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A question for 'poo bar users: Have any of you tried using catnip before your ACV/citric acid rinse? I'm wondering if that would help with the stringiness I sometimes get from catnip and also help mitigate the weird, very non-slippery feel I get after I rinse the catnip until my hair starts to dry.
rhosyn du, do you use catnip with poo bars. I just placed an order for some and I was wondering if I could continue with the catnip.
Oh and thank you for the catnip tea advice. I am going to make some tonight.
You're quite welcome.Quote:
Originally Posted by Suldrun
And, yes, I do use catnip with 'poo bars. CV bars, specifically. I think there are some other people around using both, as well.
I want to add the measurements I just tried( I was bumming around the house today) I used a touch under 1.25 cups of water this is approx. 290 ml of water ( according to google converter) I did not do this in the shower like I normally do so I did not shampoo first . I put the bowl in the sink and using a cup poured it over head reapetedly untill my hair was soaked. ( I made 2 batches due to some major spillage with the first try lol) I then braided my hair loosly and put a plastic bag over it. I got tired of the plastic after a bit so I took it off. I also rinsed my face with the same mix twice and then washed it off.
Results: I have not rinsed it out because I am being very lazy today but I just undid my dried braid and my hair feels amazing it does not have the weird sticky feeling that I get when I dont rinse out catnip. It actually feels like I used a regular conditioner. It has no tangles The problem is that it looks like I over oiled it, it is completly dry but it looks stringy and oily but it feels oh so soft. My skin looks completly moiturised its almost shiney or dewy but it doesnt feel oily it just feels very very soft and my pimples are drying up.
I am amazed that such slight differences in dilution make such big differences in the effects. I am going to use this dilution for my next rinse and see what happens when I use it after shampooing.
That is what is is about with catnip IMO. It is an amazing plant but you have to find your optimal dilution, which may change slightly with the seasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by Suldrun
I find catnip on my skin to be sensational.
Ktani
I am very surprised because it seems like such a little thing. I just looked in the mirror and my skin looks great. My pimples are almost gone ( ones that were there this morning) and the redness in less.
My skin was looking great after using catnip every evening untill Friday night! I did not feel like making the tea so I used tea tree oil which everywhere I have read is good for pimples. I dabbed it on and rinsed it off a min. later. and went downstairs to watch TV within the hour I could feel pimples forming it was horrible, before I went to bed 3 were forming and by morning a 4th one was there and my skin looked horrible, blotchy and large pores and inflamed arg! I rinsed it twice today with my new dilution the red is almost gone and my pimples have shrunk to 1/2 the size they were this morning. Anyone with skin problems should really give this a try.Thanks Ktani:)
You are most welcome. I have never tried tea tree oil but anyone can react to anything, IMO.Quote:
Originally Posted by Suldrun
I recommended catnip to someone without thinking about mentioning patch testing and she broke out in an itchy rash.
Fortunately, the rash went away quickly.
Hello all,
Well I got some catnip and have to say that so far I haven't noticed a huge conditioning effect, but then I haven't yet dared to forego my normal conditioner altogether. That's next on my list.
However, in the meantime, I have noticed that the catnip seems to aggravate my frizzy bits in much the same way that I have found CO does, and I just cannot get my head around it. My hair is mostly straight and fine and doens't tangle easily; I don't use heat styling and the worst I have done to my current head of hair is put highlights in in May 2007.
But although it is in good condition, since joining LHC and starting to pamper it on purpose, I seem to get more sticky outy hairs than even before. See pic:
http://quick.holdthatpic.com/images/300866.jpg
Does anybody have an idea why the catnip or indeed, CO and poo bars, might make these frizzy bits worse, when I am hoping to achieve the opposite? It seems that I get least of them when I wash with sulfate shampoo (especially Lush's 'I love juicy', which I believe is on the harsh/clarifying side, as it is marketed for greasy hair).
Whilst I don't have a fundamental aversion to sulfate shampoo, I am sort of keen to get a gentler routine working for me because I am prone to scalp sores and want to grow my hair quite long. I had hoped that catnip would help me to both cut down on conditioner and to allow my scalp to tolerate the sulfate poo more, but like CO and poo bars, it seems to aggravate the frizz.
Any ideas why these products, and catnip in particular, might make the halo frizz worse and what I can do to avoid this whilst still reaping the benefits?
