Low Porosity Hair Decoded: Expert-Backed Signs, Fixes + Product Musts
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Do you feel like your hair is practically water-resistant? Does it take FOR-EV-ER to get your strands soaking wet….then ridiculously long to dry? Do your stylers and treatments seem to coat your hair with a greasy film rather than delivering results?
These could be signs that you have low porosity hair.
Hair porosity (your hair’s ability to absorb moisture) is quickly joining the ranks of other hair characteristics like hair type and hair texture as a key indicator to help guide how to care for and style your hair.
Why? Because porosity—aka how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture— plays a critical role in determining the best products to use to keep hair optimally moisturised and healthy.
Out of all the levels of porosity (low, medium, high), low porosity hair is considered the healthiest porosity type. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its own challenges.
Here’s a quick recap on the science
Hair is made up of three layers:
- Medulla: the soft, innermost layer
- Cortex: the middle layer that contains the majority of the hair's colour and strength
- Cuticle: the outermost protective layer
THE CRITICAL TAKE-AWAY FOR ANYONE WITH LOW POROSITY HAIR: In order for your hair to maintain peak hair health, moisture must be able to pass through the cuticle layer to the cortex and your hair must be able to retain the moisture.
Dr. Joe Cincotta, Color Wow Chief Chemist, explains:
“Think of the cuticle like roof shingles. When they lie flat and tight—as in low porosity hair—they’re incredibly effective at keeping water out. That’s great for moisture retention… but challenging when you're trying to get hydration in.”
What is low porosity hair?
Low porosity hair means your hair has a tightly reinforced cuticle layer that keeps moisture (and your products) from penetrating.
It literally means there are fewer “pores” in the cuticle layer. This makes it super difficult to get critical moisture into the hair, but once its there, retention is no problem.
In short: it’s hard to hydrate, but once hydrated, your hair holds onto moisture really well.
Is low porosity hair good or bad?
When it comes to hair porosity, low porosity hair is considered the healthiest.
Why? because due to its tightly closed cuticle layer, it’s the best at retaining critical moisture essential to keep hair supple, flexible, and in optimally healthy condition.
How to know if you have low porosity hair
Here are the key signs of low porosity hair:
Takes a significant amount of time to wet
Takes a long time to air dry
Products build up easily on the surface instead of absorbing
Greasy, weighed down feeling
Difficult to achieve volume
Surface appears super smooth, shiny, and in good health
Hair is resistant to chemical and colour treatments
“Low porosity hair often looks incredibly healthy—glossy, smooth, strong—but it’s also incredibly stubborn. If products seem to ‘sit’ on your hair, or if deep treatments don’t seem to work, it could be a sign your cuticle is too tight for penetration.”
There are two easy hair porosity tests you can try at home:
The Float Test
To start, shampoo your hair and let it air dry without products. Then, fill a glass with room temperature water, and place a single strand of hair in the water.
If the strand floats, it means you have low porosity hair. If the strand sinks, it means you have high porosity hair. Check out our blog on high porosity hair for more info.
The Spray Test
Mist dry hair with water and observe. If the water beads up on your hair, you likely have low porosity hair. If your hair absorbs the water quickly, you likely have high porosity hair.
What does low porosity hair look like?
Under a microscope, its easy to see that low porosity hair has a tightly closed outer cuticle layer. To the naked eye, this just looks like smooth hair without a lot of frizz, frays or puffiness. So the condition of your cuticle layer is the key to determining your hair’s porosity level.
Think of it this way:
High Porosity Hair = Lifted Cuticle
In high porosity hair, the cuticle layer is open, resulting in gaps (aka, “pores”) in the surface of your hair. This allows moisture to enter easily, but your hair can’t retain it.
Low Porosity Hair = Closed Cuticle
In low porosity hair, the cuticle layer is tightly closed, meaning there are no gaps in the surface of your hair.
In this case, it’s more difficult to get essential moisture into the hair, but once it’s there, it can be retained more easily.
Dr. Joe adds:
“Low porosity doesn’t mean low maintenance—but it does mean a different approach to care. The key is to work with the structure of your hair, not against it. That starts with clean, residue-free formulas and smart moisture strategies.”
How to treat low porosity hair: our top tips
It's important to focus on moisturising the hair and avoiding buildup. Here are some low porosity hair remedies:
Use lightweight, water-based products: Look for hair care products that are water-based and free from heavy oils and butters. These products will absorb more easily.
Detox regularly: Since low porosity hair is prone to buildup, it’s important to detox your hair of any residues – from hard water minerals to product buildup – that can prevent moisture from penetrating.
Use heat: Using a warm towel or a hair steamer can help to open the cuticles of low porosity hair and allow for better product absorption.
