I'm Adam. I cut hair at Samson's Barbershop in Kalamazoo, and Jake and I make the clay in the same building. Most of the "it didn't hold" stories I hear at the chair are really "I used it wrong" stories, and that is nobody's fault. The jar doesn't come with a barber.
So here is what I do, in the order I do it. Thirty seconds.
Step one: bone dry hair
For the barber method, you want bone dry hair. It makes the product more matte, and the clay is able to coat your hair a little better. We're a pretty dry shop in general, most of our haircuts are going to be dry cut. If you're fresh out of the shower, let it air dry or hit it with the dryer first.
Mistake number one, and I see it every week: they'll apply it way too wet.
Step two: the amount. Dime, nickel, quarter.
Barbers know to apply in small scoops. Most guys were never told.
- Short hair: one dime-sized scoop.
- Two or three inches on top: two nickel-sized scoops.
- A tight style on long hair: three or four quarter-sized scoops. Looser and natural on long hair, two or three nickels.
Coarse hair takes more. My hair is really coarse, so I have to use a lot just to get the sides down, the fenders to be flat. But a little clay goes a long way because it's packed full of solid holding ingredients. Don't over apply it.
Step three: warm it up in your hands first
Emulsify it. When we warm it up and emulsify it, we're already spreading it so we can spread it evenly in our hair. If you don't emulsify it beforehand and you just put a big goop, gob of pomade on your hair, that part of your hair is gonna be really, really high hold, and it's gonna be a lot tougher to spread it out.
Rub your palms together until it goes smooth. Five seconds.
Step four: sides and back first
This is the step almost nobody does. I'll do the sides first because that's where I need the most hold. My hair grows straight out on the sides. Get those laying right and brush them through with the fine-tooth comb to get the part. Then take a couple dime-sized scoops and work it through the rest of the hair, back to front, root to tip.
Mistake number two is all in one spot. You've seen it happen where the guy's bangs look great but they got all the product and they're not moving at all, and you could tell nothing went to the back of his hair. So you have that kind of bizarre break.
Step five: finish, then lock it
Tight style: fine tooth comb, for an even spread and a clean part. Messy: finger comb, then a wide tooth comb. If you used the dryer, hit it with cold air to lock it in place.
The tell that you used too much
The way we can tell is typically on the edges of the hair. You can tell when a guy looks like he almost glued the sides of his hair down. Start with less. You can always add a second scoop. You cannot take one out.
Restyle it any time
If I had to wear a respirator and that messed up my hair, I can restyle it. If I'm wrestling with my kids and my hair gets messed up, I can always put it back into place. No new product, no water needed.
That comes down to the formulation, and the waxes specifically that we choose. A wax-based hold lets you restyle throughout the day, instead of a heavy sugar-based hold that will flake and crack. And the clays cut the shine as they absorb the oils. So it's always gonna hold, it's always gonna look matte, and you are going to be nourishing your scalp.
"I have to wear a hat everyday for work and it's easily restyled. Easily my daily driver." Jeremy D.
Hard hat, beanie, fitted
If you wear one every day, style as normal and let it set before the hat goes on. When the hat comes off, ten seconds with your fingers and it's back. That is the guy this clay was built for: the guy who is having to reapply product every day because he works out, he works outside, he's in a hat.
Washing it out
Water. We have a lot of different ingredients in there specifically to help with the wash out. The plain version: it's not hydrophobic, so the water can latch on and it'll go right out. One normal shower and it washes out clean.
"Light, easy to apply, not tacky, perfect matte finish, washes out effortlessly." Richard G.
Quick answers
How much hair clay should I use?
Short hair, one dime-sized scoop. Two or three inches on top, two nickel-sized scoops. A tight style on long hair, three or four quarter-sized scoops. Start with less. You can always add.
Should I apply hair clay to wet or dry hair?
Bone dry. It makes the product more matte and lets the clay coat the hair. If it's wet, dry it first.
What hold and finish does the Dead Sea Clay have?
Strong all-day hold, true matte, and you can restyle it any time.
Will hair clay dry out my hair?
Ours won't dry out your hair. You can use it every day and it won't damage your hair. Dead Sea minerals, Black Hawaiian Sea Salt, beeswax, apricot kernel oil. The full ingredient list is on the jar and on the product page.
How long does a jar last?
About a month at five to seven days a week. A month and a half if you're traveling or in a lot of hats.
Does it wash out with water?
Yes. One normal shower.
What does the clay look like in the jar?
Warm grey-brown, matte, a little grainy. A real customer put it best: "Holds great but not stiff or sticky. Looks kinda gross in the container, but disappears when applied." Dustin Y. He is right on both counts.
Grab the jar
Dead Sea Clay. All-day hold that won't dry out your hair, made by hand from Dead Sea minerals, in Kalamazoo, by the two of us. $24 for the 4 oz jar. About a month of mornings.
Have a good one,
Adam
If you want all-day hold that stays true matte, this is the daily driver.
If you want all-day hold that stays true matte, this is the daily driver.
Hair gel without the crunch or the shine, for the textured, styled look on shorter hair.
Formulated for daily use, any scalp type, every single day. Clean feel, not stripped.
