No-fail flax seed gel - I finally did it...TWICE! - Page 3

Curlygoddess · 11-30-2008, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BotticelliBabe

I think I saw agave nectar at my local health food store...but I think it was near the syrups, so maybe it wasn't good for hair. I'm not sure!

You realize you'll be needing to share your recipe/method for the pecin & marshmallow root mix, right? *lol*

Of course I will share the pectin/marshmallow root concoction when it is all done. as soon as I add the agave I will report how it works.

I really think the agave nectar is the missing link and the secret ingredient to KCCC.

kathymack · 11-30-2008, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curlygoddess

Quote:

Originally Posted by BotticelliBabe

I think I saw agave nectar at my local health food store...but I think it was near the syrups, so maybe it wasn't good for hair. I'm not sure!

You realize you'll be needing to share your recipe/method for the pecin & marshmallow root mix, right? *lol*

Of course I will share the pectin/marshmallow root concoction when it is all done. as soon as I add the agave I will report how it works.

I really think the agave nectar is the missing link and the secret ingredient to KCCC.

That is the right (and only) agave nectar. I've actually seen it in some supermarkets, especially ones that have "health food" sections. Of course, that was after I bought mine online.

Koukla72 · 11-30-2008, 06:10 AM

Edited due to a cyberstalker. Sorry, guys.

Curlygoddess · 11-30-2008, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kathymack

That is the right (and only) agave nectar. I've actually seen it in some supermarkets, especially ones that have "health food" sections. Of course, that was after I bought mine online.

I am not so sure about that KathyMack. There are different forms of many ingredients. There is aloe vera and then there is aloe extract, there is shea butter and there is a shea butter oil. marshmallow root (the whole root) and there is also marshmallow root powder.

Like I posted in another thread her father started ProLine the black haircare company that makes Hair Food and PermRepair so it is possible that she has access to things that we cant find online or in a regular store.

She has said that the agave IS an active ingredient in the product but who in the world knows what form she is using and how much is the question?

kathymack · 11-30-2008, 10:38 AM

There's a lot of discussion about agave nectar in this thread:

Please help.. Desperately seeking agave nectar extract

rhosyn_du · 11-30-2008, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BotticelliBabe

I forgot to ask - for those of you who have been playing with marshmallow root, are you steeping that in hot, room temp, or cold water overnight before making your FSG the next day?

I steep my marshmallow root in cold or room temperature water. Steeping it in hot water causes a lot of starch to leech into the water as well, which can make it dry sticky and crunchy (think the stuff that collects on the sides of your pot when you boil pasta).

Also, I posted the recipe and results of my latest experiment here: Anyone ever tried pectin or gelatin instead of xanthan?

Draakje · 12-13-2008, 04:31 AM

I tried making my own FSG today. I used one cup water and 1/4 cup of flaxseeds. It's still quite liquid, but it's still hot. Trial and error, I guess.

kathymack · 01-28-2009, 09:55 AM

Well, I finally made this using the golden flax seeds and the "BB Methodology." I was never a strong proponent of the FSG. I used it on Monday after I made it--I wasn't having a great hair day, so did "do overs." It wasn't great and no hold. Yesterday, I did a leave in, FSG and the HT medium hold gel. It was better, but nothing to rave about. Today, I did the ABBA Pure Gentle LI, a ton of FSG, AOMM and the HT ultra hold gel. My hair felt like slime, no my hair felt like SLIME!! It was gross. But I continued on with the experiment. I scrunched with my curlease, diffused for about 5 minutes and let it air dry. It dried fairly quickly. I diffused for a minute or two to make sure it was dry. I SOTC--hair is unbelievable! It SHRANK and is in tight ringlets! Not much frizz and is soft and bouncy. I'll be interested if it holds the day. I've had mixed results with the medium hold gel. This is my first attempt with the ultra hold gel.

mpgirl · 01-28-2009, 10:41 AM

I know exactly what you mean. When I first started using FSG I got no hold and poof. I took BB's comment about the amount to use more seriously and my hair was heavy, clumped and slimy. I powered through the feel of it, scrunched, plopped and WOW! I don't know if I can explain it any better than you did. I don't have a problem with curl formation but the "smoothness" of the curl and the ability for it to avoid "swelling" from humidity is key for me and what I deem to be exceptable hair.

I now use whatever I want to use as a leave-in and glob a ton of FSG on top of that. That's it; two products. Yeah, way cool!

eche428 · 01-28-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpgirl

I know exactly what you mean. When I first started using FSG I got no hold and poof. I took BB's comment about the amount to use more seriously and my hair was heavy, clumped and slimy. I powered through the feel of it, scrunched, plopped and WOW! I don't know if I can explain it any better than you did. I don't have a problem with curl formation but the "smoothness" of the curl and the ability for it to avoid "swelling" from humidity is key for me and what I deem to be exceptable hair.

I now use whatever I want to use as a leave-in and glob a ton of FSG on top of that. That's it; two products. Yeah, way cool!

Me too mpgirl! Two products! I never thought I'd be able to do that.

