Half the fun of loving and pampering your hair is experimenting when it comes to styling. It’s always so exciting to spice things up, whether it’s getting balayage highlights or trying out a new trick with your curling wand.
But you can never stop at styling your hair. You have to learn to nourish it too. Doing all these treatments deals damage to your hair, opening up your cuticles and leaving gaps and holes in the hair shaft.
Dry, porous hair loves hydration, especially after a good wash day. And what better way to replenish that than with a good moisturizer?
If your hair is overly porous, you’d probably want to try out a good moisturizer for high porosity hair.
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What Is High Porosity Hair?
When your hair has high porosity, it means it has gaps and holes in the cuticles.
These make it easy for the hair shaft to absorb moisture, but just as difficult to retain it.
Because your hair releases moisture so quickly, your strands don’t absorb the nourishment it should be getting.
Healthy hair usually means your cuticles lay flat and are “closed”.
But you get gaps and holes in your hair when the shaft gets chipped and lifted from too much heat styling and chemical treatments, like bleaching the hair or using a relaxer.
While high hair porosity can be genetic, most often than not, it’s a result of over-manipulation by hair lovers who can’t resist trying out new things on their hair.
That’s why getting your hair colored or bleached more often than not leads to dry, straw-like hair.
This is because the cuticle gets so chipped and damaged.
But aside from that, you can also make your hair more porous than the ideal texture when you use harsh chemicals in your shampoos and other hair products that frequently strip the hair of moisture.
High porosity is a reality of damaged and overprocessed hair.
And if it already sounds bad, wait till you see it for yourself.
Trust me; it ain’t pretty.
Signs Of High Porosity Hair
Some of the signs of high porosity hair include:
Dry hair
Very porous hair will look and feel dry to the touch, almost straw-like in texture, like a low-quality wig.
One easy way to tell if you have high porosity hair is by observing how quickly it dries after you drench it in water.
If your long, thick hair only takes half an hour to dry, you probably have high porosity hair.
Prone to breakage
Overly porous hair is prone to breakage and snapping because it doesn’t have good elasticity.
As for luminous shine? Don’t count on it.
Hard to detangle
High porosity hair is also quite hard to smooth out and run your fingers through.
That’s because the parched strands rub onto each other and form knots that are a nightmare to detangle.
Best Moisturizer For High Porosity Hair
To bring life back into your dry, brittle, unruly hair, you need some moisture.
Products like leave-in conditioners, creams, masks, and oils will moisturize the hair and give it back some softness.
Heavier products like oils and butters will moisturize the hair by sealing in the moisture from water or leave-in conditioners.
Their occlusive properties also help lock in moisture that your hair has a hard time retaining, so it can be strong and hydrated.
Here are some of the best moisturizers out there that can help seal moisture in your locks to help you restore your high porosity hair’s overall health:
Camille Rose Curlaide Moisture Butter
If you’re hunting for a hair butter that will moisturize your strands while smoothing down fuzz and frizz, look no further.
This moisture butter from Camille Rose has all the naturally nourishing ingredients you need.
The butter has aloe juice, rice milk, and green tea to hydrate parched hair.
There’s also jojoba and macadamia oils to seal all that goodness in.
Slippery elm extract is hand-whisked into the butter for even more smoothing power.
It’s thick and creamy, but don’t be intimidated!
High porosity hair will drink this up right away without being weighed down.
Pros
- Made with unique oils and humectants for deep hydration
- Smoothens the hair to keep flyaways at bay
- Has vitamin C that strengthens hair and adds shine
- Thick and creamy, but the hair soaks it up fast
Cons
- Has a scent that can be too strong for some users
Qhemet Biologics Amla & Olive Heavy Cream
Heavy creams and rich oils are perfect for helping high porosity hair seal the moisture it absorbs.
This cream by Qhemet Biologics incorporates gorgeous oils into this ultra-nourishing cream that’s perfect for thick, coarse, coily curls.
