Stagecoach
I do not recommend making the catnip stronger than the dilution I stated - catnip gets astringent at lower dilutions.
Stagecoach
That depends on what you are trying to do - colour? - probably not.
It replaces conditioner for me and as I said does not colour over conditioner.
Experiment with it - see how it works for you.
If you just want conditioning - try it without conditioner - see how your hair feels when you rinse it out and then decide if you need conditioner afterward - if you do you will probably need less conditioner than you normally would.
Stagecoach
I do not recommend making the catnip stronger than the dilution I stated - catnip gets astringent at lower dilutions.
MadPirateBippy
I never addressed you inquiry about vinegar - sorry about that.
Waaaaaaaay back when I started to play with my recipe I tried adulterating catnip with both vinegar and oil separately and together.
I found that catnip works better straight - the dilution and the timing are what made the difference - it needs nothing added to it, IMO.
I tried it as a leave-in too as I have said - it can be slightly sticky that way and is not as effective both for colouring and conditioning - it is much much better rinsed out after using it the way I have described.
Last edited by ktani; March 29th, 2008 at 04:32 PM. Reason: spelling
I did a thorough s&d last night.
I have a love/hate relationship with s&d's.
They are necessary IMO, to cut down on tangling and cuticle stress but I absolutely hate trimming off white dots - I still have 0 split ends.
Well, I have been stretching out s&d's and when I had last washed my hair I did not detangle as well as I should have. I had a number of bent ends from manipulation and thowing my hair up without smoothing it properly - not sharp bends just bends.
That would have meant more breakage in the past - not anymore - my hair is much much stronger over all - I knew that by my ends not tapering but extra proof is always good. The breakage was less than in the recent past.
The pet store catnip, which I have been using over 2 months now has proven itsef - my hair is in even better shape than before I started using it.
Last edited by ktani; March 29th, 2008 at 01:46 PM. Reason: added text
Just a reminder
I recommended catnip to someone without thinking about the possibility a while back, and they broke out in an itchy rash when they used it.
Anyone can be allergic to anything.
Catnip has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. However, it is wise IMO, when trying out anything new, to do a patch test first.
Last edited by ktani; March 29th, 2008 at 01:11 PM. Reason: adjust text
Interesting.
How do you ladies think the catnip would do with an infrequent CO?
I'm not ALL that concerned with oil, because I CO infrequently enough to not worry about it anymore, and I'm certainly not concerned about it staining my hair, hence my hair is dark enough brown/black to photograph as vaguely purple, but I wonder how much benefit one would get using it... maybe once a week?
Last edited by Nynaeve; March 29th, 2008 at 07:39 PM. Reason: because "what how" makes no sense. At all.
~Ny
Lady Nynaeve of the Sword in the Order of the Longhaired Knights
Inflammatory Breast Cancer - No Lumps, Not detected by mammograms.
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"Some women don't want the land, or gold. Just the man..." ~Nynaeve
"For in the plot we find more than just a man, we find the idea of that man, the spirit of that man, and that is what we must never forget." Evey (V)
Nynaeve
Since you are not using catnip to stain - I think you should be fine - it depends on what you expect it to do.
I use catnip on freshly washed hair and wash my length each time before reapplying it. It is all I use to condition my hair.
When I get my hair trimmed every 4-5 months, I have my stylist apply conditioner to wet hair. I wash it at home, apply the catnip as usual and bring my own conditioner (I am sensitive to a number of shampoos and conditioners). My stylist is not as gentle on my hair as I am - it is just extra protection. That is the only time conditioner touches my hair. He does not apply much conditioner and it is not left on the hair to soak in.
So, the small amount of conditioner applied is washed out out pretty much the next time I wash my hair.
Sometimes that has affected the catnip staining and the conditioning (some of the conditioners I have taken with me wash out less easily than others) but not for long.
Try it and see.
Last edited by ktani; March 29th, 2008 at 08:16 PM. Reason: adjust text
Hi everyone
I Henna my hair because it is very thin and breaks easily. My hair is between APL ans BSL and I have yet to find splits but I know that as my hair gets longer it will become an issue even with henna. Can I use catnip over henna? Will it do anything? I want to take very good care of my hair because I want to find out what my terminal length is.
Thanks
Suldrun
Nynaeve, I feel that for me, catnip doesn't work all that great over conditioner. It makes my hair feel coated if I use it over conditioner, and it takes a few washes for that feeling to go away. But I tend to use very waxy conditioners, and as I said I don't shampoo the length, so it takes awhile for me to get rid of conditioner residue. I can imagine it would be different with a thinner conditioner.
I don't see how it could hurt to try.
Suldrun, sure, my length is hennaed and catnip does fine over it.
I just think of catnip as something you can use instead of/ as a conditioner. So you can do everything with catnip that you'd do with any conditioner - use it together with another conditioner, use it over henna, etc.
Iris
Last edited by iris; March 29th, 2008 at 08:38 PM. Reason: add more info
Grew out my henna (February 2007 - August 2009)
Iris
Thanks I want to use everything I can to prevent splits and breakage. When I was in HS I rarely cut my hair and it never grew past BSL due to breakage. With LHC my hair is almost to BSL and already looks so much thicker and healthier (love henna) that I actually am beginning to believe I can grow longer.
I will be raiding kitties stash soon
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