Hair tonic could easily be found in most men's bathrooms in the 1950's and 60's. Then, styling gels and mousses hit the mainstream, and hair tonics were relegated to a back shelf and eventually disposed of. Today, hair tonics are experiencing a renaissance as traditional barbering and grooming are back in style.   

What is Hair Tonic?

Hair tonic is usually liquid, but can sometimes be packaged as a pomade, and they can be refreshing additions to personal grooming supplies. Tonics break down the build up of other grooming products without weighing hair down. Barbers often use tonics as re-wetting agents during a haircut. Applied to wet hair, tonics make clippers and scissors glide easily through hair for a smoother cut.

Hair Tonic for styling

But what does hair tonic do to your look? Tonics make the hair look glossier, which is viewed by many people as a sign of healthy hair. They help hold the hair in place, making it easier to style. Other benefits include moisturizing dry hair, lubricating a dry scalp, reducing split ends and broken hair, and helping to control dandruff. Reuzel Hair Tonic for men refreshes the hair and skin and is good for massaging the face, scalp, and neck. Barbers often refer to hair tonics as "friction lotions," because they can be used to give clients an invigorating scalp massage. This type of massage helps to stimulate blood circulation to the hair follicles, while the tonic moisturizes and conditions the hair and scalp.

Old Fashioned Barber Shop Hair Tonic

Reuzel Hair Tonic is modeled on a classic barber formula and even smells like the tonics used in old-fashioned barber shops. The ingredients perform important functions in keeping the hair healthy and attractive. The witch hazel extract is a natural astringent, which tightens the skin on the scalp and neck. Nettle leaf extract makes the hair shinier, while the rosemary extract moisturizes the hair and the horsetail root extract strengthens the hair. Finally, the plant-based alcohol softens the hair and makes a good cutting agent.

At Schorem, barbers keep our Hair Tonic in the refrigerator so that scalp massages are brisk, cool and refreshing. Keeping a bottle of tonic in the refrigerator makes a bracing, cooling refresher for scalp and neck massages. However, the tonic does not need to be refrigerated.  Using hair tonic is easy. Just pour a little into your palm, rub hands together, and apply to damp hair. Comb the tonic through the damp hair to distribute the product evenly and then style. You can reactivate the tonic by wetting the hair with more tonic or plain water and then re-combing and restyling. 

Reuzel’s Grooming Tonic uses the same ingredients as the Hair Tonic but omits the alcohol. Instead of alcohol, it includes argon oil, which is an Omega 9 fatty acid that repairs and strengthens hair and adds lift and volume. It protects hair from blow dryers and other thermal styling techniques. It gives style and finish to already styled hair. Reuzel's Grooming Tonic has a light-medium hold.

Created by two barbers, Leen and Bertus, from Rotterdam, Reuzel products are the result of 50 years of work in a traditional barbershop and years of study of products used through the ages to find the perfect formulas. Leen said that he and Bertus created Reuzel out of pure necessity. They ran into problems when recommending products that would be back ordered for six months. They knew their products needed to perform and to be available for their loyal customers. They have more than a million fans and a seven-hour wait time in their barbershop. Their shop offers traditional, classic, and signature haircuts, as well as hot towel straight-edge shaves. Their patrons hail from every echelon of society. What man does not want the ambiance of a good old-fashioned barber shop and the expert treatment offered by barbers who consider their work to be more than a profession: it is a mission and commitment to provide the very best in barbering. 

For additional information, please contact us. We have products for every hair care need.