I am a high porosity colored girl who watches YouTube hair videos of other colored girls who are ALL low porosity. I recently stumbled upon two YouTubers who are not low porosity. So there is hope for me yet. So I felt like it would be cool to create some content for the few and still proud.
Just for the sake of clarity, high porosity is a term used to describe porous hair. Just think of open pores that never close. So we accept moisture easily but we typically don’t keep our moisture. There are a lot of spells that allow you to check your hair’s porosity. The one that worked for me was just taking a strand of my hair when it was clean and dry and cupping that one strand between my fingers and sliding my fingers up the shaft of my hair. If you try this approach, and you feel little bumps on your hair strand, you have high porosity hair. My hair felt like brail when I did this test.
I wanted to share my favorite products for a while but I also wanted to make sure I spent enough time using them before recommending anything. So it’s been almost about six months to a year of using most of what made it onto my short list with the exception of two products which I have been using for a few months. I am ok with them being on the list because I am getting more familiar with my hair and knowing what it responds to well enough to know that I will keep using them.
The day one
Shea Moisture Curling Gel Soufflé- This product is hit or miss for most people. Most people complain that it leaves a sticky residue. And that it just doesn’t make sense to them and their wash and go. I don’t know how they are incorporating it but for me, this is honestly the only gel that allows my hair to stay moisturized. It’s the first product I used in my first wash and go attempt and it’s the only product that I have kept in rotation and repurchased many times. I have tried a good amount of gels and in the end when I leave this product out of my routine I end up having to add it in the very next day because my hair has dried out. My high porosity hair means that my porous hair accepts moisture easily and loses it even easier. So I can use this gel after a leave in for a two product wash and go which will last 4 -5 days or if I’m going for a longer lasting combo (7 days plus) I can add the gel sparingly as the final step over another gel (I always start with a leave in) My main advice is that this product should be used on soaking wet hair.
For a longer lasting wash and go, I use Aunt Jackie’s Don’t Shrink gel after my leave in. Then I go over the gel with my curling gel souffle from Shea Moisture. I would say it’s my favorite combo. I don’t do it as often only because I am exercising daily and the Pure Barre studio don’t deserve my best wash and go combo.
Eden Body Works Marshmallow Hydration Serum
In the world of YouTube I would’ve never thought a serum should be in a wash and go routine. Most hair gurus swear by a cream leave-in which honestly don’t do much for my hair. Gotta thank one of my YouTube faves Lydia Tefera for her video testing out this serum because it was a game changer for my wash and go routine and I have been using it for close to year now. I use the hydration serum as my first step in my wash and go (leave in). I also use it to refresh my hair if day 4 creeps up on me and I’m not ready for wash day. It really provides lasting hydration. It smells great and like curling soufflé it has a watery consistency but it’s not as sticky. I would still say use on soaking wet hair.
Pantene Rescue Shots
Admittedly good marketing made me try this product and an anxiety about not learning how to trim my ends made me feel like 5 bucks for three small treatments was a fair trade. I would say you can get about three uses out of each tiny tube. The treatment is applied from the middle of your hair strands to the tips. So I have been using this treatment for over a month now and each time I get comments on how my hair looks darker and healthier. I really love it especially on my shampoo days. I have been trying a few different approaches to shampooing in an attempt to retain moisture while getting a decent cleanse. Even if I use a shampoo that feels like it has taken too much of my moisture these shots feel like they bring the moisture right back. And they smell so luxurious. I already repurchased.
Mane Choice Prickly Pear Over Night Mask and Foam Shampoo
These two products are my current routine. I have washed my hair four times with this routine which is just a little close to a month for me. I love these products because it feels like they support my laziness. I put the mask in overnight. I shampoo the next day and I follow up with my rescue shot and my hair looks like someone cares about it.
When I am not being lazy my absolute favorite deep conditioner is by Obia Naturals it’s their Babassu Deep Conditioner. It is so moisturizing. My hair drinks it up every time. My curls look curlier just from applying. Sometimes I don’t even want to wash it out. It’s said to have super clean ingredients and is PH balanced.
For the even lazier days, I swear by Garnier’s One Minute Mask. It has about three different uses. It can be a leave in, conditioner or a hair mask. I have used the masks all three ways. I enjoy it the most as a leave in detangler and a hair mask. I purchase the sample sizes. They are great for travel and priced well depending on where you go.
Grow it girl Growth Spray
Imagine me in Urban Outfitters........ I can’t lie that pricy “Hipsters R Us” has got me. One product that they carry I actually purchased online from the product site first. I have since repurchased at Urban Outfitters because me waiting on a delivery is comparable to a child waiting for Santa the night before Christmas. I check my emails in one hour intervals. I reach at phantom objects in my mail box. It’s just not emotionally healthy. I lack patience.
About the product
I love this product for the way it feels on my scalp. It feels like it means to help. Admittedly anything with Peppermint will feel that way. This spray has peppermint, rosemary and aloe in it as well. I spray it on while my hair is wet and clean and I feel like I smell like I have just been to a spa that means business and uses local natural products. Has my hair grown? I feel like it has. But I also am learning washing it pretty often really helps with moisture retention which also helps with retaining hair length.
All of my faves (except the one minute mask and growth spray.) are on my list in my Amazon Store Front
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