Catnip + Henna

[jesamyn]

Since catnip seems to be considered conditioning and is acidic, I decided to brew some to use for my henna liquid. I brewed it at 1 tsp catnip to 275ml of water. I heated the water and popped the catnip in (in a tea ball), then covered it and let it sit for several hours. I let it sit until I needed it, at which point it was quite cool.

I dumped about 25-30 g of henna into a bowl and started adding catnip juice. Since I intended to leave it on overnight, I didn't wait for dye release and slapped it on immediately. For those who don't care for the smell of henna, I've discovered that catnip overrides the smell, or at least it does in my nose. If you can't normally smell catnip, I have no idea if this would work for you.

I covered the mud with a plastic processing cap and my black knit cap that I usually use when henna'ing. At 3am, I awoke to my older cat purring happily and rubbing all over my cap. (My younger tabby doesn't react nearly as much to catnip normally.) She's a small cat and sleeps on my pillow regularly, so it was just waking up to her all over my head that was a change. I'm guessing at that point my body heat had spread the aroma of the catnip. We came to a mutual agreement that she could sleep against my head and stop rubbing on me.

When I rinsed the henna out this morning, I was a little disappointed. I was hoping that the conditioning effect of catnip that I'd read about would mean a smooth rinse. It was actually not any smoother than usual, and not as smooth as I get with some vinegar and mostly water. When all was said and done, my hair was actually quite dry, like it was when I used coffee as my henna liquid. It's not as bad as lemon juice, and a little coconut oil is fixing it right up. (Normally I cannot use coconut oil in my hair...makes it too greasy and lank, even in tiny amounts.) Dye intensity and uptake were no different than usual.

My hair does still smell faintly of henna and catnip.

[bigeyedgirl829]

Has anyone else tried this when the same results? Have you noticed split ends or have they lessened?

[chrissy-b]

I've tried this but my result has been a much smoother application and rinse, more so when I use catnip with cassia than with henna, but I can still tell the difference. I haven't noticed a difference in splits, but I only use catnip with henna about once every six to eight weeks, and I've only done this type of application about three times so far.

[ktani]

Henna contains resin. If the purpose was to have the catnip condition to help prevent split ends, catnip cannot get through coatings like resin to be absorbed into the hair. Catnip does not do that well with anything that coats the hair.

Some catnip may have been absorbed by the hair but coatings trump (beats) catnip evey time, from every post I have seen, when catnip is used with or over one.

Henna resin washes out between use, so catnip can be used over henna as less resin remains but whether enough or all resin washes out before the next henna is applied is the question.

When I had mucilage build-up on my hair and I started to use catnip 4 years ago, my hair progressively got better as the build-up washed out and my hair became split end free when all of the build-up was gone.

[Heidi_234]

Henna contains resin. If the purpose was to have the catnip condition to help prevent split ends, catnip cannot get through coatings like resin to be absorbed into the hair. Catnip does not do that well with anything that coats the hair.

Some catnip may have been absorbed by the hair but coatings trump catnip evey time, from every post I have seen, when catnip is used with or over one.

ktani, when the choice is between not-so-soft tap water, chamomile tea, and catnip, I think catnip is a good bet. Even if the henna might prevent it from condition properly, it's a better choice in any case. Cool chamomile tea is shown to aid in yielding more intense color results than just water, so catnip might do the same.

[ktani]

ktani, when the choice is between not-so-soft tap water, chamomile tea, and catnip, I think catnip is a good bet. Even if the henna might prevent it from condition properly, it's a better choice in any case. Cool chamomile tea is shown to aid in yielding more intense color results than just water, so catnip might do the same.

I agree. It is a matter of what someone wants or expects the catnip to do. I elaborated further on that, while you were posting.

[dolcevita]

I actually noticed my split ends drastically reduced after my first henna/indigo! All I mixed in was a bit of ACV.