Brylcreem?

[crwritt]

Looking through the posts and threads about hair styling, I noticed one or two that mentioned Brylcreem ( a little dab'l do ya!). I spotted it in the drugstore today and I was hoping I could get some tips on using it.
I have thick, medium brown, naturally curly to wavy below shoulder length hair, cut in a u shape with long layers, shortest layer is about chin length.
I color to keep back the gray , and have a few lighter highlights.
Last time I had it cut she razored into it a lot, with the theory it would thin out the bulk. It appears the opposite is true, that when hair like mine is "thinned" like that. it actually becomes more full, especially in humidity.
We've had lots of warm rainy days this summer, and boys o boys do I have big, unpredictable hair!
I would love to just be able to style it in the morning and trust it to stay put all day, but it just doesn't seem to be happening.
So, with the Brylcreem, do you use it on wet hair? Do you dry and style your hair then apply it? How much do you use?
What techniques seem to work best with it?
I wish I could handle my own hair. My hairdresser retired, it seems to me she could do my hair and it would look good for almost a week!
Thanks so much

 

[dhermann1]

Brylcreem is what gave Greasers their name. It's kind of vile stuff, if you ask me. But I suppose it can be used appropriately. You take a gob the same size as a gob of toothpaste, rub it into your palms, and rub it into your hair. Nowadays they tell you to put conditioner (that's what is is, more or less) in from the back and massage it forward. We did the opposite back in '58. It's really meant to help you keep that old fashioned parted on the side, high and tight on the sides and back style of haircut in place. Or keep your ducktail up. (If you don't know what a ducktail is, check out every rocker from the 50's.)
If you have an old had with big grease stains in the crown, chances are that most of it is Brylcreem, or Wildroot Creme Oil, or some other such concoction.
You could use Crisco and get the same results.
Edit: I just noticed that this is the Beauty Forum (saw the post in New Posts) and that you're a lady. Yikes! If that's the case, I definitely would NOT recommend using Brylcreem!

 

[David Conwill]

Acknowledging that you are a lady, this may not be entirely relevant, but I use Brylcreem every day and I love it. I had frizzy, unmanageable hair my entire life until I discovered this stuff. My wife fought me tooth and nail about trying out such an "old man" product, until finally one day I bought a tube with the promise "if you hate it, I won't use it again." Guess what, she loves it. She really can't keep from running her fingers through my hair. She even uses a dab or two herself from time to time, to keep the frizz in check (just not enough to get the shine). I also haven't noticed a real problem with hats - that's why they've got linings, methinks, and why we can clean and re-block them eventually.

Give it a try, it can't hurt and the stuff is pretty inexpensive. If you dislike it or it isn't working, just shampoo it out and mail the rest of the tube to me.

-Dave

 

[dhermann1]

Just shows to go you, don't it?

 

[lolly_loisides]

My hair sounds exactly like yours - thinning it out makes it look like a big foofy halo of hair. I can understand why you want to use brylcream to keep it down. I tried it a while ago & I found it made my scalp really itchy, I wouldn't recommend it. After alot of trial & error I found jessicurl products work really well for my hair. You can buy samples from the website.

 

[crwritt]

Thanks everyone for answering! I bought a tube and I'm giving it a go... I put a "bit More" than a dime size in my palm and worked it through my voluminous hair yesterday afternoon. It may have been a little too much, but I like it so far. My hair actually responds to combing and brushing! instead of just getting fluffier and puffier, it lays down. Its not greasy looking, and its arranging itself in big loose waves, the way I like it.
I read a tip on the Brylcreem website that you can put it in damp hair and use it when you blow dry, something like those silicone based defrizzing serums (they give me head rash).
Since they suggest it for blow drying, I'm going to experiment with it with the hot rollers.
When I woke up this morning, my hair was not as scary looking as it has been this rainy week. I did not have to hurry into the bathroom and start messing with my hair.
I know this product is old fashioned, marketed to men, and has a greaser reputation, but I have a cubboard full of modern hair products marketed to women that have not worked for my hair, some of which were pretty pricy.
I have tried the gamut of smoothers and gels and sprays, Afro products and homemade recipes.
I would be thrilled to find that this works for me. If it does, I'll have more time, spend less money, and have much more shelf space.

 

[David Conwill]

I'm glad it's working for you. It actually sounds like we have similar hair (albeit mine is considerably shorter). I no longer get "bed head" either.

As for the greaser reputation, I'm of the opinion that must be unfounded. Brylcreem really doesn't have enough hold to work for a DA unless you've got naturally "sticky" hair. Mine just lays down. I think real greasers use pomade - which I tried back in college, that stuff really is greasy.

