I now laugh when I remember that I’d never heard the term “pre-poo” before 2012. Pre-pooing is now a permanent fixture in my hair care regimen. Over the years I’ve identified and tried out what I’d consider the best pre-poo recipes for low porosity hair.
I have low porosity hair. Porosity basically tells you how good your hair is at absorbing water.
Low porosity hair is bad at absorbing moisture. This is because my hair’s cuticle layer is tightly packed and this makes it difficult for water to pass through.
I have previously written about how to carry out an easy test to determine your hair porosity.
Pre-poo is a shorter way of saying pre-shampooing. As the name suggests, this is a pre-wash activity that takes place before washing and conditioning.
One of the many benefits of pre-pooing is that it adds moisture to the hair.
This explains why I can’t skip my pre-poo sessions during my wash day routine.
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Why should we pre-poo hair?
Hair wash days can be time-consuming, especially if you have very long and voluminous hair. So why incorporate pre-pooing?
Well, this activity is worth your time. The following are some of the benefits of pre-pooing your hair:
Helps in detangling hair
To be honest, detangling is my least-favorite part of my wash day routine.
When I take down a protective style, I have all these tangles and single-strand knots that can be really annoying.
Thankfully, pre-pooing my hair prior to washing it makes detangling so much easier.
Pre-pooing gives me the slip I need to gently remove knots and tangles before washing my hair.
This has really helped to reduce breakage.
Adds extra moisture to hair
When you have low porosity hair, your tresses are always yearning for moisture.
Actually, everyone with curly/coily hair is bound to have issues with hair dryness.
Due to our strands’ curly/coily shape, natural oils don’t often get to travel down the hair shaft.
As a result, our hair hardly ever gets enough moisture to stay hydrated and healthy.
Pre-pooing your hair helps restore the moisture that your hair badly needs before you begin the cleansing process.
It infuses moisture that you may have lost as a result of coloring, bleaching, using heat styling appliances, or during extreme weather conditions.
Shampooing your hair can strip it of its natural oils and moisture.
Pre-pooing your hair, therefore, provides it with an extra layer of protection during the cleansing process.
Promotes softer, shinier hair
The added moisture makes your hair softer and easier to manage.
It also leaves the hair looking shiny and healthy.
This is one of the quick wins I had when I first started pre-pooing.
In the past, my hair was not very manageable and I’d experience breakage as a result.
When the hair is softer, it has more slip and I can now handle it with less breakage.
Incorporating pre-pooing in your hair care routine will enhance your hair’s luster and manageability.
Prevents hygral fatigue
Hygral fatigue is when the hair cuticle gets damaged as a result of excess moisture.
The surface of your hair strands can only take on so much at any given time.
When you’re washing your hair (or any instance when your hair is wet), the hair shaft expands because of moisture and then contracts when it dries.
Hygral fatigue can lead to the weakening of the hair strands and may sometimes lead to excessive stretching, which may later lead to hair breakage.
Pre-pooing, therefore, mitigates hygral fatigue on the hair by preventing excessive expansion of the hair strands.
Signs of hygral fatigue includes hair weakness, breakage, loss of the hair’s elasticity, and excessive shedding.
Although hygral fatigue is something you’re likely to see on high porosity hair (the hair cuticle good at letting moisture in and out), there are instances where it can affect low porosity hair.
For instance, if you leave deep conditioner in your hair for too long, it can cause hygral fatigue.
I wrote about hygral fatigue and how long a deep conditioning session should be on this post.
Pre-poo recipes for low porosity hair
Some of the most common ingredients used for pre-pooing are oils and conditioners.
There are many other beneficial ingredients that you can use for this pre-wash activity.
You can make your preferred pre-poo mixture using stuff from your pantry.
Here are five recipes that you can use to make your favorite pre-poo:
Blackstrap Molasses Pre-Poo
Ingredients
- Blackstrap molasses (unsulfured)
- Wheat germ oil
- Coconut oil
- Your favorite mild protein conditioner. You can also substitute with egg yolk.
Instructions
- Pour half a cup of the blackstrap molasses into a bowl.
- Heat coconut oil over hot water in a different bowl.
- Add the hot coconut oil to the blackstrap molasses and mix.
- You can then add a generous amount of your favorite conditioner, or you can use egg yolk instead.
- Whisk the mixture. Stir until the combination appears smooth and creamy.
- Add the wheat germ oil into the mixture and stir until you see a brown color form
- Spray some water into your hair to dampen it for easier manipulation
- Section the damp hair into manageable sections then start working the mix into each section.
- Apply it from the roots of your hair down to the tips of your hair. Make sure that the mixture is fully saturated into your hair strands. Pay enough attention to the tips of your hair as they are the oldest.
- Remember to detangle your hair using a wide-tooth comb and twist up your completed sections.
- After you have completed all the sections of your hair, put on a cap, and let it sit for about 50 minutes. You can also sit under a hooded dryer if you have one.
This recipe is fantastic for dry and damaged hair. It will help strengthen your hair while keeping it pliable for handling without breakage.
Wheat germ oil is rich in linoleic acid and acts as a hair nourisher.
The blackstrap molasses is also known to soften the hair, as well as provide nutrients that promote hair growth.
It also improves the overall appearance of the hair and helps with reversing gray hair.
