Sea Moss Gel; The Best 2 DIY Ways to Make it

There are a couple of methods you can follow for making our premium Sea Moss Gel. It’s fairly simple to do, and basically requires you to wash your seaweed, soak it or boil it (I’ll let you know which method I prefer later, and why), and then blend it.

I’ve got 2 methods I’ll look at here with you, so let’s get started.

Making Your Own Gel – Method 1: Raw

Take some Sea Moss from your sealed container. I use about 30 grams (0.1 ounce) of Sea Moss at a time. This will make about 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of Sea Moss Gel.

The amount that you choose to use will depend on what you’re wanting to do with it. I use this over the course of a week. Some people will use this amount in one recipe.

Vigorously clean the seaweed in fresh clean alkaline water to get the excess salt and sand off. Sometime there may be impurities but they should come off easily.

When the Sea Moss is dried it you can man handle it a bit. So give it a good clean. You might like to do this a couple of times.

Using alkalized filtered water, cover the Sea Moss and allow to soak for twenty-four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours. I have found that the longer you soak it, the easier it blends. However, I do not go past 48 hours. I have left this for 72 hours to see how it would fair, and it did not turn out well.

As the Sea Moss expands you will need to add more water to cover it. It may be helpful sometime to put something heavy like a side plate over the seaweed to help keep it submerged.

Alternatively, you could soak your seaweed in a jar that has been filled to the top with fresh water, with a lid firmly attached.

Over time the Sea Moss will become a little slimy to touch. Also it will be easier to break the thallus with your finger.

Sea-Moss-Gel-Benefits-www.detoxandcure.com

When the Sea Moss is soft enough, put it into a blender with a little water. Initially I like to pulse the blender to chop the seaweed up a bit. Blend the Sea Moss for about 5 minutes.

Check the consistency of the gel. If you want it to be more liquid, just add some of the water that you soaked the seaweed in, into the gel mixture. Remember, it is easier to add more water than to take it out, so go slowly until you get the desired consistency.

Pour the gel into a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator.

Gel Preparation Note

  1. If you neglect to clean your seaweed properly, you will find that the Sea Moss Gel may be gritty and very salty.
  2. You may use less water, the Sea Moss Gel will set firm. If you used more water, the gel will be more pasty. This really comes down to preference and how you want to use it.

I prefer my Sea Moss Gel to be a little pasty and smooth because I apply it to my skin after I’ve had my evening shower as a moisturiser. This gives me all the benefits of a collagen stimulating lotion without the toxins and chemicals. 1

Sea Moss Gel Kirilian Photography example
To cook or not to cook? That is the question…

Making Your Own Gel – Method 2: Cooked

As above: Thoroughly clean your Sea Moss in fresh clean water to remove any impurities and salt. Using alkaline filtered water, cover the Irish Sea Moss and allow to soak for four (4) to six (6) hours.

Transfer the water and Sea Moss into a pot and allow to simmer for fifteen (15) to thirty (30) minutes. Top up the water as needed. Allow the water level to reduce to a small amount.

Take the Sea Moss and water mixture off the heat and allow to cool. Once the Sea Moss has cooled sufficiently, transfer the mixture to your blender. Blend the Sea Moss in to a smooth gel consistency.

Pour the Sea Moss Gel into a clean glass jar and store in the refrigerator.

Making Your Own Gel Tips

If you would like to flavour your sea Moss you may wish to add some herbs and spices while boiling. Try some or all of the following:

  • cinnamon bark
  • bay leaf
  • vanilla bean
  • nutmeg

Add the gel to your favourite dishes and enjoy!

Sea Moss Gel FAQs

What is Sea Moss Gel good for?

Sea Moss is loaded with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and good fatty acids. These all play a part in helping to keep your body healthy and functioning. When you look at the breakdown of this seaweed, you begin to see that it is a powerhouse of marine nutrition.

What happens if you take Sea Moss everyday?

Taking Sea Moss everyday can help to improve various aspects of your health according to the many studies where this seaweed has been researched.

