Clays, gels, oils, pomades, powders, pastes, and waxes are all excellent hair products. But if you’re looking for a healthy hair and scalp styling option, then it’s time to treat your tresses to the best hair tonics for men.
Whether you’re posing with a pompadour or sporting a slick-back, the great thing about hair tonic for men is that it works on all hair styles and types. It adds sheen, provides a light hold, is often scented, and gives the quadruple whammy of moisturizing dry scalps and thirsty hair.
Just like the skin on our face, our scalp gets damaged over time from pollution and exposure to UV rays. The scalp’s hair bulbs are then slower to regenerate, causing our hair to become thinner and regrow more slowly.
The good news is, though, that massaging hair tonic into the scalp improves blood flow. According to Perfect Medical, this helps hair follicles receive more oxygen and nutrients, which in turn promotes growth and strengthens hair.
If you’re that worried your hair is thinning, breaking, or shedding more strands than usual, fear not; the best hair tonics for men are set to become your hair heroes.
Ensure that your hair is your crowning glory. Find out which 5 of the best hair tonics for men made the cut here.
Key takeaways
Your hair is the ultimate accessory. In fact, some say it’s the crown you never take off. With this in mind, I got to work researching the 5 best hair tonics for men to hold, nourish, repair, and strengthen strands.
My hunt led me to read countless reviews. The conclusion was that healthy-looking hair equals sexy-looking hair, and few products achieve this as well as hair tonic for men.
My top find, Reuzel Hair Tonic, boasts a fortifying formula made with natural ingredients to offer softness and shine without weighing tresses down. Meanwhile, Clubman Pinaud Hair Tonic ensures that even guys on a budget can get in on the act. This wallet-friendly blend is ideal for dry, fine hair, leaving it feeling thicker and fuller.
Reuzel Hair Tonic at Amazon
Clubman Pinaud Hair Tonic at Amazon
Benedetta Hair Tonic at Amazon
AVEDA Thickening Tonic at Amazon
American Crew Prep & Prime Tonic at Amazon
Best Overall: Reuzel Hair Tonic
Why it’s great: My barber recommended Reuzel hair tonic to me when he used it as a cutting lotion on my wet hair. I haven’t looked back since. The key ingredients of this tonic, witch hazel, nettle leaf, rosemary, and horsetail root, work together in harmony to soften the hair.
This is one of the best hair tonics for men. I find that the oil-free formula doesn’t weigh strands down. Plus, I’m a big fan of the classic barbershop fragrance and packaging style.
Who is this for? If you are looking for a low-shine light hold, then this high-quality styling product is a true tonic for the hair.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Maybe you’re one of those guys who don’t like the bottle’s dispensing mechanism, which sort of squirts the product out. FYI, I transfer the tonic to a spray bottle and add a splash of bottled water.
Product Benefits: Texturizes, moisturizes, refreshes | Hair Type: All | Size: 11.8oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Scent: Rosemary
Best Budget: Clubman Pinaud Hair Tonic
Why it’s great: Clubman Pinaud Hair Tonic offers grease-free styling for a laid-back, natural look. Hair will stay in place all day without looking wet or dry, and if, like me, you run your fingers through your hair, you’ll appreciate this best hair tonic for men.
One of the things I like about this budget buy the most is that after applying it to my hair, it’s easy to rinse off my hands without using soap.
Who is this for? This hair tonic is ideal for guys with dry or fine hair. After using it for a few weeks, your hair feels soft yet fuller and more manageable. I give it a thumbs-up for performance and price.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The barbershop fragrance complements the Clubman aftershave, but it may be a bit on the subtle side for some guys.
Product Benefits: Strengthens | Hair Type: Dry or fine | Size: 12.5 oz | Cruelty-free: Yes | Scent: Barbershop fragrance
Best Luxury: Benedetta Hair Tonic
Why it’s great: Benedetta, which in Italian means “blessed,” uses only farm-sourced 100% botanical ingredients. This holistic hair tonic exfoliates the scalp, leaving the hair shiny, nourished, and protected while ditching the dandruff itch. It also works well on dehydrated, curly hair and in dry climates.
