Skip to Content

Moisturising And Sealing Low Porosity Hair – Genius Tips You Have To Know!

Sharing is caring!

Having natural hair is one thing but having low porosity natural hair is a completely other thing altogether.  If you are not sure if your hair is low porosity or not I will explain in a moment.

Natural hair is naturally dry and therefore we need to make sure that our hair always remains moisturised.  We can achieve this by making sure that we are moisturising and sealing our low porosity hair properly.

Knowing if you have low porosity hair and knowing how to manage it properly can make or break your natural hair journey because without moisture hair cannot grow effectively it’s as simple as that.

 

***Please note that this site uses affiliate links if you would like to read the legal stuff you can find it here

How to moisturise low porosity hair daily

 

 

 

What Is Low Porosity Hair?

Low porosity hair is hair that finds it difficult to absorb moisture.  When you have low porosity hair the cuticles of your hair lay very closely knitted together (imagine a shingled roof) and therefore does not easily allow water to penetrate.

This is why some people struggle with getting their hair to feel moisturised and look vibrant and healthy.

If you have been having a hard time moisturising your hair it could be that you have low porosity hair.

The good thing is that once you discover if you have low porosity hair or not it puts you in a much better position to be able to deal with it.

You can read lots more about low porosity hair here.

 

Related post: How to test how porous your hair is

 

The Characteristics Of Low Porosity Hair

It’s fairly easy to spot low porosity hair because it has a number of characteristics.

If you notice that when washing your hair it takes a long time for your hair to feel wet this could be a sign.  Personally speaking, I have low porosity hair and when I get into the shower to wash my hair it can take some time for my hair to feel as though it’s really soaking up the water.

If it feels like products are sitting on your hair strands rather than sinking in this is another good indicator that you have low porosity hair.

Also if your hair takes a long time to wash and dry this is another sign.  Again for me personally I know it can sometimes take up to 2 days for my hair to naturally air dry.

 

How To Moisturise And Seal Low Porosity Hair

The trick with low porosity hair is to find a way to get the moisture into the core of your strands in order to moisturise it and keep it moisturised. 

These tips are also useful if you want to learn how to moisturise low porosity daily.

There are a few ways that you can get the cuticles of your hair to lift in order to moisturise the strands before they close again and this is what is going to really help your hair a ton!

 

1. Try Pre-Pooing

I love pre-pooing my hair because it gives my hair a chance to absorb some moisture before I even get into the shower.  This saves me a load of time because it doesn’t take as long for the water to really get to the core of my hair.

You can use an oil such as coconut oil to help you to pre-poo your hair before you get into the shower or as I like to sometimes do is to add my conditioner to my damp hair and cover it with a shower cap first. 

 

Related post:  Why pre-pooing low porosity hair is necessary

 

2. Clarify Your Hair

It’s really important to clarify your hair because this will get rid of all the product build-up and dirt that has been sitting on your hair making it easier for your hair to take in that moisture.

You can clarify with something like this.

 

3. Deep Condition

Please don’t skip on a deep conditioning treatment if you have low porosity hair.  A deep conditioner is a special formula that is made to really penetrate deep down into your hair to give it an extra boost in moisture.

You can even add heat to this process as the heat will help to lift your cuticles and allow the moisture to penetrate to the core.

You can apply heat in one of two ways:

 

 

4. Lukewarm Rinse

I never like this part because I love to feel warm water dripping down from my hair.  In actual fact, once you are done with the steps above it’s better to rinse your hair with lukewarm or cold water as this helps to close the cuticles of your hair and seal in that much-needed moisture.

When you rinse your hair with lukewarm water it also helps to add shine to your hair which is another plus point to doing it.

In essence, a warm environment opens the cuticles and a cold one closes it.

 

5. Use A Leave-in Conditioner

Using a leave-in conditioner will help to give you a little bit more moisture in your hair and seal in what you have already added.

Whilst a leave-in conditioner is a little more superficial than a deep conditioner it still has a part to play in moisturising and sealing low porosity hair.

If you are not sure of a good leave-in conditioner this is a good one to try.

 

Treatments For Low Porosity Hair

If you would rather do some further intense moisture soaking sessions then I would suggest that you incorporate a few of these additional treatments into your regular routine.

You don’t have to do these all the time but you can do them from time to time if you feel that your hair needs a little something extra.

 

1. Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is a great one because it is so easy to do and will do the world of good for your hair.

It simply consists of using a shower cap, water and some oil.

All you have to do is create a warm damp environment for your hair to get your cuticles to open up.  Not only is it a great way to get moisture into your hair but it also stimulates creates increased blood flow which is great for hair growth!

 

2. Baggy Method

The baggy method is another simple great method you can try which opens up your cuticles.  I tend to do this one quite often myself.

You can read about the baggy method here.

 

3. Add Glycerin

Glycerin can help to attract moisture from the air and put it into your hair.  You can find glycerin in many hair products or you can buy glycerin as a stand-alone product and dilute it in a spray bottle to use.

Glycerin and rose water is another great combination to try.

You can read a little bit more about glycerin further down.

 

4. LOC/LCO

At the end of any moisturising session, you should seriously consider using the LOC or LCO method, whichever works best for you.

Using either of these will help to moisturise and seal your low porosity hair.

 

5. Try An Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar is an additional way to seal in moisture as it quickly closes the cuticles of your hair and locks in that moisture.

You can pick up some apple cider vinegar here.

 

Best Products For Moisturising And Sealing Low Porosity Hair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Often Should You Moisturise Low Porosity Hair?

It’s a good idea to moisturise and seal your natural hair at least twice a week (once midweek).  That does not mean that you have to give it a full wash you can simply refresh your hair by lightly spraying it with a mix of aloe vera juice and water in a spray bottle.

Aloe vera is very hydrating for hair.  Depending on how dry you feel that your hair is getting I would advise that you add this to your normal routine.

I would say it’s good practice to wash your hair at least every other week to remove build-up and keep your hair as fresh as possible.

 

Is Glycerin Good For Low Porosity Natural Hair?

Depending on where you live glycerin can be a really great product to add to your hair. Just be sure to dilute it before using it. 

Glycerin is a humectant meaning that it attracts moisture from the air into your hair.  This is great in some environments but can actually be damaging to use in others.  If you want to know more about the effects of using glycerin then you can take a look at this.

 

Final Thoughts On Moisturising And Sealing Low Porosity Hair

Having low porosity hair can feel like a bit of a nuisance at first but at a second glance, it is not that bad of a position as there are things that you can easily do to ensure that your hair gets the necessary moisture that it needs.

Remember the key to looking after and growing low porosity hair is to make sure it is properly moisturised and sealed.

Let me know if you have any other good tips and tricks for moisturising and sealing low porosity hair!

 

Related posts:

The benefits of using aloe vera in your hair

Washing your hair in sections, is this the secret sauce to happy hair?

Everything you need to know about growing high porosity hair

Moisturising and sealing low porosity hair

 

Liz

Thursday 30th of December 2021

I've been told that people with low porosity hair should avoid heavy oils such as coconut and olive. I'm in the process of trying jojoba and avocado the later seems to penetrate more.