Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rymorg2
I don't know if it's the catnip, but my regrowth doesn't seem as light to me either. It blends much better with my color. Go figure, since my hair is colored several shades darker than my natural and normally it's pretty darn obvious.
That is interesting. I am dark blonde. Even when I steep the catnip for several hours (it cools completely in 1.5 hours for me. Bone china retains heat longer than other ceramacs, I have found), the colour is a deeper yellow.
Some call it gold but it definitely has 0 red in it. I naturally have red in my hair, copper colour in both light and darker shades. Catip colour on me is yellow, not reddish yellow, yellow but in between warm and cool yellow, not bright or fake looking yellow. It looks very natual and others have commented this to me, when told what colour the lightest parts of my hair actually are (the parts that are really grey/white). I also have some natural lighter blonde in my hair.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Update
2 days after using catnip as a second "shampoo" and my hair is still clean and full.
I am pleased and amazed at the same time. The secret to me, is that I used my face washing method for this. I just applied the catnip to my scalp hair and length and rinsed it out right away, no timing, no bag. Then I used my normal conditioning routine, bagged and timed. Colour me very happy.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
whew. I just got around to reading the updates, thanks ktani.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kazazi
This all sounds so fab, I want to get fab catnip results, too. I guess I need to make the effort to experiment more systematically with it, but so far I just didn't notice much of an effect.
I also head back from my vendor today and it appears the the catnip I have does not contain flowers:
"Our organic catnip is certainly true nepeta cataria only. The catnip is grown especially for us on a Certified Organic medicinal herb farm deep in rural France. The farmer is a very experienced catnip and herb grower who harvests just before the catnip flowers, which results in a high level of active ingredient when the plant is harvested at this correct stage (and before its energy goes into flowering)."
Sooo...would you all say that the presence of flowers is the essential bit to make it good for hair conditioning? Is the ingredient that stimulates cats different from those that help hair? And if flowers are essential, how do I go about finding stuff with flowers - does anybody know a recommended brand that is available in Germany or ships there?
Just to reiterate, I never noticed any oils in my catnip tea, it was just similar to weak mint tea. Can anybody give me a more detailed insight into how "oily" a successful catnip tea should be?
Also, I have one more question, and I am sorry if I have overlooked a previous answer to this in the thread: Ktani, why do you apply the catnip to different sections of your hair in several steps rather than dumpin it all on there in one go?
Kaz x
I have not found my tea to be oily, ever. It does indeed look just like a cup of mint tea. The oils in it are volatile and will evaporate if you don't cover the tea cup while it brews. Even covered though, I have not seen an oil covering the surface, the oil is dispersed though and not visible. Unless of course I have a particularly dry form of catnip:p
A good place to buy catnip in Germany would be at your pet store, ( I have found some in the cat toy section next to yogurt drops) or at the apotek in the tea section.
I agree with ktani, if you have good catnip with little buds, then thats the right stuff:D
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
catfish
whew. I just got around to reading the updates, thanks ktani.
I have not found my tea to be oily, ever. It does indeed look just like a cup of mint tea. The oils in it are volatile and will evaporate if you don't cover the tea cup while it brews. Even covered though, I have not seen an oil covering the surface, the oil is dispersed though and not visible. Unless of course I have a particularly dry form of catnip:p
A good place to buy catnip in Germany would be at your pet store, ( I have found some in the cat toy section next to yogurt drops) or at the apotek in the tea section.
I agree with ktani, if you have good catnip with little buds, then thats the right stuff:D
You are most welcome.
Catnip actually has 2 kinds of oils in it. Fixed oils (they do not evaporate and volatile oils (that can).
I shake my catnip tea before applying it (habit) but I do not think that it is necessary as I too have not seen oil on top as it were.
I have applied catnip to dry hair (not on the ends), when my hair has been "dirty" (in need of a wash) and it has looked oilier but my hair does not look the least bit oily when freshly washed and conditioned with catnip.
