Catnip - A Beauty and Health Herb
This article contains affiliate links from my favorite brand Mountain Rose Herbs. I love their high quality organic/fair trade products, and am blown away by their commitment to zero waste.
Last month I did a trial using catnip tea for a hair rinse and also as a facial toner. If you’re at all familiar with catnip also known as catmint, it is a herb from the mint family that most cats go crazy over. I learned about catnip on the Long Hair Community.
Catnip leaf and flower tea is known to be a hair conditioner and treatment that protects healthy ends from splitting, while also providing a temporary golden stain for light colored hair.
I noticed that my hair felt much softer than usual and slightly coated when using catnip tea as a hair rinse. I saturated my hair in catnip tea, then used a conditioning cap over my hair for 30 minutes as a deep conditioning treatment. Because the herbs release natural oils and my hair is dry and curly, I decided to also use this herbal hair rinse as a leave-in conditioner. It also aided with detangling my hair.
Catnip tea has been used prior to washing hair by soaking braided hair in a bowl with the tea, as a wash out deep conditioning rinse, as an in between hair wash treatment, and as a leave-in. Depending on your preferences, hair type, and hair need, there are many ways to incorporate catnip tea into your hair regimen. Many found that they did not need to use any other conditioner afterwards, although I used a natural oil to maintain extra moisture.
Catnip leaf and flower extract is also used for its antioxidant and anti-aging properties in skin care to prevent and soften fine lines and wrinkles while speeding up skin tissue repair.
I noticed that it also decreased pore size when using it as a toner, and found that the minty scent was quite refreshing especially on tired mornings. I used the remainder of the tea after doing my hair as a toner for the rest of the week.
Finally catnip tea is used for its calming and soothing effects in the body. Although it excites cats, it’s calming to us. It’s great for headaches, relaxing uptight nerves and upset stomach pains, and for respiratory conditions. It has been the perfect tea for me on stressful days.
To make catnip tea for beauty or a soothing drink, steep 1 tsp of dried catnip leaf and flower with 1 cup of distilled or purified water. When I use catnip for beauty, I like to steep it as long as possible for up to five hours if I have the time. I've even steeped it overnight on a few occasions. Catnip is very easy to use and so simple to make. I always store unused potions in the refrigerator and like to use a spray bottle for easy application.
I purchased organic catnip leaf and flower from Mountain Rose Herbs. One simple and effective herb for skin and hair is always a good thing.
(Note: It is not advised to use catnip while pregnant. So please research all new herbs to ensure there is no conflict with pregnancy or medical conditions before using.)
Image by Dawn Michelle