Pento is a French styling product that has been around since the Second World War. It provides a wet-look effect without the hold of a gel.
 
About pento. Pento was inspired by brylcreem. Brylcreem was used by RAF pilots during World War II. This product held their hair in place even when they wore helmets. In response to brylcreem, France decided to create pento! This product gives hair a wet-look effect and leaves hair supple, unlike gel, which fixes hair in place and leaves it stiff.
 
The success of pento. More than 5 million tubes of pento were sold in the 50s. Worn by the rock stars and famous actors of the time, people just couldn´t get enough of it. In the 60s, the rocker-style pompadour was one of the most popular styles, with pento being the styling product of choice. But to hold a hairstyle in place with pento, it needed to be applied several times a day. Eventually people got tired of its really greasy texture.
 
Using pento. Pento is nowhere near as successful today as it was in the 60s. However, some people still use it to create a wet-look finish without the fixing effect. Such as many famous sports stars. Want to get this look on your hair? Careful not to use too much as pento can leave your hair looking greasy. Need a hairstyle idea? Go for this season´s key trend: slick, wet-look hair! Create a side parting and apply a small dose of pento to the opposite side of your hair to the parting. This will give your haircut an ultra-rock ‘n’ roll wet-look effect. Today though, you can get the same result with less intensive products such as gel or styling wax.