Marshmallow Root & Flaxseed Hair Gel
My daughter’s curly hair is always battling the elements from the Northern California’s varying microclimates. Not only am I unwilling to use commercially manufactured products with harsh chemicals packaged in single-use plastic to define her little baby girl curls in these varying climates, but I also found I use up detangling products in less than two weeks—especially because she has thick waist–length hair.
So I started using and making a ridiculously easy, quick, inexpensive and organic hair detangler and hair gel to help out her curls and my wallet.
Marshmallow Root & Flaxseed Hair Gel
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of flax seeds
- 5 cups of Aloe Vera juice or distilled/filtered water
- ½ cup of Marshmallow root
- Essential oils
- Muslin cloth (cheese cloth)
- Tongs or heat–resistant gloves (dish washing gloves are fine)
Directions
- Simultaneously boil Marshmallow root and flax seeds in separate sauce pans, using water or Aloe Vera juice. 2 cups of water or Aloe Vera juice for every ¾ cup of flax seeds and 1 cup of water or Aloe Vera juice for ½ cup of Marshmallow root.
- After 15 minutes set the boiled Marshmallow root aside and cover it with a lid.
- Within 10–15 minutes the boiled flax seeds should be creating a gel–like consistency on the surface—check with a spoon periodically for an ideal viscosity.
- Once preferred viscosity is achieved, set aside and strain immediately (otherwise seeds will re–absorb the gel). Strain with a muslin cloth or mesh strainer.
- Pour the boiled flax seeds and gel into the cloth inside the jar. Strain the gel with tongs or use heat resistant gloves to squeeze gel out through the cloth. This should be done in small batches.
- Afterwards open the cloth and pour the flax seeds back into the saucepan and add 2 more cups of water or Aloe Vera juice and bring to a boil to do a second extraction.
- Repeat the straining process. The gel will be much thicker the second time around.
- In a separate jar, strain Marshmallow root with a muslin cloth. The consistency will be thicker than water but less viscous than the gel.
- Pour about a quarter to half of the strained Marshmallow root into a fresh new jar and fill the remaining space of the jar with the flaxseed gel.
- Add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil(s). About 5 drops for a 6 oz. jar of gel.
Things To Note
- Gel lasts 6+ months refrigerated; about 2 weeks unrefrigerated.
- Can be used for straight hair as well in a ponytail or up–do; a little of the gel can help smooth down and hold fly–away hair strands.
- Keep and refrigerate twice–boiled flax seeds to use again for another gel batch later.
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.
- Marshmallow root helps with detangling, you can substitute Slippery Elm.
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:
HOW TO MAKE HERBAL INFUSED MARSHMALLOW ROOT FLAX SEED HAIR GEL
https://www.tamthyme.com/blog/diy-herbal-infused-marshmallow-root-flax-seed-hair-gel
HERBAL REMEDIES, PRODUCTS, APRIL 4, 2017