Agar Agar Hair Gel Recipe
This natural hair gel recipe doesn’t use regular gelatin, derived from animal bones. Instead, it uses a vegan alternative called Agar Agar which comes from seaweed. Aloe vera adds a moisturizing touch and you can customize it with essential oils of your choosing.
How to Make Agar Agar Hair Gel
Makes enough for 2 weeks
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon Agar Agar flakes
- ½ cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon Aloe Vera gel
- 4–6 drops essential oils
Directions
- Boil water and add Agar Agar.
- Stir continuously until all the flakes are completely dissolved.
- Remove from the stove and stir in the Aloe Vera and essential oils.
- Let cool to room temperature before transferring to a glass jar.
- Store in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before use.
- Keep refrigerated between uses—it will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Suggestions for Tweaking This Recipe
- You can add Epsom salts or Magnesium flakes (Magnesium Oil) to define curls. While Epsom salts produce more defined curls, they also leave your hair dry. An alternative would be Magnesium flakes (Magnesium oil) that produce curls but won’t leave your hair dry.
- You can add a few drops of Vitamin E oil as a preservative, or for nourishing your hair. I used Argan oil as it won’t weigh hair down, and also contains Vitamin E.
- If your hair is dry, you can add a teaspoon of Avocado or Apricot kernel oil.
- You can opt for any essential oil. I chose Tangerine and Eucalyptus for their scent and energizing properties.
- If you want a hair gel that helps with detangling add Slippery Elm or Marshmallow root.
If you are curious how toxic your current hair gel brand is, I highly recommend checking it out through EWG’s Skin Deep cosmetic database. Enter your product and it will rate how toxic it is and even break those toxins by individual ingredients.
Having so many options to making your own homemade hair gel means the possibilities are endless. Have you tried to make you own hair gel? How did it work out? Do you have any tips to share? If so, please leave a comment below.
Sources:
DIY: Homemade Natural Hair Gel
https://www.organicauthority.com/energetic-health/diy-homemade-natural-hair-gel
AYLIN ERMAN, UPDATED: OCT 22, 2018, ORIGINAL: OCT 28, 2013
How to Make Homemade Hair Gel (18 DIY Recipes)
https://brightstuffs.com/how-to-make-homemade-hair-gel-diy/
DECEMBER 10, 2018
How To Make Your Own Hair Gel at Home
https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-make-your-own-hair-gel-at-home-1387811
by ERIN HUFFSTETLER, UPDATED ON FEB 11, 2022, Reviewed by NIGELLA MILLER