Catnip for split ends?

Stevia has mixed reviews on safety.

This is one of the best articles I found on it.
"Be careful when reading research on stevia. Some studies use different types of plants, different extraction methods and different parts of the plants than others, making it difficult to compare data across studies. ... For the time being, the FDA says “stay away from stevia in foods, except Rebiana.” As for the healing powers of stevia, consider all the hype at this time. There just aren’t that many convincing studies that stevia improve diabetes, hypertension or other illnesses."
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelo...ia-extract.htm

I would be cautious about using it as a cosmetic in quantity.

This was written before the FDA approved the purified form as a GRAS sweetener only in 2008.
"Contraindications Pregnant women should not consume this herb. ... Usage in large quantities is discouraged. There have been some studies showing that steviol at high dosages may possess weak mutagenic activity ...."
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69386.cfm

"Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Paracelsus

There are so many studies about stevia ... I don't know which one I should trust, the one by Monsato says stevia is bad (want to sell their aspartame) or the one by the WHO (old one from the 60s), saying stevia is harmless. In the European Union stevia is not permitted.

But one thing is clear, sure and proved: the leaves are not toxic. Really. Stevia has not been tested with humans, only with mice and rats. You would have to eat more than the half of your own body weight stevia leaves to harm your body (eventually) in the way it caused harm in the animal experiments. (Source: Ralf Pude from the Institute of Economic Plants Science of the University of Bonn)

We were talking about stevia for external use only, so we don't eat our hair treatment, do we? lol

@wahmof9: Sorry, but I don't know, I haven't tried it yet.

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Originally Posted by Rigani

"Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Paracelsus

There are so many studies about stevia ... I don't know which one I should trust, the one by Monsato says stevia is bad (want to sell their aspartame) or the one by the WHO (old one from the 60s), saying stevia is harmless. In the European Union stevia is not permitted.

But one thing is clear, sure and proved: the leaves are not toxic. Really. Stevia has not been tested with humans, only with mice and rats. You would have to eat more than the half of your own body weight stevia leaves to harm your body (eventually) in the way it caused harm in the animal experiments. (Source: Ralf Pude from the Institute of Economic Plants Science of the University of Bonn)

We were talking about stevia for external use only, so we don't eat our hair treatment, do we? lol

@wahmof9: Sorry, but I don't know, I haven't tried it yet.

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As I said, the information is mixed. There have been reports here of internal use side effects from the external use of natural products.

People do not eat their shampoos or conditioners or deoderants either but many people are reluctant to use certain cosmetics because of certain ingredients.

Skin absorption can be a factor with cosmetic use. There is a big difference between using a product internally or externally that is considered safe at certain levels and questionable when used in quantity and frequently.

You're absolutely right ktani, I only wanted to say it's not extremely risky. Of course everyone should be careful about "new" herbs (especially when they're allergic to other herbs) and give it a try carefully and low-dosed.

And of course skin absorbs several substances, you're right.

So @ all: please take care ;)

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Originally Posted by Rigani

You're absolutely right ktani, I only wanted to say it's not extremely risky. Of course everyone should be careful about "new" herbs (especially when they're allergic to other herbs) and give it a try carefully and low-dosed.

And of course skin absorbs several substances, you're right.

So @ all: please take care ;)

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That was my only point.

People should always patch test anything new they try as a cosmetic in any case, for allergies or sensitivity.

The real problem, as I see it, is that many people see natural products as safe at any quantity. Such products need to be researched as rigorously as any conventional product.

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Originally Posted by Rigani

In the European Union stevia is not permitted.

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I can certainly understand why all of this is confusing. The protein powder I have ussed for the past few years to make protein shakes to drink is sweetened with stevia leaf. It is made here in Canada. I am not going to add stevia leaf to any cosmetics though.

2009
"Stevioside import ban
Stevioside is a very strong sweetener, made from the stevia plant. It is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose and has been used for a number of years as a sweetener in South America, Asia, Japan and China. But stevia and stevioside and food products containing them are not allowed to be sold in the UK or the rest of the EU."
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...ed_restricted/

I use stevia all the time and it has been used for a long time in South America...the European Union does not allow a lot of stuff that are natural....

