Does your hair take longer to saturate with whatever you apply on it? It could be oil, water, or even a mask.
If this is the case, then you have probably noticed that there is too much build-up of all the stuff you apply on your hair and that is a bummer right?
Well, you may have a case of low porosity hair. This means that your hair cuticles are compacted hence hindering your hair from absorbing moisture.
So, why should you care about the porosity of your hair?
First off, moisturized hair is healthy hair. If your hair is dry, it can easily break and cause split ends and we can bet you do not want that.
Now, there are levels to hair porosity and they range from high or low, to normal porosity. As you can understand, it is important to know where your hair porosity lies so that you can get the right products for your hair and come up with the most suitable regimen.
Now that we have that out of the way, let us get into the best oils for this kind of hair.
Low Porosity Hair Best Oils
Low porosity hair does not absorb water or oils easily. As such, it would only make sense to use lightweight oils that will not accumulate in your hair.
This means that you should stay away from things like castor oil. (We know it has numerous benefits for hair but it is a bit on the heavier side and we are trying to avoid that here).
That said; the following list of oils is likely to deliver the results you hope to achieve with your hair.
1. Argan oil
Also referred to as Moroccan oil, this is among the most valued and rarest oils you will ever come across and understandably so because Argan trees do not grow just anywhere and they produce very little of the oil per harvest.
According to Alpha Research & Development, it will take about 8 Argan trees to produce a liter of Argan oil.
Now, this oil is a great moisturizer and is light as well. It forms a protective layer on your hair until you decide to wash it out with shampoo and water.
Surely, it is not hard to see why this oil is first on our list right?
2. Jojoba oil
Obtained from the seeds of the jojoba plant that is popular in North America, this oil is a favorite among naturalistas because it is extremely similar to sebum, the natural oil that is produced by the body.
The oil is rich in fatty acids and straight-chain alcohols. What does that imply? Simply that this oil can hydrate your hair even if, it is low porosity.
Besides, jojoba oil protects the hair and seals it making it a great choice for the kind of hair we are talking about.
3. Grape Seed Oil
Lightweight is the keyword when we talk about Grape Seed oil. Of course, as the name suggests, the oil is derived from grape seeds.
If you have thin hair or an greasy scalp, this is the perfect product to use because it is one of the best sealing oils and it does that without accumulating in your hair and weighing it down.
Aside from that, Grape Seed oil is frequently used as a protectant when styling hair using heat styling devices such as curling irons, and flat irons. It also strengthens hair.
4. Sweet Almond Oil
The Almond tree is the source for this one. Most people know the tree for its cosmetic and medicinal value.
Sweet Almond oil is rich in zinc, potassium, palmitic acid, stearic acid, proteins, vitamin E and A, and linoleic acid.
Linoleic acid is a vital ingredient in the oil because it helps retain moisture in the hair hence making it a great choice for low porosity hair.
5. Baobab oil
The Baobab tree is also known as the ‘Tree of Life’ and is treasured for its oil and powder extracts that have been used for years as beauty and wellness treatments.
Did you now that the roots of this tree grow deep into the soil searching for nutrients and water? It is for that reason that this tree lasts longer and stores gallons of water in its trunk.
Now, Baobab oil is rich in omega 9, omega 6, and omega 3 fatty acids, which supply nutrition to your hair. The oil also has hydrating abilities and contains linoleic acid to retain the moisture in your hair.
Besides, the oil contains saturated fats, which facilitate moisture absorption making it perfect for low porosity hair.
6. Apricot oil
Apricot Oil is a by-product of the Apricot tree (Seems like fruits deserve more credit than we give them). Anyway, this oil is perfect for low porosity hair because it is easily absorbed.
To back that up, it contains oleic acid, which is known to improve the rate of moisture absorption in hair. The oil also contains vitamin E and A, stearic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid all of which work as moisture retainers.
7. Pomegranate Oil
You probably enjoy Pomegranate as a fruit, but did you now that it can produce oil as well? Moreover, it so happens that the oil is highly concentrated so you only need to use a little.
Pomegranate oil promotes blood circulation and facilitates the supply of nutrients to your hair follicles. Besides that, the oil promotes hair growth as well.
This oil made it to this list because it is lightweight and can penetrate the hair easily. You can also rest assured that it will not weigh your hair down.
8. Sesame Seed Oil
Have you heard of the Sesame plant? Well, that is where Sesame Oil comes from. The seeds of the plant are simply cold-pressed to obtain the oil.
The oil is rich in antioxidants, proteins, and vitamins but what makes it perfect for low porosity hair? You guessed it!
Its ability to deeply penetrate the hair and moisturize it.
9. Coconut Oil
You have probably heard of the benefits of coconut oil. It is so versatile that it can even be used for cooking.
However, since we are talking about the benefits of oil for low porosity hair, perhaps you would like to know that this oil is as lightweight as they come.
According to a 2015 research article, coconut oil reduces hair breakage by improving hydration to the shaft. It is also very light and is great at penetrating hair and that is why it an ideal solution for low porosity hair.
10. Sunflower Seed Oil
The Sunflower plant brings life into our days-literally but how about letting it bring life to your hair? Yes, this plant can actually do that if you use oil extracted from it.
The oil is light and therefore easily absorbed by hair. Besides, sunflower oil can also be used to promote hair luster and strength, as well as condition it.
It does not end there because this oil contains vitamin E and A which act as antioxidants to combat bacteria that cause dandruff hence enhancing your scalp’s general health.
11. Avocado Oil
Good old Avocado! We make salads from it, smoothies…heck we even use it as a facemask. You would think those are enough benefits but you have not heard it all.
As it appears, you can also get oil from this fruit or should we say vegetable? Anyway, this oil is able to penetrate your hair strands and hydrate your hair despite the fact that it is a bit heavier than the other oils in this list.
Tips for Maintaining Low Porosity Hair
As you can tell by now, low porosity hair is not your average kind of hair and may require you to put in more effort to take care of it.
Here are several tips to help you do that.
- Use water-based and oil-based products to aid in softening your hair and hydrating it. Ensure that you use more of such products during summer because your hair will need the moisture more then.
- Avoid products that are high in protein content. This is because protein tends to accumulate on low porosity hair making it even more difficult to penetrate.
- Use heat to open your hair cuticles so that moisture can get in. You want to cover your hair with a cap and sit under a dryer for about 15 minutes when deep conditioning your hair.
- Always use warm water to wash your hair as it opens up your hair cuticles and scalp pores for product and moisture absorption.
- Use cold water to rinse your hair. This works to seal your cuticles and lock in moisture.
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Conclusion
The first thing you need to do is to find out your level of hair porosity. This will open up doors for you to know which hair regimen will work for you.
Once you have that figured out, you want to do away with any heavy consistency products because the only thing they will do is sit on your hair and accumulate over time.
When it comes to low porosity hair, you want lightweight products that will easily be absorbed be your hair and remain intact for a while.
Of course, any of the oils from our list should work just fine.