Inclusivity is deeply important to us here at Barb. We know what it feels like to be underrepresented in the hair and beauty industry. When the idea for Barb was coming to life, it was important to us that Barb is for everyone. While we center women, and non-binary & trans folks in our imagery and motivation, everything we do at Barb is for all individuals. Our inclusivity doesn’t stop at age and we’re thrilled to have Barbs from age 20-80 using our pomade.
G Tournai (they/them), Hair Artist & Owner of G TOURNAI Hair & Creative Studio has been able to use Barb’s pomade on their clients whose ages also range from 20-80. “Most of my [hair] clients are all about a cut that allows them to live a stress-free and hassle-free lifestyle. They want to be able to ‘wash and go’ so to speak.” G also called out that Barb is great for people who like a low maintenance cut but still want to feel stylish and classy. “It all comes down to how good the cut is. If the foundation is there with the cut, then the product, in this case Barb’s Soft Clay Pomade, is the house. It acts as a cosmetic upgrade and finish to an already great style. It provides moveable hold, hydrated texture, versatility for any hair type, and it's re-workable for those who are super busy and need to refresh halfway thru the day.” And we’re all busy, aren’t we?!
In this post, Barb Through The Decades, we’ll be diving deeper into each decade of our beloved Barbs, featuring longer form interviews from some of our favorite humans.
Name: Barb
Age Decade: 70s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I just used Barb for the first time two days ago. I went to my hairdresser and saw Barb on her station and I was so excited because I had just found info about Barb on the internet. I am looking forward to using it every day!
What does having short hair mean to you? I’ve had short hair for years. I have very thin and not much hair, so short hair is best for me. Short hair is freedom! Free from hot rollers, from curling irons, and free from styling for hours to get that “look.”
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. I’ve tried various gels and sprays but they are too heavy for my type of hair.
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? Of course I love the name, haha! As a lesbian, I try to support any and all gay-owned businesses, or those that are extremely friendly to our community. As someone who loves short hair, I believe it’s important to encourage those women (gay or straight) to try short hair. When someone approaches me and says, “I love your hair, it’s really cute!” I say, “Why don’t you try a short style?” They might say they’re afraid to cut it or they don’t think it’ll look good on them. I always say, “You know, try it! You just might like it!” Short hair is fun, fabulous, funky and sexy!
Name: Kate (she/her)
Age Decade: 70s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? After I blow dry my hair, I take a dab of Barb in my hand and run it through my hair, simply adding some height and style to my short cut.
What does having short hair mean to you? Having short hair is the best! It takes me less than ten minutes in the morning to dry, style, and go. For the most part I’ve always had short hair preferring the ease of taking care of it. And I think as I’ve gotten older it just looks better. More contemporary.
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. I have used men’s products when there weren’t any other choices. Found them too smelly and greasy. I feel Barb is a wonderfully product for all! Very inclusive. And it’s a product I feel good about buying and supporting. Love my Barb!
Name: Losha
Age Decade: 60s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I use Barb after washing my hair, while it’s wet. It really helps to give my fine but thick hair more body/volume...and that is huge for my hairstyle! I just wet my fingers to refresh it when I am getting ready to go out, and I am good. The hold is amazing!
What does having short hair mean to you? Having short hair is everything to me. I got married long before I knew who I was, so I cut my hair slowly, but it was so liberating that I have never gone back. I cut it shorter and shorter, and each time I felt even more alive - more "me"! I will never go back to long hair again. It took me until I was around 60 to start being “me,” whatever that means… and I have never been happier!
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? As soon as I saw your Barb product, I immediately ordered it, sight unseen, because I wanted to support the "cause" for which you created it! I felt included into your group of beautiful Barbs whether I ever interacted with any of them or not! Just getting an opportunity to tell my story is very fulfilling and validating. Thank you, Sheena and Barb.
Name: Jennifer (she/her)
Age Decade: 50s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I use it in towel dried hair and then as a finishing tool.
What does having short hair mean to you? I grew up during a time and in a family that revered long hair for girls and women. I had long hair most of my childhood and adulthood. My hair doesn't like to be long and I don't like it either. In my 40s, I slowly but surely took away the length. In the last few years with a life change and stylist change, I started exploring shorter, shorter, and finally SHORT hair! It's more me for sure and there's a freedom that comes with that - with self acceptance comes overall acceptance. Funny how that works.
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. I started with women's clay and pomade from the salon. I've also used some of the online direct-to-consumer brands. Some are good, many are NOT. Too smelly, sticky, heavy, blegh!
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? It means that ALL people have a voice in the development of products! There are few people that fit into the mainstream box so the more voices that can be represented, the better!
I love this product! I love the performance of it! I love the mission it's on! The inclusivity ROCKS!
Name: Amy (she/her)
Age Decade: 40
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? On a more casual day, I use Barb right out of the shower. I style my hair with my hands, and done. On a day where I’m going to curl and style my hair, I use Barb immediately after blow drying and before I curl it. Then, after I curl it, I use Barb to style it.
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. I used American Crew Forming Cream for years. I tried nearly everything over the years, for men and women - nothing was better until Barb. The texture, hold, smell, and overall performance is absolutely incredible.
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? What Barb stands for is wildly connected to my own values and community. It’s incredible, and it’s really, really meaningful. Our community has never been seen or had a platform quite like like this. Our hair is such an important part of our identity and with Barb’s brand, we are starting to make real progress. Barb is so much more than a hair product.
Name: Toni
Age Decade: 30s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I use Barb in my hair everyday. It’s the only hair product I use. I like that it’s small enough that I can travel with it too.
What does having short hair mean to you? Having short hair is super important to me because it allows me to feel like I’m being my most authentic self. Before I had short hair I wore it long and when I cut it short all my friends and family told me how the shorter cut just suited me so much better. I just looked and felt so much more comfortable.
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. I have tried men’s products in the past - some of them were okay but what is special about Barb’s products is that they are specifically designed for people like us - masc presenting women or non-binary people - which most products don’t cater to.
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? What Barb is doing for the hair industry means everything to me and our community. It’s so important that products like these are produced and marketed because it’s important to see representation of queer people in the hair industry.
Rachael (she/her)
Age Decade: 20s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I use Barb every morning! I put a grape-sized amount of Barb in my wet hair, then work it in and style it. Then, I am set for the entire day with soft and non-sticky hair that smells great!
What does having short hair mean to you? Having short hair means freedom of expression, authenticity, and wholeness. I had long hair my whole life until I started giving myself permission to dress more masculinely and felt like my hair wasn’t matching how I was presenting or how I felt. I had been wanting to do a big chop for years, but since I grew up in a rural, conservative, and religious area, I knew I would just be putting a target on my back. Once I became confident enough in my identity, I decided the societal consequences of having short hair in an area that was not accepting of queer individuals were worth taking on so I could fully embrace who I am.
Tell us a bit about other short hair products you’ve tried. Before discovering Barb, I used products geared toward men because that was all I could find. I always felt so uncomfortable having to search for hair products in the men’s hair care aisle as the beauty industry is so binary and polarized. I was never impressed with the quality or the message the brand stood by.
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? For me, Barb is a brand that stands for healing and acceptance in the queer communities. Also, my mother’s name happens to be Barb, and she is not accepting at all of my short hair and queer identity, so every morning, with my jar of Barb, I am able to embrace a world where that name means wholehearted acceptance. I feel that Barb is able to give a little hug to individuals who, unfortunately, aren’t represented in today’s backward beauty standards. Thank you, Barb!
Ari (they/them)
Age Decade: 20s
How do you use Barb in your hair routine? I use Barb as a great way to hold and maintain my hair the way I want it, all day, everyday. It’s become a staple product that I use for my hair routine and it’s extremely reliable for me.
What does having short hair mean to you? I have always had long hair and it’s always been a huge part of my identity/personality. People would remember me for my long curly hair so when I chopped it all off a few months ago, it was a shock to many. I think hair holds so much energy and meaning, and it was time for me to release the energy that wasn’t serving me a purpose anymore.
What does what Barb is doing for the hair industry mean to you? I think Barb's existence is incredible! It’s super important to support our communities/businesses and have products that are tailored for people who don’t have as much representation and guidance with self-care. There should be more businesses and organizations with this care and intention in mind - Barb is paving the way!
