What is the benefit

[audacity.]

of pre-pooing with oils as opposed to with conditioners?

are there certain oils that work better as pre-poos?
are there certain conditioners that do better?

is it best to use both?

 

[camellia]

I don't pre-poo. Well, okay, I take that back, occasionally I use the Aveda Sap Moss Concentrate, but not very often (once every few months).

My regimen is very simple, I'm too lazy to do much more, and my hair seems to grow just fine without it.

 

[PinkSkates]

Thanks Denvergirl for bringing this up. I'm still trying to understand the purpose and benefits of pre-shampooing the hair.

 

[audacity.]

bumping....

i know that there are a ton of pre-poo threads floating around as of late, which is what prompted me to ask this question. i noticed that some people pre-poo with oil and some with conditioner and some with both, what method is most beneficial?

pinkskates: i think the benefit of prepooing is kinda two-fold - first it can serve as a way to get some moisture in the shaft (depending on what it is you are using to pre-poo and how long it is left in the hair) and second it is used as a way to help protect the hair from the harsh detergents and ingredients in shampoo...that is the best way that i can explain it, unless i am completely wrong about it

perhaps some of the gurus will stop in and shed some more light...

camellia: thanks for stopping by and sharing and you have a beautiful head of hair, girl!!!

 

[LocksOfLuV]

I do the best of both worlds lol!

Oils alone don't cut it for my hair.

 

[septemberbaby]

good question. I'm still trying to figure this out.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

Oh and the purpose of prepooing is 1. to counteract the effects of a drying shampoo (sulfates). Sulfates in shampoos strip the hair and the pre-poo adds a bit of moisture to the hair so tha it won't be (too) stripped. and 2. to aid in detangling. Some people find that their comb outs (especially me) are a lot better if they prepoo before hand.

 

[PinkSkates]

Thanks DenverGirl and LocksOfLuv. Now I get the whole pre-poo thing.

 

[nycutiepie]

I do it occasionally, but when I'm deep in my stretch it's a must otherwise I can't detangle. I usually use Amla oil mixed with something else or by itself when I'm deep in the stretch. Lately, I've been using Shikakai powder mixed with a couple squirts of Elucence MB + Amla or Vatika oils. When the ng gets rough, I'll eliminate the Shikakai.

 

[The Girl]

So, if you use a conditioning shampoo is it the same thing?

 

[LocksOfLuV]

So, if you use a conditioning shampoo is it the same thing?

Me personally I think you can do it with any shampoo. I use CON shampoo one of the most moisturizing poos out there and it still works for me. The added moisture and slip is great!

 

[nycutiepie]

I agree with Locks but I don't use CON that much. I usually only break it out when I'm deep in the stretch and the 4B ng is crazy.

 

[Arcadian]

Every shampoo I use outside of the stuff I use with my relaxer is sulfate free. I have tried the pre pooing, and for my hair, didn't see a real benefit to doing so.



-A

 

[carolb21]

My hair has been sooo dry and I started pre-pooing with EVOO, Amla and Miss Key's 10en1. My hair immediately turned around. It was soft and silky. My relaxer did not take and my 4z hair is thick, really thick in the back. The pre-poo really made a difference. This morning I use the Mizani Thermasmooth and fell in love. At this point I would be weaving my hair up because of the condition, but now I think that i have found a regimen that will work for my hair. I have been washing every other day and my hair is thriving. Thank God!!!

I start out with the EVOO mixture and then after sitting under a heat cap for 20 minutes I add the 10en1. Last night I slept in it, this morning it was incredibly soft and after the Thermasmooth my short little haircut moved like I had just left the Dominican salon.

Thanks everyone for all your support, I finally turned the corner.

 

[Bint Yusef]

I prepoo because it maintains my moisture levels.

I dont think oil wold work as well with my hair. It would have to be mixed in my cholesterol..my staple preepoo.

