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There are so many styling product options in a guy’s grooming arsenal that it can feel overwhelming fast. Everyone’s hair type is different, so having options matters (that’s where we come in; check our guide here). That said, over the past couple of years, matte clays have become my preferred styler and have been trending for good reason. Hair clays combine the mattifying, slightly gritty feel and oil-absorbing qualities you get from surf sprays and texturizing powders (also now standards we stand by), but in a more workable and versatile form. They’re clutch if you want your hair to have texture without looking overly styled.
“I see this every spring and summer. Clays tend to become popular as the weather warms up, as they’re excellent for hold, lived-in styling, and that day- or two-day-old look,” says David Connor, owner of Anti-Gravity Salon in New Orleans. “It’s like dirt in a jar, without actually being dirty.”
The best clays give you that effortless “I woke up like this” effect, adding texture and definition while still being malleable. As Connor adds, “You can change your style up throughout the day without having to reapply product or flaking.” You apply in the morning, and it keeps that reworkable vibe while still allowing for movement.
Many hair clays also pull double duty as a sort of dry shampoo, thanks to ingredients like kaolin and bentonite that absorb oil. And most mattify on contact, which is great for humid weather or those in-between wash days. With warmer days pretty much here, having one or two in your rotation works for just about any hair type. Below are eight of the best hair clays I’ve tested that give you that effortless, lived-in texture and speak to the ease of the season.
Best Overall Hair Clay: Church California Volcanic Clay Pomade
They call it the holy grail of clay pomades, and I’d have to agree. This small-batch artisanal formula has been my go-to since I discovered it last year, especially when my hair is in that in-between zone, not too long, not too short. The moment you work it in, your hair takes on a lived-in, naturally separated look and a mattifying texture. Bentonite helps bind and thicken for added volume, while the rest delivers lift and control you can rework throughout the day. It’s packed with natural ingredients and carries a subtle wild-harvested botanical scent that smells so damn good. And underrated but worth calling out, it rinses off easily, which, after testing a ton of clays over the years, is surprisingly rare. A few dabs go a long way.
Key Ingredients: Bentonite clay absorbs oil and adds texture; Glycerin hydrates; Aloe vera soothes the scalp; Safflower and avocado oils condition; Seaweed extract nourishes and strengthens; Rosemary and sage extracts help support scalp health and circulation.
5 Exceptional Grooming Products Worth the Splurge
Is that deodorant, cologne or cleanser really worth its premium price? In the case of these men’s essentials, absolutely.Best OG Hair Clay: Baxter of California Clay Pomade
The stuff of follicular legend, Baxter’s Clay Pomade has been in my rotation for years and remains one of the early formulas that helped set the standard for matte texture and separation in men’s styling. It leans a bit stickier and drier than some of the others on this list, so you’ll want to work it through your palms first to loosen it up and make it more pliable. Made with naturally derived ingredients, this award-winning formula is endlessly dependable and delivers its signature matte finish while still allowing for that perfect second-day tousle. Fair warning, it tends to sell out, so if you see it, it’s worth stocking up.
Key Ingredients: Bentonite and kaolin clays absorb oil and add texture; Beeswax provides hold; Glycerin hydrates; Castor oil conditions; Silica boosts volume and matte finish; Sage and fennel support scalp health.
Best Value Hair Clay: Cremo Sculpting Clay
Kaolin? Check. Aloe vera to keep hair and scalp hydrated? Check. Multi-vitamins that support hair health? Check. A price that’s easy on the wallet from one of my favorite accessible grooming brands? Check, check and check. I really dig this Sculpting Clay from the kings of scented shave, Cremo. It delivers piecey definition, adds solid volume, helps soak up excess oil and feels endlessly reworkable in the hair. It’s also one of those products you can find just about anywhere, which only adds to the appeal. Matte, pliable hold, great texture and scalp care at under $15? What’s not to like?
Key Ingredients: Kaolin clay absorbs oil and adds texture; Beeswax and carnauba wax provide hold and structure; Aloe vera soothes and hydrates; Panthenol, biotin and vitamins help support hair health.
