Catnip for split ends?

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Originally Posted by Elfe

I really want to try this, but I couldn't find some catnip here!
It's horrible!

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Have you tried e-bay? That is where I get mine and the seller will send to Germany. Here is the link for you to have a look Smylee Pets. Hope this helps.:)

BTW Your Avatar is very pretty.:D

Hi Elfe,

I live in Germany too and had a difficult time finding it. I did manage to finally find it in a pet store. It was in a clear, plastic box and located among the cat toys! (Katzenminze)
Or, of course, you could go the Ebay/Internet route.
Good luck!

has anybody left the catnip in over night??? and what were your results??

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Originally Posted by littlemiss

has anybody left the catnip in over night??? and what were your results??

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I experimented leaving it on overnight waaay back.

I get better results now, just with the hour. I changed my dilution and application though in between and I no longer have build-up on my hair. A lot depends, like anything else, from my experience, on the state of the hair from the start and the recipe and method of what is used.

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Originally Posted by KarpatiiSiv

Have you tried e-bay? That is where I get mine and the seller will send to Germany. Here is the link for you to have a look Smylee Pets. Hope this helps.:)

BTW Your Avatar is very pretty.:D

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Thank you, I didn't even think about ebay, but today you can buy everything online :D

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Originally Posted by Sia

Hi Elfe,

I live in Germany too and had a difficult time finding it. I did manage to finally find it in a pet store. It was in a clear, plastic box and located among the cat toys! (Katzenminze)
Or, of course, you could go the Ebay/Internet route.
Good luck!

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Thanks! I've been to Fressnapf, but they didn't had some there. Maybe I can try it in a bigger store??

I'm in Germany and I bought my catnip here: Naturavita.de.

Why don't you guys pick it? It's pretty much a common weed here.

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Originally Posted by Lile

Why don't you guys pick it? It's pretty much a common weed here.

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Where is your "here"?
Around my "here" there is no catnip (only in other people's gardens).

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Originally Posted by Gulbahar

I'm in Germany and I bought my catnip here: Naturavita.de.

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Thank you for the link, but today I found some catnip at a store.
(1,99€ for 20gr, I don't know if that is a good deal :rolleyes:, but I can finally try it :cheese:)

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Originally Posted by Lile

Why don't you guys pick it? It's pretty much a common weed here.

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Here in Germany you can't find catnip in the nature. I think in south europe, like Italy, Spain ect, you can find catnip.

Update

I have been using my directed catnip applications on my length and ends in the past while, to use enough catnip there but not too much (my fine hair tends to separate when I use too much on the ends). The heat is on here and has been for a while now.

I have noticed no static at all. I have always had some static in the past. This is great. None at all suits me just fine, lol. My ends are moistirized and smooth.

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Originally Posted by ktani

Loviatar

I never had broken hairs in the sink - before carnip my hair was brittle, with a lot of white dots and I had split ends.

Now I have no split ends and very few white dots, which I think are just mechanical damage.

My hair is no longer brittle - the opposite - the elasticity is excellent.

I have also noticed reduced shedding - much less than when I used to use conditioner and other herbal rinses after that.

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Hi Ktani! Very interested in this for the conditioning ...
Curious tho - do you think the reduced shedding is a benefit from the time on the scalp?

Brewing a batch right now for sometime tomorrow! Forgot you didn't trust using a ball tho ... ( fingers crossed w/ high hopes ...):o

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Originally Posted by Linda K

Hi Ktani! Very interested in this for the conditioning ...
Curious tho - do you think the reduced shedding is a benefit from the time on the scalp?

Brewing a batch right now for sometime tomorrow! Forgot you didn't trust using a ball tho ... ( fingers crossed w/ high hopes ...):o

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Very possibly about the shedding. That makes sense to me.

I wish you luck and please update.

Last week I tried my first shampoo plus catnip tea left on for 1 hr. My hair turned out feeling very weird...a combination of dry, fly-away, sticky and brittle. Not at all what I was expecting! FWIW I used Aubrey Organics Swimmer's Shampoo to clarify before using the catnip tea. I rinsed out the tea after one hour and did not follow with any other rinse or conditioner. The tea was steeped for only about 1 hour before I used it. All I can say is that my hair felt much more fragile/breakable than usual after this process.

What could have been the problem, do you think? :confused: Not sure if I should try it again.

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Originally Posted by Canarygirl

Last week I tried my first shampoo plus catnip tea left on for 1 hr. My hair turned out feeling very weird...a combination of dry, fly-away, sticky and brittle. Not at all what I was expecting! FWIW I used Aubrey Organics Swimmer's Shampoo to clarify before using the catnip tea. I rinsed out the tea after one hour and did not follow with any other rinse or conditioner. The tea was steeped for only about 1 hour before I used it. All I can say is that my hair felt much more fragile/breakable than usual after this process.

What could have been the problem, do you think? :confused: Not sure if I should try it again.

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What were you trying to clarify with the shampoo? Some things require more than one washing to remove.

The Swimmers shampoo has film formers and things that coat the hair in it as well (I put in bold) and is soap based.
"Deionized Water, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (made from organic, non-GMO soybeans), Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap, Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Corn Syrup, Organic Aloe Vera, Citric Acid, Carrageenan, Organic Shea Butter, Panthenol (Vitamin B-5), Bitter Almond Oil, Aminobenzoic Acid, Aubrey's Preservative: (Citrus Seed Extract, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E)"
http://www.aubreyorganics.co.uk/prod...s-shampoo.html

Ktani,

I didn't know what if anything I was trying to clarify. I can't really tell that my hair has any buildup on it. I just thought I should, before doing the catnip. So, do the people having success with the catnip all use the same kind of shampoo beforehand? A detergent-based shampoo I mean? Or are people using lots of different methods to clean their hair before doing the catnip treatment? I have enough types of shampoo around I should be able to find something suitable. For example, I have one with these ingredients:

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Ingredients: Water, Decyl Polyglucose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, C 12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Panthenol ,PEG 150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Fragrance, Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate.

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and one with these ingredients:

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Ingredients: Water, Decyl Polyglucose, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Avocado Oil, C 12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolized Oat Flour, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynl Butylcarboamate, Fragrance.

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Also, I am thinking that I may not have steeped the tea long enough (1 hr)? People seem to be doing the all-day or overnight steeping thing.

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Originally Posted by Canarygirl

Ktani,

I didn't know what if anything I was trying to clarify. I can't really tell that my hair has any buildup on it. I just thought I should, before doing the catnip. So, do the people having success with the catnip all use the same kind of shampoo beforehand? A detergent-based shampoo I mean? Or are people using lots of different methods to clean their hair before doing the catnip treatment? I have enough types of shampoo around I should be able to find something suitable. For example, I have one with these ingredients:


and one with these ingredients:



Also, I am thinking that I may not have steeped the tea long enough (1 hr)? People seem to be doing the all-day or overnight steeping thing.

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The first shampoo you quoted ingredients for is better than the 2nd, with less to no coating ingredients.

1 hour steeping time is fine or until the tea cools enough to pour into a plastic container (about 1.5 hours). I have used just about all times. I prefer 8 hours to get a deeper colour and I have found I get better conditioning as well. However, I was able to get both colour and conditioning enough to prevent split ends at less steeping times.

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Originally Posted by ktani

I spoke with a catnip wholesaler a while back - a catnip farmer.

He turned out to be a chemist as well.

The catnip leaves contain the yellow dye itself, which is actually a tannin. Tannins are astringent.

The flowers, he confirmed, do contain more of the oils.

From icydove's report on using leaves only being drying, although she used about 6 times more than I use in a batch, I will still go with leaves and flowers mixed - I want colour and conditioning. The tannin leaf content, unbalanced by the leaves not being mixed with flowers, may account in some part for the dryness.

Catnip stems - useless, although there are 2 kinds - the ones from the leaves - small and fine and the larger ones - which should not be too plentiful IMO, in a mix.

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Based on the bolded part, is there any reason why someone who's only interested in conditioning, not coloring, couldn't use just the flowers?

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Originally Posted by ktani

Raederle

It is lovely on the scalp isn't it?

I doubt that it has altered your colour much.

It needs more time to do that effectively and from the non slip you are getting, the catnip may not have gotten directly on to the hair shaft - any conditioner or othere residue there would prevent that from happening completely.

ETA: Any colour that you might get will wash out easily enough. It is not any where close to a permanent stain.

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I'm a WO... sort of, anyway. At any rate, I don't use shampoo, conditioner, or anything 'common' to clean my hair. As a result, my hair is pretty well coated in sebum. Do you think the sebum would keep the catnip from getting to my hair shaft?

Also, I know you said you didn't think catnip would work well for those who don't shampoo (or at least that's the idea I got from some of your posts, forgive me if I'm wrong). Do you think using it fairly infrequently, like maybe once a week, or even every other week, would still result in build-up? Or, just the opposite, would using it only that much maybe not even do anything to strengthen/condition/help prevent splits?

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

Based on the bolded part, is there any reason why someone who's only interested in conditioning, not coloring, couldn't use just the flowers?



