Pomade is an age-old styling product that can no longer be missing in your bathroom. It is known as a loyal friend for the man who wants to style his hair well. For the man who doesn't want to look for a mirror every hour to check his hairstyle. For the man who can sit carefree with his hair in the wind. But to be that man, you need to find the right pomade for your hair. The question is: do I go for a water-based pomade? Or for an oil-based pomade?
What is pomade?
To begin with, you need to know what a pomade actually does. Pomade is a hair styling product with a greasy or wax-like consistency that allows you to style your hair. Pomade provides shine, grease, texture, and hold, for example. Pomades are very popular worldwide among men who go for the classic look. Especially for a hairstyle where a comb is used, you're good with a pomade. With this, you can comfortably spread the pomade through your hair and simultaneously style it neatly. Well-known examples are the classic pompadour, slick back, quiff, or side part.
What is water-based pomade?
A water-based pomade has (as you might guess) water as its main ingredient. This ensures that your hair becomes less greasy and is easy to wash out. With a water-based pomade, you can go for different looks. Creating a high hold, medium hold, or low hold is no problem. You also have the same choice in shine. A water-based pomade does not feel greasy and is easy to apply to your hair. A characteristic of this pomade is that it dries quickly and hard, making it not easy to restyle.
What is oil-based pomade?
The classic among the pomades. The main ingredient is beeswax, paraffin, or petroleum. When you apply oil-based pomade to your hair, it can stay styled for days. It is also easy to restyle because the pomade remains soft. Just run your fingers through your hair and you can continue your day with a good hairstyle. Many oil-based pomades give your hair a high shine, allowing you to easily create a classic wet look.
User-Friendliness
Although the differences between both pomades may not always seem large, this is a point where they score very differently. The water-based pomade is easier to apply. It sticks less and follows your fingers more easily through your hair. The texture is a bit like gel, nice and smooth. How smooth it looks, it will also feel in your hair when applying. You feel little resistance. So you will be able to style your own hair without difficulties.
The oil-based pomades, on the other hand, will make it a bit more challenging. Your hands will need a bit more experience to style your hair properly. You will have to work with a more stiff, wax-like consistency that therefore offers more resistance. You also need to warm up your hands a bit longer to make it less stiff.
It depends on the look you want to go for. But to be honest, the water-based is much easier to apply. Thus, the first point of this battle is scored.
Current score = 1-0 for the water-based pomade
Hold
It is not the case that one pomade provides a stronger hold than the other. Both can give a strong, firm hold. Both the water-based pomade and the oil-based pomade have products that vary between a light, medium, or strong hold. How the two types of pomades differ from each other mainly lies in the nature of the hold.
Pomades water-based provide a dry, stiff hold. As a result, it is not possible to restyle. They often dry hard and quickly. Sometimes so quickly that it seems like a race against the clock. Within a few minutes, you must ensure that your hair is in place, otherwise, the hold is already dry and hard. Once it is dry, there is no turning back. If you are not satisfied, it is necessary to soften your hair with water first. Then you can start your second attempt. Don't forget to grab some pomade again. Once your pomade is dry, it stays in place. Restyling is not necessary, as no gust of wind can compete with your style.
Oil-based pomades provide a smooth, soft hold. This is the key if you want the ability to restyle your hair throughout the day. Oil-based pomades give you the freedom and flexibility to change your hair whenever you want. When you think of John Travolta from Grease, you automatically think of the oil-based pomade. That he could run that comb through it every hour would have been impossible with a water-based pomade.
Both pomades have their own qualities. It purely depends on your preference, and therefore both types score a point here.
Current score = 2-1 for water-based pomade
Shine
Oil-Based Pomade is known for giving more shine than water-based pomade. This is logical, given that there are many greasy ingredients in the oil-based pomade. However, we should not underestimate the water-based pomade either. Nowadays, there are many water-based pomades with a beautiful, deep shine. However, you can generally expect that oil-based pomades are much shinier. To bring up Grease again: Travolta's pompadour was shiny for a reason. And that reason is a traditional oil-based pomade. The beauty of oil-based pomades is that they can maintain their shine for days. On the other hand, water-based pomades often lose their shine during the day.
Let the winner of this round be clear: the oil-based pomade.