The various properties include supporting gut health and general digestion, stimulating the production of collagen for connective tissue health and younger looking skin, reducing inflammation, and even providing antibacterial support.

Who should not take Sea Moss?

If you are on any kind of heart medication or products to help thin the blood it is not advisable to take Sea Moss. Also, people who have allergies to shellfish or other types of seafood should consider avoiding some species of seaweed too.

Please note: you must seek specialist advice before making any changes to your diet as content provided online in any format that is not crafted specifically to meet your unique needs is very likely to miss something critical. Always speak with your trusteed Doctor or Dietitian first.

Summary

Personally, I prefer Method 1. This is because I know that I won’t be cooking all the benefits out of the products through basic processing. All the minerals and nutrients remain intact.

You could also try making your own gel with Elderberry Syrup for added Vitamin C and taste!

If you agree with raw foodies when it comes to preparing Sea Moss in that once you cook it, you’ve killed it, then you may feel the same way about the Sea Moss Gel. After all the main reason most people choose to use and consume Sea Moss is for all its nutritional benefits. Enjoy!

References

  1. “Treatment of human skin with an extract of Fucus vesiculosus changes its thickness and mechanical properties” – T. Fujimura, K. Tsukahara, S. Moriwaki, T. Kitahara, T. Sano, Y. Takema, January 2002 [PubMed] [Archive] ↩︎

Last Updated on 3 weeks by D&C Editorial Team

42 thoughts on “Sea Moss Gel; The Best 2 DIY Ways to Make it”

    • Hello Adley,

      Thank you for your question.

      It should be fine to use, even after soaking for 4 days. Was this Sea Moss bought through us? If so, the species of seaweed we have been using ourselves soaks fine for up to 4 days.

      I once left a batch for 5 days when I went away, and this was still good to use. It did soften up a lot more than I normally allowed it to, which made it tough to rinse before blending (this is something I like to do in my preparation). It go so soft that it began to break up when I picked it up. It did take on a smell that was uncharacteristically pungent after being in the water for that long.

      As a result, when I make sea moss gel I don’t allow it to go for more than 3 days now. 4 should still be ok for you though. If it feels very sloppy or brittle, and smells unappealing to you, then it may be worth making a fresh batch.

      I hope this helps you 🙂

  1. Hello, I soaked my sea moss, blended it but perhaps too much liquid as its still not gel. Any tips? Thank you 🙂

    • Hello Asia,

      Thank you for your question. This is one that we get a lot (along with ‘My sea moss gel is too thick’), and it’s really easy one to take care of.

      It sounds to me like you added too much too water when blending your sea moss gel in this case. Even though your blend hasn’t gelled up it is still fine to use and has all of the benefits you would normally get, just a little runnier. So don’t throw it out.

      My wife prefers the gel consistency to be closer to a sauce type consistency as it is easier to add to drinks and mix through.

      If you’re using this for a topical application, like a face mask, it might not work as well as you would like, so try making another batch with less water and use this one in smoothies instead.

      Next time, try adding about half as much water as you did on the next batch during the blending stage.

      If this turns out to be too thick once it has set, you can always add a little water to the gel and mix it through after it has set. This is another trick that one of my friends uses to thin his gel down if he’s not happy with the consistency.

      Either way, you can adjust the water content as you go.

      Keep in mind that depending on where you get your sea moss from, and also variations in crops, you may encounter some differences in the amount of water needed. That’s just the nature of a natural product, there will be variations.

      Hopefully this adds to your number of options and helps you by understanding how to make sea moss gel the way we do.

  2. What happens if I soaked my sea moss in cold water? And can I use Essentia water to soak it in?

    • Hello Robert,

      Soaking your sea moss in cold water is the way to go in my opinion. You just need to let it soak for between 24 and 48 hours. Once this is done, take it out of the water, place it in a sieve or a colander and give it a light rinse. Then blend away!

      Using alkaline water is always better, particularly if it is free of fluoride as this is believed to be responsible for the calcification of the Pineal Gland. I would opt to avoid water that has had chemicals like this added to it. Chlorine is another one to avoid.

