This category is for products for men's hair which members recommend. If you have a recommendation, please let us know, the name of the product, the manufacturer, what it is used for, how it is best used, the smell if any, taste, and most of all how does it affect the hair. I received and eMail from Men's Hair member John in Chicago (ShortSuave@aol.com) who found a site that he found interesting and thought share it with us about hair products and their toxicity. I was quite surprised at what I found. Check out http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/search.php.

Alberto VO5 - Conditioning Hairdressing

A little will tame your hair with a shine, a lot will make it look greasy. Use the whole tube and you won't have any stray hairs sticking out. It washes out easily and a significant amount left in your hair and then washed out, will leave your hair soft and easy to comb because of the conditioners.

Alberto VO5 Hairdressing Gel for Men Extra Hold

Keeps hair in control for complete manageability without stiffness or greasiness.

American Crew

Distributes a line of hair grooming products for men.
http://www.americancrew.com/

American Crew Pomade

It is great, put it on dry hair for separation and texture. Best is using it on wet hair. Great for that greaser look I love. Hair stays in place but is pliable, combable, and doesn't break up or get hard like a lot of other products. Has a very light smell. Good stuff. Comes in a jar.

Aussie Mega Styling Gel Firm Hold

This light oil is designed to reduce "frizzies," but used in larger quantities it will do a great job greasing up a nice long pompadour or DA. It will even hold up a longish flattop. It is light, though, and it shampoos out very easily.

Aveda: Self Control Hair Styling Stick
It's in the same container as a deoderant stick. you rub some on you hand, rub your hands together and rub it into wet or dry hair. gives it a great shine, isn't sticky at all.

Brylcreem

The good old favorite of many men. "Just a dab will do ya!" is not far from the truth. Just use a little. If you really want the greaser look, then use a lot. It does have its own unique smell and taste.

Brylcreem - Power Gel For Men

Brought to us by J.R. Williams Company. Absolutely nothing like the original hair cream. Its a thick, clear gel that comes in a tube. Completely fragrance free. Holds your hair better than most other gels. A little controls your hair, a lot gives that wet, slicked down look. It washes out easily with water.

Brylcreem Original Hairdressing 150ml and 250ml jars

I first encountered it in the Netherlands the summer of 2007. It's great in many ways, if you get my drift. It's the same stuff we get in the tube. Upon my return, I contacted Brylcreem to find out how to obtain the tub in the US. The Brylcreem sells rep told me that it cannot be procured in the US, however, it is sold in Canada and Europe. I told him that there are guys here in the US that would buy the jars. He said their marketing research told them otherwise. I didn't pursue it since I am one voice. However, if more of us call, perhaps they will change their minds and start marketing the jar in the US. Their number is 800-431-2610 and I would also follow up filling out their "we'd love to hear from you" web page at http://www.combe.com/contact_form.asp?prod=BC. Make sure you mention you want both the Brylcreem Original Hairdressing 150ml and 250ml jars. After I hung up with him, I performed a search and found it at the URL below. I have not ordered any, as of this writing, I still have jars left from my trip.   Reviewed verified by Men's Hair
http://www.britishsupermarketworldwide.com/acatalog/info_99813.html

DAX
Hair groom - an American wax hair product. The smell better than soft sheen, and it holds flat tops great.

Dixie Peach Pomade
Made by Dixie Peach, 7.5 oz, 212 g, about $2.50 Ingredients: Petrolatum, lanolin. A little controls your crew cut or flat top well. It will give your short haircut that "just from the barbershop" look. It is the consistency of a soft wax and you need to roll it in your hands to get it to soften, before applying it to your hair. Warning: It will slick down anyone's hair. One member put the whole jar of pomade in a bowl of warm water to soften it up. After a few minutes it was the consistence of a gel, and rubbed the entire jar of pomade into his hair and scalp. He stated, "You would not believe how plastered down my hair was! Not a single hair out of place. But after it dried, it left what amounted to a candle on my head. This is the perfect product for a crew, brush or flattop if you want to keep your hair in place."
http://www.americarx.com/1714.html

Freeman: Papaya-Ultra Conditioner
Has a papaya smell upon application. Use after shampooing. Rinse most of it out leaving some of it in your hair, but it is best if you brush it out after it dries. Otherwise it will leave the hair tacky. It has a funny taste and a slight pleasant smell after it dries.