I'm a WO... sort of, anyway. At any rate, I don't use shampoo, conditioner, or anything 'common' to clean my hair. As a result, my hair is pretty well coated in sebum. Do you think the sebum would keep the catnip from getting to my hair shaft?

Also, I know you said you didn't think catnip would work well for those who don't shampoo (or at least that's the idea I got from some of your posts, forgive me if I'm wrong). Do you think using it fairly infrequently, like maybe once a week, or even every other week, would still result in build-up? Or, just the opposite, would using it only that much maybe not even do anything to strengthen/condition/help prevent splits?

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You can try the buds only. I find that the leaves and flowers give my hair a balance. It is strong and ,oisturized, without being oily. I cannot speak for buds only results.

It would depend on how much sebum is on your hair, as to how it may impeede access to your hair by catnip.

You may have an excess of catnip if you do not wash it out but it does not compare to product build-up from my experience, in that only 1 shampoo with a non clarifying shampoo is required to remove enough of it to keep my hair at its optimum conditioning level, or return it to that, when I have applied too much catnip over a period of time and not washed it out as thoroughly each time.

Canarygirl- I found that if I clarified and used catnip tea for conditioning afterwards, my hair was dry and crunchy due to the oils being stripped. Catnip works best for me on unwashed length - I just wash the scalp. And catnip use just gets better over time. I would condition your hair to get the oils back and use catnip tea the next time you shampoo, scalp only. Good luck and let us know how it works for you.

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Originally Posted by ktani

You can try the buds only. I find that the leaves and flowers give my hair a balance. It is strong and ,oisturized, without being oily. I cannot speak for buds only results.

It would depend on how much sebum is on your hair, as to how it may impeede access to your hair by catnip.

You may have an excess of catnip if you do not wash it out but it does not compare to product build-up from my experience, in that only 1 shampoo with a non clarifying shampoo is required to remove enough of it to keep my hair at its optimum conditioning level, or return it to that, when I have applied too much catnip over a period of time and not washed it out as thoroughly each time.

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I guess I'll just have to play with it and see what works for me. I just need to find someplace that sells catnip! It grows wild around here, and I could pick and dry some myself, but I'm sure it's not flowering right now, so all I'd get is leaves.

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

I guess I'll just have to play with it and see what works for me. I just need to find someplace that sells catnip! It grows wild around here, and I could pick and dry some myself, but I'm sure it's not flowering right now, so all I'd get is leaves.

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You need to harvest the buds before they open.

I just did a thorough s&d and cut 1.5 inches off my length. No real news but I have had some knotting lately.

Too much catnip can do that, so this last wash, I used less catnip on the length and my hair came out very shiny and fuller. By knotting I mean single fairy knots. I never used to get them except rarely and I started to get them more so when I tried using catnip as a shampoo. One caught 4 other hairs this week and instead of unraveling them I pulled in the wrong direction and tightened it. I cut it out, something that has not happened in over 4 years of catnip use (I usuallu just cut the single hair above the knot. I had more of the curlover this week, in spite of smoothing my hair after washing it but I did do a hafl hearted job of it because I was going to be late for school (I got there on time).

I am re-examining using so long a brewing time and the amount I use on the ends. The colour and conditioning this last time is perfect though and it was about a 7 hour brew and I had about 1.5 inches of catnip left in my shampoo bottle, when done. I may reduce the brewing time further. This knotting is directly related I think to the extra time there. It may be that something extra is released into the tea with the extra time. The conditioning over all has been better but it reaches a too soft or too mosturized point with extra catnip if I am not careful. I have to work this out.

No split ends in the s&d even with the stress from the knots which were in total about 4 single hairs in different places but they catch the other hairs. My breakage is still very low and no static, as I said earlier, so I am not unhappy.

I have not figured out what I am going to to about my length. I keep growing it and it is longer. I am enjoying it though. I just haven't decided what length to keep it. I do not like wearing my hair up unless I do chores. So far wearing it down by far most of the time is not a problem. As long as it it not a bother and I enjoy it loose, great.

I seem to have a lot of new growth at the nape and front sides hairline and my hair is growing very fast. My shedding is normal for me in that it is not that much. I do not count shed hairs and with hair as thin as mine in terms of the number of folicles, excessive shedding and thinning would be very evident. Just the opposite has happened with continued catnip use. My hair does not look thin.

I am devoting this post to Feye as a special thank you for her hair cutting method, which I continue to be thrilled with.

Thank you again Feye. I know that you have finally found a stylist that you like to cut your hair but you have done so much for a number of people here, including me.

You Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

Notes on my catnip curlover, which I think caused that knot.

