Why and How to Pre-Poo Fine Natural Hair: Complete Guide
The Pre-Poo (also known as Pre-Wash) is an important part of wash day – especially if you have fine natural hair. In this article, you’ll find updated tips for how to pre-poo natural hair and why you should do so.
Some ladies skip the pre-poo, unaware that much like oil therapy, it is the pre-poo that actually helps to protect the hair from breakage while undergoing all of the manipulation necessary to return it to its full state of glory on wash day.
Like every part of the hair care regimen for fine natural hair, the pre-poo is not to be underestimated. It’s as important as deep conditioning, and just like I would never skip deep conditioning, I’d almost never skip the pre-poo portion of my hair care routine.
After undergoing days or weeks of exposure to dirt and styling products, you must wash, deep condition, and treat your hair with protein if necessary. With the first being the wash, the pre-poo protects our hair from what’s called hygral fatigue. This is simply damage (normal wear and tear) that occurs when your hair shaft swells open (expands) when wet and closes (contracts) when dry.
Benefits of a Pre-Shampoo Treatment
The pre-poo is the first step to beginning wash day.
I can’t speak for those with a heftier hair type, but for those of us with fine curly hair strands, pre-pooing (also known as pre-shampooing or pre-washing, if you don’t shampoo) can literally make the difference between long, strong hair and hair that’s breaking from the simple manipulation of washing.
Pre-pooing your hair has a number of benefits
When you pre-poo your hair, a number of things take place:
- It serves to protect the hair from hygral fatigue (hair damage caused when the hair shaft shrinks/swells during the wash process)
- Helps set hair up for easy detangling
- Protects the moisture and protein integrity of the hair
- Prevents the stripping of hair of its natural oils (especially if you are using a clarifying shampoo)
- Reduces the likelihood of breakage caused by dryness
- Helps your deep conditioner be more effective when the time comes
For those of us with fine natural hair already vulnerable to breakage, the best way to protect our hair during the cleansing process is to pre-poo. You don’t want to miss out on the benefits derived from a pre-wash treatment for natural hair.
How to Pre Poo Natural Hair – 4 Methods
Now that you can see just how many benefits the pre-poo has, let’s look at how to pre treat natural hair before washing using 1 of 3 methods.
These routines are especially helpful for those with fine natural hair (I sometimes alternate between the three):
Pre-Pooing with oil on damp hair- Method 1
Coconut oil is the choice oil for pre-pooing your hair with an oil. No other oil can match it. That’s because coconut oil is able to penetrate the individual strands of your hair to protect it from the loss of protein and moisture.
When prepping with oil on fine hair, I recommend you slightly dampen your hair by slightly misting it with water. Manipulating dry hair can cause breakage to finer strands. Dampening your hair will allow you to work the coconut oil through it without causing breakage.
Allow an oil pre-poo to sit on your hair for a minimum of 3 hours to overnight.
Pre-Pooing with conditioner on dry hair – Method 2
When using conditioner to pre-poo, use a rinsing conditioner which serves to also soften the hair. When applying the conditioner to your hair, smooth it on without manipulating your hair until it feels pliable.
A good conditioner will contain water as one of its top ingredients, so there isn’t a need to mist your hair with water before applying it. Smoothing the conditioner onto your hair shaft will soften it and allow you to manipulate further with minimal to no breakage.
Pre-Pooing with oil & conditioner on dry hair -Method 3
This method is the best of both worlds, combining the use of conditioner and coconut oil, but it’s not always necessary. It’s great for when you want to give your hair the royal treatment, like after taking out a long term protective style.
Steam hair in sections, followed by immediately applying oil and a silicone free conditioner to the hair. This allows the hair shaft to open up and receive the products better.
Put on a plastic cap and allow it to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour.
Watch my full day wash regimen, starting with the pre-poo here:
Pre-Pooing with a Pre-Poo Product – Method 4
If you don’t want to make your own product for pre-washing your hair, there are products available on the market that you can purchase (see below).
When using a pre-poo product, simply apply the product to your hair and allow it to remain in your hair for a minimum of 1 hour (or following the manufacturer’s instructions).
