This may be a special occasion – for instance, your brother’s wedding or a first date, – or just your desire to look elegant or create a bit old-fashioned style, but your invariable companion on this way will be a hair pomade, which helps men achieve their hair to be always neat and shiny.
A Brief History Of Hair Pomade
Hair Pomade is one of the most versatile of all hair styling products for men. It differs from gel and hair spray in that it does not dry, leaving the hair with a shiny, wet look that is very popular right now. However, many people do not know anything about the origins of pomade.
The use of pomade can be traced as far back as the 1800s. During that century, the most common item used was bear fat. In the early part of the 20th century, however, other ingredients, such as petroleum jelly, beeswax, and lard replaced the bear fat.
Many different products and brands were marketed to create the slicked down men’s hairstyles that were popular in the middle of the 20th century. Common examples of hairstyles that were created using pomade include the rockabilly pompadour, quiff, and ducktail.
Using a deal of pomade led to many young men being called “greasers” because they used so much pomade to hold their hair in place.
In today’s culture, men use pomade for a variety of hairstyles. It is used to create spikes that stand out from the head and remain stiff. It can be used to create some classic hairstyles. It can even be used to impart a wet look to hair that belies the fact it is dry.
There are hundreds of different products available on the market. They have different amounts of oils, usually petroleum jelly, beeswax, and additives to provide scent. For stiffer hold, products with a higher wax content are better.
For more shine and less stiffness, products that contain more oil or grease and less wax are best. There is a complete range in between, so choosing a pomade will depend greatly on the style chosen.
Hair Pomade – Give Your Hair An Attractive Look
There is a stereotype that the most masculine look includes bristles, wrinkles on the weather-beaten face and no cosmetics at all. Even don’t use body spray. Just all-natural smells and looks.
However, even a long time ago, men understood that in their perfectionistic striving for ideal looks they need some help of cosmetic means, and the amount of this help must depend on the face it is applied to.
In different epochs these means were different, and if one nation used to make blush of the rose petals, another one produced an elixir of eternal beauty out of rats’ tails.
Of course, when humanity reached the level of technical progress, which allowed making cosmetics of much better, purer and far more pleasant and useful ingredients, the desire to look handsome has not disappeared. Luckily, the cosmetics are completely different now.
Some of them have endured many changes, and some have remained almost in the same form as they used to be a long time ago; certain means have survived through long ages and nowadays are no less popular than they were before. Among them, there is a hair styling means called pomade.
What Is Hair Pomade?
The use of hair pomade has been dropped significantly, This was far more common in the first half of the gone century, but it would have been unfair to forget about this wonderful thing, which is not like many other products are used for making the stubborn men’s hair be nice and neat.
Namely, what is this pomade? It is a wax-like substance, which is to be applied onto one’s hair in order to keep it in place in some hairstyle. It usually contains mineral and natural oils, which look after your hair, and a pleasant fragrance.
People often mix up pomade, wax and gel for hair, but this is not correct. They may seem alike for those, who have never used any of them. The latter two styling means should better be used for short hair, as with their help, it is possible to make your locks stand like pikes.
Pomade, on the contrary, is much softer and will not make your hair dry and dim. Instead, it is able to nourish and moisturize your locks with the natural oily components.
If you need to create a stylish and elegant well-groomed “Rudolph Valentino” look, the only thing that will help you is pomade. This thing knows no rivals in making your hair look healthy, greasy and extremely shiny.
How To Make Hair Pomade At Home
Pomade is one of those hairstyling products that people come to depend on to help them style their hair in certain ways and hold it.
However, many people are beginning to express concern over some of the chemicals used in pomade and other hair products. Let’s dive into the topic – how you can make hair pomade at home naturally.
The ingredients are really quite simple. You will need a quantity of natural beeswax. Paraffin and other artificial waxes will not work for this purpose, so one should ensure the source of the wax and assure himself that it is pure beeswax.
Olive oil or vegetable oil and any essential oil that one desires to provide a pleasant scent to the hair make up the balance of the ingredients. The proportions of the ingredients will vary depending on how one wishes to style his hair.
If More hold is an important function, a larger quantity of beeswax will be needed. If the idea is to provide shine and a light hold, less wax and a little more oil will be needed. Any oils used to provide scents will only be needed in small quantities of a few drops.
To begin, melt the beeswax in a pan using the double boiler method. Do not attempt to do this in a microwave, as the results can be quite messy. Once the wax is completely liquefied, it should be removed from the heat and poured into a cooling container.
Now it is time to add the olive oil or vegetable oil to prevent the wax from hardening back to its original consistency. The amount of oil used will determine the quality of the pomade and how it will work with the hair.
More oil means less hold and more shine. Add a few drops of mint oil or any other essential oil that you desire to provide scent and cover the smell of the oil. The mixture should be placed into a container that can be kept sealed until ready to use. It will last up to 2 months.
Watch The Following Video to Learn How to Make DIY Pomade
How to Apply Pomade on Hair
It is necessary to be extremely careful in applying your hair pomade: a little more than needed – and your hair will look too greasy; besides that, it is not very good for it, as excessive nutrition and too much heavy styling means can weaken your hair.
That is why you need a little pomade on your fingertips – and voila! – your hair looks great and well-tamed. This is a wonderful invention for owners of coarse and very curly locks, which tend to get too puffy in dampness and heat, while on your thin and fine hair the pomade may be a little too heavy.
Professionals recommend applying pomade on your hair when you have washed it thoroughly and it is still wet but not dripping. This is the best condition, which allows a good and even distribution of the means over your head.
Watch The Video to Know How to Apply Pomade on Hair
How to Remove
As long as pomade feels very greasy and soft, it cannot be removed easily like gel, which can be just brushed away, or wax, which is quickly washable.
In order to remove all the remnants of pomade, you may need a very concentrated shampoo. You see, that is why it is important not to apply too much pomade onto your hair – otherwise, you’ll have to wash your head in a basin of a dishwashing liquid.
Which Hair Pomade You Should Try
But in any case, hair pomade is a thing, which is worth the effort. That is why it is still so popular with men, who want to be elegant in an old-school manner.
Well, to conclude the story with something real and material, here is a couple of examples of this nice thing, which are quite popular and provide a real and proved high quality. One of them is Murray’s Super Light Pomade, coming in cans of 3 oz.
Murray’s Super Light Pomade, 3 oz.
This is considered to be one of the most well-known samples of American quality hair pomade containing coconut oil, which alone is one of the best remedies for all hair troubles, and if there are none, for just thorough hair care.
And another one, which is described as a good thing for slicking hair backward, is American Crew Pomade. It also comes in 3 oz. cans, and it is also a well-known and famous product. It contains ginseng extracts and sage, which gives the means its pleasant smell.
Anyway, it is well worth trying at least once, just to know whether you like it or not. And one day you may become a real fan of it!