The hack Can I make a hair gel from chia seeds and warm water? The test Sprinkled on porridge, chia seeds are like that friend who is annoyingly good at everything – they’re packed with soluble fibre (good for digestion) and also provide a whack of protein, omega-3 and -6 oils and vitamins. All of which made them a staple in the traditional Aztec diet and, in the past few years, a popular superfood too. They have also become a DIY hair gel ingredient, particularly for curly and coiled-hair types. To make this, take 100g of chia seeds and heat gently with 300ml of water in a saucepan: they should start to become gelatinous after five minutes. Wait for the mixture to cool, then blitz in a blender and strain the gel by pushing it through a cloth or a clean muslin bag. I then scrunched a teaspoon of this into my wet hair, and left it to dry naturally. The verdict It did make my curls look defined, if slightly limp and feeling a little bit crunchy. I also tried using the homemade gel overnight as a “setting lotion” on my pincurls, and while it did set them initially, the curls dropped when I brushed them out later. But this could create definition on thicker, curlier hair. If you can be bothered to make it, that is – it involves quite a lot of fiddly work for not a huge amount of “product”.