Note for each Pre-Poo Method:
The method you choose to use to pre-poo your natural hair is your own. What I want you to take away from this is the necessity of this practice in your hair regimen and ways to do it so that you have the least amount of hair breakage possible.
Here are some additional thoughts to keep in mind:
- Put hair in a bun or several large bantu knots when sitting with your pre-poo in. The idea is to ensure your ends are not exposed.
- Try not to fully finger detangle your hair with the pre-poo. Just smooth pre-poo into your hair. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to detangle either during the conditioner rinse out process or during the styling process.
- When using an oil and conditioner, you can combine them or opt to apply them separately.
- An alternative to steaming your hair is sitting under a dryer for 5 minutes with a plastic cap on.
Effective Pre-Poo Products
Let’s take a look at some examples of an effective pre-poo product.
These products will help you to elevate your pre-poo routine, which is just one extra step you can take before your wash routine for extra moisture to transform dry hair.
With fine natural hair, less is definitely more. It’s best to use those products that will protect the hair from damage (and breakage) during the wash cycle, but will not weigh the hair down.
Dabur Enriched Hair Oils
Vatika oils distributed by Indian company Dabur, are enriched with herbal ingredients such as: henna, neem, amla, brahmi, rosemary, and lemon. Dabur Vatika oils are available with Almond, Olive, Cactus or Coconut oils.
The ingredients in Vatika oils can be very enriching for the hair. These include Henna, Neem, Amla, Brahmi and oils.
- Henna strengthens and adds “weight” to fine hair.
- Neem and Amla help prevent hair loss.
- Brahmi helps boost hair growth.
- Almond oil softens the hair and helps to keep it moisturized.
- Cactus oil provides the hair with volume and fullness (just what fine hair needs!).
- Lemon regulates the flow of sebum in the scalp to help keep it dandruff-free.
Side note: If you want something that is ALL natural to pre-poo your natural hair, skip the Dabur and just use plain coconut oil that you can infuse with the following herbs: Neem, Amla, Henna, Lemon essential oil.
OLAPLEX Hair Perfector No 3
OLAPLEX’s hair perfecter isn’t a pre-poo in the traditional sense of what a pre-poo is. Yet, it’s still a pre-poo since it’s a treatment applied BEFORE cleansing your hair.
This product works by temporarily repairing broken bonds along the hair shaft. It doesn’t treat the hair follicles. Those are within the scalp. OLAPLEX Hair Perfector No 3 specifically targets weak hair, especially hair damaged from chemical treatments.
Related read: OLAPLEX for Curly Hair
Carol’s Daughter Goddess Strength Ultra Shield Pre-Shampoo Treatment
This product is a creamy treatment formulated specifically for those with naturally curly hair. It contains Castor Oil, Ginger, and Black Cumin Seed helps to pre-condition the hair before washing. It also provides a protective barrier around each hair strand.
Many Amazon reviewers reported softer, more manageable hair with use.
African Pride Moisture Miracle Aloe & Coconut Water Pre-Shampoo
This pre-shampoo product helps to minimize hair breakage while offering a bit of conditioning prior to washing with it. It was designed especially for us, natural girls with coils and curls, containing Aloe Vera and coconut water.
I hope these tips for how to pre-poo natural hair will help you to prep your hair in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
While there are a few different methods for how to pre-poo natural hair, for best results, use oils on dry or lightly dampened hair, specifically a penetrating oil. That doesn’t mean a product that isn’t solely oil-based won’t work.
While your favorite oil may be some of the lighter oils like Jojoba Oil or Argan Oil, these are not the best oils you want to use to pre-poo with. Save those for doing a hot oil treatment or sealing.
These oils, along with Shea Butter, Mango Butter, and others, are better for creating DIY recipes and mixing up hair masks.
The actual best pre-poo oil is coconut oil.
Pre-pooing is done on wash day, so the frequency is tied to how often you wash your hair. If you wash weekly, you pre-poo weekly. If you wash every two weeks, you pre-poo every two weeks. There is no such thing as pre-pooing too often as long as you are not over-manipulating your hair in the process (or washing too often).
