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I don't measure, but I would guess a couple of tablespoons to a mason jar (old spaghetti sauce jar) full of water. I sometimes add a bit of nettle, lavendar, or horsetail.
ETA: I have learned that some herbs will build up on me. I now avoid hibiscus in my catnip rinse, for instance. However, the three I mentioned above seem fine.
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Originally Posted by Naiadryade
I am skipping from here to the split end support thread and back again. Suppose I should stay here as, right now, catnip tea is my answer to not only less splits but better looking hair. It's 2 days post wash day and I'm wearin it down because it looks so good. For me, that's unheard of. Best of all, my hemline looks thicker.
Ok, so I spent the whole weekend reading this thread. We always have catnip around so I thought what the heck? I'll give it a whirl. I tried my first catnip treatment Saturday. Second one today. The first one I made per katina's instructions using her original seeping time (hadn't been through the whole thread). I washed with the silicone free version of Pantene (scalp, then worked suds down the length). When I made the infusion, I did up a double batch and put in a mason jar, so after washing, gently squeezing out excess water, I dunked my ends, and length in the jar, then pored some on my scalp making sure I didn't miss any hairs. Then I gently flipped my head and put on a shower cap with a turbie towel over it. Stewed for 1 hour. Hopped in shower, then rinsed. My hair at that point felt completely stripped, no slip whatsoever, tangly mess. I expected this. My hair doesn't care much for any kind of acidic rinses. As carefully as I could, I detangled with the help of my tangle teaser (lost some extra hair during the process), gave up half way through and added 2 drops of Argan oil (which helped a little). Then I let it air dry. The roots and most of the length were nice and soft, the ends very crispy. The crispies brushed out, but I had several single strand knots. :(. The crispies returned the following morning, but brushed out fairly easily. Now for the good part. My hair was very full, extremely shiney, and of course, very wavey. Also virtually frizz free (in hot, humid conditions) :). What's weird is I could feel the Argan oil on my hair the following day after washing, I usually can't. I did a second catnip treatment this morning. This time I used well diluted prell to wash scalp only (since I only used 2drops oil after last treatment), gently squeezed out excess water scrunch/squeeze style, split hair into 2 sections, swished ends quickly in my infusion, then poured in sections over scalp and applied some with my hands. I then carefully put shower cap on making sure my ends were stewing in any drippings within the lip of the shower cap, covered with turbie again. Left it for an hour then removed and dumped my little bit of catnip brew over my scalp where the hair seemed to be almost dry. This time I decided to not bother rinsing it out. Once again, very tangly, no slip! When I take the shower cap off, I have major clumping! The clumps are too big, kind of stiff, and get kind of pi....ssed at me when I try to separate or detangle them. Once again I tried to detangle with nothing, gave up and used a pea sized amount of Loreal eversleek leave-in condish (which helped some, but could have used more). Let air dry, got the same results as the first treatment except not as crispy ends this time. No single strand Knots though. Dry, it looks great, soft, very shiney, hardly any frizz on yet another humid hot day. I should also mention that I have hardly any frizz even after sleeping on my hair with it loose! Crazy! Usually I have a morning halo! I also have more tangly hair with less slip when dry too. I have to be more careful when tangle teasing in the morning.
I normally wash every other day, sometimes 3rd day if I can afford to be lazy. I'm normally CWC during winter using a leave-in condish mixed with 2drops oil, then coneless serum. During the spring I didn't need all that and started just wash/condition then 2drops oil. I have very fine 2b/2c II bsl length hair low to normal porosity. Everything builds up on my hair so I usually don't use cones, alternate sulfate/non-sulfate shampoos, and alternate condish. I wash build up of the length as needed. I also use Henna. I usually only do roots only once a month to two months. I still do the whole length every 6 months or so. It's been more than 4 weeks since my last Henna. I'm hoping to reduce hair taper from breakage by using these catnip treatments, I don't get splits (my hair is too fine, it just breaks), but I do get white dots. So conditioning and strengthening is my end goal both of which I'm getting from the treatments. I could tell immediately after my first treatment.
