One consideration that often gets overlooked when it comes to finding the perfect curly hair routine is hair porosity.
What is hair porosity and why it’s important
So what is it? In the most basic sense hair porosity is about your hair’s ability to retain and absorb moisture. You may have high or low porosity hair, and determining which end of the spectrum you sit is important when trying to look after your curls.
Why this is important is because depending your hair porosity, you will be able to determine how well your hair cuticle will be able to hold and maintain oils and moisture. Once you have an idea of your hair porosity you will be able to better manage your hair and perfect your curl routine.
Types of hair porosity
If you have low porosity hair your curls are unable to fully absorb water and products. A tell tale sign you have low porosity hair is that it takes a long time for your hair to get wet, it also can take a while to dry. You may also notice that hair products stay on the surface rather than soak into your hair.
On the flip side if you have high porosity hair you will find that products, water and moisture holds in your hair and you tend to be prone to frizz. This may be the result of genetics or possibly even over chemically processing your hair.
If however you find that you don’t fit neatly into one of these options, you can have medium porosity hair.
How to find your hair porosity
You can test your hair porosity through the float test which involves taking a few strands of hair and placing them into some water. After sitting in the water for a few minutes, if your hair floats you have low porosity and if it sinks you more likely have high porosity hair.
Product recommendations
Low Porosity
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Maui Moisture Lightweight Hydration + Hibiscus Water Shampoo & Conditioner
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Shea Moisture Protein-Free Leave-In Conditioner
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Mixed Chicks Shampoo
Medium Porosity
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Camille Rose Nangai & Tsubaki Treatment
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The Mane Choice Easy On The Curls Hydration Shampoo
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Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yoghurt Hydrate & Repair Multi-Action Leave-In Conditioner
High Porosity
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SheaMoisture Mongongo & Hemp Seed Oil High Porosity Moisture-Seal Masque
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Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel
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Mielle Babassu Conditioning Shampoo
I hope this helps you on your curl journey! If you like this post or want to chat more about hair porosity please find us on Instagram @be.curly1