Natural Moisturising Hair Mask Treatment For Dry, Dull, Low Porosity Hair
One of my supporters asked me to make a moisturising hair mask for dry, dull, damaged low porosity and sensitive scalp.
So here we are...and if there is any product you would like me to formulate just hit me up on my socials 😉
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First things first, hair masks, and conditioners should only be applied on your hair strands, not on your scalp. So do not add this hair mask to your scalp.
Secondly, it may not always be possible to truly reverse damaged hair, however you can temporarily strengthen and improve its appearance.
With that out of the way, this hair mask treatment is for dry, dull, low porosity hair.
What is low porosity hair?
Low porosity hair has tight cuticles, making it more difficult for moisture to reach the hair strands. Products tend to sit on the surface, leading to buildup. However, low porosity hair is amazing at retaining moisture once it gets in there.
The main focus of the hair mask is lightweight oils, no butters, humectants (attract and retain moisture), hydrolised protein, polymers, and hydrating ingredients.
Ingredients Explanation
Low porosity hair thrives when water is the very first ingredient. Aloe vera juice is a hydrating ingredient and humectant that slides easily into the hair shaft without leaving a sticky residue. Its natural moisturising properties lock in moisture, reduce frizz and leave the hair soft, smooth and manageable. To elevate this hair mask treatment, add coconut water for more hydration properties.
Vegetable glycerine acts as an emollient and humectant which helps attract and retain moisture in the hair. I also added it to disperse the guar gum in it. And because two humectants are not enough, I added a third one: sorbitol is a multifunctional humectant and moisturising agent which improves hair elasticity, promotes hydration, and soft and smooth hair.
I used guar gum to thicken the hair mask, but I would recommend adding cationic guar gum which is an excellent hair conditioning agent. It adds slip, eases the combing process, and it provides antistatic properties, reducing static and frizz for smoother, shinier, silky, soft-feel, and more manageable hair. Even though it is a synthetic cationic polymer, it is compatible with natural and COMOS style formulations.
Jojoba oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil are gold standard oils for low porosity hair. They have a low molecular weight, seal in hydration, and easily squeeze past tight cuticles (easy absorption). Macadamia nut oil is a slightly richer oil but it provides deep nourishment to the hair core without weighting it down.
Varisoft EQ 65 is a natural, eco-friendly, and cationic conditioning emulsifier. It provides excellent detangling, conditioning, and slip while remaining easy to rinse off.
Cetyl Alcohol is fatty alcohol (not the drying type) that softens the hair but has a tiny molecular footprint compared to butters. I added this fatty alcohol to increase substantivity (the ability of the product binding to the hair even after rinsing off), conditioning, and viscosity (the texture of the product).
Ecosilk is a 100% natural, plant derived, silky, lightweight non-greasy alternative to synthetic silicones. It is an emollient which gives the hair that glossy, smooth, slippery, silky feeling.
Phytokeratin is a hydrolised plant based protein which enhances moisturising and conditioning properties. It provides film forming and anti-irrant benefits which leaves the hair hydrated, stronger and healthy.
Vitamin E oil is an antioxidant which will slow down the rancidity of the oils, the essential oils (sweet orange and lemongrass) are for fragrance, and preservative Eco is to preserve the hair mask. I also added a citric acid solution to reduce the pH of the product to around 4.20.
NOTE: Products containing Varisoft EQ 65 require a pH between 4.0-4.5. To prevent the chemical breakdown (hydrolysis), ensuring long-term emulsion stability and keeping the conditioning agents effectively cationic.
Top Tips:
- Use a streamer while applying the mask to gently lift your tightly closed low porosity cuticles.
- Use this hair mask and apply a heat cap, or warm towel.
- Apply the hair mask to damp hair.
Formula (batch of 200g)
Water Phase
107g of water
20g of aloe vera juice
4g of vegetable glycerine
0.60g of guar gum
Oil Phase
12g of varisoft EQ 65
6g of cetyl alcohol
4g of sorbitol
4g of argan oil
4g of macadamia nut oil
6g of sweet almond oil
12g of jojoba oil
Cool Down Phase
2g of vitamin E oil
5.20g of phytokeratin
0.60g of sweet orange essential oil
0.60g of lemongrass oil
10g of ecosilk
2g of preservative Eco
This formula only contains natural and naturally derived ingredients.
Important Note: The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only.