DIY Hair Mask Using Coconut Oil for Low Porosity Hair

This DIY hair mask using coconut oil for low-porosity hair is simple, with only a few natural ingredients, but it’s really going to blow you away. It will quickly become your go-to DIY hair mask recipe to soften, moisture, add shine, and improve the health of your low-porosity hair.

Low Porosity Hair vs. High Porosity Hair

Low porosity hair is hair that doesn’t absorb water very fast.  People with this hair type typically take longer to get their hair wet when washing it and often take longer to dry after getting their hair wet.  Another sign of low porosity hair is when using hair products that often stay on the surface of the hair instead of absorbing into the hair cuticle, or the outermost layer of the hair strand.  

On the other hand, high-porosity hair absorbs water quickly and easily.  Those that have this hair type are able to get their hair wet and apply products to the hair and have it absorbed into the hair.  Having high porosity hair means your hair can easily absorb moisture.  While it can absorb moisture readily, this does not mean it retains moisture easily.  

What kind of hair porosity do you have?

In order to determine what type of hair you have, you can do what is known as the Float Test.  

Step 1: Fill up a clear glass of water.

Step 2: Place a single strand of hair and put it into the glass.

Step 3: See how fast it sinks to the top, or if the stand stays afloat.

Low Porosity Hair: if the hair strand floats or stays at the top of the glass for a while before slowly sinking.

High Porosity hair:  if the hair strand sinks to the bottom quickly.

Medium Porosity hair: if the hair strand sinks, but then stays in the middle of the glass of water.

Each hair type requires a different mix of hair products and ingredients, so it’s best to figure out which type of hair you have in order to select the right ones.

Best Oils for Low Porosity Hair

There are several natural oils that work amazingly well for low-porosity hair.  They include the following:

• Jojoba Oil: This is an amazing oil to use for natural hair care recipes. Plus it’s full of essential vitamins and minerals including vitamins E and B. Perfect for soothing your scalp (including dandruff) and repairing breakage.
• Argan Oil: This oil is great for moisturizing, adding shine to your hair, and protecting hair from breakage. 
• Sweet Almond Oil: It’s great for your hair since it’s naturally rich in vitamins A and E and antioxidants. Plus it soothes and nourishes the hair strands for the overall health of your hair while also improving scalp health.
• Grapeseed Oil: This oil is known for adding shine, and is great for toning down frizz. It’s also good for fine hair since it’s incredibly lightweight.
• Olive Oil: It has lots of different vitamins along with antioxidants.  This combination makes olive oil good for a dry scalp as well as strengthening the hair. 
• Castor Oil: This oil nourishes the scalp and helps to protect the hair strands. *
• Avocado Oil: Known for repairing the hair shaft, providing protection from UV and other environmental pollutants, and soothing the scalp.
• Sunflower Oil: This oil has plenty of essential fatty acids, antioxidants in addition to vitamin E.  All of this makes it good for it nourishing and soothing the hair and scalp. 
• Coconut Oil: Smoothes down the hair shaft, reducing frizz while promoting shine and strengthening the hair strands. The downside of using coconut oil for low-porosity hair is that it can weigh down your hair since it is one of the heavy oils. So it’s best to pair it with one of the naturally lightweight oils. However, it’s great for giving the DIY hair mask some thickness and creating a better consistency for applying to the hair stand.

* Please note, that it is best to avoid using caster oil while pregnant as it’s been known to induce labor.

Low Porosity Hair Care Must-Haves

Here are some basic must-haves to take care of your low-porosity hair so that it’s healthy, shiny, and moisturized.

Hair Mask & Leave-In Conditioner are your new best friends.  In order for your hair to absorb and stay moisturized, you will want to use a hair mask, leave-in conditioners, and other products that add to your hair’s moisture.  This will help keep your hair soft and looking overall healthy.

Lightweight Oils are better for your hair type since they can more easily absorb into the hair strands.  Also, lighter oils won’t weigh down your hair. This allows you to use them daily, a few times a week, or in your hair mask or leave-in conditioner.

Shampoo your hair well.  Since your low-porosity hair does not absorb products well, they have a tendency to stay on the surface of the hair and scalp.  In order to remove them and any build-up, you will want to make sure to shampoo regularly if you use lots of product on your hair.  It’s also recommended to shampoo twice when you do wash your hair, once washing only your scalp and top of your hair & then second washing your scalp and all of your hair.  Other options are to use a clarifying shampoo that helps to remove build-up and deep cleans your hair.

Use humectants on your hair.  This simply means using natural products that love water and are going to keep moisture in.  A few of them are honey, aloe vera, pectin, and glycerin.  However, it might be best to avoid using these products on your hair in low humidity as they can actually dry out your hair.

Why use a DIY hair mask for low-porosity hair? 

People with low-porosity hair should absolutely use hair masks for their hair.  They work as a deep conditioner that nourishes, protects, and repairs your hair once and for all.  Since the main issue with low-porosity hair is that it takes a while for hair to absorb anything (including water, hair products, and masks), using a hair mask is a great way to allow enough time for the hair to absorb and take in all the goodness!

Nourishment: Hair masks work well because they bring intense moisture into the hair shaft. This DIY hair mask contains different carrier oils and essential oils to hydrate the hair from deep within to create smooth and healthy hair.

Protection: Hair masks also help to protect your hair from future damage. This hair mask uses natural ingredients to create barriers on your individual hair stands.  

Repair: If your hair has been damaged by heat, styling, or hair treatments or just needs some extra TLC, then a hair mask can help repair it.  

Natural Ingredients

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil is one of the lightweight oils. It is so great for your hair since it’s naturally rich in vitamins A and E and antioxidants. Plus it soothes and nourishes the hair strands for the overall health of your hair. In this recipe, the sweet almond oil adds a much-needed light layer of moisture to this hair mask. Combined with heavier oils like coconut oil, this makes a beautifully balanced hair mask.  

