The Art of the Pre-Poo…and How to Master It
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via the GoodHairDiaries
What is a pre-poo?
A pre-poo is when you apply a conditioning treatment to the hair prior to shampooing / washing so as to add moisture to the follicles.
How does the pre-poo affect your hair?
Yes, it’s true that everything that put on your hair before a shampoo will be washed away. It may be hard to see the point of doing this step in the first place. Let’s remember that the process of washing the hair can be very stressful on the hair, especially if you are still using a sulfate shampoo. In fact, there tends to be a ton of manipulation during the washing, deep conditioning and styling routine. Doing a pre-poo conditions the cuticle and gets it prepared for the manipulation to follow.
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What you use as a pre-poo is solely up to you. I enjoy using a protein conditioner/treatment as a pre-poo if I know that I will be deep conditioning with a moisturizing treatment. In general, oils and humectants such as honey and conditioners are all great options for pre-poos. Choose according to what your hair needs and craves in order to get the most out of your pre-poo.
Make Your Own Pre-Poos at Home:
If you’d rather mix your own pre-poo instead of buy, there are a ton of recipes out there to get you started. Eventually you will get a feel for what your hair likes and doesn’t like, but here are some easy recipes that work for every hair type.
- Papaya Pre-Poo Treatment: a mixture of avocado, papaya, and yogurt
- Coconut Milk Pre-Poo: a mixture of honey, coconut milk, and 3 of your favorite oils
- Peppermint Oil Pre-Poo: a simple mixture of peppermint oil and coconut oil
How to do a pre-poo:
- Gather your ingredients for your pre-poo
- Section your dry hair into 4 or more sections
- De-tangle each section with a wide tooth comb
- Spread your choice of pre-poo over each section
- Cover hair with a conditioning cap and sit under a hooded dryer if you choose
What CN Readers Say About Pre-Poo:
See less breakage and shedding:
Feels soft and detangles so easily:
Retains moisture and limits tangles:
Doing a pre-poo will give your hair that fighting chance it needs to withstand further manipulation on wash day.
Have you tried a pre-poo? If so, what’s your favorite product to use? let us know in the comment section below!
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CN Says-
I shared my pre-poo ‘coconut bun’ routine with y’all yesterday. If I forget to do it the night before, or if I spontaneously decide to wash my hair, I apply a pre-poo just 15-30 minutes before jumping in the shower. I rarely finger detangle prior (although I should), I just smoosh product in and go about my business. No matter if I’m using coconut oil, conditioner, or yogurt (or a mix), I apply to dry hair- I never spritz with water.
Oh and for the record, this is now ‘greasy ass bun’, day 2. I have absolutely no intentions of washing and styling today, at the most, I may add another layer of coconut oil! Tomorrow, yeah… tomorrow is wash day 🙂
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This article was originally published on October 2012 and has been updated for grammar and clarity.