There have been times when I have not used enough shampoo and my hair has looked piecy, but that is more I believe now, my not removing enough of my own oil, and not catnip.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
I am officially a catnip addict. I use the tea for conditioning at least once a week, just washed my hair with a shampoo bar and waiting for it to dry a bit before applying the catnip tea but I tried an experiment. I combed my hair sopping wet - which I have never been able to do, it would all break off and snarl terribly. I used catnip a good 5 days ago - and rinsed it well - and my comb slid through my hair and I had ONE hair shed. That is it.
Every time someone posts about dry brittle hair, I ask - have you tried catnip? The stuff works wonders for me. Thank you all for the research and information!
I know this is a different thread but the poo bar was from the soap lady. I had tried Lush and they made my hair horribly greasy. They simply do not work for me. The shampoo lady's poo bar does, for some reason. I also bought her solid conditioner but since I was catnipping, did not use it this time. Will post on the poo bar thread as to results.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kdaniels8811
I am officially a catnip addict. I use the tea for conditioning at least once a week, just washed my hair with a shampoo bar and waiting for it to dry a bit before applying the catnip tea but I tried an experiment. I combed my hair sopping wet - which I have never been able to do, it would all break off and snarl terribly. I used catnip a good 5 days ago - and rinsed it well - and my comb slid through my hair and I had ONE hair shed. That is it.
Every time someone posts about dry brittle hair, I ask - have you tried catnip? The stuff works wonders for me. Thank you all for the research and information!
I know this is a different thread but the poo bar was from the soap lady. I had tried Lush and they made my hair horribly greasy. They simply do not work for me. The shampoo lady's poo bar does, for some reason. I also bought her solid conditioner but since I was catnipping, did not use it this time. Will post on the poo bar thread as to results.
You are most welcome. I am so glad that you are so pleased with catnip.
What you posted here is definitly relevant. Not all shampoo bars are created equal.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
A tip about washing my face with catnip.
I first started using it to do this a few years ago, during a particularly cold winter, when my skin was very dry (unusual for me). It relieves winter dryness I found. It is very soothing and moisturizing and does not require timing to work. I have added leaving a bit on my skin for extra moistuizing and not rinsing it off afterward. It works beautifully.
I use the same dilution (it is actually leftovers from my hair mix), so I just have to brew the catnip once. I have started to use it on my body between showers too, in the morning, (I shower at night).
Re: Catnip for split ends?
I almost forgot. The itch one can get from dry skin? For me, catnip relieves it, instantly. ETA: I have even used catnip to relieve razor burn, from shaving my legs.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
I used to have some hairs that were more course than others (my hair is a mix of fine to medium diameter but this is not what I mean), not necessarily my grey/white hair. I also have some odd hairs that are naturally "bumpy", actually almost kinky in texture. I think that it is genetic. There are 1 or 2 such hairs that I come across in an s&d, every once in a while, and they used to be brittle.
For the coarse hair? I never find it now. The weird hairs? Yes, but they are no longer brittle.
My grey/white now catnip coloured hair? Smooth and soft as the the rest of my hair.
Re: Catnip for split ends?
Catnip and super soft skin
When I use catnip on my hair, bagged and timed, my skin is naturally softened by water (I am in the shower longer).
This is when I exfoliate my skin simply, (post liquid cleanser or soap, (rinsed off) by rubbing it. The friction natually exfoliates my skin, without the aid of anything else.
While my hair is being timed, I rub my hands to remove as much dead skin as possible (when I do chores and clean, I rarely ever wear gloves and the backs of my hands can get dry), then I apply catnip, rub it in and leave it on, until my hair is done. Out of the shower, one can soak washed hands first and do this.
Catnip does not do well over coatings on the hair as I have said. It will not soften skin as well, over layers of dried skin either, I have found.
However, if the dried skin is removed by gentle rubbing and catnip has access to the skin underneath, it works beautifully. I exfoliate my face and body skin this way too, in the shower.
When I have finished doing my hair and treating my hands, face and body skin, all are silky smooth.
My hands in particular are baby skin soft, and moisturized.
