Prerequisites for Moisturizing Hair before Shampooing

Pre-poo or pre-shampoo acts as a conditioner for natural hair prior to it being washed. Shampooing hair can often strip it off moisture and render it dry. Pre-pooing can reduce the chances of hair drying or breakage due to the inherently fragile nature of Afro American hair.

Pre-pooing benefits

• Reduces breakage - Natural hair with kinky curls have a tendency to be at their fragile best when they are soaking wet. If your hair breakage and shedding tendencies are more prevalent when you wash your hair, a pre-poo can make your tresses stronger.
• Shampoos often contain harsh chemicals that get rid of hair moisture while cleansing it off product build-up. Pre-pooing, being a conditioner for natural hair, moisturizes your hair and protects it from being stripped off moisture during a hair wash.
• Pre-pooing can make it easier to untangle kinky stubborn curls. Easier detangling also means reduced hair breakage.
• Pre-poo treatments restore moisture levels in the scalp and strands to give them a healthy sheen as well as texture.

Pre-poo recipes

• Yoghurt, honey, coconut oil and olive oil - This recipe can be safely used on coarse and protein-sensitive hair. The pre-poo acts as a protein and moisturizing treatment on the hair to leave it nourished.
• Essential oils and commercial conditioner - Make your choice of essential oil based on your hair care requirement. Tea tree oil helps in treating persistent dandruff, while lavender oil helps in soothing irritated scalp. Coconut oil or olive oil can be added to the pre-poo in case your hair has an extremely dry texture.
• Olive oil, honey, mango butter and shea butter - The treatment can help in moisturizing hair that has turned rough or coarse. It also helps in preventing the occurrence of split ends by forming a protective coating and fortifying the ends.
• Avocado, almond oil and olive oil - The treatment extensively moisturizes the hair from the roots. It also acts as a sealing mask and gives the hair a smoother and softer texture.

How to pre-poo?

• Gather the pre-poo ingredients in a bowl.
• Carefully divide your hair into multiple sections.
• Use a wide toothed comb to untangle knots in the individual sections.
• Uniformly spread the pre-poo mix onto each section.
• Secure the pre-pooed hair with a plastic or conditioning cap and leave the mixture on at least for 30 minutes.