My aunt is blind and needs melatonin to sleep...but I have to send it to her.

Moreover, Strevia can be no worse than refined sugar or certainly Nutrasweet, splenda or other...:)

One other thing the FDA is money hungry and they cannot make money of natural products...they are the one that said Nutrasweet was safe (wrong), Viaoxx was safe (wrong again), DES was safe for pregnant women (wrong again)....so whether it is FDA approved or not makes no difference to me..

Medications kill more people every year that the whole Vietnam war together.....herbal remedies worldwide have way less than 500 cases....

Thank you Ktani for the info.

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Originally Posted by Rigani

"Poison is in everything, and no thing is without poison. The dosage makes it either a poison or a remedy." Paracelsus

There are so many studies about stevia ... I don't know which one I should trust, the one by Monsato says stevia is bad (want to sell their aspartame) or the one by the WHO (old one from the 60s), saying stevia is harmless. In the European Union stevia is not permitted.

But one thing is clear, sure and proved: the leaves are not toxic. Really. Stevia has not been tested with humans, only with mice and rats. You would have to eat more than the half of your own body weight stevia leaves to harm your body (eventually) in the way it caused harm in the animal experiments. (Source: Ralf Pude from the Institute of Economic Plants Science of the University of Bonn)

We were talking about stevia for external use only, so we don't eat our hair treatment, do we? lol

@wahmof9: Sorry, but I don't know, I haven't tried it yet.

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So very true!

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

So very true!

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You know this is true of herbs too, right? There are a lot of herbs that aren't safe and were deemed unsafe after they had been used for a long time: ephedra, licorice root, St. John's wort, digitalis.. If anything, herbal remedies have more potential to be unsafe because there hasn't been enough research on them. The research hasn't been done because of money and corporate interests, but that doesn't change the fact that they are unstudied.

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Originally Posted by detritus

You know this is true of herbs too, right? There are a lot of herbs that aren't safe and were deemed unsafe after they had been used for a long time: ephedra, licorice root, St. John's wort, digitalis.. If anything, herbal remedies have more potential to be unsafe because there hasn't been enough research on them. The research hasn't been done because of money and corporate interests, but that doesn't change the fact that they are unstudied.

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Actually there are studies all over the world just not in the US.

Ephedra was not unsafe per say it was used unsafely by the people using it....all those cases were user error yet it was pulled off the market...Vioxx has taken many more lives and yet it is on the market because over 15,000 lives were not enough to remove it...

On the other hand ALL drugs have to be toxic and kill....

43% of ALL drugs cause cancer in animals yet they are still on the market.

Here are some "fun" facts:

It is true cancer mortality rates have remained relatively unchanged from 1975 to 2003. However, in the same time period the incidence of cancer had risen dramatically affecting 1.3 million people annually. Today nearly 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. This translates to 56% more cancers in men and 22% more in women in a single generation!
Christopher Murray M.D. and Ph.D., Director of WHO's Global Program on Evidence for Health Policy said:

Basically, you die earlier and spend more time disabled if you are an American rather than a member of most other advanced countries.

It costs $300 million to bring a drug to market.
The first step of the FDA approval process is that ALL drugs must pass an LD-50. This means that the said drug must be able to kill 50% of its lab animals and then go on to kill all of them for

a lethal dose test.

IF a drug cannot pass that test it is said to be a Natural Remedy and falls under the DSHEA of 1994 - Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. In the U.S., over 3 million pounds of antibiotics are used every year on humans. That amounts to 10 teaspoons of pure antibiotic for every man, woman and child per year.
Most medication are synthesized from chemicals in labs, however some include biological agents as diverse as whale sperm and human blood parts.
Every body of water tested contains measurable drug residues.
In 1995 JAMA - the Journal of the American Medical Association - noted that:

"Over one million patients are injured in U.S. hospitals each year and approximately 280,000 die annually as a result of these injuries."