Current score = 2-2
Weather Resistance
Oil-based products are better resistant to rain and moisture. The hold stays better than a water-based pomade. This is due to the soluble nature of your water-based pomade. To paint a picture: you spent the whole morning in front of the mirror with a perfect style as a result. You step out the door, and before you know it, you have a rain shower on your head. You feel all your work from that morning, along with your pomade, dissolve in the raindrops. A shame, right? When this scenario happens to you, it is easier to recover from that rain shower if you had an oil-based pomade in your hair. Restyling is done in no time! Just run your hands through your hair, and you're ready again.
If you happened to encounter that rain shower while you had a pomade water-based in your hair? Then the outcome is less rosy. You need to dry your hair, and reapply the product. Of course, you need to have the product with you. That's why one point for the oil-based pomade.
Current score = 3-2 for the oil-based pomade
Washability
Also not entirely unimportant: washing out the product. Pomades water-based are soluble in water and therefore very easy to wash out. Rinsing is easy, allowing you to sleep with a clean hairstyle every night. Often you don't even need a shampoo, just water is enough. The ease of rinsing is one of the biggest reasons why men prefer the water-based pomade over the oil-based pomade.
Oil-based pomades, on the other hand, are more difficult to wash out. You definitely need shampoo, but even then one shower is not enough for stubborn pomades. With some oil-based pomades, you need multiple showers to get all the product out of your hair. This may sound negative, but some men choose this on purpose. When you still have some pomade in your hair after washing, you need to use less pomade for the next styling session. This build-up (the remaining layer of pomade in your hair) is typical for an oil-based pomade.
How the points are distributed in this section is debatable, as there are both negative and positive sides to both types. However, this section is about the washability of the product, which is why this point must be awarded to the water-based pomade.
Current score = 3-3
Price
In our webshop, you have different price ranges for both categories. The price difference between water-based pomades and oil-based pomades is not very large. In general, the costs of a water-based pomade are slightly higher. The main reason for this is the ingredients and complex formulas. Oil-based pomades often have fewer ingredients and are somewhat simpler in terms of formulas. This naturally makes them cheaper. The oil-based pomade scores slightly better on this point.
Current score = 4-3 for the oil-based pomade
Product lifespan
What might be even more important than the price is the lifespan of your pomade. If you have to pay a little more, but your product lasts twice as long, it's definitely worth those few cents. In general, your oil-based pomade lasts longer than water-based. This is of course because oil-based pomade is harder to wash out. Therefore, you need less for the next time you style your hair. This means your pomade lasts much longer. One application can be used for several days, while your water-based pomade disappears down the drain immediately. Suppose you want to prevent this by not washing your hair for a few days, the water-based pomade still loses its shine. This means you can't avoid reapplying some product. The conclusion is that you can use your pot of oil-based pomade for much longer.
Current score = 5-3 for the oil-based pomade
Diversity
Finally, you can expect more diversity from the pomade based on oil. There are many different types you can buy. High shine or medium shine. Light hold to heavy hold. Pomades based on water are somewhat more limited in this regard. Of all water-based pomades, you can expect a hard, shiny hold. However, this is not necessarily negative. For many men, this is exactly what they need. But a true pomade connoisseur prefers to choose between all the different types of pomades based on oil. That's why the pomade based on oil scores its last (and decisive) point here.
Current score = 6-3 for the oil-based pomade
Advantages at a glance
Before we choose a winner, it's useful to list all the advantages. That way, despite the outcome of this battle, you can choose your own winner.
Advantages water-based pomade:
- Easy to wash out
- Easy to apply
- Does not feel greasy
- Contains no petroleum/petrolatum
Advantages oil-based pomade:
- Flexibility to restyle
- Can withstand weather conditions
- Retains its hold and shine for a long time
- Cheap to use due to build-up
- Contains fewer chemicals
And the winner is…
From our test, the pomade based on oil emerges as the winner of this battle. The decisive factor for us is the flexibility and durability that this pomade offers. The ability to restyle offers freedom! Does this mean that the pomade based on water is less good? Absolutely not. It is and remains a top product. But the winner of this battle is truly the pomade based on oil.
Are you looking for the best of both worlds? Then there is also an unorthodox pomade. It combines the good properties of a oil-based pomade, but is almost as easy to wash out as a pomade based on water.
If you have any questions as a result of this battle, we would of course love to hear from you.
Good luck!
Your friends, The Alpha Men.