I keep a pretty close eye on any beauty hacks that go viral on TikTok. I love testing out makeup and hair hacks, and some of them have actually been game changers when it comes to my beauty routine. Others? Not so much. When I saw a few viral videos of people using lubricant (yes, that kind of lubricant) to achieve different sleek and wet hairstyles, my first thought was that it definitely looked . . . interesting. I spent about two seconds debating whether or not I should try it before I sighed, opened up Amazon, and purchased my first-ever bottle of lube.
I went to the beach the day before testing out this hack and I ended up swimming in the ocean, which left my hair super dry and unruly. However, it wasn't yet time to wash my hair (I stick to a pretty strict hair-washing schedule), so I decided I would make use of one of my favourite hairstyles, the slicked-back bun.
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Typically when styling my slicked-back bun, I use a styling pomade, a little bit of sea-salt spray, and hair spray. To test this hack, I opted to only use the One Condoms One Move Lubricant ($10) and no other products because I wanted to see how well it would hold up throughout the day.
Testing the hack was relatively simple and uncomplicated. To start, all I did was squeeze a quarter-size amount of lube into my hands and begin working it into my dry hair. I ended up using about two-and-a-half full pumps of product before getting my hair fully "lubed up." Once my hair was sufficiently slick, I started brushing it back using a boar-bristle brush into a low ponytail. From there, I wrapped the hair into a bun and used a second hair tie to secure everything in place.
The main difference I noticed between using lube versus my typical products was that my hair was a lot more slippery and slick. Usually when I use a matte pomade, I find that the product can often be difficult to disperse evenly in my hair, but I had the opposite experience when using lube. The product worked into my hair easily just by using my hands, but just a few swipes of my brush made completely sure the product was diffused evenly. (One quick thing to note: if you do plan on testing this out at home when you happen to be around any other people, definitely give them a heads up regarding your new hair-care routine. My boyfriend was extremely confused when he walked into the bathroom to find me slathering lube all over my hair.)
At the end of the day when I realised that my hair stayed in place and no flyaways or stray hairs were sticking out of my head, I was genuinely impressed. The bottom line? Using lube to create the perfect slicked-back bun definitely worked for my hair. As for why it works, if I had to take a stab at guessing, I would assume the answer most likely comes down to ingredients. I used a silicone-based lubricant, and a lot of the hair products I use that give my hair a sleek shine also have silicone in them.
When it came time to wash everything out, although I was expecting it to be difficult, it really wasn't that bad. I typically double shampoo my hair each and every time I wash, and by the second shampoo, I couldn't feel any leftover residue in my hair. In fact, after a hydrating hair mask, my hair felt just as soft as it normally would.
Although I don't think I'll plan on using lube for all of my future slicked-back-hair moments, I definitely think I'll keep a few individual packets of lube in my purse just in case an emergency situation arises – of the hair variety, of course.