Iatrogenic deaths - doctor caused - in the U.S. account for 783,936 deaths each year. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of deathand injury. The facts bear this out. In 2001, heart disease annual death rate was 699,697 . In 2001, the annual cancer death rate was 553,251

BTW I am not trying to get anyone upset and thought I needed to clarify that herbs and drugs can both harmful and beneficial. I so appreciate Ktani sharing her findings with us.

At the end we must all decide for ourselves what is the best way to go.

I guess you all realize I like herbs - catnip for sure - and I am leery of meds.

Anything can be harmful...even something "healthy."

I am not trying to step on toes....

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

BTW I am not trying to get anyone upset and thought I needed to clarify that herbs and drugs can both harmful and beneficial. I so appreciate Ktani sharing her findings with us.

At the end we must all decide for ourselves what is the best way to go.

I guess you all realize I like herbs - catnip for sure - and I am leery of meds.

Anything can be harmful...even something "healthy."

I am not trying to step on toes....

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Whatevs. :whistle: Water has an LD50 too...

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

BTW I am not trying to get anyone upset and thought I needed to clarify that herbs and drugs can both harmful and beneficial. I so appreciate Ktani sharing her findings with us.

At the end we must all decide for ourselves what is the best way to go.

I guess you all realize I like herbs - catnip for sure - and I am leery of meds.

Anything can be harmful...even something "healthy."

I am not trying to step on toes....

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You are not stepping on my toes, if that is what you mean. No worries. And you are most welcome!

I understand what you are saying and how you feel. Most drugs today, started out as plants, BTW. But that is not the point.

I agree that there is risk and potential with both. Plants contain chemicals. Chemicals are drugs. There needs to be research properly done before anything is approved for human use on the market and recommended as safe.

I welcome countries regulating herbs and plants. I do not agree with your assessment of the FDA but I have no argument with you.

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Originally Posted by detritus

Whatevs. :whistle: Water has an LD50 too...

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I know..even good things can kill you! LOL :D

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Originally Posted by ktani

You are not stepping on my toes, if that is what you mean. No worries. And you are most welcome!

I understand what you are saying and how you feel. Most drugs today, started out as plants, BTW. But that is not the point.

I agree that there is risk and potential with both. Plants contain chemicals. Chemicals are drugs. There needs to be research properly done before anything is approved for human use on the market and recommended as safe.

I welcome countries regulating herbs and plants. I do not agree with your assessment of the FDA but I have no argument with you.

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Thank you Ktani, you are one very gracious lady - as always - and I so appreciate this thead and your willingness to share.

The input with catnip has been so wonderful and I am so glad you are part of this community.

We are not all the same and that makes the world only more interesting.

Moreover, I do hold all truths...I have been known to change my mind over the years and the older I get the more I realize I don't know :) So I guess by the time I am ancient...at 100 or so...I won't know anything at all!

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

Thank you Ktani, you are one very gracious lady - as always - and I so appreciate this thead and your willingness to share.

The input with catnip has been so wonderful and I am so glad you are part of this community.

We are not all the same and that makes the world only more interesting.

Moreover, I do hold all truths...I have been known to change my mind over the years and the older I get the more I realize I don't know :) So I guess by the time I am ancient...at 100 or so...I won't know anything at all!

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Thank you so much! I find your opinions have some very valid points and you state them clearly, politely and well.

I learn for others here too. Research changes as well, as new things are constantly being discovered about products. It is not that we do not know things as we get older, lol. It is just that there is so much new information to keep up with these days.

This community is an excellent one. Many people here share information.

We all cannot always agree and there is no reason why we should about some things. We are all different. Even with research I have posted, there are often differing scientific opinions so there is not an absolute right or wrong with any of this. I just think that it is important to have as much current reliable information as possible, so one can make an informed decision about whatever is being discussed.

This is not related to this discussion specifically but there is a great deal of propaganda out there about all kinds of products, and while peer reviewed research (if possible to source) can be difficult to wade through, when there are dissagreements on results, outright misleading marketing is irresponsible at best and potentially harmful at worst. Vendors in my opinion, need to be up to date with the research for the goods they sell.

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

... Ktani ... I am so glad you are part of this community.

