Pomade’s been the go-to for guys who actually care how they look since before your barber’s barber was cutting hair. It’s outlasted every trend that tried to replace it because it does one thing better than anything else in the game: it holds, it shines (or doesn’t, your call), and it doesn’t quit on you halfway through the day.
This is the rundown — what pomade actually is, the three ways it’s made, and why we only make ours one of those three ways.
What Is Pomade?
Pomade shapes, sculpts, and holds your hair exactly where you put it — sleek and polished, textured and messy, whatever you’re going for. What’s in the tin determines everything: how it holds, how it washes out, and how your hair feels by hour eight.
Water-Based vs. Oil-Based vs. Clay-Based — and Why We Only Make One of Them
There are three real categories out there.
Oil-based is the old-school stuff — wax and oil, strong hold, high shine, keeps a style locked in all day. It’s also the one that turns “quick shower” into “scrub your scalp three times and still feel it Tuesday.”
Clay-based brings in natural clays for a matte, textured finish with medium-to-strong hold. Good for messy, natural-looking styles, and it washes out easier than oil-based — but it’s not built for shine.
Water-based is the one we bet the whole company on. It spreads easier, holds just as hard as oil-based when it’s done right, and rinses clean with warm water — no three-shower ritual required.
That last part is the whole reason Classic Pomade and Psycho Hold exist. It took us three years and five labs to build a water-based formula that holds like the old grease-based stuff without making you commit to it. Want the matte version of that same idea? That’s Maximum Matte Clay.
Why It’s Worth Keeping in Your Routine
Hold That Actually Lasts
Humidity, wind, a long shift on your feet — a good pomade doesn’t care. It holds your hair in place regardless of what your day throws at it.
Stupidly Easy to Use
Warm it between your palms, work it through, done. No learning curve.
Shine, If You Want It
A thin layer catches the light and makes your hair look healthier, especially if it’s coarse or on the drier side. Don’t want shine? Maximum Matte Clay skips it entirely.
Pick Your Pomade
Now that you know the difference: Classic Pomade for heavy hold and high shine, Psycho Hold when Classic isn’t enough, or Maximum Matte Clay if shine’s not your thing. All water-based. All wash out with water. All made in the USA.
Shop the full lineup and see what holds up.