Do you make your own? Do you add pectin for thickening?

kathymack · 01-28-2009, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eche428

Me too mpgirl! Two products! I never thought I'd be able to do that.

Do you make your own? Do you add pectin for thickening?

My was thick enough. I've done pectin with other products and wasn't thrilled with it. I may have to experiment a little bit. I guess if you needed to thicken it, you could add a little xanthum gum.

I don't know if I could do only two products. I may try it without gel tomorrow--since I haven't been using gel the last few months.

mpgirl · 01-28-2009, 01:35 PM

I don't use anything to thicken. I cook it to the thickness I am comfortable with. Usually, when I lift my wooden spoon out a "string" of gel drops and hangs just a bit.

Hard to describe.

I haven't been using any other gel lately. Dewpoints are in the low to mid-60's here right now. All bets might be off though once the summer heat gets here. I'm just enjoying it for now...

curlykristen · 01-28-2009, 02:42 PM

I made some over the weekend with the golden flax seeds and added a little honey as it cooled. I used KBB SS as a leave-in, and a ton of the FSG, and that's all. It's been great! I haven't needed any gel over it at all, and that's saying a lot. Before finding this, some days HE SMU gel wasn't enough hold for me. I love only needing to use 2 products! I'm planning to make more this weekend and try adding some aloe to it as well. The only drawback is the nasty slimy feeling. I know I need to use so much that it feels disgusting in my hair, but every day I've been having to force myself to keep putting more in!

Loop-E · 01-29-2009, 09:03 PM

I just used this recipe tonight - worked on the first try! BotticelliBabe, you rock.

Mine came out just a bit thicker and a bit yellower than how you describe yours. I used the most convenient flax seeds to my commute home tonight - a bag of seeds from the Vitamin Shoppe.

I scrunched a little water into my hair (nothing in it but Lustrasilk today) and tried it as soon as it was cool enough - results were encouraging. Really nice definition.

This was fun and really pretty fast, nowhere near 10 minutes.

Ms Kitty · 02-01-2009, 01:26 AM

I use FSG for my twist it's the only thing that really hold them without making my hair hard. But instead plain water I decided to use herb infused water. Sage,lavender,chamomile and catnip. I used lime and rosemary eo's and strawberry FO. I looks really good and after I twist my hair tomorrow I'll let you the results. thanks for recipe.

curlsAbound · 02-01-2009, 09:05 PM

Oooh! This is so exciting! I made some FSG today myself. Boiled 1/4 cup flaxseeds with one cup bottled water. When it got to the consistency I liked, I strained it into a measuring cup and added 1 tsp dead sea salt, a squirt of agave nectar and satsuma essential oil. I used it in my hair after Suave Coconut as a leave in, pixie diffused a bit and left it to air dry the rest of the way. No frizzies, nice hold and great curl formation. Thank you so much to all the concoction goddesses!

Day two - absolutely fabulous! Spritzed with water and smoothed and was good to go this am and it's late afternoon and it still looks great.

StruttsWife · 02-06-2009, 06:31 AM

Since this has been on my massive "to-do" list forever and a day, I swung by Rolling Oats yesterday and picked up some golden flax seeds. Made the gel last night and am using it for the first time today. I only added a drop of lavender essential oil this time around.

Because I do what I do -- I'm always hot and moving around for hours at at time -- I always need much more hold than most people ... let's see how well the FSG stands up to a hairdresser's crazy, active day!

BB, you rock, girl

sexyjacksparrow · 02-06-2009, 10:18 AM

I think I'm going to give it a go making this too!

Out of interest, when you guys say you use tons when you put it in your hair, how much do you mean? As in in ounces, mls or palmfuls?

K xx

mpgirl · 02-06-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexyjacksparrow

I think I'm going to give it a go making this too!

Out of interest, when you guys say you use tons when you put it in your hair, how much do you mean? As in in ounces, mls or palmfuls?

K xx

Twice as much as your instinct tells you to!

BotticelliBabe · 02-06-2009, 11:15 AM

Wow - even StruttsWife is trying out my humble recipe???

Here's hoping it holds up!!

sexyjacksparrow, I use probably two ounces when I want to really load it on, and that's honestly what gives me the best hair ever. Of course, my hair is down to my tailbone and thicker than snot, so you may need less than I do. But don't be shy at all - I swear it's practically impossible for your hair to get weighed down by FSG.

For me, I make sure my hair is saturated from root to tip and well-scrunched for good clumps and curls, and then I plop until it's as dry as possible (maybe I can pull this off because of my length - not sure!). When I take it down, if it's still damp at the roots, I pixiecurl until as close to 100% as I can manage, and then let it finish air drying before I SOTC. If I used enough FSG or Gelee, my hair is unbelievably soft and curly and full of movement (DH and my little CG both have a hard time keeping their hands out! *lol*). If I didn't quite use enough, I can see where I missed (it looks different - not dry, per se, but drier than the rest), and I can gently scrunch in a little more FSG and pixiecurl again. I've just learned that it's much easier and more foolproof to use more than you think you need than it is to try and fix mistakes from underapplication later!