Learn me up on hair tonic

[tankerjohn]

Hey there hair care guys! I need some help finding the right hair tonic. I don’t see many threads on this, but feel free to shoot me a link if you know of one.

So here’s the deal. I like hair tonic. I just need a light hold and tonic seems to do the trick for me better than pomade and other more greasy products. My problem is that the ones I can find locally either smell terrible (Vitalis) or are loaded with artificial colors and crazy unpronounceable filler ingredients (Jeris, Pinaud). I hate to sound like a ninny, but why does hair tonic need to be green? I’m not drinking it, so who cares if it naturally looks like dishwater or something?

So anyway, what else is out there worth considering? Requirements are:

- smells good, but not overpowering
- no oil
- no artificial color or crazy chemicals

 

[anoop]

I use this.

Hair Tonic | Fortifying Hair Treatment | Dr. Hauschka

This oil-free Hair Tonic adds strength and volume to hair while nurturing the scalp. The refreshing, invigorating nature of our Hair Tonic is emphasized by its aromatic herbal fragrance. 100% Natural and free from synthetic fragrances, dyes and preservatives.

www.dr.hauschka.com

It has near zero hold, just gets rid of frizz (when used generously) and skin flaking on the scalp.

 

[Mitzie]

You could try Tabac Hair Tonic. Available in 'dry' or 'oil' versions -I use the latter because I have a dry scalp. These are 'leave in' products. This product has a fragrance.

Another product and trick to maintain a light hold, without fragrance, is to use Mitchell's Hair Shampoo (yes, also made by MWF soap). If you shampoo and rinse then massage a tiny bit into your wet hair, without rinsing, you'll find you can style it and it does maintain a light hold with moderate shine and fluffiness without looking 'greased down.' Even when you shower, but don't wash your hair, you can style again massaging a tiny bit of the shampoo into the hair.

 

[Rhody]

Hair tonic seems like from yesteryear no offense guys. But I immediately thought of lucky tiger. Sure enough they have one but it looks bright yellow (frankly urine color) and it has yellow 5&6. Not sure that meets your qualifications. If you are open to other suggestions I’d recommend imperial barber matte pomade paste
It also reactivates with water. Light / medium hold. No color additions. It’s made in L.A.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I would use Pashana American Bay Rum hair tonic but the scent is pretty strong with cloves and cinnamon. Between you and I, it also makes a fantastic aftershave and it stings like the devil, thankfully I love the burn! Pashana hair tonic is actually my favourite bay rum aftershave, just as well as I don't have much hair left

 

[GeorgeTurner202]

Hey there hair care guys! I need some help finding the right hair tonic. I don’t see many threads on this, but feel free to shoot me a link if you know of one.

So here’s the deal. I like hair tonic. I just need a light hold and tonic seems to do the trick for me better than pomade and other more greasy products. My problem is that the ones I can find locally either smell terrible (Vitalis) or are loaded with artificial colors and crazy unpronounceable filler ingredients (Jeris, Pinaud). I hate to sound like a ninny, but why does hair tonic need to be green? I’m not drinking it, so who cares if it naturally looks like dishwater or something?

So anyway, what else is out there worth considering? Requirements are:

- smells good, but not overpowering
- no oil
- no artificial color or crazy chemicals

You'll find several opinions on this subject. Tonics must still have their place as there are still several out in the marketplace. It would be unusual to find any without any hold and thus without any oil of some kind.
Here are a few with low scent and without the bright colouring:
Wildroot - (looks like milk or glue)
Tres Flores - absent colouring, slight scent, disappears quickly
Vaseline Hair Tonic - clear, slight scent
There are also several English tonics but I think most of them are rather strongly scented

I just suggest you buy several out there and play around with them until you find what you like. None of them are expensive.

 

[FarmerTan]

Try some regular old mineral oil. Adjust the amount to suit you.

 

[‘Bout Time]

Fractionated coconut oil with a few drops of favorite scent essential oil works great for me

 

[tankerjohn]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I do appreciate it. A few suggestions peaked my interest. I know I need to experiment; just looking for a sherpa, so to speak.

I’ve used plenty of products over the years - gels, oil-based pomades, water-based pomades, clays, Brylcream, Groom n Clean, and the various other tonics I mentioned. I like the old school feel of tonics.

 

[FarmerTan]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I do appreciate it. A few suggestions peaked my interest. I know I need to experiment; just looking for a sherpa, so to speak.

I’ve used plenty of products over the years - gels, oil-based pomades, water-based pomades, clays, Brylcream, Groom n Clean, and the various other tonics I mentioned. I like the old school feel of tonics.

I wonder if you could look at the back of some bottles of hair tonic. See the order of ingredients? Then mix up your own. Sounds like fun to me. I recently (today!) cut my own hair and I have a bottle of Jeris. I'll look at the list, see if it's something I want on my head. My face (beard area) is like shoe leather, but my scalp is sensitive.

 

[tankerjohn]

I wonder if you could look at the back of some bottles of hair tonic. See the order of ingredients? Then mix up your own. Sounds like fun to me. I recently (today!) cut my own hair and I have a bottle of Jeris. I'll look at the list, see if it's something I want on my head. My face (beard area) is like shoe leather, but my scalp is sensitive.

