Have you ever washed your hair, applied your usual products - and still felt like something’s off? Maybe it doesn’t hold moisture, or it feels heavy and limp. One key reason could be your hair’s porosity. Hair porosity isn’t about how your hair looks on the surface. It’s about how well it absorbs and retains moisture deep inside the strand.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to test your hair’s porosity easily at home, what the results mean, and how to build a routine that works specifically for low-porosity or high-porosity hair. And of course, we’ll bring in real product sets from Beauty Market Online that match each porosity type - so you don’t have to guess.
If you’d like a broader look at overall hair-care routines, click here to visit our main guide: Hair Care Routine Guide on Beauty Market Online.
What is Hair Porosity?
Hair porosity refers to how easily your hair can absorb and retain water and other nourishing ingredients. It all comes down to the way your hair’s cuticle layer is structured.
- Low porosity hair has very tight, flat cuticle layers. This means moisture and oils struggle to penetrate.
- High porosity hair has cuticle layers that are loose, raised or even damaged. It may absorb moisture quickly - but it also loses it just as fast.
- Medium porosity (not always emphasised here) is the balanced state where moisture absorption and retention are in good harmony.
Why does this matter? Because if you use the wrong products for your porosity level you might not see results - or you might even cause buildup or excess dryness.
How to Test Your Hair’s Porosity
Here are simple home-tests you can try. Make sure your hair is clean, product-free, and dry (or at least free of heavy product film) to get accurate results.
1. The Float Test
Take one or two strands of hair from your brush (clean) and drop them into a bowl or glass of room-temperature water. If the strand floats, your hair is likely low porosity. If it sinks quickly, likely high porosity. If it sinks slowly or stays in the middle, you may have medium porosity.
2. The Slide or Felt Test
Take a clean strand of hair and run your fingers from the tip up towards the scalp:
- If you feel smoothness and little resistance → low porosity.
- If you feel bumps, roughness or your fingers glide too easily → high porosity.
3. The Spray or Water Bead Test
Spray a section of your clean-dry hair with water:
- If the water beads up and sits on top → low porosity.
- If it absorbs immediately or almost immediately → high porosity.
Note: These tests are informal. They give you a good indication but not a lab-grade result. One Reddit user put it simply:
“Best way to determine porosity level is to see how long it takes to air dry … If it takes forever … you have low porosity … if it dries almost instantly … then it’s low porosity [they meant high]” Reddit
Why Your Hair’s Porosity Might Change
Your porosity isn’t fixed entirely by genetics. While your natural hair tends to have a certain porosity, damage from heat styling, chemical treatments (colouring, relaxing), UV exposure, or frequent washing can raise your porosity (make it more porous) over time.
That means even if you start off with low porosity hair, you might end up with higher porosity hair if you’re not careful. And routines should adapt accordingly.
Routine & Product Care for Low Porosity Hair
If your test indicated low porosity, your hair tends to resist moisture penetration. It may feel stiff, look shiny but still dry, take a long time to air-dry, and products may sit on your hair instead of absorbing.
Your focus should be: lightweight formulas, gentle proteins, warm water or heat to open cuticles, minimal buildup.
Routine suggestions:
- Cleanse with a gentle, clarifying shampoo now and then to remove buildup.
- Use a lightweight conditioner and rinse thoroughly.
- Use heat or a warm towel/steamer when deep-conditioning so the cuticle opens a little.
- Use water-based leave-ins; avoid heavy oils or creams which may sit on top and cause buildup.
- Use a weekly mask but skip heavy protein overload unless advised.
Product set picks:
- MODA Sulfate-Free Shampoo for All Hair Types
- Sobe luxe Keratin Conditioner
- Keragen Smooth Therapy Thermal Protector Spray
These picks offer gentle cleansing and conditioning without excess weight - ideal for low-porosity hair.
Bonus tip: Use lukewarm water rather than hot. Hot water can open cuticles too widely and cause damage instead of helping absorption.
