Sand is the largest mineral particle and it has more pore space between its particles than silt or clay. Silt particles are smaller than sand, but larger than clay particles.

The size of the soil pores is of great importance with regard to the rate of infiltration (movement of water into the soil) and to the rate of percolation (movement of water through the soil)….Permeability variation according to soil texture.

Loose, porous soils have lower bulk densities and greater porosities than tightly packed soils. Porosity varies depending on particle size and aggregation. It is greater in clayey and organic soils than in sandy soils.

Uniform sediments (gravel or sand) with spherical grains have a porosity between 0.36 (close random packing) and 0.40 (loose random packing) [Allen, 1985]. The porosity of a mixture of coarse and fine grains, however, is usually much smaller.

The first equation uses the total volume and the volume of the void. Porosity = (Volume of Voids / Total Volume) x 100%. The second equation uses the total volume and the volume of the solid. Porosity = ( ( Total Volume – Volume of the Solid ) / Total Volume ) x 100%.

For most rocks, porosity varies from less than 1% to 40%. The porosity of a rock depends on many factors, including the rock type and how the grains of a rock are arranged.

Clay is the most porous sediment but is the least permeable. Clay usually acts as an aquitard, impeding the flow of water. Gravel and sand are both porous and permeable, making them good aquifer materials. Gravel has the highest permeability.

In the simplest terms, porosity is your hair’s ability to soak up and hold in moisture and products. There are three levels of porosity: low, medium, and high. Each strand of your hair has an outer shell of cuticles that kind of look like shingles on the side of a roof.

Low porosity means your hair strands have a tightly bound cuticle layer that lays flat and tends to repel water. If your hair is low porosity it can become high porosity over time with more mechanical, thermal, and chemical damage, so moderation and trims are important.

Characteristics of normally porous hair: It is bouncy and elastic, not brittle and prone to breakage. It generally requires very little maintenance. It easily accepts and then retains applied moisture. It holds styles well without the use of many styling products and accepts color well and evenly.

Best Oils for Low Porosity Hair

• Argan Oil assists in moisturizing and controlling frizz.
• Grapeseed Oil is great for conditioning and moisturizing the hair and scalp.
• Baobab oil moisturizes without weighing down hair.
• Jojoba oil is perfect for dry scalp and dandruff.
• Safflower seed oil assists with hair loss.

Low porosity hair types can definitely benefit from rice water. If used correctly, rice water can help transform your hair into a stronger, healthier, and shinier mane.

Coconut oil is actually great for high porosity hair as it prevents water from flooding into the strands too quickly. It’s girls with hair on the healthier side of life (low porosity) that should consider using something lighter as a treatment.

Low porosity: People with low porosity hair tend to suffer frequently from product build-up on their scalp. Apple cider vinegar can help melt build-up away, so it’s a great treatment to clarify this hair type.

Here are the best tips on how to grow and care for low porosity hair.

1. Moisturize properly. Moisture is important to your hair.
2. Clarify the hair.
3. Steam for maximum hydration.
4. Use light oils that are easily absorbed.
5. Deep condition with heat.
6. Use the Green House effect.
7. Use humectants.
8. Avoid too much products.

If you have low porosity hair, you may feel frustrated with the amount of time it takes for your hair to grow or even feel like it doesn’t grow at all. You can rest assured your hair is growing; however, there may be some things inhibiting its growth and causing it to grow slower or break off before it can grow long.

In fact: Once a week is how often you need to wash low porosity hair to keep it soft, moisturized, and free from buildup until your next wash.

Signs Of Low Porosity Hair

• Your hair struggles to keep moisture.
• Your hair doesn’t work with conditioners.
• You need heat to activate conditioners.
• There’s always buildup and dirt in your hair.
• You get more dandruff (clarifying dandruff shampoos for Afro hair)
• Your hair is too oily or too dry.
• You spend ages drying your hair.

15 Best Deep Conditioners For Low-Porosity Hair

1. Arvazallia Hydrating Argan Oil Hair Mask and Deep Conditioner.
2. Maple Holistics Silk 18 Conditioner.
3. BIOLAGE Ultra Hydrasource Conditioning Balm.
4. Dove Nutritive Solutions Intensive Repair Conditioner.
5. Camille Rose Naturals Curl Love Moisture Milk.

Mielle Pomegranate and Honey Leave-in Conditioner This light-weight leave-in conditioner is great for low porosity hair struggling with moisture absorption. Key ingredients include babassu oil and sugar cane extract are highly moisturizing will ensure every coil is hydrated for days to come.

In a nutshell, hair porosity is how well your hair absorbs and retains moisture. Porosity is usually genetic, but it can change throughout your life depending on a variety of factors. Exposure, heat treatments, chemical processing, and environmental damage (like pollution) can all affect your hair porosity.

High porosity hair does not mean you are confined to eternal hair dryness and breakage. You just have to take extra care in styling your hair as well as know what types of products will work well with your particular hair type. Low porosity hair is the reverse of high porosity hair.

If your hair floats, you have low porosity. If it sinks, you have high porosity. The Slip’n’Slide Test: Take a strand of hair and slide your fingers up the shaft (toward the scalp). If you feel little bumps along the way, this means that your cuticle is lifted and that you have high porosity.

The colder the water the better. Cold water seals the hair cuticle and your hair needs all the help that it can get! After deep conditioning, rinse in cold water to close those cuticles shut and trap in the moisture.

How to Keep High Porosity Hair Moisturized

1. Have a go-to conditioner. No matter the porosity of your hair, you should be conditioning your hair regularly.
2. Deep condition regularly.
3. Find a good leave-in conditioner.
4. Be sure to use heavier products to compensate for what you’re missing.
5. Seal with the right butter or oil.

Best shampoo for high porosity hair

• Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo.
• Phyto Phytoelixir Intense Nutrition Shampoo.
• Malin + Goetz Gentle Hydrating Shampoo.
• Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Invigorating Shampoo.
• Carol’s Daughter Coco Creme Curl Quenching Shampoo.

Use a water-based, leave-in conditioner on damp hair after every shampooing. Liquid-based leave-in conditioner, which contains little to no protein, will infuse your non-porous hair with hydration and lubricate the hair shaft, without coating the hair with too much product.

For women with low porosity hair, a hair type that doesn’t easily retain moisture, it’s important to select a leave-in conditioner that contains humectants like honey, aloe vera and rice proteins, to prevent further moisture loss. It’s also essential to use a lightweight formula.

Low-porosity hair is very hard to moisturize and water based leave-in conditioners work wonders because they help to penetrate your hair shaft. Leave-in conditioners are also great for helping to detangle your hair. Leave-in conditioners that have some slip make a world of difference when detangling the hair.

Low porosity hair does best with hydrolysed proteins. If you have super low porosity hair, then DIY protein treatments like eggs or mayonnaise, which contain the whole protein and work by creating a thick seal over your hair’s surface (rather than binding to the cuticle) are more likely to harm than help.