      So, your choice of water matters, and the one you asked about appears to be a pH of 9.5 which is on the alkaline side of the scale.

  3. So suppose you’re out of the water that’s preferred…Can u use Tap Water instead?

    • Hello C.W.

      Thanks for asking. You could use tap water instead.

      I guess what you need to consider is what your level of comfort is in the additives and chemicals that may be in your tap water.

      Here, in Australia, many cities have chlorine and fluoride added to the tap water. So when it comes to making our sea moss gel, or drinking water, we choose to filter it. We have a filter jug at home that wasn’t very expensive, and it also alkalizes the water.

    • Hello Sherry,

      Thanks for asking. This question has come up a few times in different platforms for us.

      My preference is to stick with the whole seaweed as a wholefood. I have found that gives the best results when making sea moss gel.

      The challenge with the powder version is that it lacks a lot of the properties that the original source does, and it doesn’t gel up quite the same when I’ve tried. It kind of goes thick and pasty, but it doesn’t compare to the real deal.

      As far as using the powder instead of sea moss seaweed for other purposes, again, it’s about the unadulterated natural source. Once it’s been processed into powder it loses what it had which was wrapped up in the form that nature intended.

      At the end of the day it’s a preference thing.

      I hope that helps you.

  4. My seamoss did not soften after soaking for over 24hrs. What could be wrong. Thank you

    • Hello Lucia, thanks for your questions.

      That’s going to depend on a few things. The species will play a big part in this, and ‘how’ the sea moss was dried, and to a slightly lesser degree the extent to which your sea moss was dried before you got it.

      When I say ‘how’ the sea moss was dried I mean was it naturally sun dried, or did the company you bought it through bake (cook) it to speed up the drying process.

      I’ve heard of situations where sea moss that has been dried in an oven-like environment simply doesn’t soften up again. Thankfully, I’ve never had to endure this.

      When it comes to making sea moss gel it is important that you are able to get the sea moss to soak up as much water as possible during the soaking stage.

      Maybe try blending what you have at the moment and add more water. Let it sit in the blender (this will be fine) for a few hours and keep giving it a fresh zap with the blender for a minute or two until it takes on a liquid form.

      I hope that you haven’t been sold fake sea moss by someone. I have heard stories about ‘plastic’ sea moss coming out of China, but I’ve never bought sea moss through China, so that’s never been an issue for me.

      Can you tell me more about your sea moss?

      Where is it from? (I’ll delete this detail before publishing the reply to your next message to protect the identity of the retailer – it may not be their fault)

      What does it look like when dry? (Is it small flaked pieces, powder, or the whole leaf?)

      Are you completely submerging it? (I use a small plate on top to keep the sea moss completely under water when soaking)

      I hope that this helps, and I’ll see what I can do to help you with this so you can make sea moss gel that is amazing 🙂

  5. Hi I soaked my sea moss and used the water from the soak to blend it with. was that okay? I do find it to be extremely salty to the taste but am I still okay to use it ?

    • Hi Vanna,

      The water used to soak is safe to use to blend, but as you stated it will have a very salty taste to it.

      Depending on the thickness of your blend, you can add fresh water to it to reduce the salty flavor. This will make your sea moss gel runnier, however, so it will depend on personal preference in terms of thickness of the blend.

  6. I too have the very same issue as the previous person. I washed the sea moss thoroughly and soaked it for over 24 hours and it did not soften one bit. I went ahead and blend it anyway and it was just water and tiny pieces of sea moss in the blended. There was no gel like consistency, I ended up pouring it in a pot and applying low heat and that was when it started to look like how it is supposed to look. I didn’t boil it, I just had it on low heat for a few minutes. However, my concern is that I am killing all the nutrients. This was my 1st time experiencing this because previously using a different brand, all I had to do was blend and all was well. I don’t remember the name of the brand I currently have but on the package it says from the Philippines. I am wondering if it is fake or maybe like you said how they dried the sea moss that is causing this problem.