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I am so glad that you are part of this community too!

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Originally Posted by ktani

I am so glad that you are part of this community too!

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Thank you very much:)

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Originally Posted by wahmof9

Thank you very much:)

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You are most welcome! I had meant to say that at the time but I forgot. I had been taking a break from doing school work when I had replied to your posts and I was very tired at the time.

I think that it is important to acknowledge such things, as they are part of what makes these boards special. There is a great comminuty spirit here, that should never be taken for granted in my opinion.

Hi there, from another grateful member....:)

Ktani, a while back you posted that the catnip tea was not so effective on hair that had been cleaned with conditioner as opposed to with shampoo (conditioneer coating the hair etc)

Were you referring to catnip's coloring capability, conditioning capability, or all of its capabilities? I am still trying to think of an easy way to treat my shoulder length layered hair. I can only ponytail the lower back portion of my hair...sides are shorter and even more layered. I was thinking of putting catnip extract into an SMT.

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Originally Posted by Canarygirl

Hi there, from another grateful member....:)

Ktani, a while back you posted that the catnip tea was not so effective on hair that had been cleaned with conditioner as opposed to with shampoo (conditioneer coating the hair etc)

Were you referring to catnip's coloring capability, conditioning capability, or all of its capabilities? I am still trying to think of an easy way to treat my shoulder length layered hair. I can only ponytail the lower back portion of my hair...sides are shorter and even more layered. I was thinking of putting catnip extract into an SMT.

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Thank you!

From my entire experience with catnip tea, it is not as effective all together, when used over any coating, including conditioner, for colouring or conditioning, as it is on freshy washed, uncoated hair.

I also never found it as effective mixed with something else, as I have when it is used on its own, for both purposes, colouring and conditioning.

I'm sitting at my computer soaking in my first batch of catnip tea! I used distilled water and SmartyKat brand catnip, since that's what I had on hand. It smells great, and I'm eager to see what it does to my hair! I have very fine, frizz- and tangle-prone hair and I'm hoping the catnip will help condition my hair and temper the frizz. I am trimming my hair after I rinse it out so I won't really be comparing my ends before-and-after, but I'm hoping that the tea soaks will help keep my ends happy too.

ETA - it's rinsed out and my hair is wonderfully full and shiny - much more so than when I use my regular conditoner.

Can someone tell me are you using the catnip straight from the plant or brought stuff, I ask this as alll catnip Iv looked at is pre dried oyt is this the stuff I need? or not?? please help

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Originally Posted by littlemiss

Can someone tell me are you using the catnip straight from the plant or brought stuff, I ask this as alll catnip Iv looked at is pre dried oyt is this the stuff I need? or not?? please help

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The catnip I have always used and still use is cut and dried catnip from a store. I prefer pet store catnip and what I buy is pure catnip and I also prefer organic.

I have never used distilled water with it, just tap water and I have hard water where I am. That has not made a difference going by the results I have gotten.

I used the distilled because that's what I use for all of my hair experiments - water straight from the tap smells a little 'funky' sometimes and I prefer to avoid it when possible - no other reason. When I run out of this gallon of distilled (it's lasted me almost 6 months) I'm planning to use filtered tapwater, since that's what we use for everything. The only thing we use straight tapwater for is handwashing ;)

I am very interested to see what results I will see after repeated uses - my hair is still very full and shiny after being out and about during a rather windy afternoon, and it seems easier to detangle. I didn't notice any change in color, or a difference in curl definition.

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Originally Posted by RocketDog

I used the distilled because that's what I use for all of my hair experiments - water straight from the tap smells a little 'funky' sometimes and I prefer to avoid it when possible - no other reason. When I run out of this gallon of distilled (it's lasted me almost 6 months) I'm planning to use filtered tapwater, since that's what we use for everything. The only thing we use straight tapwater for is handwashing ;)

I am very interested to see what results I will see after repeated uses - my hair is still very full and shiny after being out and about during a rather windy afternoon, and it seems easier to detangle. I didn't notice any change in color, or a difference in curl definition.

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There is nothing wrong with using distilled water. I have just never used it for catnip treatments.

