Why Pre-poo?

In my quest for healthier, properly maintained hair I have been experimenting with various DIY haircare recipes. So each week I will give an update on my progress!

My quest started as I have recently gone back natural after doing the big chop at the start of the year. That left me with the task of finding ways to style and take care of my hair. I must admit, I am not really good at maintaining a proper haircare regime, but still relish the idea of having thick luscious hair.

So how do you go about that? Well I started researching products that would help the process. Then I came across varied articles on DIY haircare recipes. To be totally honest DIY haircare was not foreign to me as my mom always knew "the next best thing for our hair". Whether castor oil, coconut oil, Aloe Vera, beer (yes beer!) and egg just to name a few. But one can sometimes forget, so here I am trying to recapture and recall all that my 'momma' taught me.

I decided to start pre pooing; (A pre-shampoo treatment consisting of a water-based conditioner, oil, or DIY blend that is applied to the hair before washing). There were quite a few articles about the benefits of using coconut oil as a pre-poo so I decided, why not try it?

So what is a coconut? Coconuts are classified as a fibrous one-seeded drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (like a peach or olive). A coconut, has three layers: the exocarp (outer layer), the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer), and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed). (Congress 2010)

Every bit of the coconut can be used. As a result, coconuts are called the “Tree of Life” and can produce drink, fibre, food, fuel, health and beauty products and much more. Luckily you do not have to go find a coconut tree as many supermarkets stock organic virgin coconut oil! That’s where I bought my coconut oil.

I sectioned my hair and applied coconut oil liberally to each section and twisted. After finishing, I placed a shower cap on. I had every intention of leaving it in for a few hours before shampooing, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave it on overnight. So I slept with my plastic cap on!

When I removed the plastic cap the next morning my hair was dripping with oil (maybe I had used too much?!). Nevertheless, my hair felt really soft and was easy to detangle in the shower. I used the Crème of Nature Argan Oil Sulfate-Free Moisture & Shine Shampoo which I absolutely love. My hair felt different to say the least! I will definitely be incorporating a pre-poo in my hair care regime from now on.

Some benefits of Pre-pooing are:

• It softens and allows for easy de-tangling of the hair. This is because the hair strands are coated thereby enabling the strands to glide against each other making it more manageable during the washing process.
• It supports moisture retention during the washing process and also helps with hydration. This becomes particularly important during summer months when hair is more prone to lose moisture because of direct sun exposure
• It helps with hair styling whether twist-out, wash and go or more coiffured styles. Styles come out noticeably better than they would have otherwise. That is solely because the hair retains moisture with pre-pooing making it less frizzy and giving improved definition. Pre-pooing also helps with heat styling because of the oils used in the process.
• It aids longer lasting strength and moisture as pre-poo treatments penetrate the hair, strengthen the hair with vitamins and nutrients, improve elasticity and aid moisture retention throughout wash day and beyond. Your hair will be softer, shinier and stronger for longer!

Just to point out, coconut oil is not the oil that can be used as a pre-poo. There are quite a few alternatives such as, olive oil, castor oil, shea butter, mango butter and avocado.

Tell me if you have ever pre-pooed or tried any DIY hair care recipe? We can compare notes!