If you've ever followed a hair care routine to the letter and still ended up with dry, brittle, or product-coated hair — hair porosity is almost certainly the missing piece. Understanding your porosity type is the single most important thing you can do for your natural hair. Everything else — your products, your techniques, your wash day routine — should be built around it.
What Is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity refers to your hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture. It is determined by the structure of your hair's cuticle layer — the outermost layer of each strand, made up of overlapping scales like roof shingles. How open or closed those scales are determines how easily water and products enter and exit the strand.
Porosity is largely genetic, though it can be altered by heat damage, chemical processing, and environmental factors. There are three porosity types: low, medium (normal), and high — and each requires a completely different approach to moisture, products, and styling.
The most reliable method is the float test: drop a clean, product-free strand of hair into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats for several minutes, you likely have low porosity. If it sinks slowly to the middle, you have medium porosity. If it sinks quickly to the bottom, you have high porosity. You can also take the OrganiGrowHairCo Hair Quiz for a more comprehensive porosity assessment.
The Three Hair Porosity Types Explained
Low Porosity
- Cuticles are tightly closed
- Water beads on the surface
- Products sit on top of hair
- Takes long to get wet, long to dry
- Prone to product buildup
- Needs lightweight, water-based products
Medium Porosity
- Cuticles are slightly raised
- Absorbs and retains moisture well
- Most products work effectively
- Holds styles well
- Least maintenance-intensive
- Can shift with heat or chemical use
High Porosity
- Cuticles are raised or damaged
- Absorbs moisture quickly
- Loses moisture just as fast
- Often feels dry despite moisturizing
- Prone to frizz and tangles
- Needs rich, sealing products
Why Porosity Changes Everything About Your Hair Routine
Shampoo & Cleansing
Low porosity hair is prone to product buildup because the tightly closed cuticle prevents products from fully absorbing. A clarifying or low-poo shampoo used regularly is essential. High porosity hair, on the other hand, can be stripped easily — a gentle, moisturizing cleanser is key to preventing further cuticle damage.
Pre-Poo Treatments
For both low and high porosity hair, a pre-poo treatment before wash day is transformative. For low porosity, it helps soften the cuticle so moisture can enter during washing. For high porosity, it fills gaps in the cuticle and reduces the harsh stripping effect of shampoo. The Re-DO PrePoo (Low Porosity) and Re-DO PrePoo (Medium/High Porosity) are formulated specifically for each type.
Leave-In Conditioners
This is where porosity matching matters most. Low porosity hair needs lightweight, liquid-based leave-ins that won't block the cuticle further. Heavy creams and butters will sit on top and cause buildup. High porosity hair needs richer, more emollient leave-ins that can penetrate the open cuticle and help seal in moisture.
Scalp Oils & Growth Treatments
Your scalp's porosity affects how well growth oils absorb. Low porosity scalps benefit from lighter oils (like jojoba or argan) applied with heat. High porosity scalps absorb oils readily — richer blends with black seed oil and castor oil work exceptionally well for stimulating growth and sealing the follicle.
Styling & Moisture Retention
Low porosity hair holds styles well once moisture is locked in — the closed cuticle works in your favor for definition and longevity. High porosity hair loses moisture rapidly, so layering products (leave-in, then cream, then oil to seal) using the LOC or LCO method is essential for moisture retention.
Yes. While your baseline porosity is genetic, repeated heat styling, chemical treatments (color, relaxers, perms), and environmental damage (sun, hard water, chlorine) can raise the cuticle permanently, shifting hair toward higher porosity. This is why many people who transition from relaxed to natural hair find their porosity has changed. Protective styling, heat-free routines, and porosity-matched products can help restore the cuticle over time.
Low and high porosity are both very common in natural, coily, and curly hair. Low porosity is particularly common in 4C hair types due to the tightly coiled structure that keeps cuticles compressed. High porosity is common in hair that has been chemically processed or heat-styled frequently. Medium porosity is the least common in highly textured hair but does occur naturally.
Shop by Your Porosity Type
Every OrganiGrowHairCo product is formulated for a specific porosity — so your hair gets exactly what it needs.
Hair Dew Leave-In — Low Porosity
Lightweight mist that penetrates closed cuticles
Hair Dew Leave-In — Medium/High Porosity
Rich moisture that seals open cuticles
Re-DO PrePoo — Low Porosity
Pre-wash softener for tightly closed cuticles
Re-DO PrePoo — Medium/High Porosity
Deep slip and moisture for open cuticles
Continue Learning:
Take the Hair Quiz — Find Your Porosity Type
Shop Low Porosity Collection
Shop High Porosity Collection
How to Stop Hair Breakage for Good
The Bottom Line on Hair Porosity
Hair porosity is not a trend or a buzzword — it is the biological foundation of how your hair functions. Once you know your porosity type, every product choice, every technique, and every routine decision becomes clearer and more effective. Stop guessing and start matching.
At OrganiGrowHairCo, our entire product line is built around porosity science — because we believe that the right match between your hair and your products is what creates real, lasting results. Trusted by over 100,000 customers.