Gabels
A flattop wax is great for flattops, crewcuts, and butches.

Groom & Clean

Greaseless Cream hairdressing. Made by Chesebrough Ponds Partial ingrediants: Mineral Oil and Glycerin. Use a little and it will hold your hair in place well, use a lot and it will hold your hair in place with a lot of shine. Use the entire tube if you are going to a 50's party and you want to REALLY plaster your hair down. It has a nice smell and taste only a true hair fetisher would enjoy. The best thing about this product is that it is greaseless and watersoluable (it washes out completly with mainly water, a little shampoo helps) - leaving no residue in the hair, unlike Brylcream or Wildroot that contain beeswax. It claims to be greaseless but you could fool many a greaser out there. Use sparingly to manage hair.

Jeris Liquid Hair Tonic
Very similar in smell and feel to Vitalis and Lucky Tiger Hair Tonics. You get 14 Oz. for about $3.50 in the professional size. Available in most beauty and barber supply stores. Its a nice green color and is another alcohol & glycerin product. It has a sweeter smell and holds hair in place a little better than the other two mentioned.

Just for Men

Good home men's hair coloring product comes in almost any color from blond to black. Red is about the only color that is not offered.
http://www.justformen.com/home.htm

Kadylak Hair Treatment
A special formula that restores thinning or damaged hair. The special formula is applied on the scalp once a week. Effects are generally noticed after two treatments. Contact: ekke@sprint.ca or (905)725-0644.

Krew Comb
Its a great, pink colored wax for brush cuts, flattops and crewcuts. Krew Comb works great for because it saves time in the mornings, and you can still sport a cool do without looking like a total greaseball, and still have that great 'greasy' feel that you can only get from petroleum products. Washes out fairly easily too. It comes in either a stick or a jar. Contains Mineral oil, Wax, Glycerin and lanolin. 4 oz. for about $5 Made by Master Well Comb Co., Inc. ; 543 South Vermont Avenue; Palatine, IL 60067 Phone: 800 343-4989 Available at most beauty/barber supply shops

Lucky Tiger 3 Purpose Hair Tonic
Liquid Hair Tonic 16 fl oz, 473 ml. Made by Lucky Tiger Mfg. Company in Brookfield, Mo. 64628 Phone: 1-800-821-5828. This is a hard to find hair tonic that claims to groom the hair, stimulate the scalp and condition the hair. It's available through barber shops and specialty beauty/barber supply stores. It smells, feels and acts the same way as Vitalis, only its much cheaper. Its even the same color as Vitalis.

Master Well Comb - Hair Dressing with Conditioner
A white hair cream whose main ingredients are mineral oil and lanolin. Looks and smells like Keri hand lotion. Washes out easily with a little shampoo and water. Great for dry hair and scalp. 8 oz. for about $4 Made by Master Well Comb Co., Inc. 543 South Vermont Avenue; Palatine, IL 60067 Phone: 800 343-4989 Available at most beauty/barber supply shops

Murray's Superior Hair Dressing Pomade

One can will last 6 months at least....even for the most diligent user. You can get a wet or dry look...smells pleasant...(a lot like coconut) It hasn't been taste tested for fear one's tongue may stick to the roof of my mouth for good. Murray's is really hard to get out of your hair. As far as hold it wont let you down. Guys dig it because it's not crispy like hair gel and it does not make you look like a total grease ball. It takes some practice to use it right....but well worth it.

