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Is Kinky-Curly Knot Today the best leave-in conditioner for low porosity natural hair? I gave it a real shot on my own wavy, frizz-prone strands and here’s what I found.

My hair takes a while to get wet, and it’s definitely on the frizzy, dry side. Classic signs of low porosity hair, right? At least, that’s what the internet says.

Apparently, if you really want to figure out your hair’s porosity, there’s a quick test: take a clean strand of hair, drop it into a glass of water, and wait a few minutes. If it just floats there like it’s lounging on a pool float, chances are you’ve got low porosity hair.

Other clues? Buildup. Like, when creams and oils just sit on top instead of actually sinking in. Now, here’s where things get a little confusing for me. My hair does float in the water test, it is frizzy and dry, and yeah—it takes forever to actually get wet in the shower. But that heavy buildup thing? Not really an issue for me. So what does that mean?

Maybe my hair is somewhere in between. Like, leaning low porosity but not all the way there? Honestly, I’m not 100% sure, but it feels like it’s sitting in that in-between zone—low porosity tendencies without the full checklist.

The reason I even started looking into leave-in conditioner for low porosity, kinky hair is because, well my hair is basically a frizz magnet. The float test kind of nudged me toward the low porosity category too, so I figured, okay, maybe that’s what I’m dealing with.

But here’s the twist: protein treatments have actually worked pretty well for me. And if you’ve read anything about low porosity hair, you’ll know—it usually hates protein. So that’s where I started second-guessing things.

I’d been using K18 before this, which, let’s be real, is packed with protein. And sure, it did its job, but I started wondering if I was pushing my hair too far—like maybe risking protein overload (not cute). Protein overload can seriously mess with your hair, making it feel stiff and brittle.

While it’s especially an issue for those with low porosity hair, honestly, everyone could use a break from protein now and then. Lately, I’ve definitely been using it too much, and I’m starting to feel like my hair needs a little downtime from all that extra protein.

That’s why I decided to try something new. Kinky-Curly Knot Today is organic, protein-free, and made to help with detangling, something I majorly struggle with. So even if I’m not 100% low porosity, this felt like a safer, gentler direction for the current state of my hair.

Best leave-in conditioner for low porosity natural hair

This leave-in conditioner comes in this cute pink-and-white bottle with “Detangler” written on it. And honestly, whether it’s actually a detangler or not? We’ll get into that in a bit. Let’s talk about the important stuff first: consistency and smell—two things I always check when trying a new hair conditioner or mask.

So, when I first squeezed out a generous amount, the consistency was a bit runnier than I expected. The description says it’s supposed to have a cream-like texture, but honestly, I didn’t find that at all.

It’s more on the liquid side. Now, the smell? It’s nice. Not something that will blow your mind, but it’s clean and pleasant—something most of us will totally be fine with.

And speaking of clean, the ingredients are actually pretty great for low porosity hair.

I applied it to my damp hair, and since it’s a leave-in, you’re not supposed to rinse it out. But here’s the twist: it can also double as a regular rinse-out conditioner for wavy hair.

I’ve got wavy hair, I personally figured I’d stick to the curly-haired method and leave it in as directed and not rinse it out. It also suggests using a wide-tooth comb after applying, which I did. I waited for about 2–3 minutes before giving it a go.

Seriously, if you’ve got frizzy hair, you know how wild things can get post-wash with all that tangling. This conditioner? It definitely made the process way smoother. So yeah, it works.

Does it actually work?

After applying it to my damp hair, I’ve got to say, it absorbed pretty well. It didn’t just sit on top like some leave-ins tend to do, and my hair was definitely more manageable. A little goes a long way, which is always a win.

But the real test? How would my hair feel after drying? Because let’s be real, lots of conditioners do a good job while you’re in the shower. But once your hair dries, it can be a different story. You know that dry, rough feeling some conditioners leave? I definitely didn’t want that.

So, how did my hair look and feel the next day? Well, to be honest, I’ve been using some really heavy-duty, protein-packed deep conditioners lately, so compared to those, this one was just fine. It did the job, but I wasn’t wowed like I’ve been with my deep conditioning treatments.

But, as mentioned, I needed a break from all that protein overload, and this conditioner is perfect for that. I’ll definitely be using it until the bottle’s done, and it’s been working just fine for that purpose. My hair is just smooth, and honestly, it’s being treated with an affordable conditioner that gets the job done.

My takeaway

Kinky Curly Not Today is definitely a solid choice for anyone with low porosity and curly hair. It’s especially great as a leave-in for 3B to 4C hair (think curly, and kinky textures). Now, my hair isn’t fully low porosity, it’s wavy but I’ve noticed the results may vary depending on your hair type.

That said, this has been working wonders for people with those tighter curl patterns, so it’s definitely worth trying if that’s you.

As for the texture, it’s not as creamy as it’s described, and I’ll admit, I usually prefer conditioners that are thick and rich. The scent? It’s okay, but nothing that’ll leave you swooning. On the plus side, it’s moisturizing, and the price point is pretty fantastic.

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