Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NorthernDancer
I need some help from those of you who use catnip regularly.
I've been using catnip for several months now with very inconsistant results. Sometimes I end up really dry with major tangles, and sometimes it is simply wonderful, even better then when I tried CO (which is the reason I have kept trying and trying and trying).
I've read this thread over and over again trying to see where I go wrong. But I haven't found anything that has helped.
Here's my routine: (I normally make a double batch, but I'll list the single use amounts)
1. - Heat up 250-300ml of water to just below the boilling point
- Put in 1 level teaspoon of catnip
- I have found I get better results if I stir or shake it at this point. It seems to get more of the oils out of the catnip. :shrug:
2.- Then I let that sit until completely cool with the cover loose enough so it doesn't explode (which actually happened the first time!) but still on tight enough that the condensation drips back inside.
- If I happen to go into the kitchen during the cooling time I will give it another stir or shake. (again, this seems to give better results)
- Once completely cool (a couple hours) I then strain the catnip out and put it in container I use in the shower. If I made a double batch (which I normally do) I put the other half into the fridge.
3. - Once in the shower, after I shampoo, I pour it over my head and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes while I do other shower things and then rinse it out right before getting out.
About a month ago I realised that I was getting better results from the second half of my batch. The one that I kept in the fridge for a few days. I thought that was the answer to all my problems.
So I started making a single batch 2-3 days ahead. While that seemed to improve the overall results, it was still very inconsistant.
So tell me, what am I doing wrong? I am using the same batch of catnip, the same amount of catnip, the same containers, the same routine, so I don't understand why I keep getting different results!
I've tried to stay as close to the same routine as possible, I even went so far as to time how long I let it steep, how long after that I used it, and how long I left it on my hair.
But none of that seems to matter. Sometimes it's terrible, sometimes it's wonderful.
Just when I've decided to give up I'll have a wonderful result that pushes me to keep trying. But as much as I want to keep going, after doing this great/terrible yo-yo thing for months I'm about ready to give up on the whole thing.
Has anybody had similar issues? Any advise on what I'm doing wrong?
Any help will be very much appreciated!
It is not that you are doing anything wrong but you may not be using catnip to its full advantage.
Catnip, from my experience, does not do well over conditioner or residue and most conditioners do not wash out easily when used in quantity. CO'ing usually requires clarifying after a while because of build-up and the timing varies on that.
1. I used boiled water. I have never shaken catnip in almost 4 years, when brewing it, only as a habit when using it and I do not believe that it is necessary.
2. I just lay a saucer over the mug, not a tight fitting lid. I tap the condensation on my finger, back into the mug, when the tea has cooled, before straining.
3. When I increased the catnip timing, to an hour altogther, (I do my hair in 2 sections, for about 1/2 hour each, I really noticed a difference in the conditioning benefits.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ktani
It is not that you are doing anything wrong but you may not be using catnip to its full advantage.
Catnip, from my experience, does not do well over conditioner or residue and most conditioners do not wash out easily when used in quantity. CO'ing usually requires clarifying after a while because of build-up and the timing varies on that.
1. I used boiled water. I have never shaken catnip in almost 4 years, when brewing it, only as a habit when using it and I do not believe that it is necessary.
2. I just lay a saucer over the mug, not a tight fitting lid. I tap the condensation on my finger, back into the mug, when the tea has cooled, before straining.
3. When I increased the catnip timing, to an hour altogther, (I do my hair in 2 sections, for about 1/2 hour each, I really noticed a difference in the conditioning benefits.
I guess I should have clarified that CO was a completely different experiment. I'm not using any commercial products anymore as I realized that my itchy flaky scalp was caused from the products I used and not from a health/genetic problem like I always thought.
I tried leaving the catnip on for a while, and while that gave nice results, I just decided it was to much work to do on a regular basis.
I guess I was wondering if these inconsistant results were normal. Is there any situation that you have come across where you changed something and it led to poor results?
I'm just trying to figure out what I might be doing to give me these different results.
Thanks!
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NorthernDancer
I guess I should have clarified that CO was a completely different experiment. I'm not using any commercial products anymore as I realized that my itchy flaky scalp was caused from the products I used and not from a health/genetic problem like I always thought.
I tried leaving the catnip on for a while, and while that gave nice results, I just decided it was to much work to do on a regular basis.
I guess I was wondering if these inconsistant results were normal. Is there any situation that you have come across where you changed something and it led to poor results?
I'm just trying to figure out what I might be doing to give me these different results.
Thanks!
The less than optimum results I have had, have been when I used a lower dilution, and when I did not time the catnip as long as I do now.
I tried adding things to catnip but my best results, which are ongoing, have been from straight catnip, used the way I have outlined it here.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NorthernDancer
I guess I should have clarified that CO was a completely different experiment. I'm not using any commercial products anymore as I realized that my itchy flaky scalp was caused from the products I used and not from a health/genetic problem like I always thought.