Routine & Product Care for High Porosity Hair
If your test showed high porosity, your hair might soak up products fast but lose moisture even faster. It may frizz easily, feel dry despite using heavy products, or show signs of damage such as split ends, breakage or fading colour.
Your focus should be: locking in moisture, using richer nutrients, sealing the cuticle, protecting from further damage.
Routine suggestions:
- Wash with a rich moisturizing shampoo, avoid harsh sulfates.
- Use a thick, rich conditioner and deep-condition weekly.
- Use protein treatments or bond-building treatments if hair is chemically or heat damaged.
- After rinsing, apply a leave-in or cream and finish with a light oil or butter to seal.
- Limit heat styling, use heat protectant, and trim regularly.
Bonus tip: After washing and applying products, you might gently press a cool cap or wrap for 10 minutes to help seal the cuticle and lock in product benefits.
Routine & Product Care for Medium/Normal Porosity Hair
If your hair falls into the middle category, you’re in a great place. Your hair absorbs and retains moisture well, reacts predictably to treatments, and tends to be easier to manage.
Your focus: maintenance. Keep up a regular balanced routine, use a mask every 1-2 weeks, and adjust if you notice shifts (for example if you bleach your hair or start heavy heat-styling).
Suggested routine:
- Use a cleansing shampoo suitable for your hair type.
- Condition regularly.
- Use masks or treatments periodically.
- Use protection before heat styling.
- Monitor your hair: if it starts to feel overly dry or oily, your porosity might have shifted.
Product picks: (you can pull from your site accordingly, picking moderate weight formulations)
These offer solid routine support for hair in good condition and help maintain moisture and structure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using heavy products on low-porosity hair: can cause buildup and limpness.
- Ignoring protein needs in high-porosity hair: if damage is present, just moisture may not be enough.
- Skipping hot tool protection or deep-conditioning in high-porosity hair.
- Failing to reassess your porosity after chemical or heat treatments - porosity can change.
- Assuming one product fits all porosity types - you may need to switch as your hair’s history changes.
Why This Matters Now
Understanding your hair’s porosity means you’re giving your hair what it actually needs - not just following the latest trend. For example, someone with low-porosity hair using a heavy butter cream might feel weighed down, while someone with high-porosity hair using only light sprays might still be losing moisture all day. With a proper test and targeted routine, you’ll get smoother, healthier results.
And remember: porosity is about absorption and retention. So the right product doesn’t just go in - it stays in. As explained in a deeper look to hair science: “If the fiber more quickly sinks … then it is porous.”
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learnt how to test your hair’s porosity and what routines best suit low or high porosity hair, you’re in a much stronger position to pick the right products and routine for your hair.
Check your hair with one of the tests above, pick the matching routine and product set, stick with it for a few weeks, and you’ll begin to see real changes. Want the full breakdown of a complete hair-care routine? Don’t forget to check our main guide at Hair Care Routine Guide on Beauty Market Online.
FAQs
Q1: How often should I retest my hair porosity?
It’s smart to retest every 3-6 months, especially if you’ve done chemical treatments, heavy styling or spent a lot of time in sun/swimming. Your porosity can shift.
Q2: Can low porosity hair change to high porosity hair?
Yes - if the cuticle gets damaged (through bleaching, heat, harsh chemicals), your hair may shift from low to higher porosity. Genetics stay constant, but history of hair care matters.
Q3: If my hair is high porosity, does that mean I’m damaged?
Not always. High porosity can be a natural trait for some hair types. But it can also indicate damage. The key is how your hair responds - if you see excessive breakage, frizz or dryness, it’s time to treat.
Q4: Are there one-size-fits-all products for porosity?
No. Because porosity affects absorption and retention, you’ll do much better with targeted formulas. What works for low porosity may not work for high porosity.
Q5: Can I use the same routine for both porosity types?
You can start with a general good routine, but you’ll see better results if you lean into your hair’s specific needs. For instance, someone with high porosity hair benefits from richer moisture + sealing; someone with low porosity hair benefits from lighter products + better absorption strategy.