Neutrogena Conditioner- Detangling Formula

This is a great product recommended by, believe it or not, a blond Hawaiian beach bum who tells how he keeps his long hair looking great in the Hawaiian sun. He shampoos his hair with any shampoo he finds, then conditions it for about two minutes with Neutrogena Conditioner- Detangling Formula. He doesn't rinses it all out. He lets some of the conditioner remain in his hair, then towel dries it. His hair remained smooth and healthy looking, and really had an excellent taste. This product and the usage explained above is well recommended for any guy who has longish hair; it will keep your hair manageable.

Oribe Pomade
Very thick and comes in different colors. i.e. Black, Red, Brown, Blues. Must be warmed up in hands and is very hard to apply. Makes hair thick and shiny. This product is like putting wax in your hair and is difficult to remove. Colors can come off on clothes, sheets etc.. Kind of fun to play with but not great.

Pinaud Styling Gel
A thick green Gel that you just need a small amount of to style your hair. Says on the label: "Specially Formulated For Men" It has a definite masculine smell and it washes out easily with just water. You get a very generous 16 oz. (453 grams). That's just over 1 LB. for only about $4! Made by A. L. Clubman, Los Angeles, CA 90040 Available at most barber/beauty supply outlets.

Protein 29 Clear Gel
Liquid hair tonic by Mennen. A very similar product to "Score" and "Groom & Clean," but quite a bit cheaper (appx. $2.50 to $3.00 for a 3 ounce tube, which goes a long way). This is a transparent-looking, water- soluble green gel which manages the hair very nicely without a stiff, tacky or greasy (unless you use way too much) feel. Designed to be applied to damp hair, either after shampooing or before daily styling, Protein 29 clear gel is ideal for the Saturday Night Fever "pushback" look, if you blow dry your hair, or for the neat, "wet" look if you let it dry naturally. Primary ingredients: mineral oil and glycerin. It will not dry out your hair over the long haul like the alcohol-based Protein 29 or Vitalis liquid.

Protein 29 Hair Tonic
Liquid hair tonic by Mennen, main ingredient: Alcohol. Smells, feels and works the same as Vitalis - only its a lot more expensive.

Removing Gels, Pomades, and other hair products
Several members have mentioned how hard some products are to get out of your hair. One professional suggested the following, "In our salon, we apply a normal strength shampoo to the hair without water. Water & waxy hair products resist one another, and adding water first repels the shampoo solution. Add a substantial amount of shampoo directly to the hair, and then lather up without water for several minutes. The shampoo alone emulsifies the wax & oil. One or two shampoos is generally sufficient to remove the gels, pomades and other products you put on your hair."

Royal Crown Hair Dressing
Great for your flattop. Has an interesting smell and taste.

Royal Lavender Brilliantine
An excellent greasy hairdressing that has a lot of shine. It washes out easily, has more shine than either Brylcream or Wildroot and has a great lavender scent. If you are looking for a wet-look this is the product for you. Most drug stores and some grocery stores carry it.

Rusk: Mousse
Rusk makes a great mousse. It comes out as a foam, which you then massage into your hair, comb or style your hair as you like. After it dries out, either leave it alone for a wet look or comb it out for a dry look which will leave your hair in place for the day. There isn't much of a smell nor taste. It is tacky or sticky to touch, but it leaves the hair in place for the day.
http://www.madison-avenue.com/rusk1.htm

Rusk: Radical Hair Cream

Is a leave in hair conditioner. Apply to just shampooed hair for the day after the beach look. It is best use with longer hair, surfer cuts are best. Since it will leave your hair looking and feeling as though you just got out of the ocean. It has a slight pleasant smell, a funny taste.
http://www.madison-avenue.com/rusk1.htm

Score
Micro-emulsion hair groom which used to be made by Clairol. Should have the opportunity to find any remaining tubes in your local market, buy it since Score is no longer manufactured and Clairol does not plan on remanufacturing it. Hair cream that is very similar to Groom & Clean, slightly thicker gel. They recommend that you mix it with water and they tell you on the label that it washes out with water.

