This site is supported by our readers. We may earn a commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through links.
You know you need to deep condition for strong, healthy hair. But what if we told you conditioning your hair before you shampoo could take your hair health to new levels? DIY pre-poo recipes that work are the holy grail to moisture and strength.
Pre-pooing coats and nourishes each strand before stripping shampoos lift dirt and oils. The result? Hair that detangles with ease, frizz-free styling, softer curls, and silky, oh-so-healthy hair. We’ll walk you through how to create natural, homemade pre-poos with ingredients like aloe vera gel, bananas, and egg yolks.
Plus recommendations for the best pre-shampoo treatments on the market when you’re short on time.
Let’s dive in!
Table Of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Use natural moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, aloe vera, avocado, banana, or egg yolk to create effective pre-poos.
- Apply the pre-poo to dry hair, concentrating on the ends, and let it sit for 15-30 minutes before shampooing for the best results.
- Customize recipes based on your hair type and goals – curly, damaged, oily, etc. Match the right ingredients to your needs.
- Avoid common mistakes like aggressive brushing or using the wrong products for your hair type.
What is Pre-Pooing Hair?
You’d think pre-pooing your hair before washing is silly, but this pre-shampoo treatment actually works wonders for hydrating and detangling your parched locks before you wash them clean. Pre-pooing coats your hair in nourishing oils, butters or masks before shampooing to provide deep moisture.
Pre-pooing is recommended for very dry, brittle or knotted hair. Applying your chosen oil, mask or butter and letting it soak in for at least 20 minutes before washing gives the treatment time to work.
Look for gentle, hydrating ingredients like coconut oil, Shea butter or aloe vera when picking a pre-poo product.
Homemade pre-poos with avocado or banana can also provide intense moisture. Ultimately, pre-pooing gives your hair the drink it’s been craving.
Why Pre-Poo Your Hair?
Soaking your hair in nourishing oils or conditioners before shampooing can really boost hair health. Pre-pooing coats each strand with emollients that hydrate and soften, easing detangling. Oils seal in moisture and provide lipids to reinforce the hair cuticle. Conditioners smooth strands and make combing less damaging.
Apply pre-poo to dry hair in sections, focusing on ends. Allow it to penetrate for at least 15-30 minutes; some leave it on overnight for maximum nourishment. Rotate oils like coconut, olive and argan or opt for natural yogurt. Adjust frequency based on your hair’s needs.
Pre-poo weekly or biweekly for added softness and sheen. Whip up homemade blends with avocado, honey and banana or try over-the-counter conditioners. Give your tresses a head start before shampooing with this simple, soothing step.
How to Pre-Poo Your Hair
Let’s move forward to grow healthy strands by liberating knots before washing. Here are 5 ways to pre-poo for nourished, hydrated hair:
- Section hair into 4-6 parts before applying pre-poo. Focus on ends.
- Use fingertips to distribute pre-poo evenly from roots to tips.
- Cover hair with plastic cap or towel. Leave on for 15-30 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water to remove oils and open cuticles.
- Shampoo and condition as usual. Repeat 1-2 times per week.
When pre-pooing, choose natural oils like coconut or argan to increase moisture retention. Homemade recipes with avocado or banana also nourish strands. Whatever your hair needs – strength, softness, growth – pre-pooing boosts the benefits of your wash day routine.
Pre-Poo With Aloe Vera Gel
Coating your strands with aloe vera gel pre-shampoo softens hair and relieves dandruff before washing. Aloe vera gel makes an excellent pre-poo because its enzymes and nutrients provide natural conditioning.
Massage pure aloe gel into damp hair, focusing on the scalp. Let it penetrate for at least 30 minutes with a shower cap.
Aloe conditions hair, seals in moisture, and prevents protein loss. Its antibacterial and antifungal properties also help control dandruff by balancing your scalp’s pH.
Using aloe gel regularly before shampooing will leave your curls bouncier, smoother, and flake-free.
Pre-Poo With Butters
You’re pampering your parched strands by massaging in creamy, velvety-soft butters that melt like butter on hot toast before rinsing and shampooing. Butters provide intense nourishment to revive brittle, dry hair before cleansing.
Shea, cocoa, mango, and hempseed butters excel at sealing in moisture, strengthening hair, and boosting shine.
A DIY butter-based pre-poo like a whipped shea butter hair mask penetrates strands with essential fatty acids and vitamins. Alternatively, melt 1 tablespoon each of shea and cocoa butters with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to make a luxurious hair treatment.
The emollients in butters coat every strand to protect against winter weather damage.
