I love catnip tea rinse.:)
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I love catnip tea rinse.:)
Great to hear! I consider mine to be a treatment though. A rinse to me is pour through and rinse off right away.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueta
I leave it in.... that works for meQuote:
Originally Posted by ktani
Ah, cool. However it works for you as long as you are happy with it. I never liked it left in. Different strokes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueta
We try so hard to get/keep our hair moisturized that it is rather a shock when it becomes over-moisturized, isn't it? At least, it is for me. Most of the time I'm working at getting moisture in, not keeping it out! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by ktani
I know. It was the last thing I expected. So now I am taking the brew time down and not quite starting over but seeing what I prefer. I have beeen debating the timing for the tea brewing as I write this. 4.5 or 5 hours, lol. I do not want 6. I think 5.Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessFurball
I figured somewhere on this thread it may have been mentioned about refrigorating catnip :) I keep mine (For my cats) in a cool cupboard, so it doesn't seem to lose it's effectiveness for them. Again, I use dry stuff for the kitties :)
That is exactly how I store mine. It works well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkhorse1
You mentioned it here, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1957
and I replied here, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1958
It has been mentioned before too, about freezing.
I have what may be a silly question, and I apologize if it has already been answered:
Do any of you have cats who have shown an increased interest in your hair after doing this? I'm a little worried my kitty will attack my head!
Mine tried to chew my hair before the treatment so I am not sure it's made any difference.. :suspect: but he hasn't attacked my head or anything.. lolQuote:
Originally Posted by linda g
Never had a problem with any of my cats taking an increased interest in my hair. Once the catnip has been brewed it should no longer be of any interest to them.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by linda g
I just have to give another shout-out for catnip-- I'm more impressed than ever. I took my hair down for the first time after using catnip, and WOW. My hair hasn't been that tangle-free and easy to comb in... well, forever. I really don't remember it ever being that easy to comb out.
I think I'm officially a catnip convert! :D
It is definitely an addiction, I was converted 5 months ago and haven't looked back since.:D Pleased to here it is working so well for you.:thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessFurball
I do not consider any question silly. That is a commonly asked question and a natural one for this thread, lol. I have never had any problems either.Quote:
Originally Posted by linda g
I do not have cats but friends of mine do and my freshly washed and treated catnipped hair is of no interest to any cat I have played with.
Welcome to the catnip "club", lol. It has been over 4 years for me and I will never willingly give it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessFurball
Thanks, everyone, for answering my kitty question. I guess it makes sense that once the catnip is boiled, the more volatile oil is dispersed, that must be what the kitties like.
I'm going to be trying this soon! I'm going to try out local petstore to see if I can find some. It used to grow wild in some areas near our yard, but it is too late in the season to go herb-gathering.
Chiming in to add agreement in the kitty question. Nobody has shown any interest in my catnip tea or my hair during the treatments. Actually, it's funny, they aren't as interested in the dry catnip nearly as much as the fresh stuff growing out on my balcony. So, the cats get the fresh, and I get the box purchased at the pet store. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by linda g
I continue to enjoy using catnip on my hair...but I'm bumping into problems with its efficacy. Mainly, I can't seem to really get my hair clean and residue free without using sulfate shampoo - which dries the crap outta my hair and scalp (soo itchy afterward). My Indian herb mixes for cleansing are either too much, not enough, or leave a pretty serious residue behind (as in, sticky stuff on my freshly cleaned brush), and CO leaves a heavy fragrance and lank hair behind. *sigh* When did washing my hair get so complicated?? :p
I was *this close* to getting my sister in on the catnip treatments, but the saved amount in the refrigerator had taken on some bacterial cultures. Yuck. So, while Ktani can eek out 7-10 days on her refrigerated catnip tea, it's not universal. That batch had been in there for five days. Eww.
I found refridgerated catnip tea turns a funny color after a day or two so I make it up in the morning before leaving for work and use it that night. I do not bother with trying to keep it any more, it just turned the most gawd awful green and looked slimey. Just my two cents!
Zombiekins - what kind of herbs are you using for washing? I use Hesh hair wash powder or a combination of aritha and shakiki (yes, I know I mutilated the spelling, you get the idea) and while it does not get my hair squeaky clean, it is shinier and healthier than in years. I do mix my herbs in a quarter cup or so boiling water and allow it to cool to room temperature before appyling to my scalp (the length is soaking in catnip tea) and leaving on 10 minutes or so before rinsing. What are you doing?
