Hair Tonic

A hair tonic is a special product that is used to style your hair or to remove build-up from your hair. This product group is definitely not new, far from it. When your grandpa was young, hair tonics were being used to slick your hair back. Essentially these products were creating wet-looks. In a certain way you can see hair tonics as the prelude of pomades.

Before other hair styling products started to rise in the 1950s and 1960s, hair tonics were being used as styling product in barbershops. It provided a light hold and a healthy shine. Nowadays you see that hair tonics are more used as pre-stylers or as an aid to help remove product build-up from your hair. Hair tonics help to dissolve grease from oil-based pomades and clays.

What does a hair tonic do?

Modern hair tonics work a little bit different from their more classic counterparts. Modern tonics are more cleansers and hair care products than they are hair styling products. Some modern tonics are also popular for their intoxicating scents.

Another property of modern hair tonics is that they are being used as pre-stylers. These products contain natural ingredients to nourish and protect your hair, for example, against the heat of your blow-dryer. That, in combination with a pleasant scent, is why hair tonics are popular pre-styling products for men nowadays.

How to use hair tonic?

How you use a hair tonic depends on what your purpose with it is. When you use a hair tonic as a pre-styler to protect your hair, then you apply the product in washed and damp hair. You blow-dry your hair into shape and afterwards, if desired, you can apply another styling product for more hold and styling.

You can also use a hair tonic by itself, as a so-called post-styler. When you use it like that, you can expect a light hold and a lot of shine. Great for slicker and groomed hairstyles that you comb in the desired look. Examples are slick-back looks and side-parts. It usually results in more classic hairstyles for men.

When you have a hair tonic that is more meant as a cleansing agent, then you apply the tonic in hair that still contains residue of other hair styling products, like when you styled your hair with an oil-based pomade or hair clay. Afterwards you use a shampoo to wash out all product build-up.

Best hair tonics for men

One of the most popular brands for men that have good hair tonics, is Reuzel. This Dutch brand has many other products to recreate those 1950s and 1960s hairstyles. That is the reason why they have numerous classic hair tonics, like the Reuzel Grooming Tonic and Hair Tonic. Both very popular hair products in the Moquer shop.

Another great brand to mention for their hair tonics, is Clubman Pinaud. Considering this brand has been around for over a century, it is no surprise they have their own classic hair tonics for men. Their products are famous for their special scents and nourishing properties.

And then there is Templeton Tonics. This homebrewer from the United States has four hair tonics in their assortment with unique scents for each of them. The hair tonics are very versatile and can be used as pre-styler, post-styler, and cleansing agent. The formulas contain five different natural oils to keep your hair healthy.