Finding the best pomade for curly hair can be a struggle, especially since many top brands offer styling products for a variety of men’s hair types. And even after you buy a good quality hair product made just for guys with curly or wavy hairstyles, you still have the challenge of figuring out how to use and apply it. Fortunately for you, we’ve researched the best water-based pomades on the market and figured out which ones actually work on wavy and curly hair.
If you’ve been wanting to style a curly hair undercut or pompadour but can’t manage your thick frizzy, crazy hair, these top pomades for men may be the solution!
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Why Use Pomade For Curly Hair?
Whether your hair is curly or wavy, you know that keeping your hair in place all day can be difficult. Not only that, but styling curly hair can be a pain in the first place. These two factors together are what make pomades a popular choice when styling curly or wavy hair. Below, we’ll be reviewing the top men’s pomade brands for guys with curly hair, as well as providing tips on how to apply pomade the right way.
Because curly hairstyles are often inherently messy, you might be wondering what the benefits of using pomade on curly/wavy hair are. Here are some of the top reasons to style curly hair with pomade:
- Hold and Control: While curly hair often seems messy or frizzy, the best men’s hairstyles create a sense of style and order in all the chaos. Using pomade, especially medium to strong hold products, allows you to control your hair and make a hairstyle last for longer periods of time.
- Restyling: Water-based pomades, as opposed to gels or sprays, can be restyled with water to allow for easy tweaking during the day. This means that you never have to worry about having messed up hair.
- Shine: Pomades often come in either matte or shiny finishes. This is useful for curly and wavy hairstyles that require a dapper or textured look. In fact, almost any type of pomade can be made to have low or high shine depending on how you apply it to your hair.
- Good Ingredients: Using a hair product that is made with only natural ingredients can help avoid damaged hair, scalp acne and skin irritations caused by harsh chemicals. All the pomade brands that made it to our list use natural ingredients.
Pomades for Curly and Wavy Hair
If you’re looking to try a new pomade for your curly or wavy hair, there are a couple of features to look for before buying. Here are our guidelines for choosing the best pomade for curly hairstyles:
- Always pick a water-based pomade to allow for easy styling and restyling during the day. Water-soluble hair products also wash out more easily than their slicker oil-based counterparts and don’t cause any damage to your hair or skin.
- When possible, opt for a strong or high hold pomade to keep your thick curls in place. A firm hold product will also best control frizz and prevent strays.
Obviously, these features aren’t exclusive to just pomades for curly hair. Frankly, we recommend this criteria for men with any hair type (straight, thin, coarse, etc.). Once you’ve found a few companies offering these basic benefits, you can begin to consider the more universal qualities like smell, consistency, and price.
4 Best Pomades For Curly Hair in 2023
Layrite Deluxe
Layrite’s Super Hold and Original pomades are among the most popular on the market. Water-soluble with a strong hold and great smell, both of these Layrite products tick all the necessary boxes for a pomade made for curly and wavy hair. If you need versatility to style all types of cool hairstyles, we highly recommend Layrite for guys of all hair types!
Suavecito
Suavecito Firme Hold is another great pomade that offers a strong hold with medium shine. In addition to being known for its control and styling flexibility, Suavecito has an awesome fragrance much like that of an old-fashioned cologne, making it popular with guys of all age groups. As one of the best-selling hair pomades, we also highly recommend Suavecito for guys styling a variety of retro and modern men’s hairstyles!
Imperial Barber
Like the other two, Imperial Barber Classic is a high-hold, low-shine pomade great for tight hairstyles. Imperial Barber pomade is classified as “industrial strength”, making it perfect for those who want maximum control of their curly hair. Guys will also love this products unique but subtle watermelon scent. As a styling hair product that goes on even and smooth, and can be diluted with water when needed, Imperial Barber is a must-have styling product!
REUZEL
REUZEL Hair Pomade is an up-and-coming product that offers a unique combination of strong hold with high shine. With a subtle scent of cola, this pomade holds like glue and gives your hair a wet finish, but still washes out easily with shampoo. If you’re willing to experiment with a new pomade brand that’s able to hold up thick, curly hair, give Reuzel a shot!
How To Apply Pomade To Curly Hair
Applying pomade to curly hair is surprisingly easy, and not much different than other hair types. The right way to put pomade in your curly or wavy hair is to identify how rigid you want your hair styled, and how neat you want your hairstyle to look.
The first part will determine how much pomade you use. If you’re looking for a style that will stay kept throughout the whole day, apply a nickel to quarter-size amount of pomade (depending on how long and thick your hair is) without diluting it. Otherwise, for a style that still allows some flexibility and movement, use less or dilute it with water.
As for the second part, be sure to identify how you want to style your curly/wavy hair. Should you want a clean and tidy look like a comb over or side part, use a comb to create your desired hairstyle (after having applied the pomade). For the characteristic messiness of many curly hairstyles like fringes, apply pomade using your hands and run your fingers through from every direction.
Styling Curly Hairstyles
For guys with thick, curly or wavy hair, the struggle to find a good pomade is very real. Unlike guys with straight hair, the unruly nature of curls and waves makes styling with weak pomades impossible. Thankfully, Layrite, Suavecito, Imperial Barber and Reuzel have developed powerful products that address this need. Check out these great hair products and let us know what you think!