There's a particular kind of product that earns its reputation not through advertising but through word of mouth — passed between barbers, recommended chair to chair, jar to jar. Layrite is that kind of product. Layrite Men’s Grooming Products have been a respected name in traditional barbering and men’s grooming since 1999. Often imitated but never replicated, the products have become a staple in many barbershops around the world.
That reputation wasn't built overnight, and it wasn't manufactured. It started in a barbershop in the United States with a problem that needed solving.
A Barber's Problem, A Barber's Solution
The year was 1999. To most, it seemed the barbering trade was breathing its last breath. Nevertheless, Layrite's passionate founder, Donnie Hawley, was still in hot pursuit of perfecting his client's haircuts. His technique was being hindered by the traditional petroleum-based products his patrons wore that were notoriously difficult to wash out. Never wanting to limit style, yet committed to an elevated standard of barbering, Donnie laboured to find a solution.
The result was a water-soluble pomade — a formula that could hold hair with the authority of a wax but rinse clean with water alone. After one of Donnie's patrons commented that his pomade was the only product that made his hair lay right, a brand was born. The name wrote itself.
This origin story matters because it explains why Layrite performs differently from most pomades. The concept wasn’t born from a corporate product brief or trend forecast. It was developed by a working barber trying to solve a real problem in his own shop. Layrite was created from a barber’s practical experience behind the chair — and that distinction shows in how the products behave on actual hair, in actual hands, under real conditions.
What Water-Soluble Actually Means
Before Layrite, the pomade landscape was dominated by petroleum-based products. They held well, they shone up nicely, and they were an absolute nightmare to wash out. Multiple shampoo cycles, grease on pillowcases, build-up that accumulated over days. It was a genuine limitation on how many men would commit to using pomade regularly.
Layrite's water-soluble formula changed that equation. Hold like wax, wash out like gel. Apply to towel-dried damp hair for a looser, more relaxed result. Apply to fully dry hair when you need the style to stay exactly where you put it. For restyling during the day, dampen fingers or a comb and work through the hair — the pomade reactivates and moves.
That breakthrough is why Layrite earned its barbershop following, and why that following has held across 25 years.
The Range: Built for Every Hold and Finish
Original Pomade
The one that started everything. Medium hold, medium shine, water-soluble. The classic Original Pomade was the first formulation by founder Donnie Hawley, designed to hold like wax and wash out like gel. Best for styling traditional haircuts with a medium amount of shine. It's the everyday pick for most hair types — fine to medium thickness, short to medium length. The signature scent is mild cream soda, which has become one of the most recognisable fragrances in men's grooming.
Superhold Pomade
For thicker hair, longer lengths, or styles that need to stay put under pressure. The Superhold delivers significantly more control than the Original while keeping the same water-soluble, rinseable formula. It's the pick for pompadours, slick backs, and any style where movement isn't the goal.
Cement Clay
Introduced to answer the demand for matte texture styling, the Cement Clay sits at the heavy hold, zero-shine end of the range. It's built for styles where a natural, textured finish is the aim — cropped cuts, messy quiffs, styles where product shouldn't be visible. The hold is serious, and unlike many clays it is designed to maintain flexibility without excessive dryness or flaking.
Natural Matte Cream
The lightest option in the range — medium hold, a low-shine matte finish, a softer texture that works well on wavy or natural hair that needs direction without rigidity. It applies easily, distributes evenly, and doesn't leave the hair feeling coated.
Beard Oil
Layrite developed a beard oil with their signature scent and in a slightly thicker form than regular beard oil. Layrite positions the formula as slightly thicker than many traditional beard oils as they believe that traditional beard oil is difficult to spread in the beard. According to Layrite, their concentrated formula is easy to distribute through even a full beard. For men who use Layrite in their hair, the beard oil extends the same philosophy — functional, well-formulated, with the familiar cream soda scent that ties the whole grooming routine together.
How to Use Layrite
With Layrite, hair dryness controls hold level. The drier the hair when you apply, the stronger and longer-lasting the hold. Apply to towel-dried damp hair for a looser, more relaxed result. Apply to fully dry hair when you need the style to stay exactly where you put it.
Start with less than you think you need. A small amount distributed evenly through the hair is sufficient for most styles. Building up is easier than taking out.
Why Layrite Belongs at Gentleman & Son
Layrite occupies a specific and important part of the range — the authentic barbershop end. Not heritage-marketed nostalgia, but actual product born from barbering practice and with decades of barbershop credibility behind it.
For men who want a water-soluble pomade that genuinely performs, there are imitations and there is Layrite. If you haven't tried it, start with the Original. If you have thick or coarse hair, go straight to the Superhold. If texture without shine is your thing, the Cement Clay is where to start.