My hair is naturally wavy. Without anything to weigh it down or coat it, catnip lets the waves have "full expression".

For more colour, if that is what you want, try brewing the catnip longer, to deepen the colour.

I'm trying catnip for my hair. I've used it 3 times so far. So far I like it. I was surprised that an herbal rinse can be conditioning.

I've just noticed, that when I add lemon juice to my catnip tea, it completely loses it's color. Really, I mean it looks like water :bigeyes:

Maybe this means it looses its dyeing property? I can't really tell it by the color of my hair, I didn't notice any changes before adding lemon juice to my catnip rinse. It's because it is way too dark to notice slight changes.

But that would be great for people who'd like to use catnip, but fear the yellowish color (on whites maybe) :D

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Originally Posted by Rigani

I've just noticed, that when I add lemon juice to my catnip tea, it completely loses it's color. Really, I mean it looks like water :bigeyes:

Maybe this means it looses its dyeing property? I can't really tell it by the color of my hair, I didn't notice any changes before adding lemon juice to my catnip rinse. It's because it is way too dark to notice slight changes.

But that would be great for people who'd like to use catnip, but fear the yellowish color (on whites maybe) :D

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Interesting! I do not know the answer to that but wonder if the lemon could somehow "destroy" the good stuff in the catnip that makes it useful as a rinse? I don't know anything about it really, just wondering the same as you. I tried catnip a few times but became fearful it might lighten my hair and mostly became lazy and stopped. After checking back in I want to try again... I am still having splits and am encouraged by others posts. I'm going to go steep some catnip now :)

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Originally Posted by Rigani

I've just noticed, that when I add lemon juice to my catnip tea, it completely loses it's color. Really, I mean it looks like water :bigeyes:

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Cool! I had to try. My catnip tea didn't lose all its color (I added a fair amount of lemon juice, too), but it did turn lighter. I brew my catnip tea for a long time (in hopes to maximize the coloring), so that's probably why it doesn't go all the way to colorless after adding lemon juice for me - more color to start with.

Something similar happens, BTW, when you add lemon juice to regular black tea, it turns much lighter. Something happens to the tannins (which are what gives black tea, and I guess also catnip, its color).

I've been using catnip for a few weeks now, I was hoping it would color my whites, but it doesn't. I'm following ktani's procedure and recipe exactly, I have no build-up of previous product use (I clarified before starting with the catnip), I wash my hair every day so it's been dozens of catnip applications, and I get great conditioning, but no dice on the color, my whites stay as white as ever. I think that hair needs to be fairly porous to take on the catnip color, and mine just isn't, my whites especially seem to be made of teflon. The catnip does make them lie better, so they don't stick out like that crazy old-woman frizzy white hair. But no color for me.

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Originally Posted by iris

I've been using catnip for a few weeks now, I was hoping it would color my whites, but it doesn't. I'm following ktani's procedure and recipe exactly, I have no build-up of previous product use (I clarified before starting with the catnip), I wash my hair every day so it's been dozens of catnip applications, and I get great conditioning, but no dice on the color, my whites stay as white as ever. I think that hair needs to be fairly porous to take on the catnip color, and mine just isn't, my whites especially seem to be made of teflon. The catnip does make them lie better, so they don't stick out like that crazy old-woman frizzy white hair. But no color for me.

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I was originally having trouble getting the catnip to colour my white hair and found that the problem was the amount of shampoo I was using. I now dilute my shampoo and find that I pick up much more colour although it is still a bit difficult to get good colour on the white hair closest to the scalp.

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Originally Posted by Sissy

Interesting! I do not know the answer to that but wonder if the lemon could somehow "destroy" the good stuff in the catnip that makes it useful as a rinse? I don't know anything about it really, just wondering the same as you. I tried catnip a few times but became fearful it might lighten my hair and mostly became lazy and stopped. After checking back in I want to try again... I am still having splits and am encouraged by others posts. I'm going to go steep some catnip now :)

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Catnip tea does not lighten hair from my experience. It can stain hair a light blonde colour but not lighten hair colour.