I tried leaving the catnip on for a while, and while that gave nice results, I just decided it was to much work to do on a regular basis.
I guess I was wondering if these inconsistant results were normal. Is there any situation that you have come across where you changed something and it led to poor results?
I'm just trying to figure out what I might be doing to give me these different results.
Thanks!
Well I need to leave it on for 30 minutes to 60 minutes bagged, to get the conditioning results. I also used shampoo diluted with catnip to wash my hair before applying the catnip treatment because I don't want any conditioner or oil coating my hair to block the catnip oils. So I would say make sure your hair does not have conditioner coating it before using the catnip, and leave it on for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it out.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
What has happened to you who have used stronger dilutions, like 1 TBS for 300 ml? Is it as astringent that hair goes dry?
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HotRag
What has happened to you who have used stronger dilutions, like 1 TBS for 300 ml? Is it as astringent that hair goes dry?
I never tried a dilution a dilution that strong. My strongest dilution was a heaping teaspoon to about 250 ml of water. My hair did not get very dry but it did not feel that great and my skin felt tight. So astringent yes, but not dried out, just not as good as the dilution I use now.
I still had build-up on my hair back then and I had not increased timing. I did however use catnip on my face early on, and even though my skin can still get oily, the more I diluted the catnip, the better it worked for me, both on my hair and skin.
My skin is very sensitive. With a higher dilution it just feels more soothed.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ktani
I never tried a dilution a dilution that strong. My strongest dilution was a heaping teaspoon to about 250 ml of water. My hair did not get very dry but it did not feel that great and my skin felt tight. So astringent yes, but not dried out, just not as good as the dilution I use now.
I still had build-up on my hair back then and I had not increased timing. I did however use catnip on my face early on, and even though my skin can still get oily, the more I diluted the catnip, the better it worked for me, both on my hair and skin.
My skin is very sensitive. With a higher dilution it just feels more soothed.
Ok, thank you.
I am still not giving up on catnip. Because it is so good on my skin, I really want to find a way that I can use it for my hair (without using SLS and no oils). I will try to include it in the washing, or try soaking before wash and so on, like I read that others have done.
I have used it in the water I solved Indian wash and conditioning herbs in, but I have to adjust those herbs better, and can't yet tell if catnip was good or not in that blend.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HotRag
Ok, thank you.
I am still not giving up on catnip. Because it is so good on my skin, I really want to find a way that I can use it for my hair (without using SLS and no oils). I will try to include it in the washing, or try soaking before wash and so on, like I read that others have done.
I have used it in the water I solved Indian wash and conditioning herbs in, but I have to adjust those herbs better, and can't yet tell if catnip was good or not in that blend.
I do not think as a prewash that you get the same benefits as post wash.
What exactly is happening when you use the catnip?
I think some natural washing methods may leave their own kinds of coatings on the hair.
Catnip, from my experience, works best when it has more direct access to hair.
I do not use an sls shampoo. Mine is sles but it is not a matter of sulfates. Just something cleansing that does not leave a coating that catnip cannot get through. My shampoo contains some polymeric ingredients but they do not coat my hair enough to be a problem, nor do they build-up.
Most natural products leave something behind. It is that something that IMO, can be a problem.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ktani
What exactly is happening when you use the catnip?
Sort of - nothing.
I think it can be a coating, but I have also tried with SLS free schampo with no waxes or coating stuff.
First time I thought I got effect, but after then, nothing.
Sometimes I have had the feeling of "too astringent" like when using too much ACV. But I measured the pH in my catnip tea to 6, so it is not very acidic. (I use the same dilution as you, sometimes slightly more catnip.)
I am not ready to try several weeks or months, to see what happens when I can be really sure to not have any coating.
The oils I use have been very good to my hair and detangling and decrease damage (I can't now see any short broken hair bits when combing, just long old hairs). I have less splits than ever, so I have no problems but catnip seams to not work.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HotRag
Sort of - nothing.
I think it can be a coating, but I have also tried with SLS free schampo with no waxes or coating stuff.
First time I thought I got effect, but after then, nothing.
Sometimes I have had the feeling of "too astringent" like when using too much ACV. But I measured the pH in my catnip tea to 6, so it is not very acidic. (I use the same dilution as you, sometimes slightly more catnip.)
I am not ready to try several weeks or months, to see what happens when I can be really sure to not have any coating.
The oils I use have been very good to my hair and detangling and decrease damage (I can't now see any short broken hair bits when combing, just long old hairs). I have less splits than ever, so I have no problems but catnip seams to not work.
I do not think catnip works well over oils and it depends on how well your oils are being washed out.
If you have no breakage or split end problem, you may not need catnip.
I never got into oils. I did try one a long while back but with my hair being somewhat fine and thin and looking stringy easily, I did not explore more.
Catnip gives me everything I need.
