People are now turning to various home remedies as alternatives to store bought products to speed up hair growth and treat various hair conditions.
This is because they have realized that the products available in the market either have too many harmful chemicals or do not give the results they promise.
One such home remedy that has been used for centuries is the Flaxseed gel. Flax seed gel is extracted from Flax seeds which are derived from the Flax plant.
Is Flaxseed gel good for natural 4C hair?
Flax seed gel has several benefits on 4C hair. The gel is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and Lignin which nourish the hair and promote growth. The omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed gel is responsible for moisturizing the hair.
According to the International Journal of research in Pharmacy and Chemistry, the gel can be applied to the hair and scalp as a moisturizer and to help stimulate growth.
When applied on 4C hair, the gel provides a firm hold and defines curls. It gives a good curl definition for wash and go’s, and can be used to manipulate curls for twist-outs, braid-outs, and bantu knots.
Flax seed gel is one of my favorite hair products because it is economical, easy to make and does not contain harmful chemicals. When I compare it with other gels, it gives a perfect hold and does not destroy my edges.
I have used flaxseed gel on my 4C hair for more than 2 years now and the experience has been nothing but wonderful.
In this article I will share 9 tips to consider when using the gel, in addition, I will answer popular questions regarding the gel.
How to use Flaxseed gel on 4C hair
There are several ways flax seed gel can be used on natural hair. I will share a simple DIY recipe that you can follow to make your own Flax seed gel at home.
What you will need
- ¼ cup flaxseeds
- 2 ½ cups water
- 3 drops of an essential oil
- Stocking/sock for straining the gel
- A cooking pot
- A jar or applicator bottle for storage
Method:
- Place the seeds and water in the pot. Give them a good mix until they are submerged
- Let the seeds boil in medium heat for approximately 10 minutes until they create a stringy/jelly substance.
- As the mixture gets bigger, keep stirring the mixture to ensure the seeds don’t stick on the pot.
- Leave the gel stand for about 30-40 minutes to thicken on its own, until you get the desired consistency
- Using the sock/stocking, squeeze out the gel into a wide jar/bowl that will enable you transfer the gel into your storing jar or applicator bottle.
- If the consistency is too thick, add some water to the mixture until you get a desired consistency.
How to use Flaxseed gel on 4C hair
- Wash & Go – Apply to your freshly washed hair and style as normal
- Laying of edges – The gel can be used for laying edges for you high puffs and ponytails.
- Finishing off your twists – Use it at the end of each twist to curl up the ends to prevent the twist from unravelling.
Tips to consider when using flaxseed gel on natural hair
1- Work in sections
Divide your hair into several sections and distribute the gel, by working through each section. If you have extremely thick 4C hair, you have to work in smaller sections to achieve better curl definition.
Use a t-shirt to crumple any sections that have white clumps of gel while it is still wet.
2- Do not use too much gel
Flax seed gel will form a white film if not used sparingly. When you make the Flax seed gel you wouldn’t want to just use it once and be done with it, you want to get a number of styling sessions out of the bottle. So it’s advisable to not go overboard with the use. It also dries perfectly with minimal product.
3- Use a satin bonnet when you sleep
Use a satin bonnet at night after applying flax seed gel to make styling easier in the morning, as the gel dries completely overnight. This will also make it unnecessary to use any other product to style your hair.
If you can’t keep the satin bonnet throughout the night, use a silk/satin pillowcase to avoid frizz.
4- Check for flaking
Test if the flax seed gel you have prepared will leave little white balls when paired with a leave-in conditioner or moisturizer. If you added an oil to your gel, then there is no need of adding other products. Avoid layering the layering the gel, because it may cause flaking, and this is not the results you would want.
5- Work with your natural curl pattern
If you presently do not have curly hair when wet, flax seed gel will not make your hair curly. If your hair was damaged by heat, this gel won’t reverse the damage, but it will improve your natural curl pattern.
People have different curl patterns so don’t force your hair to look like someone else’s. When using flax seed gel, your hair will probably be different from mine, but that is the beauty of our hair. More gel does not mean more curls.
6- Use the gel on clean hair
Before you use this gel make sure your hair is clean to achieve better results. If you have other product on your hair, wash them off as the gel cannot penetrate your hair properly. Instead, it will just sit on top of your hair.
7- Use water to activate the gel
To achieve a better curl definition, use water to activate the gel and enhance your curl. If you do not use it on damp hair, the product will not spread as much as it can. The gel will not spread well on dry hair.
8- Use your fingers to detangle your hair
For 4C textures, finger detangling allows the hair to clump, making your curls more defined.
Brushes and combs might seem great for detangling, before applying the gel, but they aren’t the best for defining the curl with gel in the hair. They will just succeed in defining the ends of the hair but not the strands from root to tip.
9- Use flaxseed gel as the last step before you style your hair
Any other ingredients you might have used on your hair should be washed out. You can use flax seed gel after deep conditioning and washing your hair.
How long can homemade flaxseed gel last?
Flax seed gel lasts a week or two in the refrigerator without a preservatives or a just a few days on the counter. Freeze your gel if you want it to last longer and do not have access to any preservative. Adding a preservative will make it last for around six months.
Can you leave flaxseed gel in your hair?
Flax seed gel might leave a residue on the outer covering of your hair making it feel sticky and crunchy but you can leave it on your hair.
Use your gel on wet hair, apply the gel to your hair, gently comb it through, crunch it up as you would to define your curls and you are ready to go.
The point of using hair gel is to leave it in after washing your hair, to dry or to style. If you wash your hair, the gel will be gone and of no use.
If you have allergies, make sure you do a patch test before applying any product on your scalp or hair. While it’s true that flaxseed gel stiffens the hair, it isn’t drying or harmful. The stiffness provides hold.
If you think that flaxseed gel makes your hair too hard, you can experiment by using less or adding softening ingredients to your hair products.
Final words…
I find Flaxseed gel to work better than the conventional gels as it does not overwhelm the edges with a chemical coating. Stressing your edges and then spreading a layer of chemicals over them will most likely cause hair damage. You’ll find that this gel reduces frizz and gives you control over stray hairs.
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