Is Pomade Bad for Your Hair?

Busting the Myth to Save Your Style

A lot of people believe that pomades dry hair out, cause breakage, and even make your hair fall out. The problem with that theory is that there are different types of pomade with entirely different compositions, so they’re not all going to affect your hair the same way. Once you take a closer look at the type of pomade you’re using, you can identify potentially harmful ingredients and assess whether your specific pomade is formulated to protect and nourish your hair.

Petroleum-Based Pomades

Petroleum-based (oil/wax) pomades are often made with more “natural” ingredients, but that doesn’t mean they’re safer for your scalp and hair. Petroleum products and comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil clog pores and cause hair follicles to go dormant and eventually die if they’re not properly cleaned out regularly, but oil-based pomades are notoriously difficult to clean out of your skin and hair. The internet recommends soaking your ‘do in olive oil before showering, using a specially-formulated shampoo, using Dawn dish soap (bad idea), or just leaving the product in all the time (worse idea). Petroleum product buildup causes allergic reactions, acne, dandruff, and other skin issues that can lead to permanent hair loss.

Water-Based Pomades

It’s high time for the fear of chemical compound names to be addressed. Do dihydrostilbenoid, butylphthalide, and sedanolide sound like safe chemicals to eat? Because that’s celery. Water-based pomades typically use natural moisturizers and nourishing oils combined with scary-sounding synthetic ingredients to achieve the texture and performance you want from a styling product. That’s because it’s nigh impossible to get adequate performance out of all-natural ingredients (yes, we’ve tried). The good news is that while these ingredients sound scary (or at least look scary because we can’t pronounce all of them), they’re non-comedogenic (won’t clog and damage follicles) and safe for your skin and hair.

Scary Words (DISCLAIMER: DO NOT EAT POMADE)

For example, Ceteareth-25 is a necessary emulsifier that contains alcohol, mega trigger word for those of us who care about our hair, amiright? But by combining it with vegetable glycerin (humectant, a substance used to improve moisture retention) and hydrating oils like castor, kaolin, and grapeseed, we can counteract any drying action from the alcohol. Our fragrances and preservatives (wince, wince) are not only globally approved for external use, but are also added in such small amounts that you’d probably have to eat several tubs of pomade before you begin to see any side effects. (Again, pomade goes on your head, not in your mouth.)

Is Pomade Bad for Your Hair?

Yes and no. Poorly-formulated pomades that don’t protect against dehydration and petroleum/oil/wax-based pomades that clog follicles and don’t get washed out regularly are bad for your hair. Bad enough to cause hair loss. Are all pomades bad for your hair? Nope. Is Out of Regz Pomade bad for your hair? Nope. We care about your hair and your style, and we’ve worked very hard to formulate a line that works how it says it will work, does zero damage, and actually encourages healthy growth and strength with ingredients like bamboo and artichoke extract.