YES!!!!! I knew I could count on you! I’ve been waiting so long for this… I am a pomade fan, but seeing as how we have similar hairstyles (short/spiky) if it works for you it should work for me. Oh wait, my husband wanted me to grow my hair out so now it’s longer… arghghh. I can make it for him though ;) So simple, don’t know why I never thought of it before… Good work!!

And is there some reason you’re not marketing these concoctions you come up with?

@ sarah – I’m growing my hair out too (sort of . . . maybe . . . ), but I’ve never gone long without needing ‘product’. Such a good thing to have around. I’m glad you’re excited! And, I hope it works for ya!

@ Nathan – Seriously! Believe me I’ve thought about it, in some form or another. Just not enough hours in the day, man.

What exactly is vitamin E oil? What is it made from?

That hair gel looks yummy (:

I am so excited to try this! I have been sans hair products for years now but for Halloween I broke down and put gel (left in the back of a drawer from when I actually used the stuff) in my hair as part of my costume. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked my hair but didn’t want to buy any more poisonous hair gel. How timely that you should post this! Thanks

@ Minna – Vitamin E is a vitamin, also called tocopherol. It’s a necessary vitamin and the RDA is between 15-19 mg / day. Vitamin E is found in seeds and nuts as well as many vegetable oils.

@ Angela – Yay! You’re welcome. =) I hope it works out for you – let me know how it goes!

Is that Vit E out of capsules ? Or can you buy it in little bottles ? Another Q: isn’t it sticky ?

@ Eternal*Voyageur @ Venusia*Glow – I use Vitamin E oil that comes in a bottle, but you could squeeze it out of capsules as well (though most gel caps are not vegan, just FYI). But it’s the exact same stuff. =)

I wouldn’t say *sticky*, so much as . . . oily?

Wow, this is incredibly useful! The only organic styling cream I know is being phased out and my permed hair can’t live without product. Thank you so much for sharing this. :)

@ Lauren – My pleasure! I hope it works well for you. =)

I was wondering if you have thought of anything that is more molding…such as the molding gels out there that are white. My husband uses them and likes the fact that it is a good hold, soft and not crunchy! Just wondering thank!

@ Wendy – It’s something I’ve thought about but as of now I haven’t been able to come up with any homemade solutions, besides beeswax (not vegan) or petroleum jelly (a product of the oil industry). Boo! But I’m still working on it, and I know I’ll get there! =D

Thanks so much for the recipe! I was looking around all over for a good, natural, homemade hair product. Also, your blog is fantastic!

Hello! First I find so much pleasure in reading your post. But down to business, six months ago I found I was pregnant with my first child and had to stop smoking. I’ve developped a bad habit of bitting, chewing and over-licking my lips untill they are chapped, cracked and bloody. I’ve used other chap sticks that are sufficient enough but with as often as I’ve been having to buy it the cash is starting to add up. I was wondering if perhaps you already had a cheap solution you’ve made yourself and posted on your sigh or if you could direct me to an inexpensive lip balm I can buy. I’ve become very aware of the things I’ve been putting on and in my body since I became pregnant and though I’m sure that chapstick would do little harm to my baby it’s denting the hell out of my rather small cash flow. Please help if you find the time what with your new baby and own life about you. I tried to send this via email but didn’t work so I found something with alittle bit of relation in terms of personal upkeep and posted it here.

@ Katta – Lip balm is a tough one for me, because the vast majority of brands, and also diy recipes, are not vegan (they use beeswax, among others). So for me it’s hard enough to find lip balm period, let alone cheap stuff! I’ve tried a few so-so brands that I wouldn’t really recommend. Sorry!

But congrats on the pregnancy! So exciting!

I use straight coconut oil.

Oops..for lip balm, that is. Not for hair gel, of course.

My agar gel looked like an edible food. I love the consistency of yours. What did I do wrong???

@ Naturalbeaty – What do you mean ‘an edible food’? What was the consistency of yours?

Hey Sayward. My boyfriend is vegan and I LOVE your site. I was so happy to find him recipes for food and even hair-gel and things of that nature!

We got the AgarAgar (Eden Brand) and the Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel.

My boyfriend combined the Agar Agar and Aloe Vera Gel and cooked it until the Agar Agar dissolved then put it sealed in the fridge overnight, but it was just a hard piece of something and unusable the next morning :(

What did he do wrong? (BTW I think he added water to it for some reason. But not a lot)

@ Michael – Oh dear, it sounds like you just mixed straight agar agar with aloe, is that correct? I re-read my instructions and I can see how they could be confusing, but when I said ’1/2 cup Agar Agar’ I meant agar agar dissolved in water, according to the instructions on the package (ie ‘concentration of choice’)

Mixing aloe with a whole half cup of agar flakes would produce an incredibly thick gel – it sounds like maybe that’s what happened?

Yeah that’s exactly what happened! Thank you so much for responding.
Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes. :)

I’ll repost after he remakes it and tell you how it goes, thanks!

