This year, the straight hair majority has "discovered" a new way to care for hair. It helps protect hair's moisture balance when you shampoo and condition your hair every day. It is called the pre-shampoo treatment, and it is the latest, greatest thing to hit beauty. The only problem I have with this is that pre-shampoo treatments have been around for years.
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I've been pre-pooing for eight years
Seriously, I was introduced to them back in 2008, and it is now 2016. So it's not new at all. Pre-shampoo treatments, or pre-poos, are staples for curly-haired women who are serious about curl care. It's great that hair care companies such as TRESemmé and Living Proof are coming out with pre-shampoo treatments, but companies such as Carol's Daughter have been clued into the pre-shampoo treatment for a few years now.
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What is a pre-shampoo?
As the name suggests, pre-shampoo, or pre-poos, are simply a conditioning treatment used before you shampoo. Most of us have used hot oil treatments. Guess what? Hot oil treatments are pre-shampoo treatments. The purpose of a pre-poo is to minimize or prevent the detergents (specifically sulfates) in shampoos from stripping the moisture from your hair.
When people talk about pre-shampoo treatments, they often refer to conditioners used on the hair before shampooing. Conditioners are often applied to the hair, sometimes with an oil, and are left on for 15 to 30 minutes. You can rinse the conditioner out before shampooing or wash the pre-poo out as you shampoo. How you do it depends on your hair care needs and the type of shampoo you are using.
You do not need a special pre-poo product
Because hair care companies are jumping on the pre-shampoo bandwagon, they are coming up with products that are specifically for use as a pre-shampoo treatment. Don't believe the hype. You can use a deep conditioner; a conditioning hair mask; an oil/conditioner mixture (olive, coconut or avocado are good to use); or make your own.
Don't let the new media attention about pre-shampoo treatments fool you. They have been around a long time. There is plenty of information, including recipes to be found for them. Or talk to a curl-friend who has great looking curls. Chances are she knows about pre-pooing and can give you tips.
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