We rarely speak about hair in terms of its porosity as a subject, but it could, indeed, significantly influence your hair care routine. If you have low porosity hair you will want to make sure you are investing in lightweight, water-based products that will keep your tresses moisturized and healthy according to research.

WHAT IS LOW POROSITY HAIR? Low porosity hair refers to hair with a very compact cuticle layer. Because the outer layer is mostly sealed, it’s very difficult for moisture to pass to the inner layer of the strand. People with low porosity hair usually find that even though oil builds up easily around their roots, their hair might not actually be well hydrated. Low porosity hair takes an extraordinarily long time to dry and it lacks elasticity.

BEST PRODUCTS FOR LOW POROSITY HAIR: The best products for low porosity hair are water-based ones. Serums and light water-based conditioners will more easily penetrate the shaft without weighing the hair down. You will also want to invest in a good quality clarifying shampoo so that you can wash away any product build-up from the rest of the week.

In general, you will want to avoid using too many styling products. If you can limit your styling tools to the bare minimum, you will have less residue to wash away later.

BEST OILS FOR LOW POROSITY HAIR: If you have low porosity hair, you actually shouldn’t be using many oils at all. Creams and oils contain large molecules that won’t easily penetrate a mostly sealed cuticle.

You should definitely stay away from any products with high protein content, and if you do plan to use heavier conditioners, try mixing it with a bit of water before applying it to your hair. Otherwise, you will have greasy, oily strands and a good deal of product build-up to clear away.

If you are going to use oil, you will want to make sure that you only use light oils like rosehip, ‘Jojoba,’ or ‘Argan’ oil. However, you should only use oils after your water-based serums. Because oil and water don’t mix, the oil will lock in the moisture keeping your hair hydrated longer.

Low porosity hair can be difficult to manage. It can be dry and oily at the same time, but it doesn’t respond well to most products. If your hair is low in porosity, you very well might be wasting a good deal of money buying the wrong kind of products in the hopes that oil is the key to taming frizz when that couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, invest in a few high qualities, water-based products that will keep your hair hydrated without weighing it down.

  Hair Porosity, Khadija Yusuf Dambatta