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Originally Posted by iris

Cool! I had to try. My catnip tea didn't lose all its color (I added a fair amount of lemon juice, too), but it did turn lighter. I brew my catnip tea for a long time (in hopes to maximize the coloring), so that's probably why it doesn't go all the way to colorless after adding lemon juice for me - more color to start with.

Something similar happens, BTW, when you add lemon juice to regular black tea, it turns much lighter. Something happens to the tannins (which are what gives black tea, and I guess also catnip, its color).

I've been using catnip for a few weeks now, I was hoping it would color my whites, but it doesn't. I'm following ktani's procedure and recipe exactly, I have no build-up of previous product use (I clarified before starting with the catnip), I wash my hair every day so it's been dozens of catnip applications, and I get great conditioning, but no dice on the color, my whites stay as white as ever. I think that hair needs to be fairly porous to take on the catnip color, and mine just isn't, my whites especially seem to be made of teflon. The catnip does make them lie better, so they don't stick out like that crazy old-woman frizzy white hair. But no color for me.

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I got some colour with catnip from the start (not a great deal though), over linden tea build-up. Catnip stains hair from my experience. However, depending on what is in a shampoo, it may not be able to stain. I had limited staining with some shampoos when I was experimenting with a few of them. A number of shampoos contain film formers that can prevent staining, even if they do not cause perceptible build-up. I have also had a shampoo by Aveda strip catnip colour. My hair has achieved a balance, it is moisturized and stronger but it is not porous. When I have used my regular shampoo, Sunsilk Lively Blonde and catnip, followed by a conditioner, when I was experimenting a while back now, my hair did not absorb colour from conditioners, the way it did when my hair was porous, even though the the products were not designed to deposit colour.

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Originally Posted by Sissy

Interesting! I do not know the answer to that but wonder if the lemon could somehow "destroy" the good stuff in the catnip that makes it useful as a rinse? I don't know anything about it really, just wondering the same as you. I tried catnip a few times but became fearful it might lighten my hair and mostly became lazy and stopped. After checking back in I want to try again... I am still having splits and am encouraged by others posts. I'm going to go steep some catnip now :)

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Lemon juice contains mucilage (it has been reported to make hair sticky) and I can see that preventing catnip from colouring or staining hair with lemon juice mixed with it.

... Lemon juice, owing to the fact that it contains much more sugar and mucilage ..."
http://chestofbooks.com/food/beverag...mon-Juice.html

Thank you KarpatiiSiv and ktani, for the color remarks!

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Originally Posted by KarpatiiSiv

I was originally having trouble getting the catnip to colour my white hair and found that the problem was the amount of shampoo I was using. I now dilute my shampoo and find that I pick up much more colour although it is still a bit difficult to get good colour on the white hair closest to the scalp.

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Ah, thanks, I hadn't considered the amount of shampoo at all. Which shampoo do you use? And approximately how much?

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Originally Posted by ktani

I got some colour with catnip from the start (not a great deal though), over linden tea build-up. Catnip stains hair from my experience. However, depending on what is in a shampoo, it may not be able to stain. I had limited staining with some shampoos when I was experimenting with a few of them. A number of shampoos contain film formers that can prevent staining, even if they do not cause perceptible build-up. I have also had a shampoo by Aveda strip catnip colour.

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I know that the shampoo matters, so for a large part of my experimentation, I used the Andrelon 'summer blonde' shampoo that is very similar to the Sunsillk 'lively blonde' that you use - I don't think you can get more similar really, the ingredients are the same, all the way down the ingredient list there are a few that switch position (indicating the proportions are slightly different) but none of those are film formers as far as I remember, they were things that affect the way the product looks - there was more mica in the andrelon (or in the sunsilk), things like that.

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Originally Posted by ktani

My hair has achieved a balance, it is moisturized and stronger but it is not porous. When I have used my regular shampoo, Sunsilk Lively Blonde and catnip, followed by a conditioner, when I was experimenting a while back now, my hair did not absorb colour from conditioners, the way it did when my hair was porous, even though the the products were not designed to deposit colour.

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Yes, but it is the catnip itself that has made your hair less porous, right? Your hair grows fairly porous from your head, then you apply catnip which 'fills in the holes', and then conditioner won't stain anymore over that.

I'm thinking that I may also need to reconsider the amount of catnip I use. I use ktani's dilution, but I use more of it - I brew it in 400ml containers (1.5 teaspoon catnip to 400 ml water) and I use almost all of that in one wash (the rest I use on my face - my skin loves the stuff). That may mean that I'm using too much, in absolute terms, for one wash.

I have an oily scalp (strictly speaking I can go for a day and a half without washing, that works out to washing every day sometimes and every other day other times), and I find catnip rather oily - if I don't mildly shampoo the length, it gets really greasy with catnip in just a few days of use, bafflingly so really. Maybe I've worked myself into a cycle where I use too much shampoo because I'm using too much catnip - where the excess catnip makes me greasy, which leads to using too much shampoo, which takes off the stain. Just thinking out loud.

How much of the catnip solution do you ladies use per wash? Do you use the entire 275 ml, or even less?

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Originally Posted by iris

Thank you KarpatiiSiv and ktani, for the color remarks!


Ah, thanks, I hadn't considered the amount of shampoo at all. Which shampoo do you use? And approximately how much?


I know that the shampoo matters, so for a large part of my experimentation, I used the Andrelon 'summer blonde' shampoo that is very similar to the Sunsillk 'lively blonde' that you use - I don't think you can get more similar really, the ingredients are the same, all the way down the ingredient list there are a few that switch position (indicating the proportions are slightly different) but none of those are film formers as far as I remember, they were things that affect the way the product looks - there was more mica in the andrelon (or in the sunsilk), things like that.


Yes, but it is the catnip itself that has made your hair less porous, right? Your hair grows fairly porous from your head, then you apply catnip which 'fills in the holes', and then conditioner won't stain anymore over that.

I'm thinking that I may also need to reconsider the amount of catnip I use. I use ktani's dilution, but I use more of it - I brew it in 400ml containers (1.5 teaspoon catnip to 400 ml water) and I use almost all of that in one wash (the rest I use on my face - my skin loves the stuff). That may mean that I'm using too much, in absolute terms, for one wash.

I have an oily scalp (strictly speaking I can go for a day and a half without washing, that works out to washing every day sometimes and every other day other times), and I find catnip rather oily - if I don't mildly shampoo the length, it gets really greasy with catnip in just a few days of use, bafflingly so really. Maybe I've worked myself into a cycle where I use too much shampoo because I'm using too much catnip - where the excess catnip makes me greasy, which leads to using too much shampoo, which takes off the stain. Just thinking out loud.

How much of the catnip solution do you ladies use per wash? Do you use the entire 275 ml, or even less?

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I do think that is mostly it iris. And you are most welcome!

When I have used too much shampoo to catnip, it does remove more stain and too much catnip can be a problem for me in terms of my hair separating more.

I do not believe that my hair grows out of my scalp porous as such. It is what I do to it that can make it so.

In the past, I have used shampoos that took too much moisture from my hair making it porous and the conditioners I used did not and could not address that.

The Lively Blonde is not harsh but using too much can be a bit drying, more so on my scalp but not excessively. It is designed to remove coatings but it is not a clarifying shampoo. It washed out the linden tea build-up and the chamomile build-up very slowly.

I brew just under 300 ml of water to 1 packed but level teaspoon of catnip and I do not use all of it each wash. I do not measure how much I leave behind for my skin but it is probably an ounce or so.

I just know by experience how much of both to use by now (shampoo and catnip) and that varies with what I have done the previous wash, by how my hair looks, feels and reacts.

This last wash I used a bit less shampoo and a bit less catnip and it is better than the previous wash. I always check my ends too by listening to how they sound as well, literally. My hair has no crunch to it any more but I still listen, lol. I also go by how well my hair behaves.

While my hair does not tangle, too much catnp can make it want to curl more at times (it holds and has much more moisture) and it feels different. It is hard to explain exactly. I did not smooth out my hair after my previous wash and what I call curlover was driving me crazy. However, in separating my hair this last week, the amount of the friction that would at another time pre-catnip have caused breakage did not happen. My hair is much more resiliant now.

I just washed my hair yesterday, smoothed it out afterward and it is much better.

The other key difference with colour for me is in the application of the catnip.

I apply the catnip during my treatment by what I call directed application. I apply it on certain areas more than others. My hair is more grey/white at the top and sides. I pour a bit of catnip in my hands and apply it several times to those areas and hold it for a few seconds when I do so. The result is that the colour takes better there, even if the brewing time and resulting colour of the tea is different.

The previous wash, the catnip was lighter in colour. The resulting coverage and stain was the same as this last wash, even though I accidently (I took a nap) brewed this current catnip batch 12 hours. It is the application that makes the difference for me too.

ETA: I added this as well to the Catnip Article some time back. From experience, the first applications matter most but I believe this helps too.

"Covering grey/white hair with catnip can be done most effectively, by first steeping catnip tea longer than just cooled to room temperature, to deepen the colour. All other directions remain the same, including the 1 hour timing. The only other additions are; 1. when removing the bag or other covering, let the hair cool down a bit before rinsing off the catnip 2. add more catnip to the greyest areas at this time before the hair cools down completely and the cuticles are still slightly open from body heat 3. only rinse with tepid to cool, not warm or hot water."
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&articleid=118

Funny note - I made catnip tea several days ago and put half in the fridge for later use. This morning I looked and it is bright green! I think maybe I will brew some fresh, maybe it has been longer than a few days, yuch...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ktani

ETA: I added this as well to the Catnip Article some time back. From experience, the first applications matter most but I believe this helps too.

"Covering grey/white hair with catnip can be done most effectively, by first steeping catnip tea longer than just cooled to room temperature, to deepen the colour. All other directions remain the same, including the 1 hour timing. The only other additions are; 1. when removing the bag or other covering, let the hair cool down a bit before rinsing off the catnip 2. add more catnip to the greyest areas at this time before the hair cools down completely and the cuticles are still slightly open from body heat 3. only rinse with tepid to cool, not warm or hot water."
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&articleid=118

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Ah, I had missed that addition, thank you for including it here! Point 1 I knew but I must admit that I've been slacking on it. Point 2 I'd missed completely, I thought that you added more halfway through the soak, but not right at the end.

Point 3 is interesting because I had tried rinsing with cool water, on the theory that cool water would close the cuticle and cause it to hold in more of the catnip color, but I went back to rinsing with warm water because I found that rinsing with cool water just left my hair way too oily - warm water takes out more oil.

Which again points into the direction of me using just too much catnip. I'm noticing that I find it a bit hard to make the conceptual step of accepting that just a bit will be enough. It was already hard enough to accept that a herbal rinse could work just as well as (if not better than) conditioner, I'm having some mental resistance on accepting the notion that a small amount will even do. :laugh: Will have to work on that.

I found a 200ml old shampoo bottle that I'll be using to limit my catnip overindulgence.

Do you find that the catnip stains better for you further down the length than closer to the scalp? In your picture from a few years ago the stain looks quite even from the roots down the length.

And yes, I get crazy curls with catnip, too. My hair is almost BSL when stretched out, on its own it'll curl/wave up to about APL, but with catnip there are days where I get curl shrinkage almost all the way up to shoulder length. I quite like that, though.

kdaniels8811, my first batch of catnip always brewed up olive green. I'm using a different batch now that brews up yellow. In terms of conditioning, I don't notice a difference. There could be a difference in stain, although I don't notice it, but that would be because neither of them stain at all for me so far! :lol:

Iris said

Quote:

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Do you find that the catnip stains better for you further down the length than closer to the scalp? In your picture from a few years ago the stain looks quite even from the roots down the length.

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Just thought I'd respond to this part of your question as well, the staining of my length improved over a couple of weeks but I was still having problems closer to the scalp, I now make sure that I concentrate more on my new growth and it is improving. I've been experimenting by soaking a cotton wool pad with catnip and holding it for a short while on the areas that need more staining, I've been doing this just before I rinse.