Homemade Flaxseed Gel...I LOVE this stuff!

Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist Gel vs. All Natural Homemade Flax Seed Gel

Organic Root Stimulator Lock and Twist Gel

I have been using this product faithfully for a few months since I have embarked on this journey. Twist outs, wash and go's,  braid outs, bantu knots, roller sets, and EVERYTHING else. Needless to say, I love this stuff. I gives me a good hold but it never flakes and my hair never gets hard. And the best thing about it is that the first ingredient list is WATER! Great, huh? Now really, what could be better than that? Well firstly, let's check out the ingredients:

ORS Lock and Twist Gel Ingredients

Water, Coconut Milk, Soybean Oil, PVP, Polyquarternium 37, Propyl Paraben, Methyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin, Propylene Glycol, Fragrance, Sucrose

Now the first three ingredients are all things that I can pronounce and that I am familiar with. Let's dig deeper into the rest of them:

PVP: It is likely this will cause build when it is in your shampoos and conditioners; however, it is pretty safe in your gels.

Polyquaternium: This ingredient seems to have the same effect as the PVP

Propyl and Methyl Paraben: some studies on animals show that parabens can lead to breast cancer 

Propylene Glycol: It's a humectant. This is a clear, colorless, thick liquid. Can penetrate the skin better than glycerin, but is less expensive. Second in moisture-carrying abilities only to water. Can also be used to dissolve ingredients. Rumors have circulated that it's bad but no proof.

Sucrose:  This seems to be safe. Made from Coconut Acid and known for being a mild cleanser and foam builder, as well as for conditioning and keeping the product from separating into its oil and water components.

(for more info on what your products have in them, check out this great website:  http://tightlycurly.com/ingredients/)

So the ingredients in the ORS Lock and Twist Gel don't seem to bad at all. So I actually did a good job by picking this up that was suggested by a friend. BUT let's look at the flax seed gel...

All Natural Homemade Flaxseed Gel

I made my first batch of flaxseed gel two days ago and immediately I saw the difference between the ORS Gel and the flaxseed gel. Because the flaxseed gel is all-natural and is highly concentrated with fatty acids, my hair hair felt SO good. In addition to how it felt, the hold was beyond amazing. Normally when I use the ORS gel, I have to tie my hair down for 30 minutes for my edges to stay slicked down....I didn't have this problem with them flaxseed gel. Admittedly it is really gooey and the consistency is like egg whites BUT I can look past all that if it's going to the job. The downfall of this is that it will only keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator. My ORS gel will last until I use it up. Before we completely rule out the ORS gel based on ingredients, let's see what's in the flaxseed gel:

 Flaxseed Gel Ingredients

Water: We all know what water does...!!!

Whole Flax Seeds: High in fatty acids, including Omega-3's. Flaxseeds are known to influence healthy hair growth and overall health in general

Tea Tree Essential Oil: This is a good essential oil. It is a natural antiseptic. Because of it's antibacterial properties, it is good in treating conditions of the scalp such as dandruff and itchiness

Rosemary Essential Oil: Good essential oil known for it's stimulation properties; promotes hair growth

Vitamin E Oil: Has preservative properties. Excellent moisturizing oil as well as an antioxidant. Has great benefits for skin and hair.

Jojoba Oil: Good oil for promoting hair growth with its antibacterial properties.

The Winner isss.....

Flaxseed Gel!!!

It's no question why! The flaxseed gel is all natural. Despite the fact that it doesn't last past 1-2 weeks, you just have to lessen your mix and you'll be fine. Oh, did I mention that it's a good buy? I was able to purchase a good size bag of whole flax seeds for less than $6. Here's the recipe below:

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1/4 to 3/8 cup of whole flax seeds

3-5 drops of tea tree oil (optional)

3-5 drops of rosemary oil (optional)

3-5 drops of vitamin e oil (optional)

Many people like to add aloe vera gel to their flaxseed gel mixtures but for now I will stick to the ingredients above.

Directions:

Boil water. Stir in flaxseeds. Allow the water-flaxseed mixture to congeal. You should have a thick and slimy consistency. If it is not the consistency that you want add in a few more flaxseeds. Keep stirring. Stirring will prevent the flaxseeds from sticking together and to the pan. Once it starts to thicken and foam, the gel is ready to be filtered. Strain the mixture to separate the gel from the seeds. Add your oils. Refridgerate.

*Make sure you store in an airtight container

*I use a pair of old stocking to strain the gel through

So simple and it works wonders...what's better than that?! If you have any questions let me know. Peace Chic Sistas XO