Flaxseed gel for curly hair kept coming up in my research, so Month 2 of my curl experiment was the perfect time to try it properly. If you read Month 1, you know I spent 30 days using only my fingers to detangle. No tools, just patience, and honestly more patience than I thought I had. My plan for Month 2 was to introduce a wide tooth comb and flaxseed gel into the mix. What I didn’t expect was that the quiet consistency of it would be exactly what I needed during a period where life felt heavy and my head was full.
Making Flaxseed Gel for Curly Hair
A couple of weeks into Month 2 I finally made my first proper batch of flaxseed gel. I say first proper batch because I had tried it once before and the crunch completely threw me off. This time I did my research, filmed the whole process for YouTube, and felt much more confident going in.
The recipe is simpler than you’d think. Two tablespoons of whole flaxseeds, two cups of water, heated over medium-high until it boils, then reduced and stirred frequently for around 20 minutes total until you get that slow drip consistency, that’s how you know it’s ready. You strain it while it’s still hot because once it thickens it’s much harder to work with. Then you let it cool completely.
The next morning I added a tablespoon of aloe vera gel and a little jojoba oil and blended it all together. I stored mine in an oil applicator bottle which made it really easy to apply directly to my ends without making a mess. The full recipe video is on YouTube if you want to see exactly how I did it.
The texture after it dries does look crunchy, that’s completely normal and it threw me off the first time I tried flaxseed gel. But this time I knew to run a little oil through my ends afterward and work it in with my fingers, and the crunch releases into soft, defined hair. That small step made all the difference.
How I actually used it
I didn’t use the flaxseed gel as a wash day styler. Instead it became part of my in-between days. On rebraid days I’d take down my braid, mist my hair with my spray bottle mix — water and aloe vera gel, then add jojoba oil, and seal my ends with the flaxseed gel before rebraiding. Every couple of days, nothing complicated.
Toward the end of the month I also used what I had left for a hair mask since I didn’t want it to go to waste. My hair felt really soft after, though I’ll be honest, my hair after wash day rarely feels rough anyway, so I can’t give the mask full credit. What I can say is it was a nice treat and I’d do it again when I have a batch ready.
The wide tooth comb came in on wash day on wet hair, and sometimes on my ends when rebraiding to finish what my fingers started.
The comb vs. fingers thing
Something I noticed in Month 2 that I wasn’t expecting: using a wide tooth comb actually feels like too much now.
Not unbearable, but there’s a definite difference. With my fingers I have total control. I feel every knot, I work around it, I don’t rip through anything (well a few here and there is normal). With a comb; even a wide tooth one, I lose that sensitivity. It feels almost rough in comparison, even though objectively it isn’t a rough tool.
I think I’m just used to my new technique now. And that’s actually a good thing. After Month 2 I’ve decided that finger detangling will stay as my step one going forward, no matter what the experiment brings next. I’ll use my fingers first to get the big knots, then follow with the comb and or brush on my ends to finish. That combination feels right for my hair.
What my ends showed me
Midway through Month 2 I noticed something while rebraiding: my ends were driving me crazy. When you finger detangle regularly you start to feel every texture change in your hair, and I could feel that my ends were less smooth than the rest. I spotted a lot of split ends so I trimmed about 4 to 5 cm. I know I said I’d stop being scissor-happy after Month 1. But I really needed it.
After the trim, the difference was clear. Less dryness at the ends, less roughness when I run my fingers through. Overall just healthier looking. I’d attribute that to the combination of things working together : the protective styling, the minimal touching, keeping my ends sealed and braided, and yes, finally cutting what needed to go.
What actually changed: my opinion
Nothing dramatic happened in Month 2. And I’ve come to think that’s the whole point.
Having a small, repeatable routine removed the decision fatigue I didn’t even realise I had. Spray, oil, seal, rebraid. I wasn’t standing in front of the mirror wondering what to do with my hair. I just did the thing and moved on with my day. My hair has taken up less mental space and that feels like real progress, maybe more than any length check could show.
I also had a lot on my mind during Month 2. Life felt heavy in ways I won’t get into here. And there was something genuinely grounding about having this one small, quiet thing I did for myself every few days. You can’t rush a detangle. You can’t rush growth. Accepting that has a way of quietly spilling into other parts of life too.
On flaxseed gel as a staple
I don’t think it’ll be mine. The results were good – soft ends, decent definition, no buildup, but making it regularly isn’t something that fits naturally into my routine. It has a short shelf life and I’m not someone who loves having to plan around that. I’ll try a full wash and go with it in an upcoming video and see how I feel, but my gut says it’ll stay an occasional thing rather than a weekly staple.
What’s next
Month 3 is coming. Gradual brush reintroduction and also I would like to try my Kitsch Thermal Rollers for heatless stretching. I’m genuinely curious about the rollers. Bloom with Mae has been running at a slower pace lately and I’m being honest with you about that. Some periods are just harder than others and I’m choosing sustainable over consistent right now. But I’m not going anywhere, and neither is this experiment.
See you in Month 3.
Products mentioned: [Jojoba Oil] · [Nature Spell Rosemary Oil] · [Flaxseed Gel video on YouTube]
Read next: [Month 1 — 30 Day Finger Detangling Challenge] · [Best Oils for Curly Hair Growth] · [My Simple Wash Day Routine]