    • Thank you for sharing this with us, Renee.

      With so many different species of seaweed, and how the name Sea Moss is loosely applied by some Sellers you may have experienced a species difference more than a brand difference. I know that sounds like semantics, but it’s probably worth looking in to the species side of things more to see how this sites in your case.

      If you felt that cooking it worked for you, that’s great. What I would suggest with the next time is to let the blender do its thing for longer. Chunks means it hasn’t finished blending and needs longer. If you still have really tough Sea Moss and it isn’t smoothing out regardless of the time you’re blending it for, then I’d think about the soaking time frame, and then maybe speaking with the Seller.

      If cooking it ticks your boxes, that’s cool. We choose not to for the energetic loss and nutritional impact. The article “What is the Best way of Preparing Irish Sea Moss?” might help you understand our perspective with this.

      I hope this helps you.

  7. How much see miss should you consume in a day?. I had half cup gel with 2 cups water, sugar and a dash of cinnamon and now I got a splitting headache, did I drink too much?I think it might be even more than half cup gel.

    • Hi Mark,

      Thank you for your comment. It’s difficult to say why you might have had a headache, it could be for any number of reasons.

      When you first start using Sea Moss Gel, it’s best to start with a small amount initially and build up to a comfortable amount. Everybody is different and what might be a lot for me might be a small amount for you.

      I like to add one to two tablespoons of Sea Moss Gel to my coffee or hot chocolate. When making a smoothie, I add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of Sea Moss Gel with other ingredients.

      Please consider speaking with a dietitian or nutritionist before making changes to your diet. They will be able to take into consideration your personal medical conditions to ensure that the changes you make will improve your health.

  8. I soaked my seamoss for 24 hours and used the same water to blend it up and it was way to salty, so was I supposed to use clean water?

    • Hi Aprylle,

      It is much better taste-wise to use freshwater. Using the water that you soaked your Sea Moss in will give it a strong salty taste as you have mentioned.

      Your Sea Moss is still suitable for use, it will just have a salty taste.

  9. Hi, thanks for your helpful info. My question is in reference to method 2/cooked method. I tend to use the strained liquid from the simmered moss and let it cool and it thickens into a gel as well. I do Not blend the moss only bc i use it in my teas and drinks so i really do not need it any thicker than that. I learned This was in the carribean. (This implies that you have boiled/simmered the nutrients out of the moss and that liquid contains all the minerals) I prefer the consistency this way. Have you heard of this way and what are your thoughts on it?

    • Hello Bre,

      I have heard of, and tried Sea Moss prepared this way. If it works for you, that’s great. We choose to avoid cooking the Sea Moss for a few reasons that are touched upon here: What is the Best way of Preparing Irish Sea Moss?

      There really isn’t a right or a wrong way when you consider that it’s all about personal preference. Everyone has their rationale, and we’re just sharing ours. I would like to thank you for taking the time to share yours with us and everyone who reads this too! There are three sides to every coin after all; the top, the bottom, and the edge. They all make up the same coin.

      Keep on enjoying you Sea Moss!

  10. I’ve started blending up some of my seamoss into a gel. I left the first batch in the fridge to solidify. I noticed a gritty texture. Any tips on getting the rest of the batch (still soaking, almost 36 hrs now) much smoother?

    • Thank for your question Remy,

      I would suggest allowing your sea moss to blend for longer in your blender. Our Customers who encounter this have found that if they scrape down the inside walls of the blender jug with a spatula and let the blender run for 2 to 5 minutes (depending on the blade configuration) they get a smoother finish. We have put a gel that felt like there were still pieces in it back in the blender for a while and this has been fine.

  11. Does all seamoss flakes have to be cleaned ? Also is it normal for the gel to have little moss residue from the flakes

    • Hello Ana,

      Thanks for asking. I can’t speak about the Sea Moss flakes you have and how clean they may be before you get them, or the processes they have been through.