@ Michael – Well glad we figured it out. Let me know how the new batch works!

How much water do you mix to make a regular hold gel? my agar agar does not have directions how to make a 1/2 cup.

@ Valerie – Unfortunately I can’t say, because every agar product is a bit different so it depends on the one you have. But there should be basic instructions on the packet yes? Can you just multiply or divide from there to adjust for 1/2 cup?

I got the now foods agar powder, the directions say use 2 tbs in a pint of water. Not sure how to divide that down for 1/2 cup, sorry bad at math! LOL

@ Valerie – Ah yes, funky conversions. I guess I would half it and then refrigerate the excess. It should keep for a loooong time.

Great site! I am loving all of the recipes and information. I’ve been no ‘poo for a couple years and am working on replacing all of the “traditional” health and beauty products with safer natural ones. Hair gel is one I haven’t replaced yet. I had been just using hair spray but after I decided to make changes I opted to use just a tiny bit of Aloe Vera Gel to keep my hair in line when I have it up in a ponytail or bun. So at least I’m not breathing in all the particles after I would spray my head anymore! I’m happy with the results of the aloe but I’m not pleased with the chemicals that have to go into it as preservatives. I’ve got a long way to go before the bottle is empty but I’m looking for alternatives so I can be ready. Do you think that aloe vera is pretty much as good as it gets for decent hold with being semi-healthy, or did you play with any other alternatives before settling on it?

How long will this gel last at room temperature without spoiling? So there is no preservative added?
I am very excited to try this recipe and want to go to the store to get the ingredients right now!

@ Valerie
If the label says 2 tbs agar agar in a pint of water to figure out how much you need for 1/2 cup of agar agar do this.

Since there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, and you need 1/2 cup that is = 8 tablespoons, which is 4 times the amount noted on your package so you need 4 times the water, which is 4 pints.

So for 1/2 cup agar agar, use 4 pints of water.

@ Trudy – It’ll last indefinitely, like normal gel. It’s not perishable at all so no preservatives needed. =)

My MIL told me that her family always used a Flax Seed Gel when she was growing up (she’s well over 70 now, and her mother was all about “natural.”

I found an aloe and flax gel recipe here:
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/recipe/recipe.asp?recipe_id=214

I made this today and it came out looking like a very firm gelatin. Will the consistency change after being out of the refrigerator for a while? Your gel in the picture looks clear and bubbly while mine was cloudy and not bubbly. I think maybe something went wrong :(

@ Johanna – What kind of agar did you use? The measurements for mixing are different on all of them – are you sure you used the correct proportions? If anything it will get harder in the fridge, not more liquid. =(

@ Valerie: if the directions on your agar agar are to reconstitute 2 tablespoons agar agar to 1 pint of water for a “regular” mix, then to get the 1/2 C of reconstituted agar agar that Sayward calls for in the recipe, you’ll need 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the dry agar agar to 1/2 C of water. Hope that helps.

i am so making this! thanks for sharing!

I REALLY wanted this to work. Made it exactly as stated (even same ingredient brands), added a tad more of the dry agar agar. Loved the consistency (you have to stir for quite a while to dissolve), but alas :( didn’t do anything to hold my hair in place. Had to resort to the chemical laden products. Thinking of making again using more of the dry agar agar. What do you think? Do I need to toss out the old stuff or can I reheat with additional agar agar?

@ Elizabeth – Hmm, it didn’t give any hold at all? I’d say give it another try and make it stronger this time. I’d start all the way over from the beginning, new stuff. Hope it works out – luck!

Tried again using double the agar agar. The only thing that hardened was the concoction in the jar not my hair. Did absolutely nothing to hold my hair. Has anyone else had success with this?

My bf’s hair is poofy and frizzy and it has a course feel to it so its hard to keep it straite and not so wild. Do you know any home made ways to help soften it so we can get it to stay down and straitened?

@ Emily – A lot of people have luck with coconut oil! Just use a teeeeeny tiny little bit, or it will look greasy. Luck!

Hello i just had a quick question what can i use as a natural heat protection.

Hi,

Would you mix Agar Agar with Flaxseed gel?

Hi
I am wrapped with this ! I live rurally and had run out of gel so I made some of this today and used it – it looked so good my husband used it as well ! Thanks heaps !! My hair looks great and its no longer flat !

Hi
I am wrapped with this ! I live rurally and had run out of gel so I made some of this today and used it – it looked so good my husband used it as well ! Thanks heaps !! My hair looks great and its no longer flat !

I have not ever used flax gel in my hair. Not dure how that would work. If you try it let me know!

can you use any type of sea vegetable flakes? The nearest healthfood store doesn’t carry agar:(

Agar has very specific gelling properties, so others wouldn’t work. Sorry!

Agar has very specific gelling properties, so others wouldn’t work. Sorry!

waiting for it to set… the suspense, it kills me!