-Dave

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

I use brylcreem (stolen from my husband - who is a supergreaser but he uses lay rite or murrays).

I find brylcreem to bet just enough to moisten my hair to lay down and take care of fly-aways...without getting greasy. I use it before i set my hair and when I take out the rollers, smooth as silk.

But just a little dab. It really does go a long way.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Am I nuts...or wouldn't it work something like V05 hairdressing ?

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Am I nuts...or wouldn't it work something like V05 hairdressing ?

You aren't nuts. The difference is that V05 has more mineral oil. I believe that is the first ingredient...whereas Brylcreem's first ingredient is water.

I am googling now.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Brylcreem's ingredients are: water, mineral oil, beeswax, fragrance, calcium hydroxide, BHT, dimethyl oxazolidine, magnesium sulfate, and stearic acid.

V05 Ingredients:
MINERAL OIL, PETROLATUM, ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, PEG-2 STEARATE, CERSIN, PARAFFIN GLYCERAL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE.


I think the Brylcreem is better, since no petrolatum.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

ahh fair enough...makes sense...hehe

 

[Brinybay]

If you're going to try grooming gels meant for men, try Groom & Clean. Easily available, non-greasy, holds well. Best applied when your hair is wet. Only funny thing about it is they put in the men's SHAVING area, don't ask me why. I hunted all over Walgreen's the first time then had to ask, and there it was, in the men's shaving products section.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

[huh] I notice a significant difference between the VO5 and the Brylcreem. Less oily with the Brylcreem.

 

[crwritt]

I find brylcreem to bet just enough to moisten my hair to lay down and take care of fly-aways...without getting greasy. I use it before i set my hair and when I take out the rollers, smooth as silk.

Desi, are you using it on towel dry hair, for a wet set? I just need a little description of how you go about it.

So far i've used it on my hair that was blow dried the day before. It really made it lay down and behave. I set it in big hot rollers and the results were loose smooth curls.

Next I think I'll try it in place of a defrizzing serum, to see how my fresh washed hair air dries with it.

Mostly, I like that with the Brylcreem, when my hair gets mussed, I can just smooth it back into place, and it stays, instead of gettting puffier.

 

[monicacaroline]

all the same

You aren't nuts. The difference is that V05 has more mineral oil. I believe that is the first ingredient...whereas Brylcreem's first ingredient is water.

I am googling now.

I may be too late to point this out, but paraffin wax,mineral oil and petroleum jelly are all by products of oil. They're pretty much the same.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've been using a similar product,

Vitapointe from Clairol.

It's a creme conditioner that adds sheen and manageability to my hair. It's light, white, and never greasy nor sticky. It also claims to strengthen the hair cuticle to reduce breakage and frizz. Funny thing is that the men of my family started using it when my father could no longer find Brylcream in the local drug store. Mom has been using Vitapointe since she was a child and persuaded dad to give the stuff a try.

Anyhow, the ingredients differ slightly from Brylcream and are as follows:
Mineral Oil, Water, Beeswax, Aluminum Stearate, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Stearic Acid, Proplyparaben, Calcium Oxide

Reminder: Just like Brylcream, "A little dab will do it!"

Most Vitapointe ads target the female consumer,
but here's a vintage one aimed at the gents.
Appears to be in Scandanavian, probably Finnish.

 

[brylcreem boy]

If you're going to try grooming gels meant for men, try Groom & Clean. Easily available, non-greasy, holds well. Best applied when your hair is wet.

I agree with Brinybay... Give Groom and Clean a try, I have used this when I had a classic parted hair style, which I'm going back to. a little applied to damp hair gives control and a little sheen. I would only add that even though its marketed as non-greasy, when you use more than a little dab it will make your hair slick and shiny and wet looking all day, even after re-combing- which is what I wanted, it does wash out easily and I find my hair is softer and healthier after using it and it's inexpensive.

 

[LelaViavonie]

Wow.. never heard of any of these products.. but im going to have to give them a try.. I have the frizz too.. and sometimes when styling my hair.. they just wont set!

I have used conditioner.. but it makes my head itchy...

Thanks for the tip boyyzzz!

 

[John Boyer]

I remember Brylcreem well growing up as a child in the 1960s. My father used it regularly. I recall him using it each morning,"a little dab will do ya", on wet hair. I never liked the product as it made my hair look--greasy. My worst memory of Brylcreem, and I oddly enough think of this regularly, was picking up the small tube and using it as toothpaste at about the age of 6. I think all my father said to my exaggerated antics and disgust with the taste was, "that's for your hair meathead." John