It’s made with the finest amla, castor, and Mediterranean olive oils to soften the hair and seal in moisture from natural humectants like aloe and Ayurvedic herbs.
This amazing blend of natural ingredients helps restore your hair to health, leaving it supple for days.
You can also double this leave-in cream as a conditioner for your wash days.
It’s super thick and makes a fabulous mask too!
Pros
- Formulated with thick oils to nourish thick, curly hair
- Leaves long-lasting softness and suppleness for days
- Doubles as a conditioner for hair wash days
- Doesn’t contain any silicones and parabens
Cons
- Can leave an oily feeling on the scalp
Curl Junkie Hibiscus & Banana Honey Butta
If you love sweet, candy-like fruit scents, you’ll fall head over heels for this hair butter from Curl Junkie.
It’s made with rich botanicals and oils to help nourish your hair while leaving it smelling terrific.
This “butta” is made with coconut oil, olive oil, and shea butter, among other nourishing oils, to deeply moisturize your high porosity hair.
It’s also infused with honey, the all-around hydrating ingredient that defines curls and tames frizz too.
But the best part about this is the tropical banana scent that lingers for days.
Your hair will smell amazing with this!
Pros
- Honey helps define your curls while taming frizz
- Made with rich oils and butters to moisturize deeply
- Has a sweet and tropical banana scent
- The smell lingers and stays in the hair for days
Cons
- Doesn’t really help with making detangling easier
Design Essentials Natural Almond & Avocado Wash Day Deep Moisture Masque
Another option from Design Essentials is this deeply moisturizing masque.
It has highly penetrative, sweet-smelling ingredients that nourish high porosity hair at its very core.
This masque’s hero ingredients are sweet almond and avocado oils that go deep into the hair shaft to moisturize it, leaving it soft and silky.
They also help strengthen the hair, reducing split ends and breakage.
These oils are also known to add luminous shine to the hair, making it look and feel healthy.
This masque makes detangling a breeze in the shower.
If you have tangly curls and coils, I recommend you try this out!
Pros
- Almond and avocado penetrate the hair to nourish it
- Strengthens the hair to reduce breakage
- Makes detangling easy, so the hair is manageable
- Adds luminous shine to your tresses
Cons
- Is a bit runny compared to traditional hair masques
Renpure Coconut Whipped Creme Leave-In Conditioner
The coconut oil in this Renpure leave-in pretty much does it all.
It’s a perfect moisturizer for high porosity hair because it moisturizes the hair deeply to leave it soft and bouncy.
The conditioner also adds shine to give you some glow.
It’s also the best thing for styling because it detangles unruly hair quickly and controls frizz, keeping you looking snatched all day long.
This leave-in also has a few exotic ingredients that aid in hydrating the hair shaft and restoring your hair’s health overall, including red seaweed and red algae.
It even includes guar bean, which is known to make the hair thicker and stronger.
Pros
- Coconut oil moisturizes the hair deeply
- Has exotic ingredients to help hydrate and restore hair health
- Helps detangle easier and controls frizz
- Super easy for your hair to absorb the crème’s light texture
Cons
- Doesn’t smell like coconut (has a nutty scent instead)
Taliah Waajid Curly Curl Cream
This is another great moisturizer for high porosity hair, and for good reason.
This curl cream by Taliah Waajid is awesome because it doubles as a styler and a thick, deep moisturizer.
It leaves you with curls that are defined and well-nourished at the same time.
If you need a bit of definition for your curls and coils to look more bouncy and springy, this is the cream for you.
Shea butter not only moisturizes the hair but also forms your curls.
It even eliminates frizz to make sure your perfect ringlets stay flyaway-free.
This cream is lightweight, so you never have to worry about it building up in your hair and scalp.
It also shampoos out easily, which is always a plus.
Pros
- Adds definition to waves, curls, and coils
- Contains shea butter to moisturize hair and eliminate frizz
- Lightweight and doesn’t build up in your hair and scalp
- Suitable for both natural and chemically-treated hair
Cons
- Can leave the hair feeling waxy if you use too much of it
The Roots Naturelle Shea Butter Hair Oil Moisturizer
If you want an affordable, fuss-free moisturizer that has top-notch ingredients that high porosity hair will love, this moisturizer by The Roots is your guy.