Deep condition: Deep conditioning low porosity hair regularly can help to provide much-needed moisture to low porosity hair.
How often should you wash low porosity hair?
Low porosity hair tends to get greasy faster on the surface (since product and oil sit on top), but that doesn’t mean you need to over-wash
Ideal wet shampoo frequency: 1–2 times per week, depending on your scalp’s oil production.
An advanced dry shampoo that actually removes grease is a good option on non-washdays.
Does low porosity hair dry fast?
Nope. Quite the opposite. One of the most common signs of low porosity hair is that it takes a long time to dry.
That’s because tightly sealed cuticles prevent water from evaporating easily. If your hair stays damp for hours (or feels soaking wet even after towel drying), chances are your porosity is on the lower side.
Best products for low porosity hair – all hair types
Dream Filter – This pre-shampoo spray gently detoxes hair of hard water mineral buildup in just 3 minutes.
Color Security Shampoo – 100% clean, sulfate-free, no-residue formula effortlessly washes away buildup without leaving any residues of its own behind (unlike most shampoos). Perfect for all hair types!
Money Masque – Made with natural humectants that instantly penetrate and hold moisture deep in hair’s core; no heavy oils or butters! Works in as little as 5 minutes, but you can leave it on up to 20 minutes for a deep treatment that infuses vital hydration into the most resistant low porosity hair types.
Pro tip: For even better results, try using Money Masque after detoxing with Dream Filter. Removing buildup first helps your strands better absorb hydrating treatments.
Best products for low porosity curly hair
Many people with curly hair have low porosity strands, especially 3C-4D curls. Why?
1. Tightly compacted cuticle layers
Coily and tightly curled hair often has cuticles that lie flatter and more tightly stacked, making it harder for water and products to penetrate.
2. Less natural wear-and-tear
Hair that hasn’t been chemically treated or heat-styled heavily tends to retain its original cuticle structure. Many natural 3C–4 curly don’t relax or chemically alter their hair, resulting in healthy but resistant (low-porosity) strands.
3. Product buildup masquerading as low porosity
Heavy butters, oils, and creams (common in curly routines) can coat the hair shaft, creating symptoms of low porosity even when the hair itself isn’t truly low porosity.
➿ So, what types of hair products are ideal formulas for low porosity curls?
➿ Products that remove excess oils and build up coating the surface of curls, like Hooked 100% Clean Shampoo. This gentle cleanser not only leaves curls super fresh and residue free, but contains Procapil to help anchor hair at the roots and reduce shedding.
➿ Products that penetrate deep inside curls to lubricate the protein chains that give curls bounce, rebound and flexibility. Coco-Motion Lubricating Curl Conditioner to the rescue! Thanks to proprietary Profaxil-18 Complex, this curl reviver delivers Marula Oil and Coconut Oil deep with curls to restore fluid motion, silky texture, bounce and elasticity.
What oils are good for low porosity hair?
Low porosity hair doesn’t respond well to heavy oils or butters. Opt for small molecule, fast-absorbing oils that won’t sit on hair surface.
Look for oils rich in linoleic acid (vs oleic acid) which are more compatible with lower porosity textures. And,look for groundbreaking products with advanced delivery systems like the Curl Wow range that help products penetrate into hair.
Best oils for low porosity hair include:
- Grapeseed oil
- Argan oil
- Sunflower seed oil
- Jojoba oil
Other oils, like Coconut and Marula oil, are extremely beneficial but only in products that break up their large molecules to allow penetration into the hair.
Dr. Joe explains:
“Heavy oils create an occlusive barrier that can prevent even water from getting into the hair shaft. Low porosity hair already has this challenge—don’t make it harder by applying dense oils that sit on the surface.”
A Final Word on Low Porosity Hair
Low porosity hair = smooth, shiny, and healthy—but also product-picky and slow to absorb moisture.
Understanding your hair’s capability to absorb and retain moisture means you can choose better low porosity hair products—like lightweight hydrators, detoxifying treatments, and heat-assisted conditioning—to finally get that glossy, hydrated, healthy look you’re after.
Low Porosity Hair FAQs
Is coconut oil good for low porosity hair?
Generally, no. Coconut oil is a highly saturated fat that sits on top of the hair and doesn’t absorb well into tightly packed cuticles. For low porosity hair, this can lead to buildup, greasy texture, and even stiffness over time.
The good news: Curl Wow products have made Coconut Oil accessible to and easily absorbed by hair, thanks to new technology that breaks up dense molecules.
Is argan oil good for low porosity hair?
Yes—argan oil is a lightweight, nutrient-rich option that absorbs better than heavier oils. It offers moisture, shine, and smoothness without the greasy residue. Just use sparingly and apply to damp, not soaking-wet hair.
Read more about hair care on the Color Wow Blog:
