Low porosity hair doesn’t want more product. It wants warmer water and more patience. The cuticle layer is tightly closed, so anything you apply tends to sit on top instead of absorbing — which is why the same leave-in that rescues your friend’s hair leaves yours greasy.
The float test
Drop a clean strand in a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats for more than two minutes, you’re low porosity. If it sinks fast, you’re high. If it sits in the middle, you’re balanced.
Why products fail
Your cuticles are flat and overlapping — closer to a pine cone closed than open. Water beads off, and product buildup shows up as a white film or a weighed-down feel by day two. It’s not the product; it’s the delivery.
The protocol
Start your wash with the warmest water you can tolerate — heat lifts the cuticle briefly. Apply leave-ins to damp (not soaking) hair. Skip heavy butters. Use a humectant like glycerin or honey in mild humidity. Clarify once a month with a gentle chelating wash.
What to avoid
Silicones that require a sulfate to remove. Dense butters at the root. Cold-water rinses (save the “shine rinse” story for someone else — it’s not your dimension of the problem).
You might actually be
- High porosity if water absorbs immediately and your hair feels thirsty after every wash.
- Balanced if the strand hovers mid-glass on the float test.