Pre-Pooing - Which Is Better, Conditioner Or Oil?

I have been pre-pooing for a long time, and to be honest, I prefer to pre-poo with a super rich conditioner over an oil. If you like to pre-poo you might be wondering…. which is better, conditioner or oil?

Before we get into that, let’s talk about what a pre-poo is just in case this is your first time hearing the term. Pre-pooing is a term that was coined early in the natural hair movement where you would prepare your hair for shampoo by adding an oil or conditioner to it before starting the wash day process.

Some women use oils, some women prefer conditioner, and some women use whatever they fancy on wash day depending on their hair’s needs. If you are trying to figure out which is better maybe this will help.

Oils* are great for shielding the strands against harsh shampoos that contain sulfates, which means you can effectively cleanse or clarify your scalp but guard your hair against the sulfates as you cleanse.

Many of us like to use oils for healing purposes as well if you suffer from hair loss or any sort of scalp ailment you might prefer to use healing oils* to treat your scalp before cleansing your hair.

I love using a deep conditioner* as my pre-poo because it is easier to just get deep conditioning* out of the way prior to starting my wash day. Sometimes it is just that simple! However, if you find that your hair is very dry and you need more moisture than usual, using a water based conditioner and a sulfate free shampoo* might be just what your hair needs.

Another option is to combine both oil and conditioner in a bowl for a great treatment for your scalp and hair. The moral of the story is you can use both options depending on what your hair needs are. There is no one way to skin a cat, you have to do what’s best for you.