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View Full Version : Catnip essential oil? & other questions about making my own concoctions...



bunnylake
December 8th, 2012, 04:01 PM
While shopping on mountainroseherbs.com I noticed they sell catnip EO and catnip hydrosol. Would catnip in those forms still give the same benefits of catnip rinse or tea?

Also, I am a total newbie at making my own natural hair/body products. I'm interesting in making oils and butters only, for now. I am just not sure if I should use a natural preservative, if the properties of some ingredients could change when blended with others, and just general how-to when it comes to actually making the mixes. I've read a lot on individual ingredients, but I don't know if actually mixing them together is as easy as that. Or maybe it is and I'm over thinking things! I'd appreciate it if someone more knowledgable than me could give me some tips.

Thanks!

Sillage
December 8th, 2012, 06:33 PM
I don't think anyone knows what compounds in catnip tea are responsible for the benefits so it's difficult to say weather the EO would have the same effect since it is comprised of only part of the plant.

If you're only making anhydrous things like blends of oils and butters, you don't need to worry about preservatives but you can add things like Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, vitamin E, etc to improve the shelf life of oils/butters (NB: preservatives are for aqueous systems... even though the function of ROE and vitamin E is to "preserve" the oils/butters in an anhydrous system, these are antioxidants). Generally if the oils you are using have a decent shelf life (ie not hemp oil, LOL) and you're not selling it, I wouldn't bother.

Carrier oils and butters are very mix and match. I would suggest trialing the oils individually first and learn how they effect your hair, what you like and what you don't like. It doesn't have to be complicated-- just have fun with it. :)