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What is Pre-Poo?

What is Pre-poo?

A question often asked, but a treatment often ignored.

Pre-poo stands for pre-shampoo. It's exactly what the name implies. A pre-treatment to prepare your delicate hair and follicles for the very stripping act of shampooing.

The purpose of the pre-poo is to protect your natural oils from being stripped away by the shampoo.

Your hair naturally gives off a negative charge, which explains why co-washing doesn't work as a permanent substitute.

Conditioners are a positive charge, and they attract to your hair and gently cleanse them. But those positive charges build up over time and you need a shampoo to clarify all that build up. Remember you should be shampooing at LEAST once a month.

But back to pre-poo. Shampoos are a positive charge so your hair is immediately attracted to it. The main job of the shampoo is to clarify. That means completely washing away everything in your hair dirt, oil, and that includes your natural oils.

So what do you do if you want to protect those natural oils so your scalp and hair don't get so dry?


To Pre-poo, you need to saturate your entire scalp (focus on the scalp first, then when it's fully saturated focus on your hair strands). The excess oil on your scalp acts as a barrier for your natural oils against shampoo.

When it's time to shampoo, the shampoo can't get passed that barrier and only the excess oil will be washed away as a result. Your natural oils will still be intact which helps keep your scalp and hair moisturized.

Using oils is one of the best ways to protect your hair from breakage during the winters. Since there is no humidity (water in the air) there's nothing to moisturize your hair. So why would you want a shampoo to strip you from any last remaining moisture?

Exactly. You don't. Using oils like:
  • Grapeseed (my personal go to)
  • Avocado (my personal go to)
  • Coconut (might be too heavy for some)
  • Jojoba
  • Almond
  • Extra Virgin Olive (might be too heavy for some)

Grapeseed, Avocado, and Coconut oils are the only oils that have a molecular structure small enough to effectively penetrate and moisturize the hair shaft. So, that's why avocado and grapeseed are my go to's. I have fine hair so light but moisturizing oils are the only things that really work for my hair. 

An extra step to really boost up your pre-poo is to:
  • Apply condition ONLY to your hair strands (from mid shaft to ends only)
The conditioner has a chance to moisturize the hair strands and ensure once you shampoo you will have shiny, hydrated, frizz free curls!

How long Should You Pre-Poo?

There are not set time limits with pre-poo, unlike deep conditioners that should never be kept on overnight, pre-poos penetrate the hair and hydrate it naturally without the mega risk of hygral fatigue (Over hydration of the hair)

You can pre-poo anywhere from 15 minutes (the minimum to penetrate the hair) to over night (I always pre-poo while I sleep at night). 

I swear by pre-poos, most frizz problems (including halo frizz!) and it keeps your hair healthy naturally. What's a better DIY solution to frizz than that?!

Do you pre-poo? Let me know you experiences in the comments below!


  1. Yes!!! I love prepoo!! Thanks for all the info :)

  2. so do you recommend putting oil on your head overnight?


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