Concrete Hold Matte Pomade

In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.

• 1 Water · Water (Aqua)
  General function

  The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  • solvent
• 2 Cetearyl Alcohol
  General function

  A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  The waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

  DependsFine or easily flattened hair

  Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

  PubChem
  • fatty alcohol
  • emollient
  • thickener
• 3 Petrolatum
  General function

  A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.

  Leading ingredient

  Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.

  • sealant
  • emollient
• 4 Lanolin Wax
  General function

  The solid fraction of lanolin, used to give balms body and hold.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.

  • film former
  • sealant
  • wax
• 5 Ceteareth-25
  General function

  An emulsifier used to keep rich creams from separating.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  • emulsifier
• 6 Propylene Glycol
  General function

  A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • humectant
  • solvent
• 7 PVP
  General function

  A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

  PubChem
  • film former
  • polymer
• 8 Beeswax · Cera Alba (Beeswax)
  General function

  A firm natural wax that grips and holds hair in place. It resists water and can take repeated washing to remove.

  Supporting ingredient

  Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.

  • wax
  • film former
  • sealant
• 9 Tribehenin
  General function

  A plant-derived wax used to thicken balms and give a firm, smooth feel.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.

  PubChem
  • wax
  • emollient
• 10 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
  • solubilizer
  • emulsifier
• 11 Kaolin
  General function

  A soft white clay that absorbs oil and adds body without much grit.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFine or easily flattened hair

  Absorbs oil and adds texture, which is what gives fine hair grip at the root instead of slip.

  May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  An absorbent solid takes up oil, and hair already short of it has less to give.

  • clay
  • powder
• 12 VP/VA Copolymer
  General function

  A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  • film former
  • polymer
• 13 Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
  General function

  A rich, lanolin-like emollient used in balms for a soft, sealing finish.

  Secondary ingredient

  Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

  May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.

  • emollient
  • sealant
• 14 Polysorbate 60
  • emulsifier
  • solubilizer
• ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
• 15 Fragrance · Fragrance (Parfum)
  General function

  An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
  • declared fragrance
• 16 Phenoxyethanol
  • preservative
• 17 Caprylyl Glycol
  General function

  A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

  PubChem
  • preservative
  • humectant
• 18 Vinyl Caprolactam/VP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
  General function

  A hold polymer that sets with flexibility and washes out with water.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

  May suitMaximum-hold styling

  Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

  • film former
  • polymer
• 19 Sorbic Acid
  • preservative
• 20 Laurtrimonium Chloride
  General function

  A light conditioning agent common in sprays and leave-ins where weight matters.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  The class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.

  DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

  PubChem
  • conditioning agent
• 21 Diazolidinyl Urea
  • formaldehyde releaser
  • preservative
• 22 Sodium Bisulfite
  • antioxidant
  • preservative
• 23 Glycerin
  General function

  Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair

  High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

  May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair

  Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

  DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair

  Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

  Scientific Reports
  • humectant
• 24 BHT
  • antioxidant
• 25 Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
  • preservative
• 26 Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract
  • botanical extract
• 27 Urtica Dioica (Nettle) Leaf Extract
  • botanical extract
• 28 Equisetum Arvense Extract · Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract
  • botanical extract
• 29 Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
  • botanical extract
  • antioxidant
• 30 Sodium Benzoate
  • preservative
• 31 Potassium Sorbate
  • preservative
• 32 Citric Acid
  General function

  Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines

  Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

  May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair

  The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

  May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair

  Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

  International Journal of Trichology
  • pH adjuster
  • hard-water chelator
• 33 Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
  General function

  A synthetic musk or woody-amber note used as a fragrance base.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  • fragrance
• 34 Hexamethylindanopyran
  General function

  A synthetic musk used as a long-lasting fragrance base note.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
• 35 Coumarin
  General function

  A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 36 Vanillin
  General function

  The main scent compound in vanilla, used as a fragrance note.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
• 37 Benzyl Alcohol
  • preservative
  • solvent
• 38 Linalool
  General function

  A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 39 Limonene
  General function

  A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 40 Linalyl Acetate
  General function

  A lavender-like fragrance component, related to linalool and listed for the same allergen reason.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 41 Hexyl Cinnamal
  General function

  A jasmine-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 42 Hydroxycitronellal
  General function

  A soft floral fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen
• 43 Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
  General function

  A violet-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

  Estimated lower-concentration zone

  It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

  May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines

  One of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.

  PubChem
  • fragrance
  • named fragrance allergen

What the whole list adds up to

• 11 fragrances
• 9 preservatives
• 7 named fragrance allergens
• 5 film formers
• 4 emollients
• 4 sealants
• 4 botanical extracts
• 3 solvents
• 3 waxs
• 3 emulsifiers
• 3 humectants
• 3 polymers
• 3 antioxidants
• 2 solubilizers

Ingredient list captured 2026-10-04. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.