 

[audacity.]

hmmm....interesting....i thought that (most) oils didn't actually penetrate the hair shaft? so then would the oils just be acting as a "sealant" for the moisture that is already there? if pre-pooing is actually supposed to help gain/retain moisture, how does the oil help? especially if it is MIXED with conditioner???

 

[LABETT]

I pre-poo with oils and conditioners more when my new growth gets rough.
I find that pre-pooing with conditioner helps keep my hair soft when using protein,garlic or Nizoral dandruff shampoo which can cause the hair to feel hard and dry.
I noticed my hair is thicker when pre-pooing with Castor,Coconut and Jojoba oil.

 

[Bint Yusef]

hmmm....interesting....i thought that (most) oils didn't actually penetrate the hair shaft? so then would the oils just be acting as a "sealant" for the moisture that is already there? if pre-pooing is actually supposed to help gain/retain moisture, how does the oil help? especially if it is MIXED with conditioner???

I mix jbco in the conditioner for thickening properties, not so much for any moisture gain which is why I could never just prepoo with any oil. I get the mositure from the conditioner.

 

[LocksOfLuV]

hmmm....interesting....i thought that (most) oils didn't actually penetrate the hair shaft? so then would the oils just be acting as a "sealant" for the moisture that is already there? if pre-pooing is actually supposed to help gain/retain moisture, how does the oil help? especially if it is MIXED with conditioner???

Okay so I did a search since I remember someone asking this same exact questions a while ago. There was some good answers:

PreciousJewel76:
"Not really. The oils in your prepoo will act as a barrier, preventing the shampoo from stripping too much moisture out of your hair. I've done an oil prepoo (amla & castor oil) on occasion, and it left me with very soft, moisturized hair. Indian women saturate their hair in oils before shampooing, and they typically have beautiful hair, so it must be a good idea!"

More from Precious: "No real set time to it for me. I don't do this often because I don't usually have time, but I leave it on for about 20 minutes. Other ladies leave the oil on overnight. Then I rinse it out for a bit before shampooing.

You're thinking about this way too hard, girl, just go ahead and take the plunge!"


Here is the thread just in case you feel lazy lol (inside joke, get it?) http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=127761&page=2&highlight=oils+pre-poo

 

[audacity.]

Okay so I did a search since I remember someone asking this same exact questions a while ago. There was some good answers:

PreciousJewel76:
"Not really. The oils in your prepoo will act as a barrier, preventing the shampoo from stripping too much moisture out of your hair. I've done an oil prepoo (amla & castor oil) on occasion, and it left me with very soft, moisturized hair. Indian women saturate their hair in oils before shampooing, and they typically have beautiful hair, so it must be a good idea!"

More from Precious: "No real set time to it for me. I don't do this often because I don't usually have time, but I leave it on for about 20 minutes. Other ladies leave the oil on overnight. Then I rinse it out for a bit before shampooing.

You're thinking about this way too hard, girl, just go ahead and take the plunge!"


Here is the thread just in case you feel lazy lol (inside joke, get it?) http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=127761&page=2&highlight=oils+pre-poo

ROTFL!!!

Thanks, Locks! It's all making a little more sense.

I've been pre-pooing with conditoners since the beginning of my healthy hair journey (March) and I think it is making a difference.

OT: it really sucks streching my relaxer/thinking about transitioning because it is so freaking hard to tell if what i am doing is actually "working"!!!!!!! well, i guess since i don't see massive amounts of breakage at my line of demarcation, then i must be doing something right, huh? {shrugs}

ETA: this is (one) of the threads that prompted me to start this one

 

[esoterica]

I still don't see how prepooing helps at all. It seems like one more pointless step which makes regimes longer. I want my hair to feel clean after i shampoo. if it feels stripped then i just change to a milder shampoo.

 

[Cichelle]

For a while I was saturating my hair with coconut oil before shampooing. It really helped keep the shampoo from drying out my hair. I'm getting too lazy for that now. And I find avocado or hemp seed butter after I wash or cowash works just as well.

