The Best Low Porosity Hair Products for a Weightless, Grease-Free Finish
Achieve hydration without the weight.

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Hair porosity is your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture. If you have high porosity hair, your hair can typically hold onto moisture well, leaving it shiny, strong, and healthy looking after using deep conditioning and hydrating products. On the other hand, if you have low porosity hair, your hair won’t absorb and retain these products properly, leaving them to sit on top of follicles. Since low porosity hair can’t absorb the moisture, products that are typically encouraged for strength and shine end up weighing down the hair for a heavy, greasy finish.
The secret to hydrating your hair properly if you are genetically blessed with low porosity hair (or if you’ve overdone it with chemical treatments) is to swap any heavy-duty hydrators and serums for lightweight clarifying shampoos and silicone-free formulas. Or, if you’re looking for intense moisture, “you can treat low porosity hair by using a very nurturing and rich treatment mask,” veteran French hairstylist Frederic Fekkai tells ELLE.com.“You should apply the mask to damp hair and work the product in to ensure the product is penetrating through the hair. Adding heat helps to open the hair's cuticles, so investing in a hooded dryer or steamer will produce the best results.” Cold water should be used to rinse the hair in order to seal the hair cuticles and help with frizz,” he adds.
Additionally, Bernadette Smith, the chemist at iLABS, explains that “products suitable for those with low porosity hair are typically that of lightweight textures, such as foams, serums, and milks. These products should also have humectants, ferments, osmolytes and natural sugars that help hold on to that hydration, allowing it to lock into the hair strand.” Luckily, there's a ton of products on the market that treat low porosity hair—you just have to know what to look for. Maria McCool, the founder and CEO of Calista, suggests “water-based products to usually be best because they’re lightweight and penetrate the hair shaft more easily than heavier, more dense products. Heavy oils or really rich products may just end up sitting on top of your hair rather than being absorbed.” We consulted hair experts and scoured the internet to bring you the 14 best hydrating products for low porosity hair—from hooded dryers, to lightweight oils, leave-in conditioners, detangling sprays for curly hair, styling mousses, and more. Scroll on to shop these editor tested and expert-approved products.

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