The Best Natural Pomades That Actually Are.
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder @ Small Batch Goodness
WELCOME to the best article on all-natural pomades, sorry not sorry. Pomades and clays that are truly wholesome + natural. Pomades that reflect the originality and creativity of the founders who made them. You see, every company’s ingredient mix is a bit different, leveraging mother earth’s goodness in unique ways to achieve the same goal of perfecting our hair styles completely naturally. Note the key distinction between actual wholesome all-natural ingredients — what you will find here — vs. “(synthetically) derived from natural sources.”
Now, there are good reasons for wanting to switch to a natural hair styling product. The health consequences of synthetic and petroleum based ingredients are quite real and span from short to long term. The list includes allergic reactions (basically our body’s way of saying ‘get this stuff off of me’), dry hair + scalp, hair becoming brittle over time etc. Then there are long term consequences, not apparent immediately, but even more concerning — a key example being the link between parabens and lowered sperm counts, reproductive issues and hormonal disruptions.
Lastly, there is the deceptive marketing, including done by ‘influencers,’ promoting products as all-natural which clearly are not. Thankfully, you have stumbled upon the right place if you are looking for truly natural pomades, clays and pastes. Below is my qualification criteria for the selections followed by recommendations. Let’s begin!
Turns out, nature does have all the answers.
Qualification criteria when narrowing down the best all-natural pomades and clays:
Ingredient Focus + Quality:
Is the company ingredient focused? As in….is that the first thing they are committed to getting right?
The pomades listed here are made with organic and natural ingredients one can recognize. Equally important, that’s ALL they are made of — no synthetic and petroleum based junk mixed in with some natural stuff. Please don’t just take my word for it either, make sure to read the FULL ingredients list of any pomade you check out. You will also notice some common themes on how all-natural pomades are made =)
I love that the companies recommended below have crafted something original, powered by nature, as an alternative to traditional synthetic hair styling products
Founders + Integrity in Messaging
Related to the above, is the pomade marketed as “natural” actually all natural? Or does the company use clever tactics and phrasing such as “natural look” and highlights any natural ingredients present while hiding all the synthetics?
Who are the founder(s)? What’s their passion? These are all things I looked for in my research when selecting the best natural pomade brands
Impact on Scalp + Hair Health
It’s good to know no pomades here contain pore clogging plastic silicones, drying alcohols or any other ingredient known to damage scalp + hair
Instead these pomades derive their hold from natural ingredients good for our hair, such as bentonite clay and beeswax, and are full of plant oils and botanical extracts for deep scalp level nourishment
Safe for Sensitive and Itchy Scalps
Given all the pomade selections below are natural and mild, they are safe and gentle for the most sensitive of scalps. Same goes if you have a dry and itchy scalp with dandruff — these all-natural pomades don’t just style, but are deeply nourishing for irritated scalps
Ok I am done, onto the recommendations:
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# 1
Johnny Slicks: the best selection of authentic 100% organic pomades | all holds
Johnny Slicks crafts 100% organic pomades that are actually healthy for our hair + scalp. Their pomades are made with organic ingredients, one can find in nature, such as beeswax, bentonite clay and jojoba oil. Johnny’s pomades are only made with 5-6 ingredients total, not 20-30 and full of synthetic preservatives and fillers.
The company’s founder John Raushi (Johnny), a former marine, literally donated plasma along with his wife to ensure he had enough funds while working to fulfill his vision of bringing an healthy hair styling product to market. That’s grit and determination we can all respect.
The only downside to their pomades is that your hair can’t escape getting nourished, as it’s style via nourishment ;). Johnny Slicks’ most popular pomades include their organic oil based pomade and Formula 49.
# 2
Jack Henry: the best all-natural pomade for a matte finish + volume | all holds
I have reviewed Jacky Henry before, and their clay pomade and paste certainly belongs in this list of best natural pomades. Jack Henry’s approach to ingredients is minimal but purposeful. Their Clay Pomade is literally made with just 4 ingredients — beeswax, bentonite clay and organic MCT + lavender oils. That’s all! Compare that to your Suavecito (ew). This pomade provides all day hold, volume & a matte finish whilst being rich with nourishing nutrients.
Jack Henry’s second hair styling product, Paste, provides a lighter hold and is full of plant extracts and phytonutrients to again nourish our scalp.
Kyle Bardouche founded and named the company after his first new born, seeking to craft body care that exudes style and confidence — minus the harmful chemicals.
# 3
Oxford Hill: minimalist all-natural clay providing a high hold | strong hold
If you are looking for that perfect strong hold clay pomade that is 100% natural, Oxford Hill’s texture styling clay might be the one for you. This clay provides volume, thickness and a matte finish using a concoction made with only 5 purposeful ingredients: bentonite clay, beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter and natural fragrance.
