Ktani, I have another question or two for you. Not sure if I've asked this already or not, so please bear with me.
My hair is color-treated (lightly highlighted, though my stylist doesn't use bleach on me, I'm assuming that means she uses color and peroxide?) and I'm getting a good 1-1/2 inch regrowth that I'd like to try to lighten naturally using the honey method. My natural color is getting darker as I get older and is probably a dirty blonde/light brown color, and my highlights are not very light at all, probably a dark blonde color.
Since joining LHC, I've been leaving my hair alone as much as possible - I comb more and brush less, I CWC about 2 or 3 days a week (and my W is a greatly diluted shampoo) and I've cut way back on using heat appliances - I use a towel to absorb excess water and use a floor fan on low to circulate air around my hair hanging down my back to rid it of more excess water, only blow drying on warm to cool to get the last bit of water out (and never to bone dry). I probably only blow dry 2 or 3 times a week. I never use hot rollers or curling irons. Because my hair is fine, I tend to get split ends and breakage (I'm sure the color isn't helping which is why I want to try the honey), though I'm having hair fall and more breakage right now due to some health issues (thyroid and other endocrine/hormone issues) that I've just started to see a doctor for.
I've done a couple catnip treatments (no "results" yet - too soon!) and want to continue to do more as a regular part of my routine to help with splits and breakage. I also want to use cassia or
zizyphus to help with condition, but mostly to thicken up and give some texture to my fine ii hair.
My questions are these: what order of application do you think I should do? Do you think the honey and the catnip are going to be able to penetrate the cassia or zizyphus (which gives thickness, I believe, by coating the hair)? I was thinking of doing this: (1) use honey to get my roots up to the color I want them (and possibly on my length to lighten it up a bit, too), (2) doing another catnip treatment, (3) applying cassia or zizyphus, (4) continuing to do catnip treatments until I need to honey again and cassia/zizyphus again.
I'm not concerned that this is doing "too much" to my hair because the honey does not appear to be damaging, the catnip certainly isn't, and neither the cassia nor the zizyphus appear to be damaging, either. I mean, for Pete's sake, I've been having my hair chemically highlighted about 3 times a year for many years now, surely natural, herbal treatments are going to be far better for it! My stylist is gentle with my hair (she uses the most gentle chemicals she can find, but they are still chemicals) and my hair is actually in good condition (aside from the medically-related fall and breakage) for being color-treated.
I guess my main question is about catnip's ability to penetrate cassia/zizyphus coated hair. Since it is delivered via infusion with water, it seems to me that it should be able to get through, right?
Sorry this ended up being such a long post, and thank you in advance for your much-valued input! :)