Knowing your hair type is one of the most valuable and beneficial things to your hair health — especially when it comes to the porosity of your hair. Hair porosity means the level at which your hair absorbs moisture or water, and it's categorized as low, medium, or high. Sometimes, low porosity hair — which is slower to absorb water — can keep you from getting the proper hydration to keep your hair looking and feeling healthy.
Dr. Ross Kopelman, hair transplant surgeon, explained, "Low porosity hair has tightly closed cuticles that make it difficult for moisture to penetrate the hair shaft. This can lead to dryness and product buildup, as products tend to sit on the hair rather than being absorbed." He also mentioned that this can lead to breakage and tangling since your hair is having a hard time retaining moisture.
Luckily, there's a way to help low porosity hair maintain its health, get rid of excess buildup, and retain moisture through specific products like shampoos and masks. I talked to experts Clyde Haygood (celebrity hairstylist), Dr. Ross Kopelman(hair surgeon and expert), and Kseniya Popova (lead chemist and head of R&D for The Rootist) to get all their product recommendations for the best low porosity hair products to try right now!
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SheaMoisture Hair Mask
Dr. Ross Kopelman recommended this hair mask from SheaMoisture, noting that it will help heal your hair cuticles and allow products to more deeply penetrate the hair. This is exactly what we're looking for, since with low porosity hair, products have a hard time reaching your hair cuticles and fully absorbing. This will also help any breakage you might've gotten given your hair type!
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Kinky Curly Knot Today Leave-In Conditioner
This was another great leave-in recommended by Dr. Kopelman to help repair breakage and attract moisture. He says that it has glycerin and honey which both help your low porosity hair to really retain the moisture in a light, non-greasy way.
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The Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo
If you're needing a bit of a deeper cleanse but have very sensitive hair, then this recommendation from Dr. Kopelman might be just what you're looking for! He let us know that this shampoo is thorough and effective, yet still gentle for any sensitive hair-types! According to his solid advice, you only need to use it once a month to remove any buildup that might be preventing your hair from being able to fully absorb moisture!
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The Rootist AHA Pre-Shampoo
Lead Chemist and Head of R&D for The Rootist, Kseniya Popova, says that this pre-shampoo is great for the low porosity hair gals! She gave us great insight by saying, "This pre-shampoo treatment is fantastic for those with low porosity who want to target product build-up and excess oil. The alpha hydroxy acids glycolic acid and lactic acid and apple cider vinegar help to gently exfoliate without stripping natural, healthy oils that need to coat the hair."
The Rootist
BioBrew Fermented Strengthening Serum
Kseniya Popova also told us about this great strengthening serum from her company, The Rootist! She says that it is a great serum that has super nourishing ingredients like moringa oil, along with vitamin C that help to condition cuticles and boost hydration. And bonus! They added a heat-protecting active, for up to 450 degrees, that is super beneficial to low porosity hair when using hot tools like curling irons and hair dryers.
The Rootist
Strengthen Concentrated Shampoo and Conditioner
Kseniya also recommended this amazing shampoo and conditioner duo from her company that she says is great for low porosity hair. She explained that they help to cleanse the roots, scalp, and hair without causing damage or stripping moisture — exactly what you need for cleansing low porosity hair without stripping away all the natural oils and moisture excessively. Kseniya said, "It is necessary to strengthen low porosity hair fibers because they are prone to brittleness and breakage. The Strengthen Concentrated Shampoo contains yuzu ceramides and hydrolyzed proteins that will help to strengthen the hair fibers of low porosity hair. And the Strengthen Concentrated Conditioner contains coating emollients, such as coconut oil, acai oil, rice brand and passion fruit oils that lock in necessary moisture" This means that you'll really be able to lock in moisture, down to the root!
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Pura D'or Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo
We got a great recommendation from celebrity hairstylist, Clyde Haygood, when it comes to drier low porosity hair. He says this shampoo will be great because it infuses biotin, keratin and caffeine to boost hair health and shine in a lightweight formula. This mean it won't be too heavy or greasy, but still helping to retain moisture.
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Pura D'or Hair Thinning Therapy
Dealing with hair thinningand low porosity? Well, hair expert Clyde Haygood has just the thing for you. He said this mask is one of his favorite products for how it hydrates the hair, targeting both hair thinning and low porosity. He also added, " Using a hair mask once a week is also a great way to strengthen strands and protect hair from heat styling damage. I also love that it’s free from harsh chemicals, hypo-allergenic, vegan and cruelty free which is ideal for all hair types." Sounds like just what we're looking for!
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Header image by Anna Steckmann