Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rini
Right. Got it! Thanks Ktani :D
I will brew it for 8 hours at room temp, then refridgerate to use ASAP. Not looking forward to putting cold liquid into my hair though...
One more question, you mentioned that your hair is wavy and I am wondering if the catnip effects the strength of your wave pattern at all? ie...does it make it wavier or straighter or no effect either way?
Oh, and yes, I had planned to clarify before hand. I want maximum catnip penetration!
If you are going to wash your hair right away after brewing it, there is no need to refridgerate it, just use it. Refrigerate any leftovers.
My wave patten is not weighed down in the slightest with catnip. I look like I have twice as much hair as I had when I used conditioner and I have a wave patten I previously did not know existed. Herb treatments can do that. Some of them that is. Any that coat the hair with natural polymers, from my experience, or mucilage, flatten the hair somewhat but not like the waxes in conditioners. Catnip is not heavy at all. If you use too much, your hair can separate more but I do not think that your hair is as fine or thin as mine.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Ok, I think I want to try catnip again. The first time I did it I had really stale stuff. So, if the new method is to brew it at room temp for 8 hours, does that mean it never gets hot water in the first place...(just stick it in room temp water and cover it)?
Also, I want to try fresh catnip as I have some growing at my house. Do I need to dry it before I use it or can I just pick it green and put it in?
Also, if I am doing this myself with my own catnip, how will I be able to know I am using the proper amount of catnip?
Thanks for any help on this matter.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AmyJorgensen
Ok, I think I want to try catnip again. The first time I did it I had really stale stuff. So, if the new method is to brew it at room temp for 8 hours, does that mean it never gets hot water in the first place...(just stick it in room temp water and cover it)?
Also, I want to try fresh catnip as I have some growing at my house. Do I need to dry it before I use it or can I just pick it green and put it in?
Also, if I am doing this myself with my own catnip, how will I be able to know I am using the proper amount of catnip?
Thanks for any help on this matter.
This is the catnip Article. It should answer most of your questions.
Brewing time is not the same thing as what water temperature you use to start with and what temperature it is where you brew it. I add boiled water to dried catnip. I just let it steep for 8 hours, at room temperature. Ah, it is my phrasing. My apologies. It is in a room that has no excessive heat or cold.
I have never used fresh catnip. It will affect how you measue it somewhat in terms of volume because it has moisture in the leaves and buds but that should not be too much of a problem. Powdered catnip (I have never seen it but it does exist), would be a measuring issue as well. Less of it would be needed, again becaise it is a volume issue.
I pack a teaspoon with dried catnip leaves and flower buds and make sure it is level. That works best for me and I use a measuring teaspoon.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Yay, thanks for clarifying for me. I will just pick some and let it dry and then pack my spoon, etc.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AmyJorgensen
Yay, thanks for clarifying for me. I will just pick some and let it dry and then pack my spoon, etc.
My pleasure! You are the first person to question that and I did not realize that what I was saying could be open for interpretation on that issue. Thank you.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rini
Anyway, I digress :) Some questions: how important is it to really rinse the catnip out? After I've done the one hour treatment and get back into the shower to rinse, should I rinse and rinse and rinse? Or just a quick rinse and leave some in there? Secondly, I see you like the brewing time of 8 hours. I am wondering if brewing it any longer than this would cause any problems? I was thinking of making it tonight, and letting it sit overnight. Will it keep? I mean if I could not use it that day for some reason, could I use it the next day?
I am going to try your method exactly...ie shampoo and not condition. I'm willing to stop COing if the catnip method is successful for me :) I'm hoping to achieve some smoothness and get some moisture to my unruly/wavy/flyaway hair (especially my troublesome velcro ends!). Your experience with it encourages me greatly.
I will update my results here.
Catnip really is quite wonderful. I find Ktani's concentration to work well for me, but others have used different concentrations. I always steep the tea either overnight or all day - the time usually isn't less than 8 hours and can be as much as 12 or so hours - and I've never had any problems with that.