Best Elevated Botanical Hair Clay: Highland Glacial Clay Pomade
Ever since Highlands came onto the elevated haircare and styling scene a few years ago, they’ve been the cool clays on the indie block. They keep things curated, focusing on a few essential items (like the Wash), housing them in sharp packaging and concocting herbaceous, awesome aromas along the way. Glacial Clay Pomade is a modern styling classic and one I come back to for pliable definition. You get reworkable hold, botanicals that support hair health, plus kaolin clay to absorb oil and add volume. The woodsy pine-and-sandalwood scent is damn good, too. It can feel a bit smudgy at first, but once you work it through your palms, it gives you texture for days and leaves you with more nourished, softer, healthier-feeling hair.
Key Ingredients: Kaolin clay absorbs oil and adds texture; Aloe vera soothes and hydrates the scalp; Coconut oil conditions and softens hair; Beeswax provides hold and structure; Essential oils support scalp health and add a woodsy scent.
Best Versatile Hair Clay: Hanz de Fuko Claymation
You didn’t think we’d do a hair clay list without including Hanz de Fuko, did you? Their Quicksand line is one of my all-time favorites and a true OG in that gritty, “I woke up like this” texture game, so if you’re after that extra matte, dry shampoo-like finish, that’s your move. But Claymation deserves just as much love. This clay-wax hybrid is unscented, highly pliable and delivers serious fullness, making it one of the easier clays to work through thinner hair. It has a smoother texture that’s easy on the scalp but still brings plenty of hold. Start with a pea-sized amount and work it between your palms to loosen it up. From there, it gives you that all-day, lived-in texture that works across most hair types.
Key Ingredients: Bentonite and kaolin clays absorb oil and add texture; Beeswax provides strong hold; Glycerin hydrates; Jojoba esters condition and soothe; Tocopherol (Vitamin E) supports hair health.
Best Hair Clay for Lightweight Texture: Brightside Textured Cream
We really dig barber-backed, curated, IYKYK styling line Brightside, so much that we profiled them (check that here). Now, this isn’t technically a clay; it’s more of a cream, but the mattifying power and oil control here are next level. This gritty gem uses a proprietary mega-oil-absorption blend of diatomaceous earth, kaolin clay and bentonite, along with shea butter to keep hair conditioned and soft. It lands somewhere between a texturizing cream, dry shampoo and clay, delivering volume and matte texture with a touch of sheen. There aren’t many styling products that balance all that with conditioning benefits, too, which alone awards this buzzy styler a spot here.
Key Ingredients: Diatomaceous earth, kaolin, and bentonite clays absorb oil and add texture; Silica boosts volume and matte finish; Shea butter conditions and softens; Beeswax provides light hold; Glycerin helps retain moisture.
Best Hybrid Hair Clay (Dry Shampoo x Paste): R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste
Ok, so I know technically this isn’t a clay, but it lives in that same family, and I dig this clay-meets-dry shampoo-meets-paste too much to leave it out. It has a cult following for good reason. First off, it absorbs oil on contact, the next best thing to a dry shampoo or texturizing powder, but with styling chops. It gives the hair a touch of sheen and works especially well on medium-length hair when you want that effortless, second-day texture. You get a pseudo-matte finish, reworkable hold and minimal buildup, all while delivering a perfectly imperfect finish. Badlands is badass.
Key Ingredients: Volcanic ash balances the scalp; Zeolite absorbs oil and adds texture; Coconut oil defines and thickens; Argan oil softens and nourishes; Sunflower seed extract protects and repairs; Silica and diatomaceous earth boost volume and mattify.
Best Nourishing Hair Clay: Blind Barber Bryce Harper Hair Clay
We’re fans of Blind Barber here, too, and the barbershop-born brand’s 2018 Bryce Harper collab makes sense given the whole “best hair in baseball” reputation. There’s some marketing sheen to it, yes, but this clay backs it up with styling chops and a thoughtfully curated, natural-leaning ingredient lineup that supports hair health. It adds texture and absorbs oil without drying, thanks to a mix of conditioning, skin-friendly ingredients. Kaolin pulls excess oil while boosting volume, while glycerin, shea butter, argan and marula oils keep hair hydrated. Sunflower and rosemary extracts support overall scalp health, and vitamin E helps protect the scalp. It hits that sweet spot of approachability and barbershop credibility, with performance and skin-forward benefits baked in, just in time for the opening pitch.
