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When I experimented with adulterating catnip back when, I added small amounts of acv and I also found that too astringent for my liking.Quote:
Originally Posted by HotRag
I know that catnip is acidic but I cannot find an exact pH for it online. My water tests acidic, and my catnip solution is about pH 5 (my water is about pH 5.5).
What is the pH of your water?
How does your catnip solution as is, work for you?
This link I trust. The owner of Kooky Kat is a scientist I spoke to at length about catnip, and how I use it for colour. The yellow dye in catnip is a tannin!
While I do not support DEET in terms of it possibly being toxic at certain concentrations, it appears that natural alternatives to it are not doing too well as insect repellents (for mosquitoes).
I applaud the integrity of this catnip wholesaler, for posting the latest reseach and details about catnip oil as an insect repellent, on their website.
http://www.kookykat.com/catnipessentialoils.htm
My pH right now is 6.5.Quote:
Originally Posted by ktani
Maybe it varies, cause catnip shouldn't make pH higher?
I will test better next time I make the catnip infusion, compare the same water before and after. I wash on Saturdays, so not before then.
I think the catnip works rather good. But I have to oil my hair after wash still. Maybe not totally necessary, but feels good and make hair softer.
Hair is easier to comb after wash (but not last wash...).
I also think that my catnip isn't the best, maybe just leaves. Next time I buy, I will ensure to buy with flowers, or at least a better label.
I also are testing soapnuts at the same time :-S
Before catnip, I used CO and then the hair wasn't as easy to comb out after wash. That were before soapnuts, I used decyl glukose for wash the first tries.
CO + SMT + leave in Camellia didn't niether seam to condition my hair as good as soapnut + catnip + leave in Camellia.
From everything I have read on soap nuts, they contain a "fabric softener", a laundrey reference, used in describing how they work for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by HotRag
I know that they contain mucilage and that coats hair and from my experience, can build-up. It may be that it is not allowing catnip to access the hair directly.
As to the pH, it will vary slightly with your dilution.
Catnip flowers contain more oil than the leaves. I have only used a mix of the two, leaves and flowers, dried.
Just to clarify, it depends on how much mucilage is in a plant and how often it is used without clarifying.
I found one only source that said catnip contains mucilage, so if it does, it is a very very small amount and shampoo is able to remove it each time I wash my hair, with no problems, because I have no catnip build-up on my hair, while I most certainly did have build-up with linden tea, which contains a fair amount of mucilage (about 3 %).
"Linden contains flavonoids .... caffeic and other acids, mucilage (about 3%), tannins, volatile oil (0.02-0.1 %) ...."
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_linden.htm
Original post by ktani
My hair must be super dry as I have yet to get oily from catnip. :pQuote:
I have been shut out of the boards from 12:40 am till just now.
Ok, first I want to qualify my last post on catnip not being cleansing. It does not contain saponins.
However, I do wash my face with it and I do find it cleasing on my skin (I just apply it, rub it on and rinse), in the morning (I shower at night with liquid soap).
I have not tried to wash my hair with it. Have you?
How cleansing do you find it for that and how do you use it for that?
iris tried using catnip on her length repeatedly, without washing her length with shampoo during that time (a few days at least) and found (using it rinsed out), that it left her hair oily.
Too much catnip on my length, following shampoo on my length, can leave my hair "piecey".
I have 'washed' with catnip on many occasions by dumping the tea (normal dilution about a teaspoon to 300ml water) on my head (already soaked with hot shower water) and srubbing my scalp to message the tea in good. I make sure that my length gets covered with the tea, then I pop on a shower cap, let it sit while I continue bathing, then rinse well.
I do this when my scalp gets a little oily and it needs to be washed, but isn't 'dirty' or itchy enough for a shampoo. I do this as often as twice a week between shampoos.
I know for a fact that catnip is moisturizing as I have been using it now for 6 months and it has replaced my need for conventional conditioner. Yet it is at the same time a little cleansing for me. I notice that if I shampoo and then catnip in the same wash, my hair is a bit dry and my ends a little straw like, but if I use catnip alone then I have soft and less tangly hair.
Maybe catnip is my CO:p
It isn't perfect, and my hair is far from being slippery like it is with conditioner, but it is as good as I have had it in a long time. My hair is less dry now than it was when using conditioner everyday, and my skin is very happy.:D For me, any amount of conditioner on my skin produces a rash, I hate rashes:demon: so the good effects of catnip for me far outweigh the bad.
sorry the really long post:o
__________________
No need to apologize and thank you so much for the details.Quote:
Originally Posted by catfish
I have searched in the past for a natural shampoo for me with no possibilities in sight that I would like and if it was in front of me all along lol, that is great.
I did not have great results (a huge understatement) with both yucca and linden tea (both contain saponins) and I am reluctant to try soap nuts for a number of reasons (it can strip colour and it contains mucilage).
I may just get up enough courage, lol, to try catnip as a shampoo.
catfish
Catnip for me has eliminated split ends (I had to cut the ones off I did have but I do not get them anymore and haven't seen one one a a very very long time (I lost track of time with that. I think I found one, 18 months ago or more) and reduced breakage.
The thought of using it as an all in one, shampoo, colour and conditioner is "too much to ask for" but I really love the idea.
I do not know if catnip is cleansing enough for a really oily scalp but mine is far less oily now than years ago.
I can use some conditioners and in the past 2 years, I have cheated lol, and tried some but gave up when I increased the catnip timing and got what I always wanted hair condition wise, without conditioner, from catnip alone.
It would be great hu?:D
Right after my chemical accident, I used nothing but water, catnip tea, and oils for weeks. My skin was too tender for shampoo, got rashy and tingly from conditioner and just about said yeah...right..to acid rinses.:hatchet:
Now months later, conditioner still = rashes and vinegar = itchies.
The weeks with no shampoo were not bad, my hair felt and looked pretty good as long as I went easy on the oils, and my scalp wasn't super greasy, but it did itch and it did feel better once I got to shampoo. Maybe a more astringent dilution on the scalp and a weaker dilution on the length would work? I'm a pretty dry person by nature though too.:shrug:
I agree about being hesitant about trying soapnuts, I know it works wonders for some and thats great.;) I know mellie loves them, but she did mention that they sting the eyes if it comes in contact, that is enough to shy me away as I am a weeny about my eyes:o
Let us know if you experiment:D