Catnip for split ends?

UPDATE: As you know, I was less than impressed with my first catnip treatment, but today when I got into the shower to wash my hair and the water ran over my hair, it felt soooooo soft!! Softer than it's felt in ages! So perhaps my condition really WAS improved but was just not very noticeable to me when my hair was dry?

Today, however, I did a cone experiment (used coney shampoo and conditioner just to see what would happen) which was not good :( So next time, I'm going to clarify again and use the catnip as before. Think I'm going to persevere with this for a while.... :D

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Originally Posted by Rini

UPDATE: As you know, I was less than impressed with my first catnip treatment, but today when I got into the shower to wash my hair and the water ran over my hair, it felt soooooo soft!! Softer than it's felt in ages! So perhaps my condition really WAS improved but was just not very noticeable to me when my hair was dry?

Today, however, I did a cone experiment (used coney shampoo and conditioner just to see what would happen) which was not good :( So next time, I'm going to clarify again and use the catnip as before. Think I'm going to persevere with this for a while.... :D

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Rini, where you are you should be able to get my shampoo, Sunsilk Lively Blonde. It has one cone only, does not build-up, leaves my hair very smooth and silky but can clean well and it works absolutely perfectly with catnip. It lathers well and you do not need to use too much. I dilute it only in my hand not on its own and I have been using it for most of the 4 years including now, that I have used catnip.

I am going to try this! I color treat my hair (professionally) and have pretty regular 1/2" trims so I am hoping this stuff will help me have to trim less :)

I am going to boil and steep for 1hr then strain and cool and do a rinse over CWC hair.. (I don't want any coloring) and let it rest on my hair 5min then condition again if it feels like it needs it.. I'm curly and color treated so anything but conditioner tends to make my hair feel 'dry'..

I'll report back once its done steeping :)

Update: I let the catnip steep for an hour before I emptied since it was still pretty clear.. then I let it cool to room temp, and I soaked my ends in a small bowl with an occasional pour over my head with a cup and sat this way for 6 minutes then I rinsed.. it felt a little dry so I added a conditioner after and a AVC rinse and topped with coconut oil.

I didn't notice any color change or my dye fading.. but I am noticing it feeling different while being wet. I had my roots touched up over the weekend so its feeling a lot dry so I hope this helps!

Thanks Ktani! I'm going to look for that tomorrow :)

I did the catnip again today, but this time I left it on for only 5-10 minutes in the shower (I don't know if I can do the one hour thing on a regular basis as I find it a bit time-consuming). I rinsed and used a little bit of conitioner afterwards (still not ready to leave this out yet).

I have to say, my hair right now is FABULOUS! Shiney, super-wavy and soooooo soft :inlove: I don't know if this was a fluke or the cumulative effects of catnip, but either way I'm going to keep going with it.

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

Update: I let the catnip steep for an hour before I emptied since it was still pretty clear.. then I let it cool to room temp, and I soaked my ends in a small bowl with an occasional pour over my head with a cup and sat this way for 6 minutes then I rinsed.. it felt a little dry so I added a conditioner after and a AVC rinse and topped with coconut oil.

I didn't notice any color change or my dye fading.. but I am noticing it feeling different while being wet. I had my roots touched up over the weekend so its feeling a lot dry so I hope this helps!

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Try it with my method just once on clean, clarified hair and see if that makes a difference. You may not be interested in the colour but it may give you the conditioning you want.

I think the dryness I am feeling in my hair isn't even due to the dye, I think its the protein in the suave conditioner.. I've been using V05 for so long but when my stylist told me she thought I was lacking a bit in protein I went back to suave just for that reason but now its kind of.. dry and feels brittle and looks, not so hot..

but I do want the benefits from the catnip for splits.. my hair splits really easy cause its so fine.. so I'll try your way next time :) should I clarify even though I am cone free with no visible build up?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rini

Thanks Ktani! I'm going to look for that tomorrow :)

I did the catnip again today, but this time I left it on for only 5-10 minutes in the shower (I don't know if I can do the one hour thing on a regular basis as I find it a bit time-consuming). I rinsed and used a little bit of conitioner afterwards (still not ready to leave this out yet).

I have to say, my hair right now is FABULOUS! Shiney, super-wavy and soooooo soft :inlove: I don't know if this was a fluke or the cumulative effects of catnip, but either way I'm going to keep going with it.

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You are most welcome!

I am in the middle of finishing up 7 assignments, all do Thursday for school, so this will be quick. I will still be posting but perhaps not as frequently, over the next few days.

You can play with the timing, once you get the conditioning to the maximum. I suggest that because of the fragility of your hair right now. Also I recommend, because of your damaged ends, that instead of conditioner, if you still need it, that you consider using coconut oil because of its strengthening abilities, and it may be easier to wash out of your hair with the Sunsilk shampoo than conditioner, if you do not use too much at one time. I need nothing else to follow catnip but I do not have any damaged hair.

You also may want to consider pure, cosmetic grade argan oil, which is lighter in colour, see this post to see what it looks like, which from reports in the peroxide thead, absorbs into hair well but is lighter in texture than coconut oil, is conditioning and may wash out easier than conditioner, as well. It can make the skin sun sentitive, used during the day though but not if you just use it on your ends.

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

I think the dryness I am feeling in my hair isn't even due to the dye, I think its the protein in the suave conditioner.. I've been using V05 for so long but when my stylist told me she thought I was lacking a bit in protein I went back to suave just for that reason but now its kind of.. dry and feels brittle and looks, not so hot..

but I do want the benefits from the catnip for splits.. my hair splits really easy cause its so fine.. so I'll try your way next time :) should I clarify even though I am cone free with no visible build up?

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Conditioner tends to leave residue that can still prevent catnip from accessing the hair to its fullest capacity. The clarifying does not have to be harsh, a normal shampoo will do but it may take more than one. You do not have to use one that is a clarifying shampoo as such, just one that can still be gentle but without extra oils or cones. One cone is fine or one oil.

I've been using V05 shampoo to clarify followed up with 2 conditioner applications but I recently switched to suave for the extra protein and my hair apparently didn't appreciete it lol However... I think I have noticed a difference in the over-all condition.. I don't know if you can tell from this or not but.. I think its made a difference in just the little bit that I've used it..?

Before Catnip:
http://www.septemberpixie.com/lj/hair/IMG_4014.jpg
http://www.septemberpixie.com/lj/hair/IMG_4005.jpg

After Catnip:
http://www.septemberpixie.com/lj/hair/IMG_4035.jpg
http://www.septemberpixie.com/lj/hair/IMG_4047.jpg

I'm going to try the catnip again this weekend for 30mins after shampoo and then follow up with conditioner if it feels dry again. I'll be sure to report back again.