Regular pre-pooing with butters boosts hair’s health to unlock your strands’ fullest potential.
Banana Pre-Poo Recipe
Take some overripe bananas and mash them up before massaging the pulp into your locks for a moisture-boosting pre-poo that softens strands and eases detangling for a fraction of the cost of fancy store-bought treatments.
The banana nourishes hair with potassium while the fruit’s own natural oils provide deep hydration. As you work the mashed banana through sections, the fruit’s creamy texture gently conditions, making it easier to detangle hair pre-wash.
Without stripping shampoos, the banana’s nutrients have time to really penetrate the hair shaft, leaving hair silky smooth.
For best results, cover hair with a shower cap after applying and let the banana pre-poo sit for at least 20 minutes before rinsing and shampooing as usual.
With just a couple overripe bananas, you can give dull hair an affordable boost of moisture and shine.
Egg Yolk Pre-Poo Recipe
The golden elixir will penetrate your tangled tresses, soothing each delicate strand like a nurturing embrace and leaving them sleek and strong. Give your hair new life with this easy DIY pre-poo featuring incredible egg yolk.
Rich in nourishing proteins and fatty acids, egg yolks boost shine, strengthen roots, and restore hair’s natural moisture balance. For best results, whisk an egg yolk with a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil. Apply the mixture to damp hair, concentrating on the ends.
Let it sit for at least 20 minutes before rinsing and shampooing as usual. The coconut oil helps seal in moisture while the egg yolk penetrates each fiber. Your hair will look and feel softer, smoother, and more manageable. Skip the damaging chemicals and create your own luxurious, moisturizing egg pre-poo treatment at home.
This effective, all-natural recipe will have your hair feeling rejuvenated and looking its best.
Top Pre-Poo Products to Buy
Pre-pooing is all the rage in hair care right now, so let’s explore some of the top products to try. Burt’s Bees, Aunt Jackie’s, and SheaMoisture all make nourishing pre-shampoo treatments that hydrate hair, reduce shedding, and leave your mane silky smooth before you lather up.
These natural formulas transform lackluster locks, so grab a jar and hop on the pre-poo bandwagon.
Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter
Burt’s Bees’ avocado-infused butter moisturizes parched strands in need of serious TLC. Slather Burt’s Bees Avocado Butter Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment on dry locks before cleansing for ultra-nourished, supple strands.
The 99.25% natural origin formula with avocado, olive, and almond oils repairs damage and restores shine without sulfates or parabens. Your tresses will soak up this buttery moisture boost like a sponge, gaining softness, manageability, and vigor.
Winter-wrecked hair is no match for Burt’s Bees’ rejuvenating avocado butter mask.
Aunt Jackie’s Growth Oil
You’d better slather on Aunt Jackie’s growth oil to soften those brittle locks, girlfriend! This thick coconut-scented oil blend with grapeseed and avocado oils improves moisture balance for dry, porous hair.
Massage the oil into your strands before shampooing to nourish hair and strengthen roots. Avoid breakage and promote growth with this fabulous pre-shampoo treatment, darling.
Shea Moisture Hair Mask
Use SheaMoisture’s hair mask weekly to restore strength, shine, and growth to your neglected locks. This mask hydrates hair with aloe vera, moisturizes with shea butter, and repairs damage with natural oils.
Massaging the thick formula onto dry strands before shampooing provides ultimate hair health. The mask offers DIY benefits without the hassle of mixing ingredients. Let the nourishing ingredients soak in so hair looks and feels its best.
Avoid These Pre-Poo Mistakes
Don’t scrub your hair into knots with tangled bristles, girl. Patience untangles gorgeous locks more gently so they can drink in that sweet, sweet moisture. Choosing the right pre-poo product for your hair’s needs prevents wasted effort.
Skipping detangling beforehand risks breakage when fingers comb through pre-pooed strands.
Leaving treatment on too briefly limits absorption of nourishing oils and butters into thirsty follicles. Conversely, overdoing time with pre-poo risks greasy buildup without extra benefit.
Section hair neatly so roots get moisturized too. Check porosity and customize recipes using ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, avocados, and bananas to target specific hair goals.
When done thoughtfully, pre-pooing brings damaged hair back to life.
Conclusion
Like a deep-conditioning hair mask sealing in moisture, pre-pooing provides your hair with the nourishment it needs before cleansing. There’s no need for fancy products – you can whip up soothing, strengthening pre-poos with simple kitchen ingredients.
Bananas give limp locks some body while egg yolks inject protein to rebuild damaged strands. For an even easier DIY pre poo, reach for household staples like aloe vera gel or nourishing butters to soften and detangle.
