Before I begin: this is my first instructable so if you see anything I could improve don't hesitate on commenting, also english is my second language, if you see anything written in "weird" english please tell me about it so I can fix it.

About a month ago or so I was feeling lazy to go cut my hair and since my hair cutting machine died after a horrible fall I haven't been able to do it myself. What do we do? the alternative to avoid a light bulb like head for people like me who have thick straight hair which doesn't naturally fall even when it's 1" long it's hair gel.

But I really don't want to use the industrial product, it has many things I don't want to put on my head beginning with alcohol which combined with a really hot environment with a lot of sun (I live in a very hot and sunny area) will surely dry my scalp, sure there are gentler products but these have become prohibitively expensive where I live, besides, this is instructables and it's all about making, not buying.

So I asked my mother if she knew how to make hair gel and she gave me this recipe. I'm sure some of you have seen it or heard about it but still here it is for those who haven't.

Why use it?

-Cheap ingredients
-Very easy to make
-Gives good results

Step 1: Gather Materials

For this you'll need
-1 cup of water (~236ml)
-2 tbsp of linseed (also called flaxseed)
-A small pot (mine's not so small but it was what I had)
-Spoon
-A strainer (one that can be used with hot liquids, I used an old one used for these kind of things)
-1 small container to put the final product
-Stove

Step 2: Cooking

Add the water to the pot and place it on the stove.

Wait until it's hot and add the 2 tbsp of linseed.

Step 3: Let It Boil

Let it boil a little while ~2min, it should have light gooey texture (see attached video).

lshg_vid.mp4
Download

Step 4: Strain It

Strain it while it's hot.

Tip: if it is too thick to strain you can add a little bit of water to help it, be careful not to add too much.

Step 5: Ready to Serve

Let it cool down, it now should be a little thicker. Pour it in the container you'll use to store it, I used an old hair something container that was laying around the house.

This time it was a little too thick and had to add some water but it should produce ~2/3 cup (~157ml)

You can use it now or later.

It spoils in about a week if not refrigerated (3-5 days if you live in a hot area) which is the reason why the recipe is to produce a small amount. If it is properly refrigerated it will last around 15-20 days, I've been told that it can last over month by freezing it, but in the test I made the texture was not the same as it was not thick enough.