Working with Mucilage-rich Irish Moss

For an upcoming recipe, I decided to use a mix of Irish Moss, Foti Root and Burdock Root as the base for a conditioning mix. But I want to talk specifically about Irish Moss here.

Irish Moss is a seaweed from which the thickener "carrageenan" is derived.  It's probably most known among Naturals as the thickener used in high quality Aloe Vera (and other things) to give it a more gel-like consistency.

Sitting Irish Moss in water overnight in the refrigerator can yield some amount of mucilage.  However, placing it inside a mason jar, like I did, then sitting that jar into a pot of water and boiling it for 1 hour will create a viscous, gel-like tea.  

Depending on how much Irish Moss you use, the gel can be as thick as gelatin or as loose as a runny gel.

I used the 'tea' (water portion) made from boiling Irish Moss (plus Foti and Burdock roots).  It was sufficiently slippery, but not as thick as a hair gel.  

Irish Moss has been used in the past to sooth sore throats and dry skin.  It came on the radar of Naturals because of the never-ending search for natural, mucilage-producing herbs. 😛

But outside of its mucilage, Irish Moss is reportedly rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iodine.  It also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B and Vitamin D.  

Some people actually use the seaweed itself as a substitute for gelatin where they soak the Irish Moss, put the actual seaweed in a blender and use that like gelatin.

The Irish Moss I get is from MountainRoseHerbs.com and it has been cut into small pieces already so, for me, its easier to use just the right amount.

You can use Irish Moss as an additive to your DIY mixes and products as well.  It will be your own homemade Irish Moss extract. 😀

You can use it like you would use Flaxseed gel, but be careful.  Irish Moss is seaweed.  Thus, it will smell like… seaweed. LOL!  You will have to use some type of essential or fragrance oil to cover it up.  

Or, you can use it like a deep conditioner where you apply it, place a plastic cap on for 1 hour, then rinse out with a nice-smelling conditioner.

Anyway, experiment with Irish Moss and come up with some great recipes!

@curlyteaconsult

Check out how rachelcpr (youtube) prepares her Irish Moss along with Flaxseed gel:
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Check out how Franky G (youtube) prepares Irish Moss for food:
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