Everything You Need to Know About Hair Porosity

One of the secrets to finding the right hair products is understanding your unique hair porosity.

Finding the right hair products can be a pain. With the long list of ingredients, whether they’re organic or not, the wide spectrum of prices — it can be difficult to figure out what's best for your hair. Not to mention, will your hair even like it? Understanding hair porosity can make the process of finding the perfect product easier!

Read on for everything you need to know!

What is hair porosity?

Whether this is your first time hearing the word, or you’re vaguely familiar with the term, hair porosity is confusing! I mean, it sounds like a chemical or micronutrient. But don’t worry, it’s pretty simple. Hair porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. In general, hair porosity can be separated into three categories:

Low porosity: Hair cuticles bound tightly together.
Medium porosity: Hair cuticles bound an average amount.
High porosity: Hair cuticles are less tight and widely spaced.

None of these categories are better than another, but they do determine how well products like moisturizers, waters, and oils pass through your hair. If the cuticles of your hair are tighter, you’ll need to use different products from someone whose hair cuticles are spaced widely apart.

How can I tell what my hair porosity is?

There are a few different ways to test your hair porosity. Thankfully, the easiest and fastest method can be done at home!

1. Fill a glass with regular water.
2. Drop a strand of your hair into the water.
3. See how fast your hair sinks or if it floats.

Lower porosity hair will float on the surface of the water. Medium porosity hair will begin to sink slowly. High porosity hair will sink immediately. We recommend you shampoo and wash out any products from your hair before testing to get the best results!

Products for low porosity hair

If you have hair with low porosity, products will have a more challenging time penetrating your hair shaft and will build up easier. To counteract this, you’ll want to switch up your routine and look for special ingredients in your products.

Find water-based products or shampoos with honey or glycerin. These ingredients will be able to penetrate your hair cuticles more easily. Avoid shampoos or products with sulfates, as these will strip your hair of its natural oils. You can also skip heavy oils, as these products can build up quite quickly.

For conditioners, avoid protein-rich products and protein treatments. Extra protein and protein treatments can damage your hair type and cause breakage. Avoid parabens, sulfates, and lanolin in all your products! Try this conditioner by tgin!

With low porosity hair, you can deep condition more often. Try deep conditioning once a week! Try products like Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatments, and use a shower cap to look in the moisture.

Products for medium porosity hair

With medium porosity hair, you’re going to have much fewer difficulties managing and finding the right products. That being said, be sure you’re using gentle products with high-quality ingredients!

Try using a clarifying shampoo to avoid product buildup. You can play around with different protein and moisturizing treatments, but avoid heat treatments and too much color. For conditioners, you’ll want to choose options with protein.

You can use various oils on this hair type, as well. Jojoba oil, Argan oil, and avocado oil are great places to start. However, you should avoid products with alcohols, silicones, and preservatives, as your hair type doesn’t mesh well with these.

Products for high porosity hair

High porosity hair can happen by damage over time and has a difficult time retaining moisture. This makes high porosity hair an incredibly challenging hair type to take care of. However, there is hope!

First thing’s first: you have to be gentle with this hair type. Avoid products that contain alcohol, benzyl alcohol, grain alcohol, or isopropyl IPA at all costs! You also won’t want to wash your hair with shampoo very often, as this will strip away some moisture. When you need to wash your hair, use shampoos packed with proteins or no “poo” options.

For conditioners, look for products with butter and oils to help seal in moisture. Products like SheaMoisture Intensive Hydration Conditioner are a step in the right direction. You should also use a deep conditioner one to three times a week.

With high porosity hair, you’ll also want to use oils in your routine. Cottonseed oil is perfect for damaged and dry ends. Grapeseed oil is an excellent product to protect your hair in the summer. You can also try Linseed oil, Maracuja Oil, and Wheat Germ oil for added benefits.

Be sure to take extra care of your hair if it has a high porosity. Avoid dyes, high temperatures, rough towels, and intense combing. This hair type is especially sensitive, so it’s essential to give it the love it deserves!

Knowing your hair's porosity is the first step to creating the perfect routine. Remember, it takes time to craft an excellent hair routine and find the best products. Keep trying different things and experimenting with brands to find the best fit! No matter where you fall on the spectrum, there will be products that work for you.

Try an at-home hair mask with MOBILESTYLES. Download the app today at www.mobilestyles.com/download.