Like many of us, you’ve probably noticed it takes quite a long time to wet your hair thoroughly. And it takes much longer for it to dry.
If it seems like it takes forever for the water to reach your hair strands, it’s probably because you have low-porosity hair.
And while it’s vital to determine what hair oils lead to healthy hair growth, it’s equally important to decide on your hair porosity before spending money on products.
Why’s that? Knowing if you have low-porosity hair will determine whether you’ll succeed with light oils for low-porosity hair.
Luckily for you, this post is designed to tell you the best low-porosity hair oils. So, keep reading to see our list of suitable hair oils for low-porosity natural hair!
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are concentrated essences of plants extracted through steam distillation, water distillation, or cold pressing.
Each oil holds a unique aromatic composition that creates its characteristic essence – the true embodiment of each plant’s flavour and scent.
Once these precious compounds have been collected, they are diluted with carrier oils to become ready-for-use products providing botanical benefits for all applications.
Crafting these oils is a delicate art, as those obtained through chemical processes don’t qualify as genuine.
What are Carrier Oils?
Unlike essential oils distilled from plants, carrier oils (such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, and olive oil) have a more neutral fragrance. Additionally, they don’t require the same distillation level as essential oils.
Lightweight Oils vs. Heavyweight Oils for Low Porosity Hair
Light oils penetrate the shaft quickly without leaving your hair with that uncomfortable greasy feeling that weighs it down.
Lightweight oils have a small molecular structure, meaning light oils can penetrate the hair deeper rather than sitting on the surface. Thus, lightweight oils are the best oils for low-porosity hair.
Are Lightweight Oils the Best Oils for Low-Porosity Hair?
The simple fact that low-porosity hair cannot adequately hydrate is enough to add lightweight hair oils to your haircare routine.
But it’s crucial to select suitable lightweight oils for low-porosity hair.
When selecting a hair oil for low-porosity hair, the oils that can get deep into low-porosity hair are lightweight.
Remember when we mentioned that heavy oils sit on top of the shaft? That’s why you should always avoid them if you can.
The significant distinction between light and heavy oils lies in their saturated fat content, which is usually higher for heavier oil varieties.
Take coconut oil, for instance; its saturated fat content is between 80-90%. On the other hand, grapeseed oil only contains around 10%, which makes it a popular choice among lightweight oils used on hair and skin.
If you have highly porous hair, it is essential to use heavy oils that form a protective barrier around your strands and lock in moisture. Conversely, if you possess lower porosity curls, then the most crucial step would be adding extra hydration rather than anything else.
To achieve healthier, smoother hair by utilizing lightweight oils that penetrate the low porosity hair’s cuticle layer.
What are the Best Oils for Low-Porosity Hair?
The good news is that a vast array of light oils can be easily located online or at beauty stores.
When browsing through the options, you may want to opt for items labelled “100% pure,” as these will be free from any additional ingredients.
It’s essential always to double-check the list of components on the label, however. Many oil fans also prefer those made with cold-pressed techniques since external heat has been known to diminish some beneficial vitamins and minerals in plants.
Cold-pressing applies pressure that produces heat up to a maximum of only 49°C or 120°F, preserving the most beneficial properties in plants. Nevertheless, it is also safe to use low-porosity hair oils that have undergone refinement for impurity removal and extended shelf life.
With so many essential oils in the market, knowing which suits you and your low-porosity strands can be challenging. Here are some of the most recommended options below!
- Lavender oil
- Tea tree oil
- Rosemary oil
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Peppermint Oil
- Sweet Basil Oil
Best Ultralight Oil for Low-Porosity Hair
PrettyKind Ultralight Hair Oil
Pamper yourself with this luxurious five-fold natural oil blend that will soften and shine your low-porosity while locking in moisture to support hair retention and hair growth.
Ingredients:
- Grapeseed oil
- Avocado oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Argan oil
- Jojoba oil
- Vitamin E
- Tea tree oil
- Rosemary oil
- Grapefruit oil
- Sweet basil oil
- Peppermint oil
Benefits of Essential Oils for Low-Porosity Natural Hair
Tea Tree Oil for low porosity hair
- Antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory
- Fights dandruff
- It helps to relieve seborrheic dermatitis
- Alleviates redness, itching, and scalp pain
Best Essential Oils for Moisturizing Low-Porosity Hair
Peppermint Oil for low porosity hair
- Natural remedy for hair loss
- It improves circulation and blood flow to the scalp
- Balances hair oil
- Increases hair thickness
Lavender Oil for low porosity hair
- Heals irritated scalp and hair strands
- Restores hydration to dry hair
- Promotes thicker roots
Best Essential Oils for Low-Porosity Hair to Stimulate Hair Growth
Sweet Basil Oil for low porosity hair
- Help support repair after hair breakage
- Treats dandruff
- Promotes hair growth
Rosemary oil for low porosity hair
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Improves circulation
- Promotes nerve and hair growth
Eucalyptus Oil for low porosity hair
- Anti-inflammatory
- Relieves dry and itchy scalps
- Stimulates hair follicles
- Great for hair growth
Hair porosity determines how well the hair shafts absorb and retains moisture. To better understand hair porosity, look at the layers of your hair shaft.
The three layers of the hair shaft are:
Cuticle
The cuticle is a protective layer that encases the hair shaft and serves as its first line of defense. Its composition comprises multiple shingle-like cuticles overlapping to form a seamless barrier.
Cortex
The cortex is the densest and most fibrous layer of hair, possessing proteins and melanin that grant tresses their individualized pigmentation.