Both bentonite clay and beeswax are nutrient rich providing nourishment while giving texture and a hold that lasts. And shea butter is a deeply moisturizing emollient.
Based out of Philadelphia, the founder Alvin J. Oommen iterated the clay 96 times before perfecting this all natural formula. I am more surprised he kept count!
# 4
Church California: the best 100% organic, plant based and wild crafted pomades | all holds
No one in their right mind can write any type of “best pomades” article and not include Church California. And I am not being dramatic here. These guys are pomade perfectionists and purists. Of course they are all-natural, how dare you even ask?
Church California’s small batch goodness includes their medium to firm hold Volcanic Clay Pomade, which they humbly call ‘The Holy Grail of Hair Clays.’ In addition to being highly effective and providing a matte-finish, this pomade is full of protecting fatty plant oils and protein rich botanical extracts.
Instead of using preservatives, Church California bottles its pomades in biophotonic glass jars which provide a protective shield to naturally preserve the 100% organic & wild crafted ingredients present.
Founded by Ryan and Beatrice Gonzalez, Church California is committed to reconnecting the human body with the natural world. Explore their pomades below.
# 5
Earth’s Enrichments: the best organic pomade for a sensitive, dry or dandruffy scalp | light hold
Earth’s Enrichments pomade has developed a bit of a cult following especially amongst those with a sensitive, dry or itchy scalp. This is a deeply nourishing pomade and even helps promote hair growth — probably by first curing that dry and dandruffy scalp.
This pomade is light hold which will gently keep your hair in place. Earth’s Enrichments’ pomade is your best choice if you have wavy, curly or longer hair. Coming to ingredients — the hold comes from beeswax and the nourishment is enhanced by essential oils including sunflower oil, hemp seed oil and rosemary essential oil. As with other pomade brands I recommend here, natural and wholesome ingredients is all you will find.
The company’s founding team is a trio of three women — Michelle, Ronae and Tehma — who were looking to craft something original for sensitive skins. I think they have done that alright!
# 6
Badger: the best flexible hold with a warm scent + vibrant shine | light hold
You might be familiar with Badger from their mineral sunscreens or balms, but they also make an effective little all natural pomade. Coconut oil and beeswax combine to provide a naturally vibrant and shiny hold. The pomade is also full of emollient oils such as babassu seed oil + sandalwood oil to moisturize and nourish our scalp + hair.
Note that this pomade provides a lighter hold, even though Badger describes it as medium. As with all pomades, the more you apply the greater the hold will be. As you search for the ideal styling product for your hair type while making the switch from synthetic to all-natural body care — Badger’s pomade is a worthy option to try.
Bill Whyte, the founder, worked as a carpenter in harsh New England winters. One day he concocted a simple balm for his hands by mixing some beeswax and olive oil. Surprised by the effectiveness of this natural and simple remedy, he decided to make more and share in homemade wooden boxes - did I mention he was a carpenter - and thus Badger was born!
# 7
NO GUNK: the best UK based natural clay and pomade concocter | all holds
These guys are UK based but ship globally. As the company name implies, ingredient quality is a key priority for NO GUNK. As opposed to using bentonite clay which is common amongst U.S. companies, NO GUNK’s Clay uses moroccan lava clay as the holding ingredient. Hey — you never know which clay your hair will be more fond of till you try it =). This natural clay is also full of nourishing goodness such as cactus seed oil, shea butter and argan oil.
While NO GUNK’s Matte Lava Clay is their strongest hold product — they also craft a Styling Funk pomade/wax for a light-medium hold. The Clay offers a textured + natural look while being completely free of harsh chemicals. NO GUNK also takes pride that both the Clay as well as the Styling Funk pomade are lightweight and leave no residue on hands or hair.
Note that their Clay does contain dehydroacetic acid, a synthetic preservative with a high EWG safety rating of 1. It is the last ingredient and thus forms the lowest percentage of the concoction. I would thus classify their Clay as almost all-natural.
# 8
Kraves: the best India based all-natural hair clay | strong hold
If you are based in India and are looking for a domestic all-natural hair styling option, Kraves’ strong hold clay might become your new go to. The hold of this clay comes from kaolin clay, bentonite clay and beeswax. These three ingredients also help provide texture and thickness naturally. The clay also has nourishing shea butter, jojoba oil and argan oil that your scalp and hair will appreciate. And equally important, all-natural ingredients is all this clay has.
One thing people are not a fan of in this clay is the scent, which might be coming from sesame oil, hopefully the founders can improve on this aspect. All in though, this 100% natural clay will provide you guilt free style without harming your precious hair or scalp health.
This will do it for now. Please let me know your thoughts and if you have already tried any of these all-natural styling options. No more excuses to subject your scalp + hair to synthetic junk!