I thought about that. I guess I’m just not that crafty. Or, put another way, too lazy. But also, I can see the ingredients, but not the proportions, so that would be all guess work. As has already been noted, most non-oil hair tonic is extremely similar to aftershave and many guys use them interchangeably. So that’s something to explore as well.

 

[TBoner]

Pinaud Eau de Portugal has no oils, no colorant, and a light citrus scent. I used it quite a bit for a while. It does make for a good aftershave, too, but is marketed - and presumably formulated - as hair tonic.

 

[trentr]

Wife got me some beard oil that I did not care for as a beard oil, but I liked it as a hair tonic. Was too ight for beard. Anyway, I have since tried and liked a SMALL amount of different beard oils for hair tonic. There are some of them that stay in the natural end of things. Might be worth a look.

Just wanted to address the reply of being yesteryear.... perhpas, but some of us like living in yesteryear I like vitalis, groom and clean, osage rub (yes in my hair), clubman hair tonic, coconut oil, tee tree oil. Maybe I just like oily hair????

 

[FarmerTan]

Wife got me some beard oil that I did not care for as a beard oil, but I liked it as a hair tonic. Was too ight for beard. Anyway, I have since tried and liked a SMALL amount of different beard oils for hair tonic. There are some of them that stay in the natural end of things. Might be worth a look.

Just wanted to address the reply of being yesteryear.... perhpas, but some of us like living in yesteryear I like vitalis, groom and clean, osage rub (yes in my hair), clubman hair tonic, coconut oil, tee tree oil. Maybe I just like oily hair????

Have you tried Jojoba oil? Your post made me realize that I have used it for a nice, light hold, and stick a few drops of Tea Tree oil in there and I think it aids in scalp health! Lol, thank you for the inadvertent reminder!

PS: I'll be looking for beard oil on clearance to try as a hair tonic now!

 

[trentr]

The oils I use are in store bought products. For example Honest Amish beard balm has jojoba. It also has argon and about 30 other kinds of oil lol. A small, I mean SMALL, amount of it rubbed between the hands and then into the hair makes my hair soft and healthy. It is very soft texture so it is easy to get too much. My wiry chest length beard however soaks the stuff up by the bunches lol

 

[Brocktune]

I use Reuzel (yellow). There's a blue one supposedly, but I never tried it and it might be discontinued anyway. I had actually stopped using it because I was using Covid as a chance to grow out the mane. Well due to a communication breakdown with the barber, I've got a shorter haircut than I was expecting, which means I gotta start using it again or look like a chia pet.

The yellow is more like a very watery gel. Thin enough that you can shake it out of a bottle like with aftershave, but it does leave a slight film on the hands that you have to rinse off. It's not going to hold your hair back like Gordon Gekko, but it will keep it from looking like you just stepped out of a tumble dryer once your hair dries. I usually apply it to towel dried hair. No oil and it smells good to me.

 

[FarmerTan]

I use Reuzel (yellow). There's a blue one supposedly, but I never tried it and it might be discontinued anyway. I had actually stopped using it because I was using Covid as a chance to grow out the mane. Well due to a communication breakdown with the barber, I've got a shorter haircut than I was expecting, which means I gotta start using it again or look like a chia pet.

The yellow is more like a very watery gel. Thin enough that you can shake it out of a bottle like with aftershave, but it does leave a slight film on the hands that you have to rinse off. It's not going to hold your hair back like Gordon Gekko, but it will keep it from looking like you just stepped out of a tumble dryer once your hair dries. I usually apply it to towel dried hair. No oil and it smells good to me.

You have convinced me to look into this! EXCELLENT description my friend!

 

[CzechCzar]

I use Reuzel (yellow). There's a blue one supposedly, but I never tried it and it might be discontinued anyway. I had actually stopped using it because I was using Covid as a chance to grow out the mane. Well due to a communication breakdown with the barber, I've got a shorter haircut than I was expecting, which means I gotta start using it again or look like a chia pet.

The yellow is more like a very watery gel. Thin enough that you can shake it out of a bottle like with aftershave, but it does leave a slight film on the hands that you have to rinse off. It's not going to hold your hair back like Gordon Gekko, but it will keep it from looking like you just stepped out of a tumble dryer once your hair dries. I usually apply it to towel dried hair. No oil and it smells good to me.

I just might try that

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[tankerjohn]

Glad to see recs still coming in. I picked up a bottle of Pinaud Eau de Portugal. Looks like the closest to what I want that's available locally. (though it still has Yellow 5. why??????? it's clear!) The scent is not my favorite, but its light and unobtrusive. I like the tingly feeling rubbing it in. Perfect level of hold. So, so far so good. I might look at ordering one of the other suggested tonics when I'm done with the bottle.

 

[Rhody]

Glad to see recs still coming in. I picked up a bottle of Pinaud Eau de Portugal. Looks like the closest to what I want that's available locally. (though it still has Yellow 5. why??????? it's clear!) The scent is not my favorite, but its light and unobtrusive. I like the tingly feeling rubbing it in. Perfect level of hold. So, so far so good. I might look at ordering one of the other suggested tonics when I'm done with the bottle.

I see the clear (ish) one on their site. What are the ingredients?
Amazon has a blood red version and a yellow color.

edit.
found the ingredients
Gotta love Linalool

That’s gotta be the tingle