Thanks!
Kazazi
I see your situation as 3 separate problems.
1. the harsher sulphate shampoo bar by Lush or equivalent shampoo, that may be both drying and possibly build-up. The Lush shampoo bars contain sls and stearic acid, which is waxy and can build-up on hair. Many shampoos contain ingredients like glycol distearate, a conditioning ingredient also containing stearic acid. Other shampoo bars usually need a vinegar rinse, to remove residue.
2. the catnip, which is more astringent at lower dilutions.
My hair is wavy and prone to halo in humidity. I can still get that with catnip to some extent but it is not dryness, nor is it anywhere near as bad as it used to be. My shampoo, Sunsilk Lively Blonde, which I import from England (I prefer European formulas), does not build-up.
3. you are also still using conditioner
Are you using conditioner and then catnip? Catnip does not perform well applied over conditioner, which acts as a barrier to it. If you are using conditioner then catnip, the catnip is not getting applied directly to your hair.
I can also break out on my scalp. It is diet related for me. Catnip is very soothing and takes care of it, so that it is not a problem for me.
Using a strong shampoo and using catnip to compensate for it is understandable, if you have oily hair, but you do not necessarily have to use a harsh sulphate shampoo. I suggest trying a basic shampoo for normal hair, one without additives like silicone, waxy ingredients or oil. It should clean as well as a clarifying shampoo or one for oily hair but more gently and it should help remove any residue, IMO.
Try a dilution like mine for the catnip, 1 level tsp to just over 275 ml of water and see how that goes. Then, if you still need it, apply some conditioner but I think that you will find that you need much less conditioner than before. It should be much easier to remove the smaller amount of conditioner when you do shampoo next.
Your halo frizz may be a combination of build-up and dryness.
Hi Ktani,
Many thanks for your reply.
My Lush shampoo is liquid, not a bar, and whilst I think it is fairly drying, I don't think it should cause build-up. I've used it for years and never had build-up issues, and even since joining LHC in March this year and starting to experiment, I get the the best results with this shampoo as far as the frizz goes. But I do think it may have contributed to my scalp issues (which, at the moment, are thankfully gone). Here is an ingredient list:
Water (Aqua) , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate , Cocamide MEA , Propylene Glycol , Perfume , Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum) , Fresh Papaya Juice (Carica papaya) , Fine Sea Salt , Carrageenan Extract (Chondrus crispus) , Orange Oil (Citrus Aurantium dulcis) , Fresh Pineapple Juice (Ananas sativus) , Fresh Kiwi Juice (Actinidia chinensis) , Fresh Mango Juice (Mangifera indica) , *Citral , *Limonene , Benzyl Alcohol , Methylparaben , Propylparaben
For the catnip, I have tried to follow your recommended dilution. I used a level teaspoon measure to about 275 ml. Having said that, I kind of feel that a level teaspoon measure is more than taking an actual teaspoon and filling that to level - which do you use?
Regarding conditioner, I have been doing a routine where I first coat my ends with a cheap conditioner, then shampoo, repeat (I only use a tiny amount of shampoo, but twice) and during the second shampoo, I squeeze the suds down the length. After rinsing all this, I apply the catnip, then applied conditioner on top (my favourite, Lush's Veganese) a couple of minutes later (without rinsing the catnip first) and then rinsed everything a few more minutes later.
This gives me more frizz halo than using the exact same routine minus the catnip. It gives me comparable frizz to using a plain old conditioner only wash and CV poo bar wash followed by an acid rinse and conditioner gives me even more frizz.
My routine before finding LHC was WWC with Lush liquid shampoos and conditioners, mostly the I love Juicy/ Veganese combo above, and my frizz halo was never anywhere near as bad.
So something in those alternative products seems to be aggravating the frizz. I have read that oils can cause frizz, but I cannot work out how or why, or how to avoid it.
My hair is oily btw; I normally wash every other day, and I don't have any splits yet. Also rarely tangles. I am only at shoulder length though.
Any more clues or tips?
Should I try a weaker catnip solution or maybe just apply it to my ends? Although this would then not help with protecting my scalp from possible bad effects of the sulfates.
What's a good, liquid non-sulfate shampoo? Is that what you use with your catnip routine?
Thanks again,
Kaz x