How Do I Find the Perfect Hair Wax for Me? 5 Straight Answers on Picking the Right Product
Everyone has had this moment in the supermarket at some point, usually while picking up the household basics. The hair styling product you have relied on for years is sold out and something else has to stand in. More often than not, the hair wax you had your eye on dates back to your teens and simply never got replaced by anything different, or possibly better. And that is exactly where it goes wrong. The shape you want from your hair, and the look that comes with it
So in today's Charlemagne Premium blog post we'll explain which hair wax suits your hair, so you can nail your morning styling and survive the days when it all goes wrong.
The difference between hair wax and pomade
A pomade usually has a soft consistency. Its main components are fats: petroleum jelly, lanolin or coconut oil, above all.
Because it holds so much moisture, a pomade can supply your hair and your scalp with exactly that. So your hair gets shine, conditioning and, after styling, the shape you were after.
Hair wax, on the other hand, is firmer. Wax is precisely the ingredient that gets blended into a pomade in varying amounts. Beeswax is one common example.
The benefits of pomade and hair wax
The big advantage of a true pomade, and of a hair wax, is what goes into them. Both products are made from purely natural ingredients, so they aren't loaded with unnatural chemicals. Alcohols, to name just one of the chemical additives out there, dry out your hair and your scalp, which leads to brittle hair and to dandruff.
On top of that, the essential oils some of them contain are a genuine treat for any nose that comes near you, or nearer still to your hair. A really pleasant side effect. And since we have to assume at this point, given you've landed on our blog, that you're after a quality hair styling product, we can only point you towards the Charlemagne Premium shop. You'll find a superb pomade there, handmade from selected ingredients and produced in Germany.
The side effects of hair wax and pomade
Unlike plain hair gel, which gives your hair a hard hold, pomade and hair wax are harder to wash out. That's not a dead end, obviously. Conditioner, plenty of shampoo, or a dedicated pomade shampoo made for pomade-treated hair will get wax and pomade out without leaving a trace.
Hair and the different hair types
Your hair falls into one of several types. The hair typing system is a way of classifying hair texture
The first characteristic is the amount of wave, or the absence of it. The subgroups break down like this:
Straight hair
Type 1a - Completely straight
Type 1b - Straight with a bit of movement. No visible wave as such, but a little more volume
Type 1c - Straight with some movement and one or two clear waves, at the temples or the nape for instance
Wavy hair
Type 2a - Loose, stretched-out waves running through the hair
Type 2b - Shorter, defined waves, much like hair that's been plaited wet
Type 2c - Defined waves with the odd curl mixed in
Curly hair
Type 3a - Large, spiral curls
Type 3b - Tighter spiral curls
Type 3c - Tight corkscrew curls
Very curly hair
Type 4a - Extremely tight curls (S pattern)
Type 4b - Curls with sharp bends in them (Z pattern)
The second characteristic is how the hair looks and how thick it is, in short, how most of the individual hairs appear
F - Fine (0.01 mm - 0.04 mm)
With a fine classification, the individual hairs are almost see-through.
Hold one up to the light and it barely shows at all. The hairs you shed naturally, on the floor for example, are hard to spot even against a strongly contrasting colour.
M - Medium (0.05 mm - 0.07 mm)
A medium thickness hair can be felt, but it isn't stiff or rough. It's hair, not straw.
The individual hairs are neither fine nor coarse, so they sit somewhere between the two.
C - "Coarse" (0.08 mm and up)
The individual hairs are easy to see against almost any surface. Dark hair in particular, common in people from southern regions, sits comfortably in this thickness band.
The third characteristic - the overall volume of your hair
The third and final characteristic is the overall volume of your hair. This one only makes sense with long hair. You tie the hair back into a ponytail to measure it.
The main thing is to gather in as much hair as you can. Where exactly you tie it off doesn't matter.
Type i - thin
less than 5 cm (2 inches) around
Type ii - normal
between 5 and 10 cm (2 to 4 inches)
Type iii - thick
more than 10 cm (4 inches)
The right hair wax for your hair type
As you've read, hair needs a product chosen for it, with the right consistency, if you want the results you're after. If your hair is on the thin side and easy to control, a soft hair wax will already shape it. A classic pomade is perfect for that. If your hair is medium thickness or downright coarse, it pays to reach for something firmer. The wax content, beeswax as the name suggests, makes the product firmer and shapes thicker hair without any trouble. And because pomade and hair wax never set hard, your hair stays workable. While we're on the subject, our beard comb is worth having for exactly this. Don't let the word "beard" put you off. A beard is made of hair too, and the comb doesn't care whether it's running through your beard or the hair on your head. There's a fine example waiting for you, as always, in the Charlemagne Premium shop.
„A healthy and well groomed beard is important for a real man, that's why we offer everything you need to keep yours doing so.“
As barbers with more than 20 years in the trade between us, we went looking for styling & care products that convinced us completely. There were some good products on the market, but none that gave us everything we needed. After some thought, in 2014 we decided to develop our own range. For two years we spent every free minute after work at the barbershop down in our cellar, refining the formulas. When it came to ingredients, only the best was good enough. We bought the finest jojoba oils available in Morocco, and argan oil from Italy.
After two years and a good many attempts, our first product line was ready, and it has been winning our customers over ever since. We think 98% positive reviews speak for themselves. Since the official launch in 2016 we've kept developing it, of course. That's one of the reasons Charlemagne Premium products have won not just one but several comparison tests in recent years.
You'll find all our products right here in our online store. For any questions about them, you can reach us any time at info@charlemagne-premium.com.
