I’ve been meaning to write this blog for a while, about how to make linseed setting jelly, as it is an absolute godsend for my hair!
My hair is naturally curly, and when I first started dressing more in vintage style, I didn’t do much with my hair day-to-day. As I got more interested in all aspects of vintage fashion, I wanted to do things more authentically. I found that natural waves are not always ideal for vintage styles, especially the brushed out hairstyles that I love, and I feel that having my hair more authentic makes a big difference to the vintage look.
When I first started wet-setting my hair, particularly after getting my hair cut by David of the fabulous House of Drewvid for the first time, I tried a few different setting lotions, all of which worked quite well, but they left my hair feeling dry and crunchy. My hair is bleached regularly, to get the pink or peach tones I like, but this means I have to really try to take care to look after it, and was worried about damaging it with setting.
I started to look for gentler alternatives, and found a few different people online mentioning using linseeds, so I thought I’d give it a try. After using it just once, my hair was lovely and soft, and I had lots of curls perfect for vintage hair!
So, this is how I make my setting gel…
I start with a tablespoon of Linseeds in a small saucepan. I buy mine from my local Holland and Barrett, but I’m pretty sure they are much the same from any health food store.
Then I add a cupful of hot water from the kettle. I measure using a large teacup, but a small mug should be fine.
I boil the ingredients together and simmer for 15 minutes. The mixture thickens up and starts to become jelly-like it darkens to a tea like colour. It’s definitely not the most appetising looking , but it’s worth it, I promise!
After 15 minutes, I strain the mixture through a sieve while it’s still hot, and pour it into the jar I’m planning to use. I have been reusing my Neal’s Yard Organics jars, as the glass copes well with the heat and can be rinsed with boiling water to make them more sterile.
To make the mixture smell lovely, I add about 6-8 drops of essential oil to the jar before I fill it, then put the lid on and give it a good shake to mix it in. I do all this while the mixture is still quite hot, as it thickens when it cools, so if you decide to give it a try, please be careful! The essential oil makes my hair smell lovely once it’s set!
And that’s it! Once it’s cooled, I keep it in the fridge and can last for me up to a few weeks this way. I usually discard it if it seems to have lost its elasticity, and the scent changes slightly when it’s on its way out.
I set my hair using pillow rollers, adding a little of the mixture to each section and brushing it through before rolling them up. Looks glam doesn’t it!
After a good night’s sleep, I can brush out my lovely soft curls using House of Drewvid Marcel spray, Lustre spray and sometimes a bit of their shine pomade (which has sadly been disontinued) to smooth any curls. Their products are absolutely brilliant and the Lustre spray smells lovely! I also sometimes use Vitapointe leave in conditioner to give my hair a bit of extra TLC whilst brushing out, on David’s recommendation.
The result I get is really good I think, and although it doesn’t always last as long as setting lotion, I’m happy to set my hair every few days, to avoid the crunch!
BewitchedBB Vintage 