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So many products, so many uses. Not to mention all the different brands and attributes, like product strength.

Most brand lines have many varieties of each of these categories. A good example is max strength gel. It will have different characteristics and qualities across brand lines.

Styling Products

GEL – Comes in different strength and viscosity, too much can feel stiff or be flaky. Can give an all-day wet look.

MOUSSE (FOAM) – Comes in different strengths, too much can feel sticky. Meant for a softer, touchable hold but also has style memory.

HAIRSPRAY – Comes in a multitude of different strengths and be aerosol or pump spray.

CREMES – Comes in different strengths, weight, and viscosities, usually lighter, or not as strong as pastes or wax. Can be packaged in a tube or a puck.

PASTES – Typically the stronger version of Cremes. Usually harder to remove from the hair than cremes or gels. Can be sticky and fibrous.

WAX – A type of Paste, usually very strong and dry. Used for extreme hold and volume, think spiked hair. The most difficult to remove from hair.

POMADES – Usually not as strong as some cremes or pastes, but adds shine and piece-y-ness. Is that even a word? Sound it out phonically, you know what I mean.

Hair Care Products

OILS – No holding strength, but adds shine and silkiness. Comes in different weights and helps fight fizziness too. Usually great for curly hair. Can also be used to break down a build-up of hairspray or sticky adhesives.

SHAMPOOS – Comes in light moisture, medium moisture, and very moisturizing, clarifying, volumizing, and smoothing, for fine hair, curly hair, and thinning hair. It even comes tinted, like purple shampoo for blonde hair.

CONDITIONERS – Come in light moisture, medium moisture, and very moisturizing, deep conditioning masks, detanglers, leave-ins, and tinted conditioners.

There are even Cleanditioners, which are shampoo and conditioner in 1, typically used on curly hair. A little counterproductive, in my opinion.

As you can see there are many different characteristics to each product from the amount of moisture to the amount of strength the product has. There is a perfect product out there to make your hair do whatever you want it to.

In my salon, I use a high-end line of products from Jack Winn Pro. Here you can explore and purchase any of their products at the same price I sell them in the salon, delivered right to your door. At Praxis Salon we also use Loma, Aloxxi, and Amika.

Don’t hesitate to play and practice. You’ll love some and hate others.

Another great read is my list of Tools Of The Trade

Thanks for your interest. Feel free to comment or ask any questions using the form below. You are always welcome to share on social media, and here are links to mine. Facebook, X (twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest