Question from Renata Holloway, Terre Haute, Indiana: “I’ve been natural for about six years and I still feel like I’m guessing when it comes to oils. I have high porosity hair from years of coloring and I keep seeing people online say coconut oil is the holy grail, but it makes my hair feel terrible. My sister has low porosity hair and she says the same thing, weirdly. Can you help me figure out which oils are actually right for my porosity type? I’m so tired of wasting money on products that just sit on my hair or make it worse.”
Renata, if porosity still feels confusing after six years of being natural, you’re far from the only person who feels that way. Porosity is one of those things that gets mentioned constantly in natural hair spaces but rarely broken down in a way that actually helps you shop smarter or adjust your routine. It’s not complicated once someone walks you through it properly, but the internet tends to give you either a biology lecture or a vague “listen to your hair” answer that helps nobody.
I’ve been doing hair for a long time, and the oils conversation comes up in my chair more than almost anything else. Women come in with bags full of products they bought because someone on YouTube with gorgeous hair swore by them, and half of it isn’t working because their porosity is completely different from the person in the video. That’s the piece that’s missing. So let’s actually get into it.
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First, Let’s Make Sure You Actually Know Your Porosity
Before we talk about a single oil, you need to be honest with yourself about which category you’re in, because a lot of women think they know and they’re working off a guess they made years ago. High porosity hair has a raised or damaged cuticle layer, which means moisture gets in fast but also escapes just as fast. Low porosity hair has a tight, flat cuticle that doesn’t let much in at all, so product tends to sit on top and cause buildup rather than absorbing.
The float test, where you drop a strand of clean hair in water and see whether it sinks or floats, gives you a general idea but it’s not definitive. What I actually tell clients is to pay attention to how your hair behaves after you wash it. High porosity hair gets wet almost immediately, dries pretty quickly in the air, and tends to feel dry again within a day or two even after you’ve moisturized. It often has a rough texture and may be prone to breakage or tangling. If you’ve had color, heat damage, or a relaxer at any point, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with high porosity hair, or at least a combination.
Low porosity hair is the opposite in almost every way. It takes forever to get wet in the shower, which some women think means their hair is healthy and dense, and it can be, but it’s really just telling you the cuticle isn’t lifting easily. Products sit on top instead of soaking in. You might notice white flakes or residue even when you haven’t used that much product, and your hair might feel stiff or weighed down after you moisturize. It’s also harder to get color to take evenly on low porosity hair, which a lot of my clients have learned the hard way.
Knowing this really does change everything about how you should approach your oil selection, and that’s exactly what we’re getting into now.
10. Jojoba Oil: The Toss-Up That Most People Waste
Jojoba sits in this weird middle ground where I see it recommended for every hair type, every porosity, every concern, and while I understand why, I think that universal recommendation actually does a disservice to both high and low porosity naturals. Jojoba is technically a liquid wax, not an oil, and it most closely mimics the sebum your scalp produces naturally. That’s why it gets positioned as this safe, gentle option for everyone.
Here’s my honest take: for low porosity hair, jojoba is one of the more useful options you can reach for because it’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t add a lot of extra heaviness on top of a cuticle that’s already reluctant to absorb anything. I’ve had clients with low porosity type 4 hair who found that a small amount of jojoba worked well as a scalp oil without making their roots look greasy or causing the buildup that heavier oils tend to leave behind. It’s not going to do dramatic work, but it’s not going to sabotage you either.
For high porosity hair, jojoba is fine but it’s not doing the sealing work that you actually need. High porosity hair loses moisture so quickly that you really want something with more weight and staying power on the outside of the strand. Jojoba can be part of a layering routine, maybe used before a heavier butter or sealant, but on its own it’s not enough. If you’ve been using jojoba and wondering why your high porosity curls are still dry by day two, that might be your answer.
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9. Mineral Oil: The One You’ve Been Told to Avoid (But It’s More Complicated Than That)
Mineral oil has a bad reputation in natural hair communities, and I get it. It’s synthetic, it doesn’t penetrate the hair shaft, it can cause buildup, and a lot of the older, not-so-great hair products that left naturals with dry brittle hair were loaded with it. So the instinct to avoid it makes sense, especially if you’re high porosity and already struggling to keep moisture in.
That said, I want to complicate this a little, because I’ve had clients who use products with mineral oil as a deliberate sealant on high porosity hair and it actually works for them. The fact that it sits on top of the hair rather than penetrating can be useful if your cuticle is too raised and damaged to hold moisture in on its own. The mineral oil essentially creates a barrier. Is it my first recommendation? No. But I’ve seen it work in a pinch on high porosity strands that need heavy sealing.
For low porosity hair, I’d steer clear more firmly. Your cuticle is already sealed tight, and adding mineral oil on top means you’re stacking one layer of product resistance on top of another. You’ll get buildup, you’ll lose definition, and your hair will feel coated in a way that isn’t flattering. If you’re going to use something as a sealant on low porosity hair, it needs to be light, and mineral oil just isn’t that.
8. Sweet Almond Oil: Underrated for One Type, Wrong for the Other
Sweet almond oil doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves, and I think it’s because it doesn’t have the dramatic origin story that argan or castor oil do. It comes from almonds, it’s light amber in color, it has a mild nutty smell, and it absorbs reasonably well. That’s kind of it. But those qualities make it genuinely useful for low porosity hair in a way that a lot of more popular oils are not.
Because sweet almond oil has a lighter molecular weight and absorbs relatively easily compared to thicker oils, it can actually work its way through a tight cuticle without requiring a lot of heat or steam to help it along. I’ve had clients with fine, low porosity hair who use sweet almond oil as their primary moisturizing oil and see real softness from it. It also has a decent amount of oleic and linoleic acids, which help with overall hair health and flexibility. Flexible hair doesn’t break as easily, which matters for anyone dealing with thinning or age-related hair fragility.
For high porosity hair, sweet almond oil feels a little underwhelming. It absorbs too easily to do the sealing work that high porosity strands need, and you’d go through it quickly trying to use enough to feel a difference. It’s not harmful for high porosity hair, but I wouldn’t make it your workhorse oil. Maybe mix it into a deep conditioner or use it as a pre-poo, but don’t lean on it for moisture retention.
7. Grapeseed Oil: Low Porosity’s Best Kept Secret
This one I feel genuinely enthusiastic about for the right person. Grapeseed oil is extremely light, almost water-like in texture, and it absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy feeling. The molecular structure is small enough to have a real chance at slipping through a tighter cuticle, which puts it in a category of oils that actually make sense for low porosity hair rather than just sitting on top and causing problems.
What I love about grapeseed for low porosity naturals specifically is that it doesn’t disrupt your styling products. If you put down a leave-in and then want to seal with something, grapeseed lets you do that without making everything feel heavy or altering the hold of your curl cream. I’ve recommended it to several clients with low porosity type 3c and 4a hair who were frustrated that every oil they tried made their wash and go look greasy or weighed down, and grapeseed solved that almost immediately. Grapeseed oil is also inexpensive, which I appreciate because hair care costs add up fast.
For high porosity hair, grapeseed is too light to be your main oil. You need something that stays on the hair longer, forms more of a barrier. Grapeseed evaporates or absorbs so quickly that on porous strands, it’s basically gone before it can do much. Not a bad ingredient in a blend, but not a star player for your porosity type.
6. Castor Oil: Beloved by Many, Misused by More
Castor oil is one of the most popular oils in natural hair culture and also one of the most misunderstood ones. It’s thick, it’s dense, it’s sticky, and those qualities are wonderful in the right situation and a disaster in the wrong one. The reason it gets recommended so often is that it coats the hair shaft heavily, which can reduce breakage and add significant moisture retention. For high porosity hair, that sounds ideal, and honestly it can be.
Here’s where it goes sideways. A lot of high porosity naturals use castor oil straight, generously, all over, and they end up with buildup that’s really hard to wash out, or hair that feels heavy and clumped in a way that’s hard to style. The key with castor oil on high porosity hair is to use it sparingly, mix it with a lighter carrier oil, and use it as a sealant at the end of your moisture routine rather than as a standalone product. Jamaican Black Castor Oil in particular, which has the added ash from roasted castor beans, is great for high porosity strands when used this way.
For low porosity hair, I’d generally tell you to put the castor oil down. It’s too thick, too heavy, and too much for a cuticle that’s already resistant to absorbing anything. You will get buildup. Your scalp will feel clogged. I’ve seen this play out enough times in my chair that I’ll say it pretty bluntly: castor oil and low porosity hair are usually not a good match unless you’re using a very small amount mixed into something else entirely.
5. Argan Oil: Mostly Overhyped, But One Type Gets Real Value From It
Argan oil has been having a moment for over a decade now, which is long enough for me to have formed some opinions. It’s marketed as a luxury oil that works for everything, and I’ve watched clients spend real money on it and feel confused when their hair didn’t transform. The reality is that argan is a moderately light oil with good fatty acid content and some antioxidant properties, and it works well for a specific set of hair concerns, but it’s not magic.
For high porosity hair, argan oil is genuinely useful as a finishing oil or a heat protectant, because it adds some shine and smoothness to the cuticle without being so heavy that it loads down the strand. If your high porosity hair is particularly frizzy or prone to roughness, working a few drops of argan oil over styled, drying hair can smooth things down and give you a more polished look. It won’t seal like castor or shea will, but for day-to-day frizz management and shine on damaged, porous strands, it does something real.
Low porosity hair can use argan oil but honestly, it’s not the most efficient choice for your money. The molecular weight is medium, so it’s not as light as grapeseed or as penetrating as some of the oils further up this list. You might not notice much from it because it’s not light enough to slip through your cuticle easily and not heavy enough to do dramatic sealant work. Save the argan for high porosity folks and put your budget elsewhere.
4. Avocado Oil: The Heavyweight That High Porosity Hair Actually Needs
Avocado oil is rich, it’s dense, it has a beautiful fatty acid profile with oleic acid making up the majority of its composition, and it’s one of the few oils that can actually penetrate the hair shaft rather than just sitting on top of it. That combination makes it genuinely valuable, not just as a sealant but as something that improves the actual condition of the strand over time.
For high porosity hair, avocado oil feels like a relief, almost literally. Because it can penetrate rather than just coat, it helps replenish some of what damaged or porous hair has lost structurally. I’ve had clients who do a warm avocado oil treatment before shampooing, covering their hair, applying gentle heat with a plastic cap and a hooded dryer, and after a few weeks of doing that consistently, their hair just feels different. More substantial. The breakage eases up. Avocado oil is also good layered under a butter-based sealant for everyday moisture retention on high porosity strands.
For low porosity hair, avocado’s density works against you. It’s heavy enough that it tends to sit rather than absorb, and you’ll likely notice your hair looks oily without actually feeling moisturized, which is one of the more frustrating combinations you can experience. If you’re low porosity and you love the idea of avocado oil, apply it with heat, because the steam or warmth will help lift the cuticle enough for a little absorption. Without heat, I’d skip it.
3. Olive Oil: High Porosity’s Old Faithful (Used Correctly)
Olive oil has been used on hair for centuries, which is either a compelling endorsement or a sign that marketing has always been effective, depending on your perspective. I happen to think there’s real merit here, particularly for high porosity hair, with some important caveats about how it’s used.
Olive oil is heavy, it’s rich in oleic acid, and it has a strong affinity for the hair’s protein structure, which matters a lot for damaged, high porosity hair that’s already lost some of its structural integrity. Using olive oil as a pre-shampoo treatment, applying it generously to dry hair, covering with a plastic cap, and letting it sit for at least 30 minutes before washing, can significantly improve how high porosity hair feels and behaves. Some of my clients swear by the ORS Olive Oil line for this reason. The protein-binding quality of olive oil can help temporarily fill in the gaps in a raised cuticle, which reduces breakage and improves moisture retention for days afterward.
Now, low porosity hair and olive oil is a harder conversation. Olive oil is too heavy for regular use on a tight cuticle, full stop. I don’t love recommending it for everyday moisture sealing on low porosity hair because the buildup potential is high. But used with consistent heat, like during a deep conditioning session, a small amount of olive oil mixed into your conditioner can add softness. The key word is small. Low porosity hair does not need you to be generous with heavy oils.
2. Coconut Oil: The One You Were Warned About (And Why Renata Is Right to Be Suspicious)
Renata, this one’s for you specifically because you mentioned it in your question, and you’re not wrong to be suspicious. Coconut oil is one of the most widely recommended oils in natural hair spaces and also one of the most problematic, and the reason it causes problems for so many women comes down to its unique molecular structure and how it interacts with hair protein.
Coconut oil has a small molecular weight and it can penetrate the hair shaft, unlike most oils that only coat the outside. That sounds like a good thing, and for certain hair types it is, but for high porosity hair that’s already protein-sensitive or protein-overloaded, coconut oil can cause stiffness, brittleness, and increased breakage. Many high porosity naturals, particularly those whose porosity is caused by color or chemical damage, have hair that reacts poorly to protein, and coconut oil’s protein-binding ability means it behaves almost like a protein treatment. If your hair doesn’t need protein, or has too much of it already, coconut oil makes things worse, not better.
For low porosity hair, coconut oil is similarly difficult. It penetrates, which sounds ideal for a tight cuticle, but the issue is that it can actually get stuck inside the hair shaft in colder temperatures because it solidifies. This leads to that hard, dry, almost crispy feeling that so many low porosity naturals report. It’s not a myth, it’s chemistry. The coconut oil you’re using literally hardens inside the strand when the temperature drops, which makes your hair brittle and harder to manage.
My honest take: coconut oil works beautifully for people with healthy, protein-receptive, medium porosity hair. For high and low porosity naturals, it’s frequently the wrong choice, and the fact that it works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. There’s no shame in putting it aside.
1. Baobab Oil: The Oil Both Porosity Types Can Actually Use (With Different Approaches)
I saved this one for last because it’s the answer to the question that’s underneath Renata’s original question, which is really: is there anything that works across porosity types without requiring a totally different routine? And the answer, in my experience, is baobab oil, approached correctly.
Baobab oil comes from the seeds of the baobab tree, and it has a fatty acid profile that’s genuinely unusual, with high levels of oleic, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acid all present in meaningful amounts. That combination means it has some of the penetrating qualities of a lighter oil and some of the nourishing, reparative qualities of a heavier one. It absorbs relatively well but it also has enough substance to provide some real moisture retention. The texture is lighter than you’d expect from such a nutrient-dense oil, and it doesn’t go rancid quickly, which matters if you’re not going through a bottle fast.
For high porosity hair, baobab oil works beautifully as a daily sealant because it absorbs into the strand partially but also leaves a light film on the outside that slows moisture evaporation. I’ve been recommending it to my high porosity clients for a few years now and the feedback is consistently good. They notice their hair staying softer longer, and the breakage that’s so common with high porosity strands tends to ease up with regular use. It works especially well layered over a water-based leave-in, letting the leave-in handle the moisture and the baobab handle the sealing. Baobab oil for natural hair has gotten much more available in recent years and the price has come down, which makes it a lot easier to recommend.
For low porosity hair, baobab oil works but the application method matters more than anything else. You want to apply it on damp hair after washing, while the cuticle is slightly lifted from the water and the warmth of your shower. A little goes a long way. Working a few drops through damp strands before you add any other styling product allows the baobab to sit close to the hair surface without competing with other layers of product. Because it’s lighter than something like castor or avocado, it doesn’t cause the same buildup problems on low porosity strands. It just quietly does its job without the drama.
What makes baobab the number one recommendation on this list is that it meets both porosity types somewhere useful, even if the technique is slightly different depending on which camp you’re in. It’s the oil I’d tell someone to start with if they’re brand new to building an oil routine and aren’t sure what their hair wants. And honestly, after six years of feeling like you’re guessing, Renata, starting with something that has a reasonable chance of working for your specific hair is exactly what you deserve.
A Few Final Thoughts Before You Go Shopping
Here’s what I want you to take away from all of this. No oil is magic and no oil is universally wrong. The context is everything, and the context is your hair, your porosity, your protein sensitivity, and how you’re applying these oils within your overall routine. A lot of the frustration I see women experience with natural hair care comes from borrowing routines wholesale from someone whose hair is fundamentally different from theirs, and oils are a big part of that.
Figure out your porosity, start with one or two oils that match it, and give those oils a real chance over a few weeks before you decide they’re not working. Your hair changes with the seasons too, so something that felt too heavy in July might be exactly right in January. Pay attention to how your hair feels a day or two after you moisturize, not just immediately after, because that’s where the real information is.
And if you’re still feeling overwhelmed, think about seeing a stylist who specializes in natural hair and can actually assess your strands in person. A single consultation can save you months of guessing and more money than you’d expect on products that were never right for you in the first place. You’ve put six years into this hair journey, and you deserve to actually enjoy it.