Naturals are forever seeking ways and means of achieving the best results for their hair. There are many products and a variety of techniques that can be applied to obtain not only beautiful-looking hair, but hair that is also very soft and manageable. Pre-Poo is a common process that is carried out on natural hair in a quest to improve its look and feel.

What is a Pre-Poo?  

A Pre-Poo is the process of applying a treatment to the hair before doing a shampoo. The treatment is usually homemade with the base ingredients being oils, conditioners or a combination of both. The nature of humans is that they are rational and practical in their thinking and as such the idea of Pre-Poo may not make sense and may appear to be nothing short of a waste of precious time.

The thought of  applying a moisturizing treatment, only to wash it out with shampoo, which is usually drying to the hair and then proceeding to add conditioner may seem somewhat to be defeat the whole purpose of conditioning it in the beginning. There is, however, some rhyme and reason behind this popular hair care practice. Doing a Pre-Poo will indeed make an otherwise grueling hair-washing experience a more pleasant one. The following benefits will be examined and will serve to explain how incorporating this process into your wash regimen will result in noticeable improvements in the look and feel of your hair.

Protection from the Harsh Effects of Shampoo

A great number of shampoos on the market have components in them that strip your hair of its natural oils and leave it feeling very dry and coarse. This is not limited to only regular shampoos that we grew up using, but even the new ones that boast the inclusion of all natural ingredients can still have this stripping effect.  

This is usually the reason why many naturals opt to do co washes, which is short for conditioner washes, as opposed to weekly shampoos, as it eliminates the stress of having to handle coarse feeling hair during the wash process. There are times, though, when we just cannot get around the need for a shampoo.

For example, when there is excessive build up on the hair from product overload. In such cases, conditioners may not be effective for cleansing your hair and it may require the clarifying power of shampoo to get the job done. In the event that you must shampoo, I would highly recommend that a Pre-Poo be done immediately before you start the shampoo process. What this will do is coat your strands with your desired Pre-Poo ingredients and prepare the cuticles of your hair by conditioning and strengthening it prior to washing with shampoo.

This will provide additional oils and conditioners which soften your hair and make it less likely for the shampoo to have an overly drying effect. The oils used in Pre-Poo will help to provide a barrier between your hair and the harsh detergents in most shampoos.  Hair that has gone through the pre shampoo process will be softer, more moisturized and conditioned, and prepares a perfect platform for your natural hair to transition seamlessly into the next step in the wash regimen, shampooing.

Removes Knots and Tangles prior to washing

One of the most dreadful steps in any wash day regimen is that of detangling. This can be literally a painful process and one that, if not done correctly, can cost you much of your valuable strands. Introducing shampoo to hair that has knots and tangles can be recipe for disaster. With shampoo that already tends to dry out your hair, it may not be the best idea to add it to hair that is not detangled.

Experience has taught me over time that detangling on dry hair will prove to be time consuming and potentially damaging for your hair. Doing a Pre-Poo prior to a shampoo will help to dampen, moisten and soften natural hair. This makes your hair more manageable and easily detangled before attempting to apply shampoo to it. The oils or conditioners, or a combination of both will help to loosen the strands from each other and make it easier to comb out the knots and tangles. The benefits of doing a Pre-Poo in this case is quite evident and is recommended in order to achieve the best results while shampooing natural hair.

Pre-Poo Recipe

2 Ounce Conditioner

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Jamaican Black Castor Oil

2 Tbsp Pure Honey

5 Drops Tea Tree Oil

Mix all the ingredients together and apply to slightly damp hair. Cover with a plastic cap and allow to penetrate your hair for 30 minutes then rinse and proceed with regular was day routine.

I have been using the Pre-Poo treatment detailed above on an ongoing basis and it provides my hair with moisturizing benefits that are amazing. You may tweak it a bit to suit your hair needs as different hair textures may react differently to different ingredients. My hair is about a 4b in texture,which is somewhat thick, coarse and coily in its natural appearance before the application of products.

The recipe can, however, be used as a basic guide to concocting your own Pre-Poo treatment. You may use any affordable conditioner on the market for this purpose.  My conditioner of choice is Suave Professional Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner. I opt to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Jamaican Black Castor Oil because my hair responds better to heavier oils. For individuals with very fine hair, lighter oils should be considered because heavier oils may weigh down the hair and make it limp. Honey is added to the mix because it is a natural humectant and, as such, it helps the hair to attract and retain moisture. It also provides the hair a natural sheen. Tea Tree Oil is a natural antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral oil, which makes it excellent for treating the scalp.

In the quest for finding a simple and effective natural hair regimen, be sure to consider incorporating Pre-Poos as a part of your routine. It will make life a whole lot easier and spare you the unwanted wash day drama.

Candie's Natural Hairnamix was birthed a few months after Jamaican native Rossette "Candie" Allen began her natural hair journey in May 2010. She gears this column toward naturals, transitioning naturals, aspiring naturals and the naturally curious, sharing experiences, expertise and experiments while celebrating emancipation from chemical slavery.