5 DIY Pre-Poo Recipes for Dry Hair

This is the final part of the series on pre-pooing natural hair and the benefits of a pre-poo. You can catch part one and two at:-

• What is a Pre-Poo and Pre-Poo Benefits for Natural Hair?
• Best Conditioners for Pre-Pooing Natural Hair

The last part with go into great detail about:-

• Best and simple DIY pre-poo recipes. These are my favorite pre-poo recipes I use on my hair
• Pre-poo recipes for low porosity hair
• Pre-poo recipes for high porosity hair
• Tips for getting the best out of your pre-poo session

Don’t forget to get on board with our resource library, which offers free and invaluable tools for a healthy hair care journey.

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What Can I Pre-Poo With?

You can pre-poo with oil, daily conditioners, and herbal products. You can also use a combination of all of these things. However, it doesn’t have to break the bank.

For a more in-depth explanation of this, read part one of the series – What is a Pre-Poo and Pre-Poo Benefits for Natural Hair.

Part one covers FAQs about pre-pooing natural hair such as how long you should pre-poo, the difference between pre-poo and co-wash.

Additionally, pre-pooing low porosity hair, pre-pooing high porosity hair and so much more are also covered.

I highly recommend reading part one and two of the series before digging into this one.

You should also download the free hair diary and planner so you can take notes and keep track of your results.

Best DIY Pre-Poo Recipes

Aloe Vera and Coconut Oil Pre-Poo

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of aloe vera gel like Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil like Garden of Life Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 teaspoon of argan oil like Radha Beauty Organic Argan Oil
• 5 drops of vitamin E oil like Sundown Naturals Vitamin E Oil (70,000 IU)
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil like Radha Beauty Lavender Essential Oil

Instructions

• In a clean bowl, combine the aloe vera gel, coconut oil, and argan oil.
• Whisk with a fork until smooth then add the vitamin E oil and lavender essential oil. Whisk again.
• Slightly dampen your hair then section into more manageable parts.
• Apply the pre-poo to your hair. Twist and pin-up.
• Cover your hair with a disposable cap or cling film and leave it on for 40 – 45 minutes. You can wrap a hot towel around your head as well.

You can buy aloe vera gel HERE or just scrape out of fresh aloe vera leaves.

This recipe is suitable for dry and brittle hair. It also works as an overnight pre-poo.

Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gelly

Blackstrap Molasses Pre-Poo

Ingredients

• 4 – 5 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses such as Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blackstrap Molasses
• 3 – 4 tablespoons of wheat germ oil like Now Foods Wheat Germ Oil
• 8 tablespoons of coconut oil like Garden of Life Coconut Oil
• Tresemme Naturals Avocado and Aloe Vera conditioner or your favorite creamy conditioner
• 3 tablespoons of Motions CPR Conditioner or your favorite mild protein conditioner. You can also substitute an egg yolk.

Whole Sweeteners Organic Blackstrap Molasses

Instructions

• Measure the blackstrap molasses into a bowl.
• Heat the coconut oil over hot water in a different bowl then add to the blackstrap molasses. Whisk with a fork.
• Add in the Motions CPR or egg yolk then whisk again.
• Add in enough Tresemme Naturals Avocado and Aloe Vera conditioner for your hair. Roughly 3 – 5  heaped tablespoons should be fine. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
• Add in the wheat germ oil. Whisk again until it’s a lovely brown color.
• Section your damp hair then start working the mix into each section. Apply like a relaxer paying attention to the ends of your hair.
• After your entire head is covered, wrap in cling film and a warm towel and leave it in for about 2 hours.

This recipe is fantastic for dry and damaged hair. It will help strengthen your hair while keeping it pliable for handling without too much breakage.

