Hair Texture & Hair Porosity — The Real Reason Your Products Aren’t Working

For the longest time, I used to wonder why certain products worked beautifully on other people but did nothing for me. Sometimes my hair got heavier. Sometimes it became frizzier. And sometimes… it just stayed the same no matter what I used.

I thought the products were “bad”.
I thought my hair was “difficult”.
But really, I just didn’t understand two important things:

your hair texture
and
your hair porosity.

Once I finally understood both, everything in my routine made more sense.

What Is Hair Texture?

Hair texture is simply the thickness of each individual strand.

There are three types:

• Fine — very thin, feels almost invisible between your fingers

• Medium — you can feel it, but it’s not thick

• Coarse — feels like thread, strong and thick

Many people confuse texture with density, but they’re not the same.
You can have fine hair but a lot of it.
Or coarse hair but very few strands.
These two measurements behave differently in your routine.

Why does texture matter?

Because it affects:

• how easily your hair gets weighed down

• how much product you need

• which formulas work for you

For example, fine hair cannot handle heavy creams or thick oils.
But coarse hair often needs richer formulas to feel soft and nourished.

What Is Hair Porosity?

Porosity is how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture.

There are three types:

Low porosity

Tight cuticles → moisture has a hard time entering
Products tend to sit on top
Hair stays moisturised longer, but harder to penetrate

Medium porosity

Cuticles are looser → moisture enters and stays
The easiest hair type to manage

High porosity

Open cuticles → moisture enters quickly but escapes just as fast
Hair feels dry easily and needs more care to lock in hydration

This is why two people can use the same product and get completely different results.

How to Test Your Hair Porosity (Simple at-home tests)

You don’t need any special tools.

1. The Float Test

Drop a clean strand of hair into a glass of water.

• Floats → Low porosity

• Slowly sinks → Medium

• Sinks quickly → High

2. The Spray Test

Spray water on a small section of your hair.

• Water beads → Low

• Slowly absorbs → Medium

• Quickly absorbs → High

You only need to do this once to understand your hair better.

Why Texture + Porosity Matter Together

This is the part people often miss.
Texture and porosity work together, not separately.

For example:

Fine + Low Porosity

→ Needs lightweight leave-ins
→ Lightweight oils like argan
→ Avoid heavy butters and rich creams

Fine + High Porosity

→ Needs moisture, but still lightweight
→ Use leave-in sprays + a tiny bit of sealing oil

Coarse + Low Porosity

→ Can use richer creams
→ But needs heat (warm towel/steamer) to help absorption

Coarse + High Porosity

→ Benefits from rich conditioners, deep masks, and sealing oils
→ Needs regular moisture-locking routines

Once you understand your combination, choosing products becomes so much easier.
This was a huge turning point for me — and one of the reasons I wrote my e-book in the first place.

You Don’t Need More Products — You Just Need the Right Ones

When you choose products based on texture + porosity, your routine becomes:

• simpler

• more effective

• less frustrating

Instead of guessing, you finally understand what your hair responds to.

Inside my e-book, I break this down even further and show you exactly which product types suit different hair combinations. If you’ve ever felt confused about whether you should use oils, creams, or sprays - this part of the book will help you a lot.

Alia AS