Clay, Cream, Pomade, or Paste? A Barber's Guide to Choosing Your Style

A man will spend thirty minutes choosing a haircut and thirty seconds choosing what holds it. Then he wonders why the style never looks the way it did in the chair.

Most of the time the cut is fine. The product is wrong, or the right product is being used the wrong way. Clay, cream, pomade, and paste each do a distinct job: a different finish, a different hold, a different kind of hair. Here is how our barbers decide, and how you can decide the same way at home.

Start with two questions

Before the product, answer two things. First, how much shine do you want, from none to high gloss. Second, how much your style needs to move through the day. Those two answers point you to one of four places.

Pomade: high shine, sharp control

Pomade is the classic barbershop finish. High gloss and firm control, made for slick-backs, side parts, and anything that should look deliberate. The old formulas were oil based and stayed in the hair until they were scrubbed out. Ours is water soluble, so you get the same sharp, polished look and it rinses clean with no residue. Use it on damp or dry hair, a small amount worked through the palms first, then combed for definition. It keeps hair in place and you can still run your hands through it.

Reach for: the Deluxe Pomade.

Clay: matte, all-day hold, natural look

Clay gives a strong, pliable grip with zero shine, which is why it suits textured crops, messy fringes, and modern short styles. The matte finish reads as your own hair on a good day, the kind of texture that looks unstyled even though real product went into it. Work it between dry palms and push the hair into shape with your fingers.

Reach for: the Dry Matte Clay.

Paste: the versatile middle

If you are not sure where to start, start with paste. It sits in the middle: medium hold, natural finish, no stiffness. It adds body to finer hair and lets you piece out thicker hair, and it stays reworkable through the day so you can reset the style without starting over.

Reach for: the Texture Paste, the most versatile product in the line.

Cream: firm control, everyday polish

Cream is built for classic cuts that want to look neat and put together, nothing more architectural than that. A defining cream gives you strong control at a firm hold, and keeps the hair genuinely soft to the touch. It is the product to keep a good haircut looking its best between visits. For soft, natural shine, the Molding Cream does the same job with a touch more polish. For longer or curly hair, it also works in place of a gel: work it through, let it harden, then crunch it to soften and bring back movement.

Reach for: the Defining Cream.

What about texture and volume?

Two more tools solve two common problems. If your hair is fine and falls flat, a pinch of Volumising Dust at the roots lifts it without any weight or residue, and it combines cleanly with any of the four stylers above for more volume. For loose, lived-in texture with no real hold, the Sea Salt Spray builds that raw, air-dried look, and the Texture Spray sets a finished style fast and locks out humidity.

The step most men skip

Product performs on hair that is actually clean. Buildup dulls shine, weakens hold, and coats the scalp. A proper wash is part of the ritual, not separate from it. We use a tea tree formula for a scalp that feels genuinely clean, and an argan formula when the hair is dry or coarse. Whichever you choose, that clean base is what lets everything above it work.

The rule our barbers follow

When in doubt, use less than you think and add. Warm the product between your palms first so it spreads evenly and never lands in one heavy patch. Style hair that is damp for shine or dry for texture. And match the product to the finish you actually want, not the one on the label of whatever you bought last. Get those four right and the style holds the way it did when you left the chair.

Explore the full Hair collection, or book a visit and let one of our barbers choose for you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between clay and pomade?

Pomade gives high shine and firm, slick control. Clay gives strong hold with no shine at all, for a natural, textured finish. Choose pomade for a deliberate, polished look and clay for one that reads as your own hair on a good day.

Can you use pomade and clay together?

Yes. A small amount of clay first for texture and grip, then a light pass of pomade for shine and definition, works well on thicker hair that needs both. Warm each product between your palms and apply in thin layers rather than one heavy pass.

Should hair be wet or dry for styling product?

It depends on the finish. Damp hair spreads product more evenly and softens the hold, which suits pomade and cream. Dry hair holds texture better, which is why clay and sea salt spray go in on dry hair.

How much styling product should I use?

Less than you think, then add if you need more. Start with an amount roughly the size of a pea for short hair, warm it between your palms, and build up rather than starting with a heavy handful.

What styling product works best for fine hair?

A defining cream or a light clay. Both hold without weighing fine hair down. A pinch of volumising dust at the roots first adds lift before either product goes in.

What styling product works best for thick or coarse hair?

Pomade or paste, since both have enough grip to control thicker hair without needing a heavy amount. Clay can also work well if the goal is texture over shine.