Quick question.
I use shampoo bars and then a ACV rinse. Would I do the catnip in between washing and the ACV or after the ACV?
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Quick question.
I use shampoo bars and then a ACV rinse. Would I do the catnip in between washing and the ACV or after the ACV?
I would use the catnip after the ACV rinse as it is the catnip that coats the hair and makes it stronger. I tried a trial of catnip over conditioner hair and that did not make the difference that the soaking and leave in has.
I have just completed week 3 of catnip soaks. Have to say I am still impressed. I look for splits daily or every other day (because I currently have the time to be able to do it) and still find a few. But so few that I am happy. I had a ton of white dots before I started this. I still find a few feathers that I think are the result of pony tail damage of a few years ago.
I am continuing to adjust what I do. Once I tried just a pour over and leave in with the catnip tea and I did not get the great manageability I usually do, so I switched right back to the soaks. So here is my current routine: make catnip tea day before. I let it steep overnight. I strain it and slightly warm it. I condition wash with the VO5, wash with DE raspberry shampoo and rinse, towel off most of the moisture, soak in the tea 20 to 45 min, my head cocked to one side for half the time, then the other side for half the time, Then I pour the tea through the rest of my hair, gently squeeze out the excess and air dry. I finger comb and have stopped combing with my wide tooth comb. I am now putting on the baby oil to ends mostly, and length, when it is still pretty wet, and finger comb some more. My hair takes about 2 to 3 hours to dry.
I am getting more wave, even almost some spirals. When dry, I have more texture and my hair looks thicker, overall. It looks great on day 2 after combing, applying 1 to 2 drops baby oil on the ends and bunning for the night. My new night bun is done by leaning forward and gathering hair in a pony and gently twisting, making a loop over 2 fingers from front to back, wrapping rest of hair around that loop and then pulling that loop over wrapped hair and securing with a small fork. It stays in all night, and gives a few bun waves in the ends but without big kinks so all hair appears smooth, but still has a bit of texture. I have never had my 2b hair behave so well. (not since blow drying it perfectly straight, that is - and I like this even better than that).
I am so pleased overall that I have been wearing my hair down more often when I go out because it looks so good.
I had terrible damage from having shoulder surgery 6 weeks ago and not being able to get it up and keep it up, and dry weather damage from being on the east coast 2 months ago. I had another inch off a month ago and this new regime is protecting my ends very well. I don't feel dry or flyaway even tho I have ditched conditioning after washing.
I've just started using catnip. The first time, I sprayed it on dry hair and left it in overnight before I washed. The second time, I washed my hair with my diluted shampoo, and then did not use conditioner (unheard of for me). I rinsed with ACV, let the excess water drip out, and then sprayed all of my hair with the catnip and left it in. I was a little worried, because when I got out of the shower, it seemed like it was going to tangle and make my day hell. I put a little coconut oil on the ends. When it dried, it was soft, completely free of tangles, and didn't seem to even want to tangle (what??!! Yes, it just didn't want to tangle!)
This is the second time I've used it. I live in the desert, and we're having record heat right now. My hair is loving the catnip, it's wonderfully moisturizing and isn't making my hair greasy. I'm just using it as a leave in. So far, I haven't noticed any difference in the few silver hairs I have taking on any color, but that may be because I only steeped the tea for an hour. Right now, I don't have enough gray to really be concerned, and by the time I want to tint it some more, I'll have it figured out. But for now, my hair feels thicker, and if this helps prevent splits over the summer, I'll be so happy!
I use CV shampoo bars with an AVC rinse and a catnip soak. After shampooing with the bars I towel dry and add the catnip. Shower cap and turbie towel for 1 to 1/2 hour then rinse. The I do the AVC rinse, let sit for a minute or two, then rinse. I used to just go with that but my hair is so so dry it needs conditioner. So I condition, sit for a minute, then rinse. Lovely, soft, bouncy hair!
This has helped so much with my split ends, I used to have them on almost all of my hairs. Now I only have a few. It won't fix them, so you have to cut them off but they don't come back like they used to.
I used to do the catnip after the AVC but it seemed to just sit on top of the cuticle and not help with the hairs splitting. Since an AVC rinse closes the cuticle I decided to try the catnip befor the AVC to have better penetration. My hair feels stronger and smoother now.
I do clarify regularly to prevent buildup, this also seems to help the penetration.
Oops double post
My first catnip-treatment is steeping right now! :D tomorrow I'll try it out.
Which steeping-time gave you the best results?
I just did my second catnip treatment. My hair is fine, thick and has been bleached twice before. I did it in the past and I loved it but I was to lazy to keep up with it. Now that I succesfully stressed my washes to every days (I'm trying to get to once a week) the catnip is less of a hassle. I do the exact method as Ktani (see her blog). I also keep a bit of catnip for my face as a toner and my rosacea is fading away!
What's really impressive about catnip is that it doesn't loose effect after a few days like most conditionner do. After the day 5 of non washing my hair is still soft and silky. As for the split I will report back in a few months. If your hair is fine and fragile and that co is really not cutting it for you you should give this a try! It's very cost effective and simple. No need for bi-weekly deep treatment, heavy oiling and such.
I'm another one with loads of split ends.No surprise there since I'm growing out old dye and bleach damage and my hair is super dry :rolleyes:
So I'm going to give this catnip thing a chance,since oiling,microtrimming and wearing my hair up all seem to do nothing whatsoever about the splitting. Did the first soak today for about 30 minutes,conditioned and rinsed and I put the remainder of the tea in my mister bottle so I can spray the ends with it between washes as well.
I was not yet brave enough to leave out the conditioner :)
I've begun using catnip instead of conditioner, I have it going on for about a week now, and I've tried to work my way through this ENORMOUS thread, but haven't found the answer I'm looking for yet - I have to use camellia nut oil, 3-4 drops total, on my wet hair after the catnip and rinsing to detangle. Will this make my catnip non effective? Anybody know anything about catnip and oiling?