Flax Curl Cream

Since beginning my quest to avoid products with harmful chemicals, I've been making and testing a lot of my own homemade skin and hair care.  My last post was a recipe I followed for making my own body balm.  It's very moisturizing and works way better than the store-bought stuff for my eczema and dry skin in winter.  


My next move is towards not using shampoo, conditioner, and any purchased hair products.  Shampoo became mainstream in the early 20th century, before that, people just used plain old bar soaps and water.  It worked for people back then, but advertising has led us all to believe that we need to buy specific shampoos and conditioners to have beautiful hair.  Today's shampoos contain chemicals like Methylisothiazolinone a powerful preservative and artificial colours and fragrances.  I'd rather go without, thank you!  So lately, I've been washing my hair with an organic shampoo bar and rinsing with apple cider vinegar or coconut milk to hydrate my hair.  But the one thing I haven't been able to go without is my mousse!  


So after trying a few other recipes, the best thing I found was this:


1 tablespoon whole brown flax seeds
1 cup water
3 drops essential oil


Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a small saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of whole brown flax seeds and keep stirring.  

Allow the seeds some time to boil so that they will start to release their gel.  Keep stirring occasionally so that the seeds don't stick to the bottom of the pot.  You will start to see a thin layer of film on the surface of your mixture.

Take it off the heat once you see the water getting white and milky.  Pour your mixture into a knee high stocking stretched over a bowl.  The stocking will sift out the seeds, but it will require some assistance.  

Using plastic or bamboo tongs, squeeze the cream out through the stocking and into a bowl.

Add a few drops of essential oil - I used sweet orange oil - smells nice!  I also added a few vitamin E capsules to make my hair healthy and increase the shine!  Use a whisk to mix.  

This recipe makes about a 1/2 cup of product.  Store yours in an airtight container and refrigerate it.  It will last about 3-4 weeks before you can consider it expired.

My curls are soft and bouncy now, no flakes too :)  I like it even more then my expensive mousse.  

You can wash your stocking with warm water and save the seeds for your next batch.  Use them twice to extract your own curl cream or make a second batch for a friend!  And the best thing is that flax seeds are so affordable, it will cost pennies for each batch of curl cream - $2.00 for a year of beautiful curls!