I found myself at Walgreens today and noticed what seems to be a resurgence in Hair Tonics. One old, classic stood out - Vitalis. I remember reading about this product way back when but have never tried it. I opened it up in-store and it actually smelled great - very masculine and 'clean'. This post on Sharpologist gave some great insight into the topic and it peeked my insterest seeing that a number of well known companies like Pinaud, Taylor of Bond and Floid all have tonics as a product line. Does anyone here use hair tonics and if so why (does it give a firm, lasting hold?) - and which one would you recommend?
Can't help you here, Dark. I took one whiff of Vitalis and that was more than enough for me to back away slowly. But, I can remember a great aunt of mine who had doilies on the headrests of all her living room chairs .... far easier to launder a doily then a chair when it came to the men and their hair tonics.
Funny how different everyone's preferences are when it comes to stuff - I thought it smelled fantastic I'm kinda tempted to try out this Pinaud tonic for $4.40 as it seems to be rather highly rated. Just not sure what level of 'hold' I should expect from a tonic...
I tried it years ago and it's loaded with alcohol and dries very quickly. About an hour after putting it in my hair I was left with a sort of frizzy looking hair helmet.
Howdy! I use Vitalis almost daily. I also use a litlle of Jeris Hair tonic or Osage Rub with the Vitalis. Works good for me all day long. Always, Gene
When I was a kid, oh from 5-12 my mom would load my hair up with Vitalis. Bees would chase me home! Once I got past the firehouse it was on! I'd run down South Broad Street in NJ like no ones business.
Hair tonic isn't meant to really hold. It goes back to around 100 years ago or so where we had the burgeoning polite city society that we are accustomed to now. People still couldn't or woudn't shower every day, and apartment buildings with shared bathrooms were still common. So the only 'bathroom' you might have available is a small sink or a big bowl. You could brush your teeth and shave (with that lather catcher of yours!!) but not much more than scrub your pits and definitely not wash your hair. Hair tonic was meant for the inbetween times on your Saturday night baths. You put it in and it cuts the grease and stank of unwashed hair. Some with oil can hold a bit, but not like a brylcream or something. Most were just alcohol to cut the grease and perfume to hide the smell. It's called Rogaine.
Hm, so tonic may not be my solution for what i want to achieve. May look at some oil based pomades. Thanks
I have no idea of whether it will work for you, but I've started doing something simple to see if I could get some hair back. It stemmed from some conversations we've had here about the use of cool, warm, and hot water whilst shaving. I've been trained about 100 times over the years in basic first aid, so I've long held the belief that any application to the skin of cool or cold reduces swelling and sensitivity due to restricting blood flow near the surface of the skin. Of course, the opposite is true of applying warmth. This would promote blood flow nearer the skin surface, and in cases of injury would promote swelling or bleeding of an open wound. So to me, it stands to reason that it is possible that the loss of hair to some degree may be a result of lessening blood flow to the scalp. Also important is the possibility that my scalp just doesn't like the shampoo I've used over the years, and said shampoo may have in fact led to clogged pores and the like. So, I've went to plan B. I don't use any commercially prepared shampoo anymore, I now use only natural soap, like Mike's natural shampoo bars or such. And, (and this is the best part I think) when I shower now, I run warm water over the old noggin for two to three minutes, and massage the scalp gently in hopes of promoting blood flow there. I usually do this at least once per day, but if I can fit it in, twice is twice as nice. So I'm just applying a little bit of theory here about what warm water and bit of massage should do as far as promoting blood flow to the affected area. I'm also of the idea that the massage may help with unclogging the pores a bit, though I've no science to back that up, it's just my opinion. It may sound kooky, but after a solid 5-6 weeks of following this regimen, I can gladly say my hair is slowly coming back. I'm NOT claiming that I've got the hair I had when I was thirty or forty, but it's gradually thickening, and it's gradually doing the opposite of receding, which it had been doing since I was 45-50. I have no idea whether this will help anyone else, but I thought I would throw it out there for anyone who might be interested. It's simple, and doesn't cost much. Best wishes y'all, and Happy Shaving!!
Some shampoo bars (notably from Chagrin Valley and a few others) contain herbal extracts of rosemary, mint, nettle, and other herbals for the purpose of at least slowing hair loss.
I use witch-hazel. Common drug store witch-hazel mixed about 2:1 with alcohol is my go-to AS splash and I'll run a couple of handfuls through my hair as well, after I'm done with my pretty ol' mug. It's not at all oily, it's got very little scent and it provides just enough "hold" or whatever it's called. Keeps me looking ever so stylish don't ya know...
I actually think walgreens carries it so I'll check - and sniff - it out. I think that's what my dad used.
yes, walgreens carries it. It smells mostly of lanolin (which is one of the main ingredients). The scent is a bit heavy at first, but it dissipates quickly.
Stupid question: is brylcream a brand or a type of product? If it's a brand I'm thinking it's almost become one if those qtip/Kleenex situations where a brand becomes synonymous with a type of products as it's such a well known name
Brand name for a cream style hair dressing. Brilliantine + cream = brylcream, iirc. Be sure to shake the tube a bit before use, btw. The lanolin tends to separate out if it's been sitting a while. edit: And it's not a Kleenex / tissue situation. There's only one Brylcream. edit2: The slogan says that "A dab will do ya." You may find yourself needing/wanting more than just a dab. Experimentation is the way to go... you want hold and shine without looking like you just groomed up with a quart bottle of 10W40.
