Our curls are unique. We love them, nurture them, and try to do right by them, which requires knowledge on which products or ingredients are best for our strands. Natural oils are taking their rightful place, but not all oils are created equal. Women who suffer from high porosity hair, which has gaps or holes in the hair’s cuticle from chemical processing, environmental treatment, or genetics, worry less about getting moisture into their strands and more about keeping it. Here’s a list of excellent heavy oils for high porosity hair.
Castor oil
A thick, pale yellow natural oil, castor oil is extracted from the seeds of the castor bean plant. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties and helps stimulate the scalp. It is also a humectant and an excellent sealant for ends that are prone to breakage and splitting. Trial and error should be your guide on using this oil to help with your high porosity strands.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a great option for penetrating the hair shaft and sealing in moisture. It comes from the flesh of mature coconuts and has a multitude of health benefits for skin and hair. Great for reducing frizz and fighting dandruff, this oil is can be found in numerous hair products as well as great DIY hair mixes. Coconut oil is one of the first oils someone with damaged hair should try.
Hemp seed oil
Pressed from the seeds of Cannabis sativa, hemp seed oil has more essential fatty acids than any other plant in the world. The gamma-linoleic acid in hemp seed oil conditions hair while contributing to keratin formation to strengthen your strands. This also helps to retain moisture, which is excellent for high porosity hair. The lipids enhance elasticity and add shine. This is also an excellent oil for winter to combat dryness.
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is a liquid wax extracted from the nuts of the indigenous American shrub named Simmondsia chinesnsis. Praised and loved for being the closest oil to human sebum, this is a natural conditioner for skin and hair. Golden with a slight nutty smell, jojoba oil is actually great for low or high porosity hair. I love this oil and use it to seal in moisture after applying my leave-in conditioner.
Olive oil
One of the heaviest oils on the list, olive oil is extracted from fat of the fruit on the olive tree. Used in cosmetics, cooking, soaps, medicine, and fuel, olive oil is a penetrative oil with a heavier consistency than many other oils. Rich in fatty acids, this oil helps with dandruff, staving off dryness, and sealing hair like a champ. Give it a try for scalp massages or in DIY hair mixes for your deep conditioners.
What oils do you use for your high porosity hair?
What’s next?
If you don’t know your porosity yet, try one of these tests.
High porosity hair can be difficult to moisturize, here’s How to Condition High Porosity Hair – And KEEP It Moisturized.
Have you tried one of these products for high porosity hair?
