The hair styling aisle is full of products that sound like they do the same thing and very much do not. Pomade, clay, and cream are the three biggest categories of men’s styling product, and choosing between them based on the front of the can rather than what is inside is how most guys end up with hair that looks greasy, dusty, or limp by mid-afternoon. The three products sit at very different hold strengths, shine levels, and texture profiles. This guide walks through what each one is, who it suits, and how to spot the right match for your hair type and the look you are after.
Pomade: the slick traditionalist (and its modern cousin)
Pomade is the oldest of the three. Originally a thick oil-and-wax product (Murray’s, Royal Crown, Sweet Georgia Brown), pomade was built for slick, shiny, defined styles: the side part, the pompadour, the classic ducktail.
Two major sub-types now exist:
Oil-based pomade (traditional)
- Base: petrolatum, mineral oil, beeswax
- Hold: medium to strong
- Shine: high, glossy
- Washout: 2 to 3 shampoos minimum
- Best for: classic slick styles, thick hair that can carry the weight
Water-based pomade (modern)
- Base: water, polymers, some wax
- Hold: medium to strong
- Shine: medium to high
- Washout: 1 shampoo
- Best for: pompadours, side parts, modern slicked-back looks without the long washout
Water-based pomade dominates the modern market because washout is easier. Brands like Suavecito, Layrite, Reuzel (blue tin) are water-based.
Pomade is the right product for any look that requires definition and a polished, glossy finish. It is not the right product for messy, textured, modern styles.
Clay: the matte sculptor
Clay entered the men’s market around 2010 and reshaped the category. Built around bentonite, kaolin, or marine clay, the product gives meaningful hold with a matte (no shine) or low-shine finish.
What clay does:
- Hold: medium to strong
- Shine: low to none (matte)
- Texture: thick, draggy, sometimes grainy when first applied
- Adds volume and grip to fine hair
- Washout: usually 1 shampoo
What clay is right for:
- Textured modern styles (modern quiff, messy crop, French crop)
- Fine to medium hair that needs volume and grip
- Anyone who hates shiny hair
What clay is not right for:
- Slick or defined styles (the matte finish reads wrong)
- Very thick, coarse hair (the clay can feel dusty and may not provide enough movement)
- Anyone with a dry scalp (some clays can dry the scalp further)
Major brands: Hanz de Fuko Claymation, Baxter of California Clay Pomade (despite the name, it is a clay), Uppercut Deluxe Matt Clay, Imperial Barber Classic Pomade (a paste-clay hybrid).
Cream: the light conditioner-and-styler
Cream is the lightest of the three. It contains conditioning agents, light polymers, and small amounts of wax. The hold is light, the shine is low to moderate, and the feel in the hand is soft and lotion-like.
What cream does:
- Hold: light
- Shine: low to medium
- Texture: smooth, easy to spread
- Conditions the hair while styling
- Washout: 1 shampoo
What cream is right for:
- Curly hair (defining curls without making them crunchy)
- Long hair that needs control without weight
- Anyone whose hair is naturally well-behaved and just needs slight direction
- People who hate the feeling of “product” in their hair
What cream is not right for:
- Hair that needs structural hold
- Fine hair that falls flat under any weight
- Styles that need defined separation
Major brands: American Crew Forming Cream (paste-cream hybrid), Bumble and Bumble Sumotech (also paste-like), Aveda Brilliant Damage Control.
A comparison table
| Property | Pomade (water) | Clay | Cream |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hold | Medium to strong | Medium to strong | Light |
| Shine | Medium to high | Low to none | Low to medium |
| Washout | 1 shampoo | 1 shampoo | 1 shampoo |
| Best for hair type | Medium to thick | Fine to medium | Curly, long, well-behaved |
| Best for styles | Slick, defined | Textured, matte | Loose, natural |
| Feel in hand | Slippery | Thick, draggy | Soft, smooth |
How to pick
If the goal is a slick, polished look (pompadour, side part, classic): water-based pomade.
If the goal is a textured, modern look (messy crop, modern quiff, textured side part): clay.
If the goal is a natural, low-product look or curly hair definition: cream.
If unsure, start with cream and clay. They cover 80 percent of modern looks between them. Pomade is the right call for traditionally styled looks only.
How much to use
Most users use too much product, and the result looks heavy and feels worse.
- Pomade: a thumbnail-sized scoop for short hair, up to two scoops for long hair
- Clay: a thumbnail-sized scoop for short hair, two for medium, three for thick or long
- Cream: a 5p-coin (or quarter) size for short hair, double for long
Warm the product between palms until it goes glossy (clay takes longer, around 15 seconds). Apply to dry or barely damp hair from back to front, then style.
Common mistakes
Layering pomade and clay
The hold is not additive, the finish is. Layering pomade and clay usually creates a sticky, half-matte half-shiny middle ground that suits nothing.
Using clay on wet hair
Water dilutes the clay’s structural hold and makes the matte finish look slightly waxy. Apply clay to dry or barely damp hair.
Buying based on the picture on the tub
Hair models in advertising have stylists, hair dryers, and pre-set hair. The product on the tin rarely produces that look on its own. Buy based on hold and shine description, not the model.
Using cream as if it were pomade
Cream is a conditioner-styler, not a hold product. Asking cream to hold a defined pompadour is asking the wrong product for the wrong job.
For other matte hold products on the face, see our mustache wax types guide. For after-shave finishing routines, see our after-shave balm vs splash comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Which one washes out easiest?+
Water-based pomades and creams wash out with one shampoo. Clays generally wash out with one shampoo as well, depending on the clay type (bentonite clay rinses cleaner than kaolin in some formulas). Traditional oil-based pomades (Murray's, Royal Crown, Sweet Georgia Brown) require multiple washes or a pre-shampoo with conditioner. If you wash daily, this rarely matters. If you wash every 2 to 3 days, oil-based pomade can build up.
What is the difference between clay and paste?+
Paste is a halfway product between cream and clay. It has more hold than cream (slightly), more shine than clay, and a softer matte finish. Paste is forgiving for users who do not want a fully matte look but want more hold than a cream. Many brands sell both clay and paste in similar packaging.
Can I use any of these on wet hair?+
Cream and water-based pomade apply well to towel-damp hair and let you mould the hair as it dries. Clay generally applies better to dry or barely damp hair because water dilutes the matte finish. Oil-based pomade applies to damp hair traditionally (the slick look). If the package does not specify, try both and see which lasts longer through the day.
Why does my hair go flat by midday with cream but not with clay?+
Cream has the lowest hold of the three. It is a styling-and-conditioning product, not a sculpting product. Fine hair styled with cream often falls within a few hours unless the cream is layered with a stronger product or the hair is set with a hair dryer first. Clay holds longer because the clay component grabs onto the hair shaft and resists gravity.
Will clay dry out my scalp?+
It can, especially formulas heavy on bentonite or kaolin without enough conditioning ingredients. Look for clays with added shea butter, jojoba oil, or beeswax to balance the drying effect. Daily clay use is fine for most scalps, but if flaking or itching starts, alternate with a cream or skip a day.