Soft Sheen Sportin' Waves
This is a product originally designed for African-American use but makes the best flattop wax I have ever used. It makes your flattop stand up very strait and very stiff. It holds all day and won't rinse out without a fairly strong soap. You can even rinse your hair with water, re-spike it and it continues to keep every hair in place. It's found in ethnic hair products section of most drug stores.

Sorbie Sculpte Jel
A great gel for giving your hair a clean wet look which doesn't have a smell or taste. It can be applied to either wet or dry hair. For best control Rick applies it to his just shampooed dry hair. It gives that great look without looking like you gelled your hair up.

Stix-Fix Hair Design Product
For today's short masculine hair-cuts. It is a stick wax for flattops and crew cuts, made by Lusan Inc., Madrid IA 50156.

Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo

A great product that cuts through the grease, is good on the hair, cheap, and easy to find. It really cleans the hair without damaging it.

Top Brass

Non-greasy control very similar to Brylcreem, but cheaper. Smells pleasant too.

Vaseline

Not too much to this product, although its very popular. It gives your hair a little shine but it won't do much in the way of hold if you have normal to coarse hair. With fine hair it works OK, but then so does water with fine hair. Baby Oil contains the exact same ingredients, different smell, but its a whole lot cheaper - 20 oz for $2.00 if you get a store brand. Just plain mineral oil will also do the same thing (No Fragrance), and its about the same price.

Ventage Barbershop
The place to purchase your antique barbershop items from poles to chairs.

Vitalis Dry Control Hair Groom
It is a creamy-textured grooming product that holds your hair in place without the "wet" look of liquid Vitalis. Your hair feels soft and clean, and it stays in place. Another good product for the Travolta "pushback" look of Saturday Night Fever, if used prior to blow-drying. If the hair is allowed to dry naturally, this product will bring out the natural wave pattern of your hair, but with that just washed and conditioned look. Now the bad news: Clairol states, "the Vitalis Dry Control Hairgroom has been discontinued and we're sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused. In its place, we recommend that you try our Daily Defense Gel. This product can be found in major supermarkets, chain drug stores(CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens), and discount chain retailers (such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target)."

Vitalis Liquid Hair Tonic
Main ingredient: Alcohol Smell: Alcohol, but unique enough to identify it as a hair product. This product will put a small shine in your hair but doesn't really give normal hair much control. Use a little for shine and stray hairs, use a lot for a little more shine. Use the whole bottle and it will hold you hair down better because of the alcohol, stripping the hair and drying it out to some extent. It makes your scalp tingle and feel cool. If you use too much your eyes may water from the alcohol content. It washes out easily with a little shampoo and water, leaving your hair soft and your scalp feeling good.

Vitalis Styling Gel Hair Thickener
Work into hair, then after it dries, comb through for thicker-looking hair. Its smell and taste is somewhat undistinguishable.

Water Wax
From Redken. The barbers shop essential Water wax is a water solution formulation that easily rinses away in warm water. So, gone are the days of that industrial, hard-to-get-rid-of wax. The uniqueness of Water wax is in its ability to provide the benefits of both a pomade and a traditional wax in a single product. It gives the moist control and glossy shine of a wax yet it cleans and washes away without leaving residue, it not only smells great it also meets all your styling needs. Try Water Wax in damp hair for sleeker, more controlled styles, it creates a glossy finish to both smooth and textured looks. It's light enough to be used every day.

Wildroot
Hair cream oil. This is an old time hair oil that gives the greasy hair look. Use a little to keep hair under control, use a lot for that greasy look. It is hard to get out of your hair unless you use a good dandruff shampoo like Zincon or T-Gel.

World of Wigs
An excellent variety of realistic men's wigs and hairpieces. The store at 2305 E. 17th St. Santa Ana, CA 92705 is well worth the visit. Open: Mon - Sat, 9AM - 5PM.   Reviewed verified by Men's Hair