Questions:
What shampoos do you guys use that will not build up? Prell is pretty harsh, but I'm pretty sure my other ones have ingredients that build up, even my vo5 kiwi lime squeeze clarifying shampoo, which is also somewhat harsh. No herbs. If I'm giving up condish, I'm keeping my good smelling shampoo. I've looked at the ones that Katina has mentioned in the oil shampoo article (the ones in red) but would like something gentler and easy to pick up. Cheap would be a bonus too. :D
Any recommendations on how I can increase slip by changing my dilution or method? Leave-ins that won't build-up? I'm hoping the catnip will produce more slip as I go, but in the meantime, there's no point in continuing the treatments if I'm breaking hairs detangling.
Any swimmers here? I swim a lot in the summer, no swim cap and loose hair. I don't use chlorine in my pool, but usually use a good shower rinse and condish to detangle afterwards. I hate swim caps. Should I just shower rinse then use more catnip infusion as a leave-in? I use Baquacil in my pool.
I should also note that using the catnip as a leave-in felt a little sticky when it first dried, but it's not now. Just feels like soft hair. :D I'll have to reserve judgement until my next wash though.
I apologize in advance for any typos or wrong phone auto corrections. My eyes are just too tired right now to proof anymore.
Holly cow! Sorry guys, I didn't realize I was writing a book! Lol.
CurlyMopTop, I start with Vo5 tea therapy conditioner which seems to dissolve the baby oil on my hair. Then I wash with Desert Essence Organics (sorry, expensive) red raspberry shampoo. I gently squeeze water out. Then I plop the length right into my pot of catnip tea that is lukewarm. And I sit and do something fun on the computer, anywhere from 20 min to 45 min total, changing sides the pot is on half way through, then I go to the bathtub and squeeze out (gently, no wringing) as much tea as I can. Since my hair is basically in the hanging down position all the time, it does not really tangle badly, but does more than if I were to use conditioner. Then I gently comb with my wide tooth (Madora) comb and drip/air dry the rest of the way, occasionally finger combing. When it is about 1/3 dry, the ends still damp, I apply 2 drops of baby oil (I use generic, doesn't smell as strong as Johnson's) by rubbing those drops on my hands and gently apply to the ends mostly and the length. I continue to air dry. Going on week 3 and I have more texture, volume and density to my hair. The reddish tinge I always have in sunlight seems to be a little enhanced, but maybe that's my imagination. I also apply 1 drop baby oil at night before bunning. I wash every 3 to 4 days. My hair is 2b med thickness and 36 inches long.
Be sure to strain your catnip tea. I strain through a paper (organic) coffee filter. I use about 2 tablspoons catnip to 3 to 4 cups of water steeped at least an hour.
Hope this helps.
You might have better luck trying the rinse after conditioning. I CO, then do an ACV rinse, and a catnip leave-in. I don't get crispies or build up, and it never feels sticky...
Quote:
Originally Posted by CurlyMopTop
That might work for me, CWCatnip! I have a couple different Vo5 conditioners and already have the same DE Rasberry Shampoo! Maybe start with the same dilution that I started with then adjust as I go along?
Ravenreed my hair does like a CO wash once in a while, especially after a lot of swimming, but if tried repeatedly I get massive shedding. I've tried ACV rinses too and they were a no go. :(. I have no idea why my hair dislikes them so much. Even heavely diluted. My hair didn't seem to mind a really diluted lemon rinse on occasion, but it was too drying for every wash.
Double post.
Hey guys!
I really want to try this out!
I do have some questions though...
So from what I understand, the first thing you have to do is shampoo your hair.
Then you apply the catnip on your hair and leave it on for an hour. And then you rinse?
Is it usefull to use conditioner after you've rinsed the catnip out? Or do you use catnip instead of conditioner?
I don't have a lot of time to wash my hair, so the Ktani method is not really an option
(Maybe I can do it once a month, but that doesn't give the same effects I think).
So I've also read that some of you use it as a final rinse? Does this have the same effects? Do you rinse it out?
And what is your routine before the rinse? Shampoo, conditioner and rinse? Or only Shampoo and then the catnip rinse?
Woah these were a lot of questions.. I hope someone can help me.
You guys are awesome! :joy:
yes, you rinse it out after letting it soak for 15-20 minutes. use instead of conditioner, won't work over conditioner.