It's been a while since we talked hair, natural that's it! Well today briefly wanted to talk about hair!
If you are a new natural or juts becoming more acquainted with the world and lingo of naturalistas, you have probably heard the term prepoo and wonder what in the world that was!
The first time I heard the term prepoo I almost thought it was a mixed dog breed. You know like shipoo,maltipoo....but no! Here prepoo is not about a cute dog breed it's about a hair treatment that many naturalistas adopt to maintain healthy hair and protect their hair from the stripping effects of shampoo.
So prepoo is simply what they do to their hair before shampooing! It's applying oil and/or conditioners to your hair for a given period of time before shampooing!
How long do you prepoo?
The amount of time is subjective! Some people do it for at least 20mns to half an hour, others for a couple of hours and some might go longer! It's just a matter of choice and convenience.
What to use?
There seems to be no set rule or no set ingredients to prepooing as most people use products they like best on their hair. A lot of time it's through trial and errors that they get to make final conclusions on the products that are best for them.
The most common product is coconut oil as many natural will testify to its benefits on their hair!
Some go with the kind you get from the grocery store others would select a brand such as Vatika because it's a blend of fantastic natural oils and ingredients.
Here is what a few people report using on their hair:
Honey + olive oil
Aloe juice+jojoba oil covered with coconut oil and left for a couple of hours before shampooing
Mayo + olive oil
Coconut oil
Castor Oil
EVOO
Grapeseed Oil
Many people mix any of the oils above, adding other ingredients as well or use them as the sole ingredient for their prepoo.
I have used coconut oil and EVOO on mine and I am pretty content with this mixture!
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| Organic Virgin Coconut Oil |
However, my favorite natural product has been Vatika! Which I have used for 13 years now, well before ever knowing about natural hair, prepoo etc. Before getting into prepoo I used Vatika for deep conditioning and for styling my hair.
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| Vatika Coconut Indian oil |
Do you prepoo on wet or dry hair?
This is another subjective questions. Each time I ask naturalistas if they prepoo on wet or dry hair I realize that half would say dry and the other half would say wet. So I don't think that there's a right answer to this question. It's all a matter of preference, after all that's what hair styling comes down to!Isn't it? Just a matter of preference!
How often do you prepoo?
Most people prefer to prepoo each time they shampoo their hair! I fall into this category unless I shampoo my hair at the gym right after swimming!
So...have you prepooed your hair before? What did you like about it? What's your favorite prepoo ingredients. Do you do it or wet or dry hair? How long do you keep it on?
Update: Wednesday July 27
I have been thinking about a comment made earlier this week about prepoo not being necessary in one's opinion and I have concluded that prepoo is beneficial and worth it especially if someone has dry hair. A friend of mine explained that she actually prepoo for hours and DC after her shampoo as prepoo is a must for her due to her having very dry hair.
I think prepoo is like marinating meat or fish! It might not be mandatory but when you cook that meat or fish it's so infused with flavor and so tender that there's just no comparison. I also view prepoo as something my mom used to do when my twin and I were kids. She would apply shea butter on our skins before we shower even though we would washed away most of the shea butter it would still leave our skin smooth and babylike.
So prepoo is a matter of opinion and necessity to some, at the end of the day we have to listen to our hair. The way I see it having rich ingredients penetrating our hair before shampoing or cowashing can only be good for our hair!
So what about you? Do you prepoo? Why or why not? If yes what do you use and how long do you prepoo? How do you think prepoo benefits your hair?
N'na
I actually don't prepoo. Mainly because I can't grasp the concept of putting the nutrients on my hair and then shampooing (stripping) it out. It may be my lack of understanding but in my head it doesn't make sense to me (no offense). Anyways, I usually only shampoo about once a month. So when I shampoo I actually need some oils and product removed. I guess my hair gets its TLC in other ways I deep condition my hair with oils and conditioners for hours and rinse 90% of it out. After my deep condition I seal with castor oil. This works for me. Its very important that we listen to our hair and if prepooing works for you "listen to your hair" :D This is a very impressive blog! Well put together and the music is the icing on the cake! Take care love!!!
ReplyDelete~Shannon aka Shanatural
:D Feel free to reuse the term. I'll take that as a compliment sis!
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken, it's actually a great insight because we tend to do as people would recommend and go with the crowd without questioning certain things! I also love the idea of " listening to your hair" we speak more of listening to our body but I have never heard it put that way! I will keep that expression and thought! Thanks for the comment, offering the different perspective and sharing your regimen. I am also grateful for your kind words about the blog!Hope to read more of you around here!
ReplyDeleteLol! Thanks! I will be running with it... It might be my new slogan and the title of a future post!
ReplyDeleteOk, right now I have a weave in. But I have been natural for about 2 years now. I'm letting my hair grow out and wanted a different look for the summer. Thanks for the information. I have never heard of prepoo before but I will start to prepoo now. It makes sense.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great and informative post. I actually prepooed for the first time 2 weeks ago and I was very pleased with the results. I used honey, lime juice, olive oil and water. My tresses were happy and the detangling process was nearly non-existant!
ReplyDeleteIm prepooing as I type. I prepoo weekly before my wash. I used to prepoo on wet hair but felt as though it dripped off so now I do so on dry hair. After I clean my hair with a hair cleaner. I never use shampoo, my hair is too dry for that. If I need to clarify I use ACV diluted in water in my lost rinse. I do an egg &mayo protein treatment every other week followed by avocado & honey DC. On the off week I jus add the egg to the avocado and skip the mayo. Works for me...i shaved my hair off and 1 year later I have about 7 inches of length.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I am certainly learning from you all.
ReplyDelete@ Kendra I never used lime juice on my hair the ingredients you are using are worth trying.
@anonymous I have never put mayo in my hair but I have been told that it's great. I have also been told that avocado and honey are great but I have it to try!
Thank you for sharing, There are various processes through which pure coconut oil can be extracted. But it is always worth avoiding the ones that are refined, deodorized or bleached since these processes reduce the natural health benefits as well as the flavor and aroma of the oil, you can buy Pure Coconut Oil In Chennai,there are plenty numbers of shops provide pure coconut oil.
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