Medulla
For individuals with thick hair, the medulla is a vital component of their tresses. Although we don’t yet know all it does for us humans, its innermost layer plays an undeniably critical role in our locks’ health and beauty.
What is Low-Porosity Hair?
To understand low-porosity hair, it’s also essential to know the other porosities.
High-Porosity
High-porosity has bigger cuticle gaps that allow moisture to enter the shaft quickly yet struggle with keeping the hydration inside its fiber.
Normal-Porosity
Characterized by overlapping cuticles, medium hair porosity is porous enough to allow water and moisturizing products to penetrate the shaft.
Low-Porosity
Low-porosity hair has tightly overlapped cuticles, making the hair extremely smooth. Consequently, this hair type doesn’t absorb moisture and products easily.
Hair with low porosity is especially prone to dryness and can suffer complications such as breakage, brittleness, or frizzing if not adequately hydrated.
It’s essential to test your hair to find your porosity type. Once you know whether your hair has low porosity, you’ll know the right products to get the nutrients and moisture needed to stay healthy.
The Float Test
To find your hair porosity, fill a glass with water and place a strand of your hair.
If the strand floats on the surface, you have low-porosity hair. You have medium-porosity hair if it sinks slightly but stays in the middle. If it falls to the bottom, you have high-porosity.
Alternatively, you may be able to tell your hair’s porosity from its texture when wet. Start by squeezing out the excess moisture from your hair, so it isn’t dripping but still wet opposed to damp.
If your hair texture feels rough, similar to straw, you have low-porosity hair.
If it feels sticky, almost like there is still residual product, then it is highly porous.
On the other hand, if your hair feels wet and smooth, you have medium-porosity hair.
How to Use Oils for All Hair Types
Low Porosity Hair
Using lightweight oils is your best bet if you have low-porosity hair. However, heat can also be beneficial when it comes to helping the oils penetrate deeper into the strands.
Heat includes deep-conditioning heat caps and hot oil treatments. These two options are excellent since the heat opens the cuticles so the shaft can absorb moisture.
Heat is great for taming unmanageable hair and promoting hair growth, leading to a head of long and healthy hair.
Excellent low-porosity hair oil and accompanying techniques will help ensure that all those vital nutrients get where they need to go to moisturize low-porosity hair.
Medium Porosity Hair
Medium/normal porosity hair has the advantage of being able to utilize both high and low-porosity oils. So, you can select the right hair oil that works best to maintain healthy hair.
If you’re at the lower end of normal porosity, opt for products specifically designed for low-porosity hair; if it’s on the higher side, go for those created for high-porosity.
High-Porosity Hair
Highly porous hair has raised cuticles that can absorb moisture but cannot hold on to it and loses it quickly. This leaves you with frizzy hair that is prone to breakage and damage.
Sealing in hydration helps your hair keep all those essential fatty acids that are key for preventing hair loss.
Can You Use All Oils on Low-Porosity Hair?
Mainly when we get this question, people mean if they can use sealing oils on their low-porosity hair.
The answer is yes, in some cases. For example, some lightweight oils that are amazing for low-porosity hair can also have the same effect as sealing since they have moisture-locking properties.
Argon oil, apricot oil, jojoba oil, and grapeseed oil can all be used as sealing oil to maintain hydration for longer. To enhance their sealing effects, use them after moisturizing your hair with leave-in conditioners.
How to Mix Essential Oils and Carrier Oils
If you have just begun using essential oils in your hair care routine, it is important to remember that mixing with carrier oils is necessary.
Carrier oils enable the essential oil to reach your scalp without causing irritation. These oils serve as an essentially odorless and non-invasive transporter allowing the essential oil to take full effect while applied to the skin.
These carrier oils can be used alone or with other carrier oils to provide a hydrating complexion to your skin and hair.
Whenever feasible, buy organic and cold-pressed carrier oils from a reliable provider. Although these oils rarely trigger allergies, it is wise to perform patch tests before using them in any beauty regimen.
To perform a patch test:
To evaluate your skin’s sensitivity to a carrier oil:
- Start the patch test by applying a small amount of oil below your ear or inside your wrist.
- Secure with a bandage and wait 24 hours.
- If irritation occurs, rinse off immediately and discontinue use in the future.
If you are allergic to tree nuts, please abstain from utilizing oils extracted from their nut families, such as sweet almond oil, argan oil, and apricot kernel oil, for safety purposes.
Dilution Ratios for Adults Over 18
- 0.5% dilution: 1 drop of essential oil per 10 milliliters of carrier oil
- 1% dilution: 2 drops of essential oil per 10 milliliters of carrier oil
- 3% dilution: 6 drops of essential oil per 10 milliliters of carrier oil
Just as with other topical treatments, your follicles and scalp must have time to adapt. Since the skin of the head has a very similar structure to any other area on our body, one should follow some basic rules when utilizing essential oils topically. The best way forward is diluting 0.5-3% essential oil in whatever carrier oil you use for the application.
Carrier Oils to Mix Your Essential Oils With
- Jojoba oil
- Coconut oil
- Apricot oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Olive oil
- Argan oil
- Rosehip oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Avocado oil
Caring for Your Low-Porosity Hair Goes Beyond the Right Oils
Applying oil frequently and deliberately can lead to astonishingly positive results, even for low-porosity hair, so select the best lightweight hair products that cater to your needs.
To keep your low-porosity hair healthy, choose the right oil and wash and condition your locks regularly.
This helps you remove product build-up on the scalp and hair strands, allowing the hair follicles to remain transparent and stay in their best state.
If you want to protect and hydrate your low-porosity hair, Prettykind has all the right products for you! Our ultralight oil helps seal in moisture and vital nutrients so you can say goodbye to frizz and breakage.