High Porosity Hair Guide and Best Products
High porosity hair has a raised or damaged cuticle layer, allowing moisture to easily enter and exit the hair shaft. This type of hair can become easily moisturized but also loses moisture quickly.
Want to master your high porosity hair?
Get our free Curly Techniques Dictionary with 60+ methods to define curls, boost volume, and fight frizz—sorted by difficulty and curl-friendliness.
Characteristics
- Absorbs water and products quickly
- Dries very quickly
- Prone to frizz and tangles
- Can become overly moisturized easily
- May look dull without proper care
Care Tips
- Use leave-in conditioners and oils to seal in moisture
- Deep condition regularly
- Look for products with positively charged conditioning agents that bond to damaged hair like behentrimonium chloride
- Use anti-humectants in humid weather
- Consider using protein treatments to strengthen hair
Build Your Routine
Product links are affiliate links that help support the site
1. Cleanse
Choose your cleanser based on your needs
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Use pre-poo to protect hair, then alternate between cowash and gentle shampoo. Clarify monthly.
pre-poo
These products are meant to be used before washing to help protect your hair from stress and damage.
bondbar Bonding Pre-Shampoo Treatment
Repairs bonds, prevents split ends, and reduces breakage by 70% while improving detangling by 90% after one use
Bonding Primer
Instantly helps repair hair, smooth strands and reduce breakage after just one use. Designed to be used with Bonding Pre-Shampoo.
Perfecting Prism
Protects against fading, damage, and breakage while boosting shine and rebuilding the hair’s natural barrier
clarifying shampoos
Heavier shampoos meant to remove long-term buildup from oils, products, and hard water. Meant to be used occasionally, as they are much stronger than regular shampoos.
Clarifying Shampoo
Remove buildup from products, pollutants, and hard water with this salon-grade clarifying wash
Water Works Clarifying Shampoo
Astrong, sulfate-based cleanser designed to deep-clean the scalp and hair, removing product buildup, oils, and residues.
shampoos
Cleansers that remove buildup and oil from your hair. Essential for low-porosity hair and should be used on other porosity types at least occasionally.
Cleansing Shampoo
A mild shampoo that rids your scalp of buildup without stripping it of any natural oils
Hydration Shampoo
Replenishes dry, thirsty hair with a medium cleanse and a touch of protein for added bounce
Chai Latte Hair Cleanser
This gentle, botanical-rich shampoo is handmade in Georgia and has a delicious chai latte scent.
cowashes
Gentle, non-lathering cleansers that clean without stripping natural oils. Use these for daily wash if you have high-porosity hair.
Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner
A creamy, conditioning cleanser formulated to gently clean while deeply moisturizing.
Co-wash Conditioning Cleanser
A moisturizing, non-stripping cleanser and conditioner hybrid designed for textured, dry, or curly hair.
Coil Infusion® Drink Up™ Cleansing Conditioner
A luxurious, multi-functional cleanser that deeply conditions and moisturizes while gently cleansing.
2. Condition
Choose your conditioner based on your needs
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Use conditioner every wash and deep conditioner every 1-2 months
conditioners
Products that add moisture and help detangle hair. Almost everyone needs conditioner!
Cream Daily Conditioner
This conditoner delivers the moisture your curls crave and leaves your strands silky-soft and easy to detangle and style
Illumin8 Conditioner
An oil-fusion treatment that infuses lightweight, non-greasy emollients to boost shine
Rehabilit8 Smoothing Protein Conditioner
Restores amino acids and proteins to strengthen damaged hair, improve elasticity, and prevent breakage
deep conditioners
Intensive treatments that restore moisture and repair damage. Essential at least weekly for high porosity hair and good for all porosity types occasionally.
Banana Cream Deep Conditioner
A rich, plant-powered treatment ideal for restoring and repairing curly, dry, or damaged hair
Deep Conditioning Treatment
A deeply moisturizing conditioner ideal for daily use on coarse hair or as a treatment for medium textures, delivering intense hydration with a rich, herbal blend and no buildup
3. Protect
Choose a product that helps protect your hair
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Use a leave in and cream
leave ins
Light conditioners that stay in your hair to provide ongoing moisture. Most important for high-porosity hair. May weigh down low-porosity hair.
Leave-in Detangler
Softens curls, controls frizz on no-cleanse days, and makes detangling and styling easy for all curl types
Curl Wow Flo-etry Vital Natural Serum
A lightweight curl primer that delivers deep moisture without buildup to leave hair feeling product-free
Leave-in Conditioner
A lightweight leave-in bar that adds moisture, strengthens, thickens, and boosts volume, shine, and curl definition
creams
Rich moisturizers that help define and shape curls, and provide a barrier to protect against moisture loss. Essential for high-porosity hair. May weigh down low-porosity hair.
Curl Passion Curl Perfectionist
Tames frizz, enhances natural texture, provides light hold, and contains protein for added strength
Lemon Buttercream Styling Cream
A botanical-rich, moisturizing, and detangling cream designed to condition, soften, and support hair and scalp health
Curly Hair Cream
A multi-functional protective hair styling cream that helps protect and define curls
4. Enhance
Choose a product that helps enhance your curls
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Choose either a gel or custard
gels
Styling products that provide hold and definition. Useful for all porosity types.
All About Curls High Definition Gel
A color-safe styling gel that delivers strong hold, locks in moisture, and enhances shine for firmly defined, frizz-free curls
custards
Thick styling products that provide moisture and definition. Useful for all porosity types.
Gelebration Spray
Technically not a custard, but serves the same purpose
Rockin' Ringlets Styling Potion
A unique liquid gel that moisturizes with natural film-forming humectants and helps enhance and define curls
Curl Enhancing Custard
A lightweight custard that provides hold, enhances volume, and adds moisture with seaweed and honey
5. Seal
Choose a product that helps seal in moisture, some gels from the previous step do this so if you already used a gel meant to seal, skip this step
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Use an oil or a spray
oils
Optional finishing products that can help seal in moisture. Best for high porosity hair.
Bonding Concentrate
Boosts shine, tames flyaways, protects from heat, and hydrates with nourishing oils and bonding technology
No. 7 Bonding Oil
Lightweight oil that adds shine, reduces breakage, controls frizz for 72 hours, and protects against heat up to 450°F
A Walk in The Sun Luxury Hair Oil
A lightweight, hair oil that locks in moisture (without the grease), unlocks beachy waves, and uplifts your shine.
sprays
Optional finishing products that can help seal in moisture and lock in styles.
Spray Gel
Spray gel that delivers the hold of a gel with added definition, volume, and shine—made with gentle, natural ingredients
Pamper My Curls All-in-One Moisture Mist
A lightweight, oil-free mist that moisturizes and refreshes curls without weighing them down
Hair Spray
A lightweight spray that helps set your style in place and resist humidity
6. Accessories
Choose your accessories
For high porosity hair, we recommend: Optional accessories
accessories
Useful items for anyone with curly or wavy hair.
Define EdgeLift Brush
The Define EdgeLift Brush is a unique brush that helps define your curls/waves
Volume EdgeLift Brush
The Volume EdgeLift Brush is a unique tool that helps you create voluminous curls/waves
Volume Root Clips
These clips are specially designed to help you create volume at the roots of your hair