 

[Monilove122]

I do it occasionally, but when I'm deep in my stretch it's a must otherwise I can't detangle. I usually use Amla oil mixed with something else or by itself when I'm deep in the stretch. Lately, I've been using Shikakai powder mixed with a couple squirts of Elucence MB + Amla or Vatika oils. When the ng gets rough, I'll eliminate the Shikakai.

NYC Pie - what is the purpose of Shikakai powder? What does it do for the hair? I ask because I bought some when I went to NYC a couple months ago because they don't have an Indian store in my neck of the woods and I wanted to stock up on as many Indian products as I could get my hands on, LOL. But, I haven't used it yet cause I'm not sure what to do with it. The box says to soak it for a few hours before using? But again, not sure how it will benefit my hair . TIA

 

[envybeauty]

hmmm....interesting....i thought that (most) oils didn't actually penetrate the hair shaft? so then would the oils just be acting as a "sealant" for the moisture that is already there? if pre-pooing is actually supposed to help gain/retain moisture, how does the oil help? especially if it is MIXED with conditioner???

Oil alone doesn't cut it for me. I have to mix it with something.

I think when you mix the oil with conditioner, the conditioner helps to emulsify it (break down the oil into smaller molecules). It works like a charm to moisturize my hair. Especially when I add a bit of a protein reconstructor to the oil-conditioner mixture. I have never before experienced such soft hair!

 

[envybeauty]

I still don't see how prepooing helps at all. It seems like one more pointless step which makes regimes longer. I want my hair to feel clean after i shampoo. if it feels stripped then i just change to a milder shampoo.

I think you are thinking of hair and scalp together...for me, I prepoo to help keep the length of my hair moisturized while focusing the shampoo on my scalp. After washing, both are clean. ...my hair does not require as much detergent (shampoo) as much as my scalp does to get as clean.

 

[ButterflyCurls]

I usually do both... just in case I think the conditioner helps the oils soak in better because of the moisture and the baggy I use overnight.

NYC Pie - what is the purpose of Shikakai powder? What does it do for the hair? I ask because I bought some when I went to NYC a couple months ago because they don't have an Indian store in my neck of the woods and I wanted to stock up on as many Indian products as I could get my hands on, LOL. But, I haven't used it yet cause I'm not sure what to do with it. The box says to soak it for a few hours before using? But again, not sure how it will benefit my hair . TIA

I want to know this too!

 

[DarkAngell]

i do both. But when i do it with oil it gives me more slip and barely any breakage/shedding....if any at all!

 

[audacity.]

Oil alone doesn't cut it for me. I have to mix it with something.

I think when you mix the oil with conditioner, the conditioner helps to emulsify it (break down the oil into smaller molecules). It works like a charm to moisturize my hair. Especially when I add a bit of a protein reconstructor to the oil-conditioner mixture. I have never before experienced such soft hair!

really? that is a good bit of information. i will have to try some oil in my conditioners this week. i did try the oil/condish/protein pre-poo and i didn't like it. so i eliminated the oil and protein and have been using a mixture of conditioners and it is much better...but if y'all say the oil provides more slip (lord know i need me some more slip these days) and that the conditioner helps the oil to penetrate my hair shaft then that just might be the way to go! plus, oil + conditioner is the popular poll vote . i will have to let y'all know how it woks out.

 

[honeybadgirl]

I usually do both... just in case I think the conditioner helps the oils soak in better because of the moisture and the baggy I use overnight.

NYC Pie - what is the purpose of Shikakai powder? What does it do for the hair? I ask because I bought some when I went to NYC a couple months ago because they don't have an Indian store in my neck of the woods and I wanted to stock up on as many Indian products as I could get my hands on, LOL. But, I haven't used it yet cause I'm not sure what to do with it. The box says to soak it for a few hours before using? But again, not sure how it will benefit my hair . TIA

I want to know this too!

shikaki powder is a hair strengthner and helps promote growth. i also THINK it help with the detangling process.

 

[lucy]

when you ladies pre-poo, do you also deep condition after the wash, or is that overkill?