Who is this for? I first came across this hair tonic on my wife’s side of the bathroom cabinet. Boy, it was good, so I was stoked when I found out this product is unisex, meaning that it’s one of the best hair tonics for men, too. It’s a winner for anyone wanting to boost their hair and scalp health ethically.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The only downside to this plant-based product is the price point. But that’s to be expected with a luxury product.
Product Benefits: Shines, soothes, exfoliates, moisturizes, encourages regrowth | Hair Type: Normal | Size: 1.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Scent: Fresh but unscented
Best on Amazon: AVEDA Thickening Tonic
Why it’s great: Aveda products deserve pride of place on your bathroom shelf. This Amazon find conditions the hair, adds volume and texture, and doubles as a grooming tonic.
This is one of the best hair tonics for men. You can leave it in the hair to dry naturally or blow dry; either way, it outperforms lots of other similar products but for an easy-on-the-pocket price. It’s simple to brush out and won’t leave any residue in the hair, which is great for scalp health.
Who is this for? You will be happy to know that you can use this tonic alongside Aveda Deluxe and Heavy-hold pomades. Also, if you like restyling your cut during the day, just run a drop of water through the hair. It does the job on thick and/or curly hair, too.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The consistency of this hair tonic for men is a little thicker than you may expect, so you could find that your hair feels a bit sticky when blow drying.
Product Benefits: Volumizes, texturizes, controls | Hair Type: All| Size: 3.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Scent: Unscented
Best Everyday: American Crew Prep & Prime Tonic
Why it’s great: For men who like to use a hair tonic every day, American Crew Prep & Prime is a true multitasker. If you blow dry your hair using high heat, it will protect it from damage. What’s more, it keeps any hair styling tools, including clippers and shears, in tip-top condition and free from product build-up.
Who is this for? This is one of the best hair tonics for men. Anyone looking for manageable hair with a light hold will love this water-based product. It preps and primes hair for cutting and styling. I find it a useful detangling tonic, making longer hair easier to comb or brush.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Although the tonic’s fragrance is on the medicinal side of minty, some would still find it refreshing, so the jury’s out on that count.
Product Benefits: Heat protection, hydrates, strengthens | Hair Type: All | Size: 8.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: No | Scent: Clean, fresh
Buying Considerations for the Best Hair Tonics for Men
Ingredients
The first step to choosing a hair tonic for men is to carry out an ingredient investigation. Whether you’re looking for the best face wash, beard dye, or hair tonic, when you put any product label under the microscope, you need to know what to look for.
Tea tree, rosemary, lavender, and argan oils are all beneficial to the hair and scalp, promoting thicker, healthier hair. So, it will come as no surprise that Aveda Thickening Tonic is enriched with castor oil, which is often called “the liquid gold of hair care.”
Don’t be discouraged if you notice that a hair tonic for men contains alcohol. This ingredient can help remove debris and excess oil from the hair, which is why leading hair tonics, including American Crew Prep & Prime, work so well.
If you are looking for strong, shiny hair, then scrutinize the small print until you find plant extracts like those in vegan-friendly Reuzel Hair Tonic.
Price
Just as you would invest in the products you use for your skincare routine, the same applies to deciding which is the best hair tonics for men. A good rule of thumb is to dig deep for a higher-priced product if, and only if, it offers more than a cheaper one.
Reuzel Hair Tonic, at around $20, is at the higher end of the Best Buy list. If you store the product in the fridge, though, you can use it as a cooling lotion for neck and scalp massages, giving you more
Meanwhile, priced at a little under $10, Clubman Pinaud Hair Tonic is more of a one-trick pony. Nevertheless, it lives up to its claim of restoring the moisture balance to fine or dry hair.