My hair normally waves nicly with catnip but the curlover is something new. I get shrinkage too but not like when I used linden tea. It shunk a lot with that and the breakage was awful. I stretch my waves out by shaping my hair with my hands. With catnip the waves stay stretched and sometimes the wave pattern increases but not the shrinkage really. I am still thrilled with catnip, except for this recent development. I think it is directly related to the brewing time because nothing else has changed. I have used too much catnip before and not had this. So something happens past a certain brewing time point.

That also makes sense to me. In some link on brewing catnip tea to drink, it said that brewing it too long can make it bitter. I noted that but I had no problems increasing the time and liked the results. So, something in it needs a longer time to be fully released. I do like the increased conditioning though so this is a balance thing. The curled over hairs, when I straighten them out with water, show no signs of stress breakage usually (with exceptions) and they curl over other hairs needing to be separated. This week was the first "tangle" I have had in over 4 years.

My hair was more prone to white dots before with catnip but again, nothing in comparison to using conditioner or chamomile or linden tea, when every s&d was a question of "where do I start?" Now and for a long time, I have to search well for white dots. They are not that visible anymore and with magifying reading glasses I get them before they are white. I actually have more of the ones just starting than fully formed white dots and altogether very few of those in comparison the old pre-catnip days, when all dots were white and I had splits too. Still no splits now at all. I now s&d once every few months except for mini s&d's, if I feel that there is an area where hair is catching. Even when I do, not always is there a white dot, forming or otherwise. I used to s&d after every shampoo, which was 2 x per week. If a hair breaks and of course any s&d can never get them all, my hair seems no worse for it. I have not had a breakage taper for a long time.

Ktani, I know you said that you apply the catnip to freshly washed hair-- do you let your hair dry first, or is it still wet/damp when you apply the catnip defusion?

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

Ktani, I know you said that you apply the catnip to freshly washed hair-- do you let your hair dry first, or is it still wet/damp when you apply the catnip defusion?

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No, my hair is still wet in the shower. I gently squeeze out any extra moisture, then apply the catnip.

I just tried a 4 hour brew for catnip and got no curlover. I will be testing this a few times to see the optimal brewing time for me but I will no longer be brewing the tea for 6 hours and longer.

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Originally Posted by ktani

No, my hair is still wet in the shower. I gently squeeze out any extra moisture, then apply the catnip.

I just tried a 4 hour brew for catnip and got no curlover. I will be testing this a few times to see the optimal brewing time for me but I will no longer be brewing the tea for 6 hours and longer.

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Thanks!

I just got some catnip today, and brewed it this evening. I'm excited to try it out tomorrow! :D

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

Thanks!

I just got some catnip today, and brewed it this evening. I'm excited to try it out tomorrow! :D

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Good luck and please update.

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Originally Posted by ktani

Good luck and please update.

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Well, I did the catnip this afternoon, and I'm really pleased with the results. My hair is nice and soft and shiny, and feels well-moisturized. I did wash my scalp only with a little shampoo diluted in water, but only rinsed my length, then applied the catnip.

I brewed it for just half an hour, but I may experiment with brewing it longer.

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

Well, I did the catnip this afternoon, and I'm really pleased with the results. My hair is nice and soft and shiny, and feels well-moisturized. I did wash my scalp only with a little shampoo diluted in water, but only rinsed my length, then applied the catnip.

I brewed it for just half an hour, but I may experiment with brewing it longer.

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30 minutes is what I used for a long time and what I used that prevented split ends for me to begin with. I only started to use longer brews in the past while.

I just wanted to update.. I went to the salon today for my touch up and she asked me if I wanted to trim and I said not if I don't need to.. so she checked her charts and said I haven't had a single trim from her since April and that my ends looked thin but that they were not damaged, split, or broken so if she didn't trim this time she would recommend it next time just because of their thinness. :cheese:

She then went on to ask me about my hair care routine and told me she had never seen someone's hair hold red so well (its all henna and no sulfates there!) and that she couldn't believe I was a curly girl with no damage, breakage, or splits at the ends and I haven't had a full trim since April!! Catnip works.. my stylist will even agree! :)

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

I just wanted to update.. I went to the salon today for my touch up and she asked me if I wanted to trim and I said not if I don't need to.. so she checked her charts and said I haven't had a single trim from her since April and that my ends looked thin but that they were not damaged, split, or broken so if she didn't trim this time she would recommend it next time just because of their thinness. :cheese:

She then went on to ask me about my hair care routine and told me she had never seen someone's hair hold red so well (its all henna and no sulfates there!) and that she couldn't believe I was a curly girl with no damage, breakage, or splits at the ends and I haven't had a full trim since April!! Catnip works.. my stylist will even agree! :)

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Fantastic! I do not doubt it in the least. My only taper for a loooong time has been a growth one, not a breakage one. Catnip can do wonders.

