You got the perfect haircut — and by day three it looks nothing like it did in the chair. Nine times out of ten, the problem isn’t the cut. It’s the product (or the lack of one). At City Image Barber Shop, we keep our product lineup deliberately simple: sea salt spray, forming cream, styling powder, and beard oil. Four products, every hair type covered, zero guesswork. Here’s exactly what each one does and which one belongs in your routine.
The Two Things That Actually Matter: Hold and Finish
Ignore the marketing on the grooming aisle. Every styling product is just a combination of two dials:
- Hold — how strongly it keeps your hair in place, from “light touch” to “locked in all day.”
- Finish — how it looks when you’re done, from bone-dry matte to a natural, lived-in texture.
Once you know where a product sits on those two dials, you know exactly what it will do. Here’s where our four land.
Sea Salt Spray: Effortless, Beachy Volume
Hold: light. Finish: natural, matte texture.
Sea salt spray is the “did nothing, looks great” product. Spritz it into damp hair, work it through with your fingers, and let it air-dry (or hit it briefly with a blow dryer for more volume). The salt adds grit and body, so fine or straight hair suddenly has movement and wavy hair gets definition without frizz.
Best for: medium-to-longer styles, wavy hair, textured crops, and anyone who wants volume without a “product feel.” It’s also the perfect pre-styler — spray first, then layer forming cream or powder on top for extra staying power.
Forming Cream: The Everyday Workhorse
Hold: light-to-medium. Finish: natural, low shine.
If we could hand one product to every guy who walks out of our chairs, it’s forming cream. It gives shape and control with a natural finish — no stiffness, no grease, no flaking — and it’s fully reworkable: run your fingers through mid-day and restyle. It plays nice with every hair type, from fine and straight to thick and curly.
Best for: tapers, crops, side parts, medium-length styles, and curly hair that needs frizz control. If you don’t know what to buy, buy forming cream.
Styling Powder: Instant Volume, Zero Weight
Hold: medium. Finish: completely matte.
Styling powder is the most underrated product in the shop. Shake a little at the roots of dry hair, work it in with your fingertips, and hair instantly stands up with volume and grip — it looks like you have more hair, not more product. It also refreshes a style late in the day the way dry shampoo does.
Best for: short styles, fades with a textured top, fine or thinning hair (nothing makes thin hair look fuller), and anyone who hates the feel of creams and pastes. A little goes a long way — start with one light shake.
Beard Oil: Not Styling — Maintenance
Hold: none. Finish: healthy, conditioned.
Beard oil isn’t for your hair, and it isn’t a styler — it’s daily care for the beard and the skin underneath. A few drops worked in after your morning shower stops the itch, kills the flakes, softens wiry hair, and keeps a grown-out beard looking intentional instead of neglected. If you’re growing a beard and skipping oil, you’re doing it the hard way.
Best for: every beard longer than stubble. Apply 3–5 drops to a slightly damp beard, working down to the skin.
Match the Product to Your Cut
- Skin fade with a short textured top: styling powder
- Taper, crop, or side part: forming cream
- Medium/longer hair with natural movement: sea salt spray (add cream if you need more control)
- Curly or wavy hair: forming cream, or salt spray for definition on lighter days
- Fine or thinning hair: styling powder — instant fullness
- Any beard past stubble: beard oil, daily
How to Apply It (Where Most Guys Go Wrong)
- Start with less than you think. A dime of cream, one shake of powder, 2–3 sprays of salt spray. You can always add; you can’t subtract.
- Salt spray goes on damp hair; powder goes on dry hair. Cream works on either — damp for more control, dry for more texture.
- Emulsify cream between your palms first so it spreads evenly instead of clumping in one spot.
- Work back to front, then style into place. Most guys do the opposite and end up with all the product in their fringe.
Still Not Sure? Ask the Person Who Just Cut Your Hair
The best product recommendation comes from your barber — they know your hair type, your cut, and how you wear it. At the end of your next appointment at any of our 11 City Image Barber Shop locations across North Jersey, ask your barber which of the four they’d use on you and watch how they apply it. That 60 seconds is the best free grooming lesson you’ll get — and you can pick up the product right at the front desk on your way out. Book your next cut here.
FAQ
What’s the difference between sea salt spray and styling powder?
Both add volume and matte texture, but salt spray goes on damp hair for a natural, beachy look with light hold, while powder goes on dry hair at the roots for instant lift and a stronger grip. Longer hair leans salt spray; shorter hair leans powder.
What product should I use for a fade haircut?
For a short textured top, styling powder gives lift with a clean matte finish. If the top is longer or combed over, forming cream gives shape with a natural look.
Is forming cream better than gel?
For most guys, yes. Gel dries stiff, can flake, and can’t be restyled. Forming cream holds with a natural finish and stays flexible all day — which is why it’s the product our barbers recommend most.
How often should I use beard oil?
Daily — 3 to 5 drops after your morning shower, worked down to the skin. It prevents itch and flakes and keeps the beard soft and neat.
Where can I buy City Image hair products?
All four — sea salt spray, forming cream, styling powder, and beard oil — are available at every one of our 11 New Jersey locations. Ask your barber at your next visit, or just stop in.