      My main concern about Sea Moss flakes is that they tend to be made from the less desirable looking parts of the plant (seaweed really ins’t a plant, its an algae, but let’s call it a plant for illustration purposes here only). A bit like how people prefer the head of the broccoli or cauliflower rather than the stem or main branch of the plant. Sea Moss too has thicker parts that are like the trunk of the tree when compared to the branches. All seaweed in this family has this basic type of structure in some form or another in that there is a point at where the plant starts growing from, and a direction it is growing towards.

      Now, not that there’s anything wrong with the thicker, more trunk like parts of the seaweed, they still have the same value, but are just less attractive to look at. So, if the way the Company (aka the Manufacturer) sells these into the market is by chopping them up into tiny pieces that you can’t distinguish from another, what does that potentially say about the practice of manufacturing sea moss flakes?

      Please don’t misunderstand me here, I’m not saying these companies should run an inefficient business or be wasteful. I’m just highlighting that sea moss flakes are a different product, and they are normally made with a lesser grade raw material (sea moss) in the collective eyes of the market.

      Sea Moss flakes are also quite often treated, which typically involves the sea moss being baked or processed with different chemicals so it can be chopped or ground up more effectively. Once this is done, the assumption is that you’ll have a product that is clean and fit for human consumption. But you know what they say when you ‘assume’ something, right? Let’s not assume anything. Rather, let’s take a closer look at the product. What additives can you find on the label? Do they have a website where they share information about their practices with you? Are they trying to arm you with information so you can make a better choice, or is it just an online store?

      Having some pieces still looking or feeling chunky in your gel may be the result of incomplete preparation (soaking or blending), or it may be the result of something else in your Sea Moss flakes that might not be ‘Sea Moss’ (just a thought). Maybe try soaking and/or blending your next batch for a little longer. We find that when our Customers ask us about chunks in their Sea Moss Gel that they haven’t blended it for long enough. This is why we encourage people to learn about how to make Sea Moss Gel. We want them to have a good experience with this amazing gift from Nature and get the most out of their Sea Moss.

      In closing, I would like to reiterate that I can’t speak about where you got this product from, or what they may or may not do in the manufacturing process, but I hope the questions I have asked help you to dig deeper in finding out more for yourself, so you can make a choice that you believe serves you in the best possible way.

  12. I ordered some sea moss and it came in moist in the package not dried, what are your thoughts on that? Is that safe to use. It smelled like the ocean, looked like sea moss but it was very moist.

    • Hi Kim,

      When Sea Moss is sun dried, there is still some moisture in the seaweed. The moisture content in our dried Sea Moss is between 10% to 15%. Some companies may allow the moisture content to be as high as 30%. This is fine and should not impact the integrity of the product.

      Given that your Sea Moss smells like the ocean implies to me that the seaweed should be fine to consume. If the seaweed were to smell musky or rancid (my husband describes the smell as pukey) I would discourage using it.

      If you feel that your Sea Moss is too moist, take the seaweed out of the packaging and lay it on some baking paper in the sun for a couple of days. This will reduce the moisture content of the seaweed. When the Sea Moss is at the desired moisture content, store in a air tight container.

  13. Hello, If I clean, wash, and soak my sea moss, do I have to gel it all. I brought too much and I want to know if can I store the cleaned moss in a tightly sealed freezer bag and put it in the refrigerator, until I’m ready to make a new batch of gel.

    Thanks in advance for your input.

    • Hi Arlene,

      I would recommend that you do not clean, wash, and soak all of your Sea Moss straight away. The dried Sea Moss will keep in its current form for a long time.

      When preparing your Sea Moss to make into a gel, it’s best to only soak what you need. The dried Sea Moss will expand to approximately four times in size. I would suggest starting with a small handful of dried Sea Moss (about 30 grams or 1 ounce). This will make between one and two cups of gel depending on the amount of water you add when making your Sea Moss Gel.

