Pre Poo Products for Natural Hair Length Retention

Last updated on July 31st, 2020 at 06:30 pm

The Pre-poo is the most overlooked, forgotten or skipped part of hair care. It’s likely because people don’t realize the benefits.

Before I share some tried and true pre-poo products for natural hair, let’s take a look at some reasons why you should not skip the pre-poo:

1- It’s the first step to moisturizing natural hair on wash day

2- It’s a key step to promoting natural hair length retention.

3- The pre-poo protects your hair from hygral fatigue (damage that can occur during the wash process)

Now that we know why it’s a good idea to prioritize time to pre poo, let’s take a look at three pre poo products for natural hair that don’t disappoint. These three are by no means the only products available for pre-pooing natural hair but once you’ve found ones that work well (I mean, really well), why go in search of more?

Three is a good enough number to have in your stash to keep you focused on the task at hand (pre-pooing) but still allow you the ability to rotate just in case your hair gets too used to any one product. BTW, I don’t think it will happen because the pre-poo’s job is pretty specific and has nothing to do with styling. It’s all about PROTECTING MOISTURE. Your hair is more apt to get used to styling products. You’ll notice it when your styles don’t seem to come out the way they used to when using a specific product. Of course, there are other factors like needing a trim but we won’t go into that.

Back to the Pre-Poo Products for Natural Hair….

Mane Choice Heavenly Halo Herbal Hair Tonic & Soy Milk Deep Hydration Pre-Poo

Whew, that was a mouthful! But, I like the title. “Heavenly Halo” It’s like saying God is stamping his approval on a hair care product meant to transform our God given tresses to something like what the angels in heaven have! OK, who even knows if angels even have hair but nothing wrong with using our imaginations sometimes 🙂

Yet, the name of this pre-poo pretty descriptive when it comes to letting what this pre-poo product is all about, including what it can do.

Herbal – it’s filled with all sorts of natural herbs: nettle leaf extract, burdock root, yuca root, horsetail, marshmallow root, Bhringraj and Sage

Deep Hydration – The very first ingredient on the list is Purified water followed by coconut oil, sweet almond oil, rosemary and more. These ingredients are all very capable of providing your hair with what it needs to maintain a healthy level of moisture.

This pre-poo from the Mane Choice is new and innovative – only around for less than 6 months as of the writing of this post. Look at the manufacturer’s claims:

Gently melts away tangles & softens hair
Helps retain moisture
Restores and hydrates dry, thirsty hair
Imparts long-lasting moisture & shine
Minimizes shedding & breakage
Suitable for all hair types and textures

I’ve used this pre-poo only once to date but I can see it fast becoming a go-to when I don’t feel like whipping up my own and that brings me to the next pre poo product for natural hair.

*Other than getting this Pre-poo directly from the source, it’s exclusive to Target.

DIY Pre Poo

For years, ladies (self included) have created their own pre poo concoctions to care for their natural hair. That’s right. You don’t have to go searching for a specific pre-product. You likely have all you need right in your house. To create your own pre-poo, you’ll need a few products:

An herbal oil blend OR
Coconut Oil and/or Olive Oil (preferably organic, extra virgin and unrefined) – both capable of penetrating the hair shaft which is what you need for it to protect your hair from hygral fatigue
Conditioner (preferably with lots of slip so you can work it thru every strand) – you can use a conditioner for deep conditioning or a rinse out conditioner. The less costly method is to use a rinse out conditioner.
Mixing bowl
Spoon or spatula

Mix your oils into some conditioner and go for what you know. It’s not necessary to measure but if you must, simply mix about a tablespoon amount of oil into about 1/4 cup of conditioner. This will be more or less depending on the length and amount of hair you have.

Another way to get your pre poo going is to apply the oil through out your hair (don’t be overly generous or you’ll be dripping oil everywhere) and then apply the conditioner over it. Test out switching up the order: Conditioner first, then oil. Just keep note of what you do so you know what’s best for your hair.

Vatika Hair Oil

For those seeking to pre-poo with oil only, Vatika Hair Oil is enriched with coconut, henna, lemon and a host of other herbs. It’s an age old ayurvedic oil that works beautifully at protecting your hair’s moisture levels.

All you need to effectively use Vatika Oil as your pre-poo is to apply it to your hair in sections using the same manner you’d apply any other oil.

Dabur Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil is very affordable and can be found on Amazon, online at ayurvedic hair care shops and off line at Indian grocery stores.

Maintaining natural hair length retention and moisture starts with the pre poo. Cut through all the noise (you know. The “Top 10 Products to Pre Poo Natural Hair” or the “25 Best Pre Poo Products”) and just get it done. You don’t need 10 or 20 different Pre-Poos for your natural hair. 2 or 3 options is sufficient. Let’s keep the overwhelm at bay.