Sustainability
According to the global Hair Tonic Market report, “a prominent trend in the Hair Tonic market is the increasing demand for products that are environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly.” If this is top of your tonic list, then it has to be Benedetta Hair Tonic.
Yes, it comes in at a hefty $60, but its eco-friendly credentials are second to none. The luxury brand believes in working with nature and uses only ingredients that are either farm-cultivated, found in the sea, or ecologically harvested in the wild.
If the Benedetta price bar is set a little high, then you can still be planet-aware with more affordable hair tonics for men. Check out brands like Reuzel, which offer a wide range of products that are mostly vegan (a limited number of products contain beeswax). Leaping Bunny has certified Reuzel as a cruelty-free company that never tests on animals.
How We Chose
With an abundance of hair styling products available, it can be difficult to decide where to splash your hard-earned cash. So, I’ve done the legwork for you. I used a strict set of criteria to separate the fads from the must-haves to bring you this definitive list of the 5 best hair tonics for men.
Price: It would be simple to check the price tag and immediately categorize a hair tonic as “budget” or “luxury.” But for me, a cheap product without an effective formula will never represent good value for money.
In the same way, an expensive product can’t be deemed “luxury” unless it offers something above and beyond its cheaper counterparts. I always dig deeper to determine whether the formula justifies the funds.
Reviews: If you’ve ever paused to read through the reviews section, then you know those guys can be harsh. But that’s exactly what I want to see. So, when deciding which products to include in my roundup, I don’t rely on biased opinions from influencers on commission but rather on real feedback from guys like you and me.
Cruelty-Free: I may be a bearded, tattoo-loving motorcycle enthusiast, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a caring side. I always go the extra length to confirm a brand’s cruelty-free credentials to help you make conscious buying choices when expanding your grooming collection.
Why Trust Us?
Mal is a regular FashionBeans writer, male grooming expert, and enthusiast with penned and published reviews ranging from the best hair loss treatments to the best dyes for gray hair and haircuts for men.
When recommending a product, he checks out buyer feedback and ratings before making an informed decision in his quest to save you time, money, and disappointment.
Whether he is searching for the best hair tonics for men, deodorant, or electric shavers, he puts potential picks through their paces on a day-to-day basis. And what comes next is hands-on testing, vetting, and in-depth brand research.
He then compares the descriptions and features of dozens of products to bring you what he believes to be the very best buys on the market today.
It doesn’t matter whether your locks are curly, straight, coarse, or fine; Mal consistently endeavors to get to the root of the problem hair. He does this regardless of whether he is looking for the best soap, natural shampoo, leave-in conditioner, and more.
You can trust him to bring you his top-notch tips and product picks, guaranteed to care for your crop.
Final Verdict
Your bathroom shelf is already overflowing with putty, pomade, wax, and gel. So, do you really need a hair tonic for men, too? My research shows that it’s a big fat yes.
The best hair tonics for men are more than just styling products. Take my top pick, Reuzel Hair Tonic, for instance. The cruelty-free and vegan formula moisturizes dry scalps, breaks down product build-up, strengthens broken strands, and controls dandruff – all while holding hair in place and leaving an attractive, glossy finish.
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- Is hair tonic good for men?
Hair tonic is an ideal fuss-free product for men. It can help repair damaged hair, prevent dandruff, and make styling a breeze. What’s more, if you incorporate the best hair tonic for men into your regular grooming routine, you can help ease annoying scalp issues, and a healthy scalp means happy hair!
- Can men use a hair tonic?
Hair tonics for men are an old-school barbershop styling product. They are particularly beneficial for guys with thinning hair, dandruff, or dryness. This retro rescue remedy will undoubtedly become one of your favorite men’s hair products. Just take this Redditor’s word for it: “Hair tonic is a styling product in itself, as well as having numerous other benefits. I personally use it more than any other product… Gives Hold, Shine, and Scent!”
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