You know we love O’Douds. We think of the brand as a progression beyond the biggest pomade names that you hear over and over again. While there is a reason why the likes of Suavecito and Layrite are popular, veteran pomade users will inevitably seek out newer and better products as industry practices improve and knowledge gets shared. That’s where our friend Clayton Doud comes in.
There is nothing more disappointing than trying on a pomade marketed as a medium hold and feeling it evaporate in the afternoon sun as your hair starts flopping around like some 90’s boy-band fringed nightmare. No, you deserve a better pomade when you plonk down your hard-earned money on the counter.
For a while there, the O’Douds Water Based pomade was one of a kind. Since its release, other home-brewers have attempted to produce or reformulate pomades to match the high standard set by Clayton’s vegan product, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that none have trumped it yet. The amazing hold, longevity, control, and scent are individually easy to recreate in a recipe, but even when the new products arrive on waves of jacked-up hype, a total package has proven to be elusive – especially one that can stand up to the sweltering Singaporean climate. O’Douds soaks up the sun and asks for more.
The pomade may throw you for a loop when you first use it; it looks aerated like the inside of an Aero chocolate bar, with a spongey texture that scoops out of the jar easily enough. Breaking it down between your palms leads to a tacky wet mess, but persevere, pomade padawan! Press it hard between your hands to get a paste that you can run through your hair with minimal tugging. It will leave white streaks here and there, but that disappears with a bit of combing action. It has a rich herbal scent that works a treat on your senses, essentially working as a pre-coffee pick-me-up in the morning.
Did we mention that O’Douds Water Based Pomade does not harden up? Hell yeah. With this in your hair, you get a ton of control when styling, as you can take as much or as little time as you need with no fear of the pomade drying out or taking too much time to set. The pomade is moderately sticky and will slick your strays and flyaways down pat, giving a shiny polished look that you can restyle as befits the situation. We have seen incredible pompadour heights achieved with this, but you can use the solid hold to style relatively low-profile styles like contours and be assured that it won’t get messed up as soon as your lunch hour is over.
There is a world of difference in the post-shower effects of O’Douds and other water-based pomades, in that the latter usually leaves your hair feeling dry and wiry, like a stainless steel sponge. The borax content in the pomade has fungicidal properties will thoroughly cleans and disinfects, while the oils and shea butter moisturises your hair and leaves it feeling soft afterwards. You need to use a bit of shampoo to wash the product off due to the oil content, but otherwise it is nowhere near the experience you get with using a oil-based pomade.
Slay the doubters with O’Douds, available here at The Panic Room.