By the Henkey's Grooming Team · Updated September 2026
Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
If you've narrowed your hair product search down to these two Layrite bestsellers, the biggest difference comes down to one thing: how much hold you actually need.
Both give you texture without a shiny finish. Both are water-based, so they wash out without a fight. But they behave very differently in your hair.
Layrite Natural Matte Cream gives you medium hold. It helps shape your hair and add texture and definition while still allowing it to move. You can run your hands through your hair, reshape it later and generally forget that you have much product in it.
Layrite Cement Clay gives you extreme hold. It's the strongest hold in Layrite's lineup, with significantly more grip and structure for hair that needs some convincing to stay where you put it.
So ask yourself a simple question:
Do you want your product to help shape your hair, or do you need it to make your hair behave?
If it's the first, start with Natural Matte Cream.
If it's the second, Cement Clay is probably what you're looking for.
Choose Natural Matte Cream for Texture That Still Moves
Hold: Medium
Finish: Matte
Best for: Fine to medium-thick hair, including wavy and curly
Styles: Textured fringes, loose side parts, casual quiffs
Natural Matte Cream is the more flexible and forgiving of the two.
It gives hair texture and definition without making it feel particularly stiff or heavily styled. The finish is matte, but the hair still looks—and feels—like hair.
That makes it particularly good for styles with some movement: textured fringes, loose side parts, casual quiffs or simply making your natural texture look a little more intentional.
It works especially well on fine to medium-thick hair, including wavy or curly hair that needs definition without being weighed down.
Kaolin clay helps add texture and structure, but the product still behaves like a styling cream rather than a heavy clay.
Natural Matte Cream makes the most sense if you:
Want medium hold without stiffness
Like a natural, matte finish
Want to be able to touch or restyle your hair
Have fine to medium-thick hair
Want texture and definition while keeping some movement
Editor's Note: Natural Matte Cream helps your hair look styled without looking overly styled.
How to use it: Start with a dime-sized amount and warm it between your palms. Apply to damp hair for a softer, more relaxed look, or to dry hair for more control and definition. Work it in at the roots for lift, then through the ends for texture.
Choose Cement Clay When Staying Power Is the Problem
Hold: Extreme (Layrite's strongest)
Finish: Matte
Best for: Thick, coarse or hard-to-control hair
Styles: Short textured styles, quiffs, short pompadours
It gives you considerably more grip and structure than Natural Matte Cream while maintaining a dry, matte finish. It's particularly useful for thick, coarse or hard-to-control hair, or simply for hairstyles that need more help staying in place.
Think short textured styles, quiffs, short pompadours or looks where you're trying to create height, separation and strong definition without shine.
Cement Clay makes the most sense if you:
Need maximum hold
Have thick, coarse or difficult-to-control hair
Find that lighter styling products don't keep your hair in place
Want strong texture and separation
Wear shorter, structured or high-control styles
Want serious hold without the shine of a traditional pomade
And here's the important part: stronger isn't automatically better.
If your hair doesn't need extreme hold, Cement Clay may simply be more product than you need. There's no prize for using the strongest styling product on the shelf.
Editor's Note: If lighter products give up on you by lunch, this is the upgrade.
How to use it: Use less than you think. Warm a small amount between your fingers and work it through dry hair for maximum hold, or slightly damp hair if you want a little more flexibility.
Which One Actually Has Clay in It?
Here's the part the names don't tell you.
Natural Matte Cream is the one with clay. Kaolin is right there in the ingredient list, and it's part of why the cream gives you texture and a matte finish without much weight.
Cement Clay doesn't list a clay mineral at all. Its grip comes from waxes (lanolin wax, beeswax, ozokerite) and a styling polymer. That's not a knock on it. It's exactly why the hold is so strong. But if you're choosing it because you want a true clay, you're buying the name, not the formula.
For most guys with fine hair, we'd start with Natural Matte Cream.
Fine hair often needs texture and definition without being overwhelmed by the styling product itself. Natural Matte Cream gives you enough structure to shape the hair while keeping it relatively light and flexible.
That doesn't mean someone with fine hair can never use Cement Clay. A small amount can provide significant grip and texture. But we wouldn't choose Cement Clay because you have fine hair. Its real advantage is its extreme hold.
If hold isn't your problem, you probably don't need it.
Thick or coarse hair
This is where Cement Clay starts to make a lot of sense.
If you've used creams and lighter pomades only to watch your hair slowly return to whatever position it prefers, the extra grip of Cement Clay can make a noticeable difference.
But thick hair doesn't automatically mean Cement Clay.
If you have thicker hair and prefer a looser, more natural style, Natural Matte Cream may still give you enough control.
Again, come back to the same question: Do you need help shaping your hair, or help keeping it there?
Wavy or curly hair
Start with Natural Matte Cream. Layrite specifically calls it out for wavy and curly textures