Dear Sloan,

Greetings. First off, I'm in love with Fort Greene Shave Oil. I was wondering though if I could use Pilgrim's Classic Hair Tonic by itself. Can it give clean hair an oiled look? I'm looking for a little bit of hold and a shine.

Best,

Phil

Hi Phil,

You're obviously a man of taste, as Fort Greene is my current favorite fragrance as well. I'm using the FG Facial Serum everyday, and it's truly improving my complexion by somehow evening out the color of my face. I suppose I'm losing the pink and red splotches I've had so long that I'd stopped even noticing them.

Anyway, let's talk about Pilgrim's Classic Hair Tonic. Designed as a primer to go between your hair and your styling products, its original purpose was to allow pomades, waxes and gels to cling more easily to your hair, thereby facilitating longer-lasting hairstyles that would not require mid-day maintenance.

But since our products are made simply, using only organic essential oils and elbow grease, it would never be out of the question to try them out for other purposes. Since lately I don't use pomade or hair-styling products myself, I've done just that with Pilgrim's.

My hair happens to run the gamut between oily and dry. Usually, it's dry because I've shampooed recently, the weather is particularly dry or I'm probably not maintaining the proper levels of hydration in my body. If its oily, then I've either overdone it on the pomade, or it's time for a shampoo.

My point here is that the key to proper hair care comes from being aware of your hair. Understanding the way your hair behaves and reacts to both the way you care for it and the elements is the only way you'll be able to give the hair what it needs.

Think of your hair as your pet: it can't talk to you, so you have to know it well enough to recognize what it's asking for.

When my hair is dry or unruly, I rinse it in the shower and then when it's half-dry, I rub 5 drops of Pilgrim's Classic Hair Tonic into my palms and comb it through my hair using my fingers. If it is particularly dry and feeling like its on the verge of damage, then I'll use an actual comb to ensure the tonic has been incorporated uniformly throughout my head.

The result is shine, body and a slight hold with natural movement that I prefer for my everyday look.

I've got a relatively thick head of wavy hair that tends toward dryness. So I have determined that 5 drops works for me. Make sure you use the product sparingly until you figure out exactly how much your hair needs based on your desired results.

Remember, a little goes a long way. Don't overdo it. You'll just waste perfectly good product.

Keep an eye out for other uses as well. For instance, I'm using the Tonic every time I go for a swim at my gym. It is incredible the way it completely repels the chlorine and protects my hair from the damage it would otherwise suffer. It's to the point now that if I forget my Pilgrim's at home, I don't go swimming.

Happy Grooming!

Let us know how it turns out!

sloan

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