What’s important to know about my hair when I’m choosing products?

[FibonacciPoet]

Hi there,
I just learned that I have low porosity hair and this makes a huge difference in what types of products I should use. Are there other characteristics to hair that I should know about to help me develop the best hair care routine for me?
Michelle

[Shorty89]

I think it's partly trial and error. But you should figure out if your hair likes silicones or no-silicones. You may also look at leave-in products and whether you need (or want) them. If you're using silicones, you likely want a shampoo with SLS or something similar.

[spirals]

I have medium to low porosity and I just found that sulfate free shampoo works better for me but I'm not sure why. All my products have oils in them. I don't like silicones because they coat my already moisture-resistant strands. But oils seem fine, go figure. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I have mostly 2c waves with some spirals.

[diamond_storm]

I second finding out if your hair loves or hates silicones. Mine LOVES it —*any non-cone conditioner tends to make my hair rough, ratty, and unmanageable. Some people have hair that hates silicones, meaning they probably have the opposite experience.

For hair care products (and honestly any personal care products), getting to know which ingredients agree with me and which don't and reading labels before buying has been a big help for me.