That is interesting. I have never had catnip go off on me in over 4 years. I have kept some for 2 weeks. However I am very stringent about not keeping it out too long, washing and "sterilizing" the utensils with boiled water, etc. It all helps no doubt.Quote:
Originally Posted by kdaniels8811
Yeah, I just "rinse" my beaker (woo hoo lab stuff) with the boiling water before dumping the catnip and proper amount of water in. Since it's a perfect shape for simply swirling around by hand, I don't need to use a spoon or anything to stir the leaves. I dunno, maybe I'm leaving it out too long before refrigerating (a few hours). Or the second container isn't getting clean enough with the boiling water rinse. No doubt I'm slipping here or there and getting caught with bacteria. Just means I need to use it faster. :p
Originally aritha, then aritha and amla, and now aritha, shikakai, and amla. I finally used up the last of the aritha yesterday, which I felt was leaving the coating on my hair and not cleaning it thoroughly enough (or too harshly when using less water, almost like using shampoo bars without lathering up each and every last strand. and also left my hair coated and limp after several shampoo bar only washes). The amount of water varied between one cup and 2 cups, last time it was two cups and included a squeezed key lime and a drop of peppermint EO. Oh, and some hibiscus leaves.Quote:
Zombiekins - what kind of herbs are you using for washing? I use Hesh hair wash powder or a combination of aritha and shakiki (yes, I know I mutilated the spelling, you get the idea) and while it does not get my hair squeaky clean, it is shinier and healthier than in years. I do mix my herbs in a quarter cup or so boiling water and allow it to cool to room temperature before appyling to my scalp (the length is soaking in catnip tea) and leaving on 10 minutes or so before rinsing. What are you doing?
I oiled all of my hair, soaked it completely with the wash mix, set for around fifteen minutes, then rinsed and followed with a vinegar rinse. My hair definitely felt clean after that! It dried almost all the way before adding the catnip tea, left for about an hour, then rinsed with cool water and followed with a final honey rinse that was left in. It's weird, when I do the mix "right", my hair is nice and clean feeling with a fewer tangles even without a leave-in, but while wet it clumps together and is almost ropey and hard to comb. So, now my hair feels clean and fluffy, but a little dry...so my mix was probably a bit too strong. Understandable since I used shikakai and aritha with the amla (too much amla irritates my scalp). From here on out I'll be using shikakai as the main cleanser.
You think the mild honey rinse left too much behind for the catnip to be effective today? I like to split the tea into two applications and used within a day or two of each other. It was less than 1/2 tsp of honey to two cups of water. Probably didn't do anything, but I remember from experience that too strong of a rinse makes my hair a sticky mess. :p
I used catnip rinse for three times now, but I cannot see a difference between my hair with catnip and without.
My hair doesn't get dry or frizzy if I use catnip, but either it doesn't get softer or shinier than normal.
I don't know why, maybe I use a false amount of catnip or I don't let it enough time to brew.
I just want to know if this is safe to try if you have kitties who *really* like catnip....
I don't notice any visible difference when I use catnip but I have much fewer split ends.
and my cat doesn't pay any more attention to my hair by using catnip than before... except he gives me the evil eye occasionally because he knows I am using his stash..
My cat loves the dry catnip, but he doesn't like the tea at all!
I let him smell, but he ran away and was totaly uncurious about it.
And you can't smell the catnip in you hair after it's dry.
I just started using this, and I'm pretty impressed. My hair has a lot more slip now, and I'm looking forward to not trimming for a very long time. :) I didn't even brew it correctly the first time. :laugh: Luckily, I've got a lot of catnip in the backyard that my cats are inexplicably uninterested in.
This is about catnip oil, not the cut and sifted leaves and buds but the toxicity part is in keeping with previous research I have read and posted. Catnip oil can be an irritant. This is the concentrated oil, not the amounts present in an infusion.
2009
"Although the demonstrated effectiveness of repellency against biting flies and mosquitoes, the toxicity of this natural product repellent has not yet been evaluated. In comparisons of the published acute toxicity data on DEET, Picaridin, and para-menthane-3,8-diol (three most widely used mosquito repellents) to the results from the currently study, catnip oil appears to be the least toxic. However, catnip oil may cause skin irritation due to the observed redness of the applied skin area after the treatment. ... The primary skin irritation test on New Zealand white rabbits showed that catnip oil is a moderate irritant. Catnip oil was classified as practically non-irritating to the eye. Compared to other EPA approved repellents, catnip oil is considered relatively safe to use."
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/pub..._no_115=232664
Drugs.com plant profile 2009
http://www.drugs.com/npp/catnip.html
Health Canada plant profile, 2008
http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdi...id=41&lang=eng
That's weird - a moderate irritant to the skin, but practically non-irritating to the eye..? Sounds like it's one of the least irritating things around, even concentrated.
