All About Low Poo – What It Is, How To Get Started & Best Products!

The truth is that this technique makes the strands healthier and that is why it has been popular with women, especially those with curly hair. In this post we put together a very complete guide on the low poo technique, we will answer all your questions, indicate the best products and even teach you how to do it. Let's learn?

name="about-technique">About Technique

The low poo technique became known through the book Curly Girl, in Brazil it arrived with the title of O Manual da Garota Cacheada. The book is pretty cool, but you don't need to read it to learn how to take better care of your hair, because in this guide we'll teach you everything.

name="what-is-it-">What is it?

The low poo concept is very simple to understand. The expression comes from English: low means little and poo means shampoo. That is, the idea is to reduce the use of shampoo and still use products that do not have sulfates in the composition.

So are sulfates the bad guys? Sulfate basically does a deep cleaning on the hair, thereby stealing nutrients and oiliness that in the right measure is good for the hair. Can you imagine every time you wash and do a mega cleaning? It looks good, but it's actually leaving your hair dry, brittle and malnourished.

Now comes the big question: how to know if the product has sulfate or not? In this post we put some tips on products that are released, but it's always important to read the label before buying. The composition of the products can change, so it is important to always be on the lookout.

You must be wondering how you are going to memorize all the names. Well, we're not going to teach any chemistry lessons, you can relax. Whenever you have the name “sulfate” in the composition of the shampoo, it is a sign that it is not released. The same principle applies to conditioners, leave-in creams, moisturizing creams and all kinds of products you use on your locks.

Sulfate-free shampoos in the composition do the necessary cleaning, but make less foam. Let's agree that foam doesn't necessarily mean cleaning, right? That's why in the low poo technique you must get used to products with little foam, but that leave the hair beautiful.

So, only sulfates should be avoided? No, the list of restrictions doesn't stop there. Petroleum derivatives are also not accepted in the low poo technique. These derivatives form a layer on the wire, as if it were a film. Over time, this layer becomes thicker and ends up preventing the absorption of nutrients by the hair.

From the outside the thread looks beautiful, but inside it is dying. That's why sometimes we have the feeling of doing a mega hydration and not having any result, it could be because of petroleum derivatives.

This list of substances is a little more complicated: paraffin, mineral oil, isoparaffin, petrolatum, dodecadene, isodecadene, vaseline, alkane and hydrogenated polysobutene. The tip is to make a list and always check it when buying.

We still have the parabens. What are parabens? They are preservatives that aim to prevent the proliferation of microorganisms and thus give the product a longer shelf life. The discussion about this preservative is long and still controversial, but many studies have already shown that the substance is harmful to health. In the low poo they are not prohibited, but there are products with natural preservatives, that is, it is super possible to avoid something that in the long term can harm your health.

name="what-are-its-benefits-">What are its benefits?

With so much work to find the released products, it's good that the low poo has benefits, right? Well, there are, and there are many of them, it's no wonder that women are on the mend.

Does not harm the wires
Allows moisture to be absorbed
Wires do not break
Cleaning just right
don't wear nutrients
Maintain the necessary natural oils
natural looking hair
Easier to shape curls

name="who-is-it-for-">Who is it for?

The low poo technique can be done by anyone, even those who use chemicals on their hair. Experts report that those who tincture and progressive get a more lasting result using the technique, as sulfate-free shampoo does not remove chemistry. In addition, in low poo it is not necessary to wash it every day, this also makes it last longer.

name="can-who-has-straight-hair-do-it-">Can Who Has Straight Hair Do It?

The technique became popular among curly hair types and that is why there is a myth that those with straight hair cannot take advantage of the technique. In Brazil, this trend started among women in hair transition who were looking for a healthier option to take care of their curls.

Curly hair needs more hydration, as the natural oiliness of the scalp does not reach the ends. Even those who have straight and oily hair can get around the problem, because if you use a product that removes all the oiliness, your organism will understand that the amount it is producing is small and needs to produce even more, that is, the effect is exactly the opposite of what you want.

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How to Start the Routine?

Now that you know everything about low poo it's time to learn how to start the routine. The first step is to check at home the products that are released. If you don't have it, you'll need to go shopping, there's no way to escape.

With the stock of products ready, it's time to sanitize the hair objects. Combs, brushes, barrettes, clips and everything you use on a daily basis. These items may contain petroleum derivatives and sulfates, so the tip is to wash them well with vinegar.

With the arsenal ready, there's no secret, just wash with sulfate-free and petroleum-free shampoo and conditioner. You can associate the low poo technique with co-wash, but it is necessary to use the shampoo released at least once a week.

The co-wash is great, but it needs breaks with released shampoo. This happens because the conditioner does not have the same cleaning components as the shampoo, so the hair can become oily and greasy looking.

Best Products for Low Poo

With a list of released products, it is much easier to buy than reading label by label. Thinking about it, we separate some suggestions of products that are released and excellent for locks, some were developed especially for the technique.

If you are worried about the price of these products, don't worry. They cost the same price as banned products and in some cases are even cheaper, as is the case with Yamasterol.

This yellow creminho is from grandma's time, but it has a lot of quality. It can be used in hydration, as a conditioner or even as a leave-in cream. It's super released, it's cheap, it has a smell that reminds you of childhood and will make your locks even prettier.

Shampoo

When there is an interest in taking care of low poo locks, it is very important to understand which are the best products to carry out the procedure. Something very interesting that you should be aware of regarding the technique is that it is not necessary to spend a lot of money, it is possible to find incredible products with a super affordable price.

The choice of shampoo for low poo is extremely important, as it ensures much of the efficiency of the procedure. To assist in choosing good products to perform the technique, we separate below some of the best shampoo options that have been used the most.

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Tô de Cacho shampoo by Salon Line is one of the shampoo options for low poo that has been used the most by curly hair. This is a very gelatinous shampoo that foams quite ideal for those looking for effective cleaning, but without drying out the hair.

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Conditioner

The conditioner plays a very important role in the technique, as in addition to cleaning the hair, it is also responsible for moisturizing. It is important to pay attention to the choice of the right hair product, as each hair reacts differently with each product, that is, what works for some may not work for others.

It is important to pay attention to the tested products, because if the hair does not accept the product applied, the result will be the opposite of what was expected. To find out which conditioners are most recommended for low poo, we've separated some options below.

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Garnier's Stop Fall conditioner is a conditioner option that has been widely used in low poo. One of the most commented positive points about this product is that in addition to ensuring excellent cleaning of the wires, it has a super light texture, thus not leaving the wires heavy.

Mask

Masks are responsible for hydrating your locks, so it's important to choose the right mask for your hair. It is important to choose a good mask because it replenishes water in the locks, bringing softness and shine.

Below we separate some mask options to hydrate the wires during the low poo technique. They are options of different brands and with prices that fit in all pockets.

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Leave-In / Finisher

Leave-In is the product we use to shape the hair. In addition to making the locks beautiful, the finishers protect the hair against the sun, promote shine and control frizz. Some of the top brands recommended for finishers are Inoar, Elseve and Nazca. Below we separate some Leaven-In options to test and rock the care of the locks.

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Hair Photos Before and After Low Poo

Are you curious to see before and after the low poo? In the first washes the difference is almost imperceptible, but in the long run the benefits are great. The texture is smoother, the curls are more shaped, and you don't have to moisturize as often.