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Im just brewing up my first catnip rinse, it is steeping just now. I washed my hair with clarifying shampoo for the first time last night and its ok, just abit dry and fluffy! Would it be ok just to use the catnip as a rinse tonight or would I be better leaving it on for about 30 mins? Im quite excited here lol!
For me, catnip never worked well as a rinse. I leave it on my hair to colour and condition and I find the conditioning benefits best, when it is left on my hair for one hour. ETA: baggedQuote:
Originally Posted by SummerSkye
Thanks!:) I'll leave it on for an hour with my shower cap.Quote:
Originally Posted by ktani
I usually put mine up in a bath hat and leave it on my hair for 1 hour then rinse.:) I've been doing this for over 18 months and use no conditioner or other oils on my hair.Quote:
Originally Posted by SummerSkye
ETA I see Ktani beat me to it. :D
So...since it's best done without anything on your hair then the best bet is to shampoo ONLY before you use the catnip? Or something like that. I CO so if I wanted to use catnip then I would have to stop COing if I wanted to use catnip...right?
And does anyone find a difference in whether or not you soak your hair in it, or run it through your hair then put your hair in a shower cap? I've always imagined soaking works better, so wasn't sure if it makes a difference here.
Did you know that Henna helps spit ends? If you don't want a color you can get Amla ...
Check out Hennahut.com they have all kind of natural products that are good for you and your hair.
Actually just got round to doing my first catnip treatment today. Wet hair, poured on the catnip and stuck it all under a shower cap for an hour. I'm really impressed my hair is really untangled and pretty soft, I feel like I could do with a bit more moisture/condition in my hair but that could be because its bleached at the ends and is a bit frazzled. Will use catnip again.:)
Also should of mentioned that my hair looks fuller and my waves seem to be slightly more exaggerated so Im really happy with that too! Im looking forward to seeing what effect catnip has on my hair over the next month and the future
I am just doing my second Catnip treatment today. :)
Reporting back in on my experiments with catnip...
Like I had said I would, I tried using just shampoo to compare the effects to using shampoo followed by a catnip soak. The results were definitely different, even after just one wash. My hair was unmanageable on a whole new level without the catnip soak. So I can say with confidence that a catnip soak provides noticeable conditioning/silkyness. By the way, I noticed this difference even after one wash (which is really a rinse since I don't shampoo my length). From this I conclude that the catnip did not "build up" on my hair in that it needed anything other than water to be completely removed.
However, for me the detangling did not compare with using a traditional conditioner. I didn't notice this at first because I had previously used conditioners that must have built up on my hair, leaving a coating that was partly responsible for the way my hair felt after catnip soaks. I never did clarify my length as ktani suggests to do, since I *know* my length hates shampoo of any kind in any amount. Instead I figured whatever coating I had would eventually wash out with warm water and catnip soaks. This proved to be true, because after about 3 weeks (about 6 washes) using just catnip on my length, I started to feel like the catnip was suddenly not working as well. Really, my hair was losing the build-up from traditional conditioners and deep conditioners.
That's what made me wonder if the catnip had ever really helped at all, so I tried using nothing. Like I mentioned above, I found that the catnip did provide conditioning just not as much as a regular conditioner. If that is what you are expecting or needing, this method might not make you happy. I found the results to be similar to SarieQ'a HCO (Herbal CO) Recipe Conditioner in the article section. Obviously, the catnip is easier to prepare than that recipe, however, and cheaper since there is just one herb.
Since I couldn't get the same results as I was used to from a traditional conditioner with just catnip, I decided to stop using it in this form. Also, like I mentioned before, the prepartation and application didn't really suit my lifestyle. Now I'm going to try making my own "traditional" conditioner, the kind that is preserved and can be stored in the shower like a store-bought one. I will probably try using some catnip in hopes that it will provide split-end protection and enhance silkyness.
Thanks ktani & other commenters for your ideas! I 100% support anything that helps people move away from traditional products that are bad for us and the environment. Good luck finding things that work for you!
Catnip does build up on the hair and needs to be removed periodically - for me every 6 weeks or so - with a clarifying shampoo. Or you will get the tangled ends you mentioned. Other than that, it works better than any conditioner I ever found. I use herbs to wash, shihaki and such so they may build up, also.