My hair is one of my favorite physical features I have. But during my middle school and high school years, it was a painful experiment to tame my mane. I have a vivid memory of being in study hall in 7th grade, and leaving only to discover that some nice boys a grade above me had made my hair a target for their spitballs.

I went through many extremes of hair do’s and don’ts: pulled back into a tight bun, too much gel to have a crunchy look, french braiding my hair at night to give it a crimpy look, and the list goes on. For years, L.A. Looks blue level ten plus extreme sports gel was my best friend. It was cheap, it did the trick, and my hair looked good.

In recent years, I’ve been introduced to the idea of a toxic free home. This idea promotes using products that have clean ingredients-from what you scrub your toilet with to the makeup you put on your face. Gel was on the back burner though… It was the one thing I didn’t want to give up, even after seeing it’s poor rating on the EWG website. Organic toxic-free gel ain’t cheap, Mamas. And most of the products that I’ve tried didn’t give me the hold I needed for my curly locks.

To L.A. Looks I clung.

Until one day, I researched how to make homemade gel. I’ve adapted the recipes I found online, and added the secret ingredient for the hold I desired- honey.

This recipe is three ingredients. You’ll need a pot, a pair of tongs, a bowl, a glass Tupperware for storing, and nylon knee highs.

Flax Hair I Wear

Ingredients:

2 cups of flax seeds

A few squirts of honey

5 cups of water

Directions:

1. Put the 2 cups of flax seeds and five cups of water into a pot. Put the burner on medium high to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to medium/medium high so it continues to boil, but not to the point that it is splashing out of pot. Stir occasionally, so the flax seeds at the bottom of the pot don’t burn. Let it simmer for ten minutes or slightly longer. There should be a frothy look when it’s done.
2. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Scoop out with a ladel and insert several scoops into nylon sock.
4. Using a pair of tongs, squeeze the flax gel into a glass tuperware. Repeat steps until all gel is squeezed out and nothing remains in pot.
5. Add a few squirts of honey to Tupperware and mix well. I store my flax gel in the fridge to keep it fresh and usually use one batch within a week to two weeks, depending on how often I wash my hair.

Be careful on the honey, too much makes your hair stiff as a board. Too little doesn’t give you enough hold.

Do you make any homemade recipes for beauty products, Mama? What’s your favorite physical feature you have? Share in the comments below!