I know. There is limited information on it in some areas. I am covered in canip all of the time (rinsed off but still present), so I keep up with the most current information I can find.Quote:
Originally Posted by justme
I have seen and read reports that contradict the initial "10 times better than Deet" report which was taken out of context in any case. It will be interesting to see more reports regarding its effect on insects, for protection.
I must have used about half a dozen different catnips in over 4 years (when I was using bulk health food store catnip) and all worked to prevent split ends but the quality and conditioning and colour effects varied somewhat. I find pet store catnip more consistent in quality and results. That said, batches can vary too. Anything natural can have crop variances even with the most diligent care.
This no doubt explains some of the differences regarding its insect repellancy too.
"The major constituents in the volatile oil of catnip include the major compound geranyl acetate (54.8%), followed by citronellyl acetate (13.4%), citronellol (6.9%), and geraniol (5.5%). The most abundant sesquiterpenes in the essential oil included germacrene D (1.9%), caryophyllene oxide (1.8%), and spathulenol (1.1%). Constituents vary depending on vegetation period and region ... Although there appears to be considerable variation in chemical compounds in these plants, it is known that there are at least the 2 chemotypes of catnip; one has a preponderance of nepatalactones and one has more terpenoids ....".
http://www.drugs.com/npp/catnip.html
It can take time to see results. It can depend on the catnip itself, what is or was on your hair, your hair, in terms of the thickness of the strands, the amount you use and the timing and method. I get better results with it bagged and timed for 1 hour altogether than I did with previous methods.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfe
See the last link at the end of the Catnip Article, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&articleid=118.
I changed my brew time to exactly 5 hours this last time and my hair has been perfect all week, no curlover, no friction (in varied weather conditions), just amazing. But my hair is mostly fine so this brew time may be the best for my type of hair in particular. Different brew times, timing, methods and dilutions may work better for others and their hair, and in fact such has been reported to be the case.
I have been reading through this thread and have yet to read it all but i was able to get to town this week, buy some catnip and just did my first rinse! I am aiming for no split ends..which i have noticed more and more lately,never really noticed them until i gave up cones..so i let it steep for an hour, then strained 2 times and cooled, washed, put the tea on, let it sit covered for about 15 minutes,rinsed and conditioned..i can't tell if it worked for splits but my curls came back!!! it was a very pleasant surprise! i am going to continue and i will keep reading in the meantime..Thanks everyone for all the specifics and results! I know i will learn even more as i read on through.. alot of info here!
I have only just joined here, but have been working my way through this thread. I must confess to have missed out about 100 pages here and there! :D
I can't wait to try the catnip, and have ordered mine from Ebay. I will try it with caution first though, as I have seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, so I can never tell in advance what is going to be good for my scalp and what is awful (chamomile is awful). Fingers crossed!! :cheese:
Ktani, have you ever tried using the catnip before it has cooled completely?
I have used it luke warm but I pour it into a plastic bottle and I do not like stressing the plastic with temperature extremes.Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessFurball
Ah, that's a good point. I use a plastic bottle as well, and didn't think of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by ktani
I did not either initially but after washing the bottles with hot or very warm water they did not last as long. The fridge does not get the bottles that cold but that is why I let the catnip sit out to warm up to room temperature naturally before using rather that warm it otherwise (and I do not want heat to affect the tea).Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessFurball
It was actually a health food store rep who tipped me off to plastic stressing with temperature extremes.
Can I please ask, for those who have experienced some colouring from the catnip, how blonde is your hair? Mine has gone very dull dark blonde now (with some greys, unfortunately), and I'd love for the catnip to colour it, but I'm wondering if it is too dark. I can't wait for my catnip to arrive! :)
For me, catnip stains light blonde, between warm and ash. It is not a yellow yellow or a bright yellow like turmeric.Quote:
Originally Posted by pelicano
:justy: i was this close to putting milk in my catnip tea this morning :confused:
sorry i had to share that with you lot........
:lala:
I tried using catnip tea - I left it soaking for an hour prior to shampooing - but it really dried my hair out, so much so that even my husband who usually doesn't notice differences in the condition of my hair commented that it was looking dry. I'm wondering whether one hour is just too long for my hair or whether the fact that there were only leaves and no flowers in the mixture I got from the pet shop meant that it wasn't replenishing enough. I used the Trixie catnip which I noticed many of you (especially from Europe) have used. Has anyone else noticed drying-out effects of this brand? Should I vary the soaking time or buy a different brand?