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Originally Posted by ktani

30 minutes is what I used for a long time and what I used that prevented split ends for me to begin with. I only started to use longer brews in the past while.

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Would you say that a longer brew results in better conditioning?

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

I just wanted to update.. I went to the salon today for my touch up and she asked me if I wanted to trim and I said not if I don't need to.. so she checked her charts and said I haven't had a single trim from her since April and that my ends looked thin but that they were not damaged, split, or broken so if she didn't trim this time she would recommend it next time just because of their thinness. :cheese:

She then went on to ask me about my hair care routine and told me she had never seen someone's hair hold red so well (its all henna and no sulfates there!) and that she couldn't believe I was a curly girl with no damage, breakage, or splits at the ends and I haven't had a full trim since April!! Catnip works.. my stylist will even agree! :)

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That's great! I'm even more excited about embarking on my catnip journey, now! :p

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Originally Posted by PrincessFurball

Would you say that a longer brew results in better conditioning?

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It can. That is what I am working out. I can also be problematic. I am trying to regain the perfect balance for me. I overshot the goal, lol. I got too much moisture and the result was knotting. I am in the process of starting from 4 hours and not going to 7, which still caused a problem.

I have upped my brew to a stronger strength. I am now using a tablespoon to 1 teacup full of water, steeping till cool, then straining, then putting into just washed hair and letting sit for as long as I can stand, rinse, follow up with conditioner -- some people wont need an additional conditioner but I find my hair needs one :)

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

I have upped my brew to a stronger strength. I am now using a tablespoon to 1 teacup full of water, steeping till cool, then straining, then putting into just washed hair and letting sit for as long as I can stand, rinse, follow up with conditioner -- some people wont need an additional conditioner but I find my hair needs one :)

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That is about 3 times as strong as the dilution I use and it would be way too astringent for me. Making catnip stronger makes it more astringent. While it is still not drying like other herbs can be I have found it to be much more moisturizing at the weaker dilution I use now, 1 level teaspoon to just under 300 ml of boiled water (about 10 oz). I started out with a heaping teaspoon to 250 ml of boiled water.

Just wanted to mention that amoung my searches for catnip, I noticed it recommends you store it in the fridge--this may be only for cat usage, but figured I'd pass it along. I don't keep mine in the fridge and my kitties seem to be happy with it, so I'm not sure if the stuff from the pet store vs fresh may need to be refrigorated? Just thought I'd share that with you.

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Originally Posted by Darkhorse1

Just wanted to mention that amoung my searches for catnip, I noticed it recommends you store it in the fridge--this may be only for cat usage, but figured I'd pass it along. I don't keep mine in the fridge and my kitties seem to be happy with it, so I'm not sure if the stuff from the pet store vs fresh may need to be refrigorated? Just thought I'd share that with you.

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It can be frozen too although I have never done that. Once the tea is made it needs to be kept refridgerated just like any cosmetic made with water and no preservatives.

The catnip farmer/supplier (wholesale) I spoke with by phone and email, told me it is just fine to keep catnip in a cool cupboard. It is most susceptible to light but also heat and moisture. I have always kept mine in a cupboard and never had any problems with it at all. I keep it in the container in comes in. It is specifically designed to keep it fresh (it is plastic but the quality of it is what matters).

I have read different views on how to keep herbs from glass to no glass to paper bags to no paper bags. I just keep mine the way it was sold and shipped. My current catnip is over a year old, in the same container I bought it in and it works perfectly.

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Originally Posted by ktani

That is about 3 times as strong as the dilution I use and it would be way too astringent for me. Making catnip stronger makes it more astringent. While it is still not drying like other herbs can be I have found it to be much more moisturizing at the weaker dilution I use now, 1 level teaspoon to just under 300 ml of boiled water (about 10 oz). I started out with a heaping teaspoon to 250 ml of boiled water.

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I didn't really see any results or as note worthy as upping the amount used, I was still seeing splits and breakage, however now I have next to none. I am still using cosmic brand, do you think its the brand difference?

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Originally Posted by Cherry_Sprinkle

I didn't really see any results or as note worthy as upping the amount used, I was still seeing splits and breakage, however now I have next to none. I am still using cosmic brand, do you think its the brand difference?

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Possibly. The bottom line is that you are happy with your results now. If that dilution works for you then that is the one you should stay with.

I had the same results with different brands in terms of no splits. I get better conditioning and colour though with the pet store catnip I use at the same dilution.

My hair is most fine. It may be a difference in our hair too.