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is going to balance this hair mask as it brings protection from UV rays and other environmental pollutants.  It’s also great for repairing the hair shaft from any previous damage that your hair already has.  Avocado oil can also be used to treat scalp conditions, so you can use this recipe on your scalp if needed.

Looking for a hair mask oil substitute? You can also use jojoba oil, argan oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, or castor oil in place of sweet almond and avocado oils as they are also considered light oils. 

Sweet almond oil is also really great for your skin for the same reasons. My Sweet Almond Bentonite Clay Face Mask and DIY Face Serum are some of my favorite natural skincare recipes that also use sweet almond oil.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil plays a key role in this recipe, as it’s a natural hair moisturizer that provides more intense conditioning. Smoothing down the hair shaft, reducing frizz while promoting shine, and some of the main benefits of coconut oil. The downside of coconut oil is that it can weigh down your hair since it is one of the heavy oils. This is why combining coconut oil with sweet almond oil creates a perfect combination to combat frizzy hair. Using high-quality, organic coconut oil is preferable so that it can be slightly melted down to mix in with the other ingredients.

Raw Honey

Raw honey is one of those ingredients that keeps on giving.  It’s great for all the things you want for your hair including shininess, moisture, breakage, scalp, and healthy hair growth.  Honey has an incredible amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants making it an excellent choice to use for both hair and skin DIY recipes.

Essential Oils

Essential oils take this hair mask up to another level. They really make it seem like you bought it from a store instead of simply making it at home. There are certain essential oils that are better for different hair types and different conditions. The best essential oils for healthy hair are included below so you can choose the ones you want to use in this recipe.

Do you also struggle with dry scalp? You are going to want to make this Homemade Hair Mask for Dry Scalp too! It’s amazing at soothing the scalp, nourishing your hair, relieving any itchiness, and adding moisture back to the scalp. Often time I will use this recipe along with the dry scalp hair mask!

Essential Oils for Healthy Hair

• Lavender: frizzy hair, overall hair health, growth & scalp
• Rosemary: growth and thickness, frizzy hair
• Peppermint: hair growth and shininess
• Geranium: frizzy hair, reduce oil production
• Roman Chamomile: moisturizing, overall hair health
• Cedarwood: scalp and hair growth
• Ylang-ylang: scalp, hair texture, and breakage
• Copaiba: dandruff relief and greasy hair
• Tea Tree: hair growth and dandruff
• Lemongrass: dandruff

How to Make a Hair Mask for Low-Porosity Hair 

This hair mask comes together quickly, so make sure to select and gather your ingredients before you start making this recipe.  You will also need a glass bowl, spoon or whisk, and glass mason jar for easy storage.

First, the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil need to be soft enough to mix. To soften your coconut oil, place it in a glass bowl and microwave for 5-10 second increments, making sure to check on it each time.

Once the coconut oil is softened, add 2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil, 1 tablespoon of avocado oil, and 1 tablespoon of raw honey to the glass bowl. Mix well to combine.

Add 30 drops of essential oils (see above for essential oils for healthy hair growth) to the coconut oil and sweet almond oil mixture. Stir to combine. My personal recipe is 10 drops lavender, 10 drops rosemary, and 10 drops peppermint.

For best results, put the hair mask in the fridge for 30 minutes -1 hour before using. Putting the hair mask in the fridge will allow it to thicken for easier application.

This DIY hair mask makes enough for multiple uses, so I recommend storing it in a 4oz glass mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

How to use your Homemade Hair Mask

After making your homemade hair mask, you will want to apply the mixture to your hair, focusing on the ends and any particularly frizzy areas or split ends. I recommend applying the hair mask from around eye level all the way down to the ends. You can apply the hair mask to the top of the hair as well.

It’s a good idea to leave the hair mask on for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. For most people leaving the hair mask on for 30 minutes to an hour will provide great results for healthy hair. I highly recommend using either a large hair clip or making a bun to keep the hair off your clothes to prevent staining while using the hair mask. 

Lastly, make sure to shampoo your hair very well and rinse thoroughly. Repeat shampooing if needed.

Quick tip – when using a hair mask, I will typically skip the conditioner step of my hair routine because my hair already has all the moisture it needs.  Instead, I will use the conditioner on weeks that I haven’t applied a hair mask for a variety of treatments for my hair.  Test this out for yourself, and see what works best for your hair.

How Often Should you use a Hair Mask?

That is going to depend on your hair type and the health of your hair. Most people see the benefits of using a hair mask once a week or every other week. This is often enough to reduce frizz and increase healthy hair, shininess, and hair growth. Keep in mind that this is a deep conditioner that is designed to nourish, protect and repair your hair. You may need to use the hair mask more often when you first start using it. Then you can reduce your schedule to 1-2 times per month. It may also depend on the weather, such as heat, humidity, dryness, and other environmental factors for how often you use the hair mask.

How to Store Your DIY Hair Mask

The best way to store your DIY hair mask is in the refrigerator and in a glass mason jar. As with all recipes using essential oils, glass is always the best choice with a tight-fitting lid. The hair mask will thicken in the fridge, making it so much easier to apply to your hair. You may need to take it out of the fridge for 10-15 minutes before using it. This will allow it to soften and come back to room temperature. Storing the hair mask in the fridge also extends the life of your hair mask to around 6 months.

Natural Recipes for Your Hair Care Routine

Hi, I’m Kristin.

I am so glad you are here ready to make some really incredible diy recipes with simple ingredients. Join me in learning how to use essential oils in all of your homemade personal care products and creating a natural home.

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