In the world of hair care, thereโs almost nothing that the haircare experts at Turbie Twist havenโt seen. From salt sprays to get that โmessy beach hairโ look to anti-shampoo campaigns, there are just so many bad ideas out there. So, when the term โpre-pooโ surfaced, you bet that eyes went a little squinty around the office. However, it turns out that this pre-shampoo treatment trend is not just effective at combatting dry and damaged hair, but itโs actually based on science.
Now thatโs worth some attention. Letโs dive in and check it out.
Pre-Shampoo Treatment aka Pre-Poo: The Ridiculous Sounding Fad Thatโs Actually Slightly Genius
Pre-poo is short for pre-shampoo treatment. Basically, itโs a hair treatment that you apply to your hair for some hours (or even days!) before you wash it. Early proponents of pre-pooing advocated for these treatments before shampooing your hair, especially for bearers of kinky and curly hair. Although itโs just now hitting the mainstream hair care world, some digging reveals that the term first appeared on the internet around 2008. There, it specifically referred to the overnight conditioner and oil mixtures used in the curly hair care community.
Pre-pooing is a pretty tried-and-tested hair technique, but it isnโt a magic bullet for your haircare problems. (Surprise!) Thereโs more to it than just throwing some hair masque on your head and going to bed. Hereโs what the science tells us about why it works (and when it doesnโt).
What a Pre-Shampoo Treatment Does for Your Hair
When you research the benefits of using a pre-poo treatment, youโll come across a lot of different claims. Some of the most common out there include:
- A pre-poo delivers moisture directly to your hair without water getting in the way.
- It helps protect your hair during the washing process, thereby reducing frizz.
- It gives your rinse-out conditioner extra support to leave your hair soft and supple.
- It helps you avoid โoverly cleanโ hair that can lead to dryness or scalp problems.
A well-considered pre-poo thatโs right for your hair will deliver these benefits. However, there are a few things that can get in the way of that.
Many people who pre-poo complain that it causes their hair to become stiff, chalky, or greasy. To understand why that happens, we need to take a look at a few unique properties of oils, conditioners, and hair.
The Role of Water in Pre-Poos
There are some people out there who swear by applying pre-poo to dry hair. We arenโt among them.
Thatโs because of the unique interaction that happens between shampoo, conditioner, and hair. Notably, the main mechanisms of shampoo and conditioner arenโt chemical in nature. Rather, theyโre electric.
Your hair has a slight positive charge. You can see this most readily when it stands up in the presence of friction or a negatively charged atmosphere (like a cold winter day).
However, conditioner also has a slightly positive charge. As a result, your hair will naturally repel it. One of the other major roles of shampoo is to take a proton from your hair to make its charge negative so that the conditioner will adhere to your hair.
If youโve applied a conditioner-based pre-poo to dry hair, you may have noticed that instead of making your hair silky and smooth, it made it chalky and dry instead. Thatโs because the electrical charge of the conditioner is repelling from the electrical charge of the hair. To do this, you can do two things:
- Apply water to your hair before your pre-poo. Remember 7th-grade science class? Water is a polar molecule. It has a negative charge (oxygen) and a positive charge (hydrogen). One oxygen molecule clings to your hair, the other clings to the conditioner and helps the hair absorb it.
- Use an oil-based pre-poo instead. Unlike conditioner and hair, oil has a neutral electrical charge. It wonโt be repelled by your hairโs positive charge, which makes it effective when applied dry.
How to Choose the Best Pre-Shampoo Treatment for You
The right pre-shampoo treatment depends a lot on your hair type. In general, youโll find three distinct categories of pre-poos out there. These are:
Oils
Many pre-poos use coconut oil, argan oil, avocado oil, or some other type of nutritious and moisturizing oil. You can use these straight, or you can find a blend of them available from many beauty suppliers.
Who Theyโre For: Ladies with sun (or chemically) bleached hair want to start right here. Likely, your hair is suffering from over-washing and a water-based pre-poo will just stoke that further. Nourish your hair and scalp with high-quality oil-based pre-poo to add moisture, strength, and shine.
Deep Conditioners and Masks
Deep conditioners and masks come jammed pack with extra nutrients and more moisturizing power. Theyโll typically have a variety of ingredients which may include masks, butters, and other nourishing supplements. Theyโre designed for dry hair and can be worn overnight.
Who Theyโre For: If your hair is low porosity but also dry, it will benefit from a deep conditioner rather than an oil-based pre-poo. Likewise, if you suffer from oily hair that lacks texture, browse some hair masks. Many formulas deliver pH-balancing benefits to address the oil at its root cause. Just make sure to spray your hair down with some water to raise the cuticles and get the conditioner or mask into your strands.
Homemade Blends
Homemade blends often consist of conditioners and oils, but increasingly encompass natural ingredients as well. In addition to a custom oil and conditioner blend, you can find recipes for pre-poos that use bananas, honey, avocado, mayonnaise, raw egg, apple cider vinegar, and many other common home beauty ingredients.
Who Theyโre For: Everyone, especially if youโve got Type 3C curls. You want total control over whatโs in your pre-poo, and you need the flexibility to experiment with quality oil and conditioner blends.
Up Your Hair Game with a Pre-Shampoo Treatment
The pre-shampoo treatment is fast becoming all the rage โ and for a fantastic reason! Theyโre a powerful way to introduce moisture and nutrients into your hair. Weโve explored some of the science around why they work as well as provided tips on avoiding many of the snags that people hit with them. Now youโre armed with just one more means to pamper yourself with a nourishing, gentle, and scientifically proven technique to unlock the natural beauty in your hair.
While youโre in the process of upping your hair game, check out our Turbie Twistsยฎ. Say hello to perfect hair โ hands-free!
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