Oil Combination Pre-Poo
Ingredients
- Coconut oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Castor oil
- Watermelon oil
- Wheat germ oil
- Argan oil
- One tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
- Applicator bottle
Instructions
- First, crush the dried hibiscus flowers then pour them into the applicator bottle.
- Add in spoonfuls of the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, castor oil, watermelon oil, wheat germ oil, and argan oil. Close and shake.
- Heat some water then place the bottle in hot water for about ten minutes.
- Test the temperature of the solution on the back of your hand to prevent you from burning your scalp. You wouldn’t want that.
- Dampen your hair with water for easier manipulation then section it into four parts.
- Apply the oil from the scalp to the ends of your hair while massaging your scalp.
- Twist the sections you are done with and continue the process with the remaining parts.
- Make sure the oil is fully saturated into your hair, especially at the tips of the hair.
- Cover your hair with a disposable cap, then wrap a bonnet over your hair.
- Let it stay overnight then proceed to shampoo the next day.
This recipe will make your hair softer and help you in detangling without too much breakage.
The combination of oils promotes hair growth and keeps your hair moisturized.
Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil Pre-Poo
Ingredients
- Coconut oil
- One can of coconut milk
- Vitamin E oil
- Spray bottle
Directions
- First, pour the coconut oil into a cup or bowl then place it over a bigger bowl of hot water.
- Let it stay for about ten minutes until it’s warm, stream in the coconut milk into the bowl while stirring the mixture to make sure it’s smooth and fully mixed.
- Add the Vitamin E oil and stir some more.
- Pour the mixture into an applicator bottle and warm it up in a hot bowl of water.
- Dampen your hair with water – you can do this using a spray bottle.
- Section your hair into manageable parts depending on the thickness of your hair. Four parts are likely to do the trick.
- Apply the mixture onto your hair from the scalp to the end of the strands. Remember to concentrate on the ends of your mane and make sure your hair is fully saturated with the oil.
- Twist the potions you are done with, then cover the hair with a disposable cap when you’re done.
- You can choose to leave it on for 30-45 minutes, or you can leave it on overnight. You can also use a hooded dryer for about 20 minutes, whichever works for you best.
This recipe provides your hair with moisture and as a result, it makes your mane softer and more manageable.
It also gives you slip to detangle the hair easily with minimal hair breakage.
Coconut oil also boosts hair growth and the general health of your scalp.
Olive Oil and Egg Yolk Pre-Poo
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Two tablespoons of wheat germ oil
- Lavender essential oil
- One egg yolk
Instructions
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg yolk until it appears frothy.
- Add the extra virgin oil and wheat germ oil and stir.
- Add a few drops of the lavender essential oil and stir again.
- Dampen your hair with a few sprays of water for easier manipulation
- Section your damp hair into four sections and apply the pre-poo one part after the other.
- Just like the previous recipes, do this from the scalp to the ends of your hair as you massage gently for blood circulation. Massages leave you relaxed and always feel good; you wouldn’t want to skip that part.
- Twist and pin-up your hair, then cover with a disposable cap and leave on for 45 minutes. You can also use a hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Whichever works for you best.
The egg yolk and pre-poo treatment eliminate dryness and strengthen damaged hair.
It also works as a mild protein treatment.
Aloe Vera and Coconut Oil Pre-poo
Ingredients
- Aloe vera gel
- Coconut oil
- Argan oil
- Vitamin E oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Water
- Spray bottle
- Applicator bottle
Instructions
- Using the spray bottle, spray some water into your hair to help ease manipulation.
- Section your hair into four parts or even smaller sections in the case where your hair is too thick. You can do this using hair clips or twist your hair into various sections.
- Apply the aloe vera gel onto your scalp. Make sure you have full coverage of your scalp. The aloe vera helps to remove dandruff and bacteria from your hair.
- Using an applicator bottle, put in the coconut oil, argan oil, Vitamin E oil, and lavender oil, then shake the bottle.
- In a clean bowl, add some hot water then place the applicator bottle with the oils into the container. Let it sit for a few minutes until the oils are warm for easier penetration into your hair strands.
- Afterward, apply the solution of oils into your hair, using the sections you made earlier. Do this from the scalp to the tips of the hair. Make sure you also concentrate on the tips of the hair as they are the oldest and most fragile.
- Massage the oils into your scalp; this also helps with blood circulation and feels good.
- Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle the parts with saturated oil before twisting them up.
- Finally, cover your head with a disposable cap then wait for about 40-45 minutes before washing. You can also use a hooded dryer for about 20 minutes for more penetration, or you can let the pre-poo sit in your hair overnight then wash the next day.
The combination of oils helps in preventing hair breakage and promoting hair growth.
Detangling your hair also becomes a manageable task after using this pre-poo.
Conclusion
The health of your hair is essential, and incorporating something that will help improve its health is worth your time and effort.
As you know, shampooing can leave your hair dry after stripping it of its natural oils.
Incorporating the pre-poo treatment into your regimen provides the necessary protection for your hair before washing it and detangling.
There are ready-made pre-poo treatments like the Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Pre-Shampoo Treatment that you can buy; but if you are a DIY kind of person, the five recipes featured in this post can be a great place begin your pre-poo journey.