted to know about flaxseed gel for curly hair. In this blog we're going to cover:
What is flaxseed?
What are Omega-3 fatty acids?
Does flaxseed gel contain protein?
Easy DIY flaxseed gel recipe
For the non-DIYers: The Miribel Naturals Silky Smooth Flaxseed Gel
What is Flaxseed?
According to the International Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, flaxseed extract (also known as linum usitatissimum) is “an annual plant of the Linaceae family. It is an oilseed produced in more than 50 countries, mainly in the northern hemisphere. It contains about 40% lipids (most being Omega-3 fatty acids) and 20% protein”.
What are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are nutrients that help you sustain a healthy body. This is why people use flaxseed not only on their hair, but on their skin and in their diet as well.
Omega-3’s have been known to actually calm skin ailments like eczema and alopecia. So what can Omega-3’s do for our hair?
Scalp Health
- Relieves scar inflammation
- Nourishes and moisturizes the scalp
- Keeps itchy scalp and dandruff under control
Hair Health
- Promotes healthy hair growth
- Repairs damage
- Reduces breakage
- Moisturizes follicles
- Increases hair elasticity
- Prevents premature aging and graying
According to the study in the International Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, an indirect benefit of topically applying flaxseed extract to the hair for four weeks resulted in improved hair width.
Does Flaxseed Gel Contain Protein?
This is one question we get asked a lot.
Because flaxseeds themselves have a substantial amount of protein, we can assume the protein then transfers to our flaxseed gel.
The problem begins when we look closer at the molecular size of the flaxseed gel proteins. Because the proteins from DIY flaxseed gel have not been hydrolyzed, or broken down into smaller units, the DIY flaxseed gel proteins are too big to penetrate the hair shaft.
This renders a DIY flaxseed gel as a gel with little to no protein benefit.
Easy DIY Flaxseed Gel Recipe
Alright, we don't gatekeep here. So let's go over an easy DIY flaxseed gel recipe you can make yourself at home.
Tools Needed:
Stove top
Small pot
Knee-high panty hose or cheesecloth
Jar
Ingredients Needed:
3 TBSP Flaxseeds
1.5 cup Distilled water
Any essential oils you like to add
Instructions:
1. Boil water in pot
2. Add flaxseeds
3. Let flaxseeds boil for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens
4. Let cool
5. Once cool, pour and squeeze mixture through pantyhose or cheesecloth to strain flaxseeds
Shelf Life
DIY flaxseed gel will last for a day or two on your counter or around a week refrigerated.
Additional Options
Optionally, you can add a 2-3 drops of whichever essential oils you would like for fragrance.
For the Non-DIYers
If you're here for the flaxseed gel hype, but aren't into the thought of making it every few days, we have something you may want to try.
Let us introduce to you the Miribel Naturals Silky Smooth Flaxseed Gel. And, let us tell you what it's ah-mazing. In our non-biased opinions, of course.
Firstly, I want to point out that our second ingredient is flaxseed extract (aka gel), right after water. Many flaxseed gels you'll find in store use flaxseed oil or have flaxseed extract further down the ingredient list meaning, they use less of it.
(Learn more about how to read ingredient labels here.)
This gel a bit runny, but gives a light to medium hold. And if you're looking for that perfect seawed hair with beautiful curl clumps, this is 100% for you.
We also offer samples, so if you're not ready to commit to an entire 8oz bottle, you can get a sample to will last a wash day or two.
How Do You Use Flaxseed Gel?
We recommend using flaxseed gel as your last styling product.
Naturally, we our Silky Smooth Flaxseed Gel. (We love it because it does not need to be refrigerated, and there is no DIY mess.)
Points to Remember:
- Apply the flaxseed gel after your leave-in conditioner or curl cream.
- For the most definition, you'll want to apply the gel while your hair is still soaking wet.
How to Apply:
- Divide your hair into sections. The thicker, coarser, or more dense your hair, the more sections you'll need. Finer, low density hair you will need fewer sections. Personally, I create 3-4 sections.
- Rake in about a dime size amount of curl cream per section (I tend to alternate between the Miribel Dreamy Hair Cream and Powerhouse Protein Creams) with my fingers.
- Rake in about a dime size amount of Silky Smooth Flaxseed Gel per section.
- Brush the product through for even distribution, and I break apart any overly large curl clumps (they take too long to dry).
- Let your hair dry. You can either diffuse or air dry.
- Once dry you may notice your hair feels a little crunchy. Take a satin or silk scarf, a little oil, or a smudge of the Dreamy Hair Cream and scrunch out the crunch.
- Fluff as desired!
You'll notice your curls are no longer crunchy but have held their shape, are shiny, and bouncy! If your curls didn't get crunchy, skip the part about scrunching out the crunch and go straight to fluffing!
Remember it’s all trial and error. You might need to adjust your flaxseed gel amounts based on your hair texture.
Credit: Adrienne Monroe of redcarpetcurls.com.
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I love all your products. Definitely helps my curls look their best. And everything is pretty simple to use.
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