I also only do a quick rinse after letting my hair soak in the catnip - it seems to work better for me than doing an extremely thorough rinse.
I've found that the catnip works better than conditioner, so I don't use conditioner any more. I'm still playing around with what to wash my hair with before applying the catnip. Sometimes I only wash my hair with catnip (a CO using catnip instead of conditioner), but at least every other time I wash my hair I need to use something to wash it before using catnip. My hair and scalp don't seem to like shampoo anymore, so I've been playing around with different homemade shampoos/concoctions.
Catnip doesn't weigh down my hair at all, so it worked much better than conditioner-only for keeping my waves around.
The most important thing is to keep trying if catnip doesn't work for you at first, because the effects are definitely cumulative.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Thank you KaeleyAnne :) Your waves are soooooo pretty!! :inlove:
I am curious as to what you are washing with? I'm interested in hearing about your experiments in that regard as I would be quite keen to not use shampoo (after having not used it for sooooo long), but I do feel I need something to clean my hair and scalp a bit better than CO has been doing for those years.
I wonder if soapnuts would be compatible with using Catnip??? Ktani, any experience with Soapnuts?
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rini
Thank you KaeleyAnne :) Your waves are soooooo pretty!! :inlove:
I am curious as to what you are washing with? I'm interested in hearing about your experiments in that regard as I would be quite keen to not use shampoo (after having not used it for sooooo long), but I do feel I need something to clean my hair and scalp a bit better than CO has been doing for those years.
I wonder if soapnuts would be compatible with using Catnip??? Ktani, any experience with Soapnuts?
Actually I have been thinking about this lately and why soapnuts work well for some and not others, to cleanse, and the different routines including using catnip with soapnuts.
For you, soapnuts or aritha may be tricky. Aritha contains a natural light brown dye that may alter a light shade of blonde like yours. It has been reported to bring out red in some people's hair.
Traditionally, aritha is used with pre-oiling the hair, to prevent dryness. That may be why some people do not get much build-up from it but it does contain mucilage which would get left behind to a degree.
mellie's hair is natually oily and the mucilage may not be able to adhere to the hair as well for her and she uses lemon or lime juice with it. Her hair is dark and while soapnuts do not darken her grey (it is not that easy to stain grey hair), aritha stain can show up as I said, on lighter hair colours. Others who use a light pre-poiling with soapnuts have reported a coated feeling, dryness and tangling. That to me is the mucilage, my having been through that with linden tea. Mucilage can build-up badly. Most Indian washing herbs like shikakai can stain light hair colours.
Here is a routine, reported to work well, washing herbs on the scalp and catnip only on the length, with coconut oiling after that but clarifying once in a while is necessary.
The beauty of catnip for me, is that it only requires a gentle shampoo to remove excess, when too much has been used, because the oils it contains are not heavy. I just use more shampoo when that happens and the next shampoo, I am back to the balance I prefer. Catnip is very forgiving that way.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Ktani - thanks for posting my method, I feel special! People are going to think we own stock in catnip, we write such glowing reports of how well it works to prevent splits and breakage. A year ago, I never would of thought I would give up traditional shampoo and conditioner for herbs but they certainly have worked well for me. I really appreciate the time you have put into research and documenting your findings. You are the "catnip queen!"
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kdaniels8811
Ktani - thanks for posting my method, I feel special! People are going to think we own stock in catnip, we write such glowing reports of how well it works to prevent splits and breakage. A year ago, I never would of thought I would give up traditional shampoo and conditioner for herbs but they certainly have worked well for me. I really appreciate the time you have put into research and documenting your findings. You are the "catnip queen!"
But you are special IMO. and Thank you!
You put a lot of time and effort into finding a routine with washing herbs and catnip and it works for you and you found a way around the coating problems washing herbs can have.
I could not use your method for a few reasons. 1. I do not want to darken my hair colour and washing herbs have that tendency. And 2. most of my grey/white is on the top layers of my hair and at the front sides. The coating washing herbs can leave behind would interfere with catnip staining for me.