6 Oil Detangling Pre-Poo

Ingredients

• 7 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 5 tablespoons of sweet almond oil
• 3 tablespoons of castor oil
• 3 tablespoons of watermelon oil
• 2 tablespoons of wheat germ oil
• 1 tablespoon of argan oil
• 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus flowers
• Large amber bottle

Instructions

• Crush the dried hibiscus flowers then pour into the amber bottle.
• Add in the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, castor oil, watermelon oil, wheat germ oil, and argan oil. Close and shake.
• Heat up some water then place the bottle in the hot water.
• Leave in until the water cools down then shake the bottle again. Your pre-poo oil mix is ready.
• Every time you want to pre-poo, apply it to your hair in sections. Cover with a disposable cap and leave on for 30 – 45 minutes before shampooing.

I use this recipe for detangling after I take down extensions. It’s a fantastic mix that helps work out knots and tangles without too much breakage.

This recipe is also ideal as an overnight pre-poo. This recipe is the basis for my first hair oil from Ade Ori Hair Care. Stay tuned.

Coconut Milk and Coconut Oil Pre-Poo

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 can of coconut milk like Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk
• 2 teaspoons of vitamin E oil
• Spray bottle

Native Forest Organic Coconut Milk

Directions

• Pour the coconut oil into a bowl then heat over a bigger bowl of hot water.
• Once warm, stream in the coconut milk with one hand while whisking with the other hand. This can be a bit tricky so be careful.
• Add the vitamin E oil and whisk some more. If you want a well-mixed recipe, you can use an immersion blender.
• Pour the mix into the spray bottle and return to the bowl of hot water.
• Section your dry hair then spray the mix into each section and work through.
• Twist and pin-up then cover with a disposable cap. Leave on for 30 – 45 minutes.

Utalent Immersion Blender with Whisk & Froth Attachment

This is a protein-rich recipe for strengthening hair. This is a quick pre-poo recipe and not ideal for an overnight treatment.

For a moisturizing protein deep conditioning treatment, add in a few tablespoons of your favorite moisturizing conditioner.

Use as a deep conditioner after shampooing your hair. Do not use it as a pre-poo.

Olive Oil and Egg Yolk Pre-Poo

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) like La Tourangelle Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons of wheat germ oil
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 1 egg yolk

Instructions

• In a clean bowl, whisk the egg yolk until frothy.
• Add the EVOO and wheat germ oil and whisk some more then add the lavender essential oil and whisk again.
• Section dry hair and apply the mask in sections.
• Twist and pin-up your hair then cover with cling film or a disposable cap and leave on for 45 minutes.

The treatment eliminates dryness and strengthens damaged hair. It also works as a mild protein treatment.

For more DIY olive oil treatments for hair, read DIY Olive Oil Treatments for Natural Hair.

You can swap some of the conditioners mentioned in the recipes above with those mentioned in Best Conditioners for Pre-Pooing Natural Hair if you like.

For even more pre-poo recipes, check out Healthy Hair Care Series 4, 365 Days of Moisture for Dry & Parched Hair.

Recommended Pre-Poo Routines

Below are some excellent pre-poo routines from YouTube, which you can incorporate into your notes:-

Tips for Getting the Best Out of Your Pre-Poo

1. Let Pre-Poo Treatments Sit

Oil pre‐poo treatments should sit for a minimum of 30–45 minutes, but work best when done overnight to allow enough time for full penetration.

2. Detangle With Pre-Pooing

Kill two birds with one stone and use your pre‐poo product to gently detangle your hair.

3. Pre-Poo With Heat

Pre‐poo with heat or steam for added conditioning benefits when possible. Read Hair Steamers for Natural Hair for the best choices.

4. Enjoy!

Have fun! Okay, not really, but you can get tons of things done while pre‐pooing.

I’m not above running errands while pre‐pooing under a beanie, or while writing blog posts (like now).

This concludes the pre-poo series for now. If you have any questions about pre-pooing natural hair, ask them in the comments section.

Curly Abi

Abi is a curly hair expert, researcher, product tester, and author of the highly-rated Healthy Hair Care Series. She is also the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Healthy Natural Hair Products, and Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty. HNHP has strict editorial standards and ensures all the information on Healthy Natural Hair Products is the best for natural hair care. Learn more about our Editorial Policies