It’s formulated with natural jojoba, avocado, and rosemary oils to moisturize the hair and add luster to it.
Shea butter softens and nourishes your locks.
These work hand in hand to make the hair silky smooth, so you can comb and style hassle-free.
The moisturizer is also infused with vitamin E to fortify the hair.
It promotes healthy hair growth and elasticity, which is precisely what your porous hair needs.
Pros
- Uses pure, high-quality oils to restore natural moisture
- Makes the hair silky and easy to comb through
- Leaves your locks with a natural shine, thanks to aloe and oils
- Contains vitamin E to fortify the hair and make it stronger
Cons
- Feels heavy and sticky when applied to dry hair
Hairiette Kokum & Marula Curl Crème
Moisturize your hair in this luxurious crème formulated with a unique hydrating complex that keeps your hair strong and bouncy.
The best part? It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg!
This affordable but impressively high-quality crème is made with exotic moisturizers, like Kokum butter from India and marula oil from West Africa.
These nourish the hair deeply so that your damaged hair goes from dry and parched to smooth and soft.
It’s made with Hairiette’s Hydrating Complex, which is a vegetable-derived alternative for keratin.
It helps strengthen the hair while boosting elasticity, giving you some bounce in your curls.
Pros
- Kokum butter and marula and almond oils nourish deeply
- Made with HAIRiette’s Hydrating Complex for strength and bounce
- Defines your curls without leaving any crunch
- Doesn’t contain sulfates, silicones, and parabens
Cons
- It may be a bit too heavy for fine hair
Naturalicious Moisture Infusion Styling Creme
If you have waves and loose curls, moisturizing can be tricky.
You must nourish the hair but be wary of heavy creams that can weigh it down.
Luckily, this styling crème by Naturalicious is both moisturizing and light on the hair.
This crème is infused with sunflower oil and shea butter to give your hair that intense hydration it needs without weighing your waves down.
It also has vitamin E to improve hair elasticity and promote healthy hair growth.
The product protects the hair by reducing heat damage.
It also keeps your hair from breaking, to ensure you don’t have split ends and strands that snap.
Pros
- Sunflower oil, shea butter, and vitamin E moisturize the hair
- Leaves waves defined when used for styling
- Keeps the hair from shedding and breaking
- Protects the hair from heat damage
Cons
- You need to use a lot of product to style hair
Design Essentials Platinum Moisturizing Leave-In Conditioner with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil does wonders for high porosity hair because of its penetrative properties that allow it to moisturize and strengthen your hair from the inside out.
This leave-in by Design Essentials is infused with coconut oil to make sure you reap all of its moisture-sealing benefits.
It makes your dry and coarse hair softer because of coconut and sunflower seed oils.
Because oils are sealants, it also helps lock in all the nutrients from your wash.
The coconut oil also forms a protective layer around your cuticle to protect it against heat damage.
That means you can heat-style however you like, worry-free.
Pros
- Coconut oil moisturizes and softens dry, coarse hair
- Locks in all the nutrients from your other hair products
- Coconut adds a layer of protection as you heat-style
- Has a thinner consistency for faster absorption
Cons
- Provides only light hydration good for a day
Conclusion
When you have high porosity hair, moisturizers are your BFF.
They’re the secret to restoring your hair’s health and replenishing it with nourishing goodness to make your locks smooth, soft, and silky.
Try out these products, not only for their moisturizing benefits, but also for the anti-frizz power and added shine.
They’ll help restore your tresses while you enjoy playing around with your color and dabbling in the occasional hair straightening session.
Say “good riddance” to dry, straw-like, parched locks, and hello to soft, shiny, touchable hair, no matter how much you style it!
Related Post: Best Leave-In Conditioner For High Porosity Hair
