What's Cookin': Flax-Free Hair Gel

This recipe is a curl-enhancing, super-thick gel which doesn't require straining like flaxseed gel does. It encourages waves and curls and adds volume, but leaves hair very soft and has medium hold. Xanthan gum and Guar gum can be found in the gluten-free baking section of large grocery stores, or in natural food stores (or online). Sometimes natural food stores have bulk spices and you can buy these products in small amounts. This is a good product alone for soft hair, or can be used under a strong-hold gel as a curl enhancer, or mixed with it for more hold. It's very much like my flaxseed gel recipe #1 (mid-page) - but without the flaxseeds.©Science-y Hair Blog 2013

Time to make gel: About 10 minutes. It must cool a little before adding the final ingredient.

Freshly made gel, cooling in the sink.

You need a double boiler for the best result - put a metal or glass bowl into a saucepan with water (water should touch the bottom of the bowl, bowl should not touch the bottom of the pan - it should rest on the rim). This prevents overheating and won't let your gel boil too furiously. If you want to leave out the aloe, just use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water.

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons distilled water
1/2 cup aloe vera juice
1/2 teaspoon each of Xanthan gum and Guar gum
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or honey (use 1 teaspoon for more hold) optional, doesn't provide hold in high humidity
6 drops grapeseed oil for fine hair (use coconut or olive for dry hair - more oil can be used, especially if you use a full teaspoon of honey or agave).

Put distilled water, aloe, and xanthan and guar gum in the bowl and whisk to disperse. Place bowl in pan over heat and whisk as the water heats. When water in pan boils, turn it down and keep whisking until the mixture thickens and you don't see little granules on your whisk (or fork) - about 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and take bowl out of pan (carefully - escaping steam is hot and will burn your fingers - use oven mitts or pot-holders). Add agave or honey now. It may smell a little odd - but that goes away when it's cool.
©Science-y Hair Blog 2013
After the gel has cooled to "warm," add the oil (if using) and mix well.

Freshly made gel in my hand - it thickens up a little more
when cooled completely.

Cool and refrigerate. This gel is very, very thick. It will keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. If this is more than you'll use in 2 weeks, freeze half or cut the batch in half when you make it.

For a thinner, less goopy gel try one of the following:
1) Use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum only (no guar gum), all the other ingredients as listed

or

2) Use only 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan and guar gum

Apply liberally to wet or damp hair. Scrunch in well (more scrunching molds better curls), squeeze out any excess with a towel or old T-shirt. Also can be diluted with a tiny amount of water and scrunched into dry hair to re-activate waves and curls and add shine and hold.

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