September 2026 · 5 min read
Clay, pomade, paste: what to actually put in your hair
Nearly everyone uses the wrong product, and nearly everyone uses too much of it. Here is what the different tubs actually do.
Start with the two questions that matter
How much hold do you want? Meaning: should it stay exactly where you put it, or move about a bit during the day.
How much shine do you want? Meaning: should it look dry and natural, or slick and deliberate.
Every product is a position on those two sliders. That is the whole thing.
Clay
Strong hold, matt finish. Adds thickness and grip, which is why it is the go-to for textured crops and messy fringes, and why it is the best friend of anyone whose hair is on the finer side. It makes hair look like there is more of it.
Downside: it can feel heavy and it is the one people most often overdo.
Pomade
The shiny one. Slicks hair back or into a side part and holds a defined shape. If you want a proper combed look — a pompadour, a hard part — this is it.
Two kinds worth knowing about: water-based washes out with water and is what most people should be buying. Oil-based holds longer and shines more but is a pain to get out and can sit on your pillow. Unless you know you want oil-based, get water-based.
Paste
The middle of the road, and the right answer for most people. Medium hold, low shine, restyles through the day. If you only ever own one tub, own a paste.
Cream
Light hold, no shine. Really it is for control rather than styling — taming a cowlick, softening curls, stopping fluff. Good for longer or wavier hair that mostly does what it is told.
Sea salt spray
Not a hold product at all. It roughs up the hair surface so it grips itself and looks fuller and more textured. Spray it on damp hair, rough dry it, then put your clay or paste over the top. This is the step most people are missing.
How much to use
Less than you are using. A pea for short hair. A blueberry for a decent crop. Warm it between your palms until it disappears, then work it through from the back and the sides first and only touch the front last — the front is where everyone dumps the lot, which is exactly why it goes greasy and flat by lunchtime.
And put it on hair that is damp, not soaking and not bone dry. Damp is where product spreads properly.
The bit nobody mentions
If your hair is not cut to hold the shape, no amount of product will fix it. Most of the “my hair will not sit right” problem is the cut, not the tub. Which is the less commercial answer, but it is the true one.
Not sure what suits your hair?
Ask in the chair. Your barber has their hands in it and will tell you straight what would work and, just as usefully, what would not.