Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Verna Meachum

Hello, my fabulous hair care aficionados! Today, we’re delving into the wonderful world of leave-in conditioners, specifically tailored for our high-porosity hair comrades.

As we embark on our quest to tame the often thirsty and vulnerable high porosity locks, it’s essential to arm ourselves with the right knowledge and tools

High porosity hair, with its raised cuticles and heightened thirst for moisture, requires a special kind of love and attention to maintain its glorious mane potential. Enter, the mighty leave-in conditioner – a true hair care superhero that swoops in to deliver moisture, repair, and protection.

In this enlightening article, we’ll unveil the key ingredients that hold the power to quench the thirst of your parched hair, fortify their defenses, and restore them to their crowning glory.

So, fasten your seatbelts and prepare to be both informed and inspired as we delve into the world of leave-in conditioners and the crucial ingredients that are destined to become your high-porosity hair’s best allies!

What is High Porosity Hair?

Hair porosity is a way to measure the condition of your hair and understand how its structure affects it. It can also reveal how much damage your hair has undergone. On the other hand, low porosity hair indicates that your hair fibers have fewer openings and may be less damaged.

When your hair has high porosity, it means that there are many gaps or cracks along the hair shaft. This type of hair is often dry, damaged, and frizzy, with less shine and bounce. It is also more likely to break.

High porosity levels can be a sign that the hair is not in good health and may have been subjected to excessive chemical treatments, heat styling, physical abrasion, as well as repeated and aggressive combing and brushing.

Chemical treatments like alkaline hair bleaching, permanent coloring, perms, and alkaline hair straightening can lead to a significant reduction in hair protein and its mechanical strength. These treatments also make the hair more porous and prone to frizz.

Managing and styling high-porosity hair fibers to achieve a defined curl pattern can be challenging.¹ To enhance their natural appearance and restore moisture and shine, it is recommended to use both a deep conditioner and a concentrated leave-in conditioner.²

If you have high-porosity hair, it’s important to use a leave-in conditioner regularly to protect, moisturize, and strengthen your hair. This also adds shine and bounce to your hair’s appearance and helps protect it from environmental factors.

Characteristic Features of a Leave-in Conditioner

A leave-in conditioner is a type of conditioner that is meant to be applied to the hair and left on for an extended period.

Unlike rinse-off conditioners, leave-in conditioners have more time to penetrate the hair shaft and provide moisture and nourishment. They are especially helpful for improving the quality of dry or high-porosity hair.

To best care for high-porosity hair, it’s recommended to look for a leave-in conditioner that possesses the following qualities:

● Boost hair moisture level.

● Provide the right balance of emollience.

● Make hair soft with enhanced sensorial.

● Protect hair against oxidation, environmental damage, and solar radiation.

● The product should not feel heavy or leave a greasy residue.

To meet these goals and provide durable conditioning for high-porosity hair strands, it is recommended to thoroughly review the ingredient list to ensure that the product is suitable and compatible with your highly porous hair and/or dry scalp.

Key Ingredients to Look for in a Leave in Conditioner for High Porosity Hair

When shopping for leave in conditioners for high-porosity hair, there are a few key factors to consider. The product should be designed to provide nourishment, repair any damage, protect against the elements, and ensure a softening and detangling experience.

Hydrating Ingredients

To bring back the natural appearance of highly porous hair, it’s important to add moisture. Look for a leave-in conditioner that has a blend of hydrating ingredients to boost the water content of dry hair strands.

While Glycerin and Propylene Glycol are popular ingredients, glycerin may not be the best choice for a leave-in conditioner. It can be sticky and heavy and requires a higher dosage to be effective, which is not ideal for a leave-in application.

New hydrating ingredients have higher water-binding and water-holding abilities and are multifunctional. One such ingredient is betaine, derived from beetroot juice, which has a greater water-binding capacity than glycerin and is a small, water-soluble molecule. As a result, it does not cause stickiness and rinses off easily.

One natural ingredient called propanediol can enhance the water level in dry, highly porous hair. It can also make dry hair feel softer and smoother. Other recommended options for dry hair include salts of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA), lactic acid and sodium lactate, hydrolyzed amino acids, and hydrolyzed proteins.

Emollients

Hair that has high porosity can be coarse and rough, making it difficult to comb. The surface of these hairs also has high fiber-to-fiber friction, which means they need additional lubrication and emollients.³ That’s why it’s important to use a leave-in conditioner with multiple emollient ingredients specifically designed for high-porosity hair.

Natural oils and butter are great options as they provide superior emollience and a pleasant sensory experience without feeling greasy or heavy.

We recommend using the following oils and butter for hair fibers that are extremely dry, frizzy, and have high porosity:

● Sunflower Oil

● Avocado Oil

● Apricot Kernel Oil

● Olive Oil

● Baobab Oil

● Argan Oil

● Shea Butter

● Mango Butter

● Cocoa Butter

These oils have multifunctional benefits and are natural remedies for hair disorders. They are also green and sustainable, making them a more popular choice than synthetic and petro-derived emollients.

Hair Softening and Detangling Agents

If your hair has high porosity, you may notice that it feels rough and has more curls, knots, and twists than usual.

Unfortunately, these knots and twists can cause breakage due to the increased friction. To help your hair, use products with softening and detangling ingredients to remove knots and twists and make your hair smoother.

To address the problem, cationic surfactants are recommended. They are effective because they carry a positive charge, allowing them to easily bind with the hair fibers. By doing so, they smooth out the hair cuticles, reducing any static charge and getting rid of frizz.

For a leave-in conditioner, it is best to use low molecular weight straight chain carbon molecules as your cationic hair softening agent.

Here are some of our preferred ingredients:

● Cetrimonium Chloride

● Cetrimonium Methosulfate

● Behentrimonium Chloride

● Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Anti-oxidants for Solar Protection

Exposure to UV radiation can lead to damage to hair proteins and lipids through a process involving free radicals. This can weaken hair fiber, cause loss of hair color and make it more prone to breaking.

The Leave-in conditioner is intended to protect the hair shaft from UV radiation by staying in place for the entire day.

To counteract the effects of UV-induced oxidation, antioxidants are included in the leave-in formula. These components help to neutralize free radical species and safeguard the proteins in your hair. ⁴ 

Choosing natural antioxidants are preferred over using synthetic sunscreens. Certain natural oils with high levels of Vitamin E, sterols, and cholesterol have effective antioxidant properties.

In addition, natural extracts that contain high polyphenolic content can also capture free radicals and provide protection to hair and skin against damage caused by UV rays. ^{5, 6, 7}

Here are some natural ingredients that serve as antioxidants and are commonly preferred:

● Vitamin E

● Olive Oil (Rich in Vitamin E)

● Lemon juice or extracts belong to the Citrus family. They are a rich source of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). 

● Green Tea Extract (Polyphenols)

● Grape Extract and Grape Seed Oil

Natural Extracts and Essential Oils for the Scalp Health

To improve the quality of your scalp and keep it hydrated and soothed, you should use a leave-in conditioner that targets the scalp’s surface.

Look for a leave-in conditioner that contains ingredients to stimulate the scalp, improve blood circulation, and support healthy hair growth.

Having a healthy scalp is important for a healthy hair growth process. You can use a variety of natural ingredients and essential oils to achieve this.

Here is a list of some of our preferred natural extracts and essential oils.

● Green Tea Extracts

● ChamomileFlower Extracts

● Aloe Vera Leaf Juice 

● Rosemary Leaf Extract & Essential Oil

● Eucalyptus Leaf Extract & Essential Oil

● Clove Oil

● Peppermint Oil

● Cinnamon Oil

Formulators have multiple options to use in a leave-in conditioner formulation.

Additives: Fragrance and Preservatives

We recommend opting for products with natural essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances.

Natural essential oils are pure, aromatic liquids made from organic molecules sourced from fruits or flowers. They have a distinct scent and are gentler on the skin compared to synthetic fragrances.

When choosing preservatives, it is better to choose those that are green, skin-friendly, and easily biodegradable instead of synthetic ones.

There are several green preservatives available today, including sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, capryl glycol, hexylene glycol, and more.

Leave in Conditioners for High Porosity Hair: Top 10 Picks

We have curated a list of leave in conditioners specifically for high porosity hair. Additionally, we have provided the ingredient listings for each product to help you make an informed decision.

Remember that although these product recommendations for high porosity hair are helpful, there is no assurance that they will work for everyone.

The most suitable formula can be found through trial and error by attempting different ones. Allow let your hair to be your guide!

Summary

If you have high-porosity hair, it’s important to use a leave-in conditioner. This will keep your hair hydrated and conditioned, especially if it’s dry, coarse, or chemically treated.

Leave-in conditioner can also protect your hair and scalp from UV rays, which helps to maintain healthy hair and scalp. If your hair is highly porous, it’s recommended that you use a leave-in conditioner every day.

---

References

1. Syed, A. N.; Ayoub, H., Correlating porosity and tensile strength of chemically modified hair. Cosmetics and toiletries 2002, 117 (11), 57-64.

2. Corbett, J. F., The Chemistry of Hair-care Products. Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists 1976, 92 (8), 285-303.

3. Rele, A. S.; Mohile, R. B., Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. J. Cosmet. Sci. 2003, 54 (2), 175-192.

4. Nogueira, A. C. S.; Dicelio, L. E.; Joekes, I., About photo-damage of human hair. Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2006, 5 (2), 165-169.

5. Davis, S. L.; Marsh, J. M.; Kelly, C. P.; Li, L.; Tansky, C. S.; Fang, R.; Simmonds, M. S. J., Protection of hair from damage induced by ultraviolet irradiation using tea (Camellia sinensis) extracts. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2022, 21 (5), 2246-2254.

6. Marsh, J. M.; Davis, S. L.; Fang, R.; Simmonds, M. S.; Groves, P.; Chechik, V., UV Oxidation: Mechanistic Insights Using a Model System. J. Cosmet. Sci. 2021, 72, 697-710.

7. Knowles, S. L.; Sheng, W.; Davis, S.; Sica, V. P.; Pulliam, C. J.; Baker, T. R.; Li, L.; Marsh, J. M.; Fang, R.; Padilla-González, G. F.; Simmonds, M. S. J., Color Protection from UV irradiation of artificial dyes with grape seed (Vitis vinifera) extract. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology 2022, 10, 100113.