Key Ingredients: Kaolin clay absorbs oil and adds texture; Glycerin hydrates; Shea butter, argan oil, and marula oil condition; Sunflower seed extract and rosemary extract support scalp health and provide antioxidant benefits; Vitamin E helps protect and strengthen hair.
FAQ:
Hair clays are often composed of actual clay minerals, with kaolin or bentonite being the most popular. These particles absorb oil and add friction, giving you that matte, lived-in texture and easy-going separation. Many formulas also include nourishing ingredients, such as shea butter or vitamins, to help condition and support scalp health. Clays are more reworkable than other hair styler as they don’t fully set into a film and often look even better throughout the day. Below, David Connor graciously lends his follicular expertise to answer some common questions about hair clays.
Why are hair clays so popular right now?
“Clays tend to become popular as the weather warms up, and I see it every spring and summer because they fit right into the environment and the way guys want their hair to look. They give you the flexibility to change your style throughout the day without reapplying or dealing with flaking, so you can start polished for work and then loosen things up for happy hour.”
What makes a hair clay different from other styling products like pomades or pastes?
“Clays are highly reworkable. They can feel soft and creamy or drier and firmer, but either way, they offer strong, all-day hold. You can even sleep in them and get an even more natural look the next day. Pomades tend to break down when you touch them and usually have more shine, while pastes are softer and break down more easily in your hands. Clays take a bit more effort to warm up, but that’s what gives them their unique texture and finish.”
A lot of guys are after that effortless textured look. How do clays help achieve that?
“Clays have less oil and fewer hydrating ingredients, which gives them that second-day, effortless look and creates a lived-in style that doesn’t appear like you’re wearing product at all. Everyone has had that perfect overnight hair that’s hard to recreate, and clay solves for that.”
Some clays can double somewhat as a dry shampoo thanks to ingredients like kaolin or bentonite. How does that work?
“Kaolin and bentonite are naturally absorbent minerals. When you work them into the hair and scalp, they act like a sponge and soak up excess oil, similar to a dry shampoo.”
What should guys look for in a good clay when it comes to hold and re-workability?
“The first thing I look at is the type of hold, because that determines whether it’s firm or flexible. Then I look at the finish, whether it’s dry or has some shine. A dry, firm clay will hold your style more in place, while a more flexible clay stays pliable throughout the day. A good clay should break down easily in your hands and spread through the hair.”
Do different hair types change how you’d recommend using a clay?
“For fine hair or shorter crops, I like drier clays that lock up quickly and give that ultra matte finish. For thicker hair, I prefer a clay that melts more easily, so you get movement and flow. The same goes for wavy hair. A good tip is to create friction in your hands to warm the product and soften the resins before applying. Always spread it from fingertips to palms, start with a dime-sized amount, and build from there depending on the hold and look you want.”
About the Expert:
David Connor is an accomplished hairstylist, master barber and owner of the acclaimed Anti-Gravity Salon in New Orleans. With over 20 years of experience, he serves as an international educator for BabylissPRO and Hattori Hanzo and has taught his work in 12 countries, including all over the US. With a strong focus on gentlemen’s grooming, his work has also graced New York Fashion Week and Miami Swim Fashion Week. Passionate about education, David elevates beauty professionals and empowers clients with expert tips on trends and at-home care.
Why You Should Trust Us:
In addition to writing for InsideHook, I’ve covered topics ranging from grooming and style to fragrances and watches for GQ, Men’s Journal, Robb Report, Esquire and Men’s Health. I served as the market editor at Esquire for several years, scouring the industry for the best garments and goods that were not only worth the investment but that also made for compelling stories and good advice for our readers; there, I also conceptualized and wrote many fragrance stories. I have always tried to add a timeless element to whatever I have written — although trends are interesting and relevant to a degree, my heart has always been drawn to more perennial guidance and themes. While I often delve into researching items to the point of exhaustion, it’s this approach that positions me as a go-to expert for advice. Whether it’s about coats, colognes or razors, people recognize that I’ve done the legwork. I enjoy inspiring others to seek out their unique interests in things that might improve their lives.
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