Hair Porosity: Characteristics + Hair Care Tips

Hair care is an essential part of any beauty routine. However, it may not be easy to know what products and techniques to use on hair, especially if you don't know your hair porosity. Hair porosity measures how much your hair absorbs water, oil, and product. Knowing your hair porosity will help you choose the right products and techniques to give your hair the best care.

Depending on your hair porosity, you will need to adjust your hair care routine to ensure your hair stays healthy and hydrated. Whether you have low, normal, or high porosity hair, you can use a few general tips to ensure your locks remain strong and healthy.

What is hair porosity?

Hair porosity measures how much your hair absorbs water, oil, and product. There are three types of hair porosity: low, normal, and high. Knowing the porosity of your hair is essential for a few different reasons. First, it will help you determine the best products to use on your hair. Depending on your hair porosity, certain products are better for use than others. Second, it will help you understand how to properly maintain your hair, allowing you to choose the right hair products.

Often people are confused between hair porosity and hair density. However, both are not the same. While hair density is the thickness of your strands, porosity refers to the ease at which your strands absorb and retain moisture. If your hair has low porosity, it will be much coarser than normal and high porosity.

How to determine your hair porosity?

There are a few quick home tests to determine your hair porosity. In this blog, we'll discuss the oatmeal and float tests.

Oatmeal test

• Mix a quarter cup of plain oatmeal with half a cup of water. 
• Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, apply it to your hair, focusing on the ends.
• Let the oatmeal sit on your hair for 15-20 minutes. Then, rinse off thoroughly.
• If your hair feels clean, it means your hair is low porosity.
• If your hair feels sticky, you have normal porosity hair.
• If you have high porosity hair, the oatmeal will not be completely removed from your hair, even after washing.

Float test

• Take a few strands of hair from the comb.
• Put the strands into a glass of clean water.
• You have low porosity hair if the strands float on the water's surface.
• You have medium porosity hair if the strands float somewhere in the middle.
• If the strands sink to the bottom of the glass, you have high porosity hair.

Hair care tips for different porosity hair

For low porosity hair

If your hair is low porosity, it will be thicker and coarser than normal and high porosity hair.

• Use gentle shampoos and mask with the goodness of argan oil, almond oil, and other nourishing ingredients.
• Wash your hair less frequently to prevent overdrying.
• Avoid using too many styling products.

For normal porosity hair

If your hair is normal porosity, it will be in between low and high porosity hair.

• Do not use extremely thick or greasy hair products.
• Use sulfate-free shampoos.
• You can benefit from occasional deep conditioning.

For high porosity hair

If your hair is high porosity, it will be finer and more fragile than normal and low porosity hair.

• Use hair products that will help lock in moisture. Try our keratin shampoo paired with our nourishing hair mask.
• We also suggest using an exfoliating scalp scrub once a week to prevent scalp breakouts.
• Avoid too much heat & styling.

Some other tips for maintaining healthy hair regardless of hair porosity:

• Brush your hair gently with a wide tooth comb to detangle knots.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals.
• Stay hydrated.

Everyday hair care mistakes to avoid

• Avoid overwashing, as it may strip your hair of natural oils and nutrients, making it dry and brittle.
• Do not overheat or over-style your tresses, as it may make your mane excessively oily, weighing it down.
• Do not wash your hair with hot water. Instead, wash your locks with cold/lukewarm water.

The bottom line

Whether you have low, normal, or high porosity hair, you must adjust your hair care routine to ensure your hair stays healthy and hydrated. Also, depending on your hair porosity, you must choose the right products. Cheers to healthy and shiny hair all the time!