      The dried Sea Moss will last for a long time provided it remains dry. If you have cleaned, washed, and soaked all of your Sea Moss at once, you may be able to freeze the Sea Moss that you don’t use. However, keep in mind that this may change the integrity of the Sea Moss. It’s hard to say what would change as it all depends on what you do, and how you do it. But I dare say that as an example, if you freeze the Sea Moss Gel, when you go to defrost it, you may find that the viscosity is different or maybe the water and Sea Moss separate a little.

      Alternatively, you could try to dehydrate the Sea Moss again. I have not done this, and it is difficult to say how it would turn out. It may be a fun science experiment to see what happens.

    • Hello Naomi,

      Thanks for asking. There can be differences from one person to the next in what you’ll ‘see’ as the benefit. This depends on a lot of things, such as if you’re making Sea Moss a part of your diet and consuming it, or if you are applying the gel topically.

      I noticed differences in how I felt within a few short days. A far as ‘seeing’ changes, it was my wife who pointed out the difference in the fine lines around my eyes after using the gel as a mask.

      I guess you need to know what it is you’re looking for first, and then consider how much of a change you expect to see in what you’re looking for. I know that this doesn’t really seem to answer your question. Could you be more specific and I’ll see what I can do to help answer your question?

  14. Hello,

    I’ve seen some people say they place an entire lemon in the water while the seaweed soaks. Have you ever tried that method? If yes, should I peel the lemon first or place in with the skin still on? Thank you!

    • Hello Shaye,

      Thank or your question. You’ll get the best results for adding lemon if you wash the outside of the lemon first with warm water and white or brown vinegar. Let it sit in the warm water with the vinegar for a couple of minutes, this will help neutralize pesticides and other nasties.

      After this I would cut the lemon into halves or quarters and squeeze it into the bowl. Then leave the lemon in the bowl with the Sea Moss.

      I’d be curious to hear your experiences trying this with and without the peel. Let us know which you found you prefer.

  15. This is my first experience with sea moss. I purchased sea moss gel from someone else. I received notification that it was shipped on 8/6/29. As of 8/12/20, it still has not arrived. Since it is perishable, I am concerned about its integrity and that it will be compromised and unsafe if it ever arrives. The temperature at this time of year in this area is pretty hot (high 80’s – mid 90’s). Please provide recommendations on whether it should be used or tossed.

    • Hello Susan,

      Thank you for your question. This is as much about ‘how’ the Sea Moss Gel you bought from someone else was made as it is about the shipping time. If you check out the article “When does Sea Moss Gel Expire? How to keep it Fresh” for more information about our take on this and the rationale we apply to making your own gel, you’ll get the ‘how’ point I’m referencing.

      We focus on sharing with people how to make their own gel using our Sea Moss. We can’t speak to what goes on behind the scenes with other businesses, or how they make their gel. So, I’d suggest to make it yourself and keep full control over what is going on.

      As far as the postage delay goes, we’re all in the same boat. I hope this changes soon for everyone’s sake, but, delays are just another factor we are having to live with right now. If the item gets to you and it has a really strong smell, like it has gone bad, I’d suggest contacting the Seller as your first point. They may be able to help find a solution.

      We will be sharing some more detailed information about the shelf life of Sea Moss gel soon, and this will hopefully help with getting a better idea on how to make it yourself.

      I hope this helps.

  16. Hello,

    I soaked my Sea Moss in fresh lime and water for 24 hrs, what can I use the Sea Moss water for?

    • Hello Erica,

      I have used the water as a refreshing foot soak more recently. And after one of our Instagram Followers shared with us that she pours the water on her plants, I thought why not. Rather than tip it down the drain when I’m done, why not give it to the garden.

      You could also use the water as a part of a face wash – just be careful if there are any little bits of shell or sand in the water.

      If anyone else has any tips on what they use the water for, I’d love to hear.

Comments are closed.

About the Author

Christine has long been on the path to optimal health. With a history of weight loss coaching she is driven by a passion for nutrition, health and wellness. Having grown up in Africa before migrating to New Zealand, and then Australia, she has seen very strong contrasts in quality of life and is driven to help others understand the importance of taking a holistic approach to life.

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