oh yeah - you can definitely skip the conditioner if you leave the tea on for over an hour. I also have been using Cosmic Catnip and it seems fine.
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oh yeah - you can definitely skip the conditioner if you leave the tea on for over an hour. I also have been using Cosmic Catnip and it seems fine.
I think you are responding to me with this post? :oQuote:
Originally Posted by Demetrue
Thank you that is very helpful. I will try to skip the conditioner so long as I feel I can detangle my hair without a lot of breakage.
I am curious... does anyone sit under a heat cap after applying catnip? I am just using a shower cap today but in the future I might sit under my heat cap for 30 minutes then do the other 30 minutes just working around the house. Will the heat cap be beneficial?
I think if you gently detangle before applying the catnip treatment, you should be fine. The one thing I noticed the first few times I did is, was that my hair felt kind of strangely texturized when wet. But after it dried, it was amazingly smooth and silky.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sissy
The dilution I use is 1 very level but well packed teaspoon to just under 300 ml of boiled water, steep covered, with a saucer, in a mug.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sissy
It takes approximately 1.5 hours to cool completely but I use a dollar store bone china mug that holds heat longer.
After cooling, I tap the condensation from under the saucer back into the mug and strain, first into a creamer for easy pouring, then strain again into a shampoo bottle.
I bag and time the catnip on my hair for 1 hour. I have never felt the need to use heat but there is no harm in doing so, IMO.
This is a really good picture to see the catnip buds in catnip leaves and flowers.
http://www.twenga.co.uk/offer/41457/...779340640.html.
Catnip parts
http://www.sur-le-champ.com/CatnipProducts.html
Catnip buds
http://www.sur-le-champ.com/CATNIPBUDS.htm
Note: Catnip buds from what I have been told by a catnip farmer/wholesaler, should be harvested before they open, so there should be no white flower petals in a catnip mix of flowers and leaves. The flowers of Nepeta cataria, or common catnip are white.
This is the opposite of what I mistakenly thought and posted about earlier. You can actually see the buds in the first link photo, in the container. They are round and small.
Perfect! This is exactly what I was coming here to ask about. I did a catnip rinse after I shampooed today. I left it on only for about 15-20 minutes and my hair felt exactly as you described. I was worried so I followed with a bit of conditioner just on the ends.Quote:
Originally Posted by Demetrue
My hair is now so very soft and shiny. I usually follow with an ACV rinse but today I didn't. Doesn't seem like I need it.
I've been excited to try out the catnip rinse. I went out shopping for a tea strainer and tea ball yesterday, but could only find the tea ball so I bought that.
When I was ready to steep my first batch of tea, I couldn't unscrew the tea ball! (My brother later managed it for me with some kind of gadget.) Anyway, what I did was add the loose tea straight into boiled RO water, covered, then later strained the steeped tea through a coffee filter into a measuring cup with pouring spout. That seemed to work fine - caught all the leaves and what-not. (Incidentally, I used ktani's proportions and her tip about adding back the condensation.)
I did the first part of my usual routine - although that might have impacted the results. I applied some light conditioner to my ends and non-SLS shampoo to my scalp. I rinsed thoroughly (hard water). There didn't seem to be any film left.
Then I poured the catnip tea over my hair, bending over and back to try to get full coverage to my BSL length. For I guess about 10 minutes I massaged the tea into my hair and finger-combed. I could feel the tea closing my cuticles and adding slip. It was a nice experience.
I rinsed my hair quickly in shower water, then again in a container of RO water (that I replace about weekly).
I didn't apply any leave-in conditioner or oils.
My hair is dry now. It's fairly easy to comb, but rather dry and limp. Despite the dryness, it does feel rather silky, if that makes ANY sense.
I want to pursue the experiment to see where it takes me. The next time, I'll bag my hair for a little while, then rinse straight in my container of RO water. I may eventually try to replace the first conditioner application with diluted shampoo, although diluted shampoo in the past hasn't worked that great for me. I've never tried soapnuts, but I might if I can find a local supply or one that isn't exhorbitantly expensive.
I hope you guys continue to find success with catnip tea.
Catnip does not do well over conditioner. That would IMO, affect your results.Quote:
Originally Posted by LaCitoyenne
Catnip, from my experience, does best when it has access to the hair, not over any coatings or reside and the difference in results is very obvious to me.
You can always add a small bit of conditioner post catnip, if you really need it. The next time you wash your hair, the small amount of conditioner should wash out fairly easily.
I wish you well with your experimenting.
Thanks, ktani. I could also maybe try a drop or so of apricot kernel oil as a leave-in for extra moisture. It's one of the few hair oils I like. One thing I did notice after towel-drying my hair was that it wasn't nearly as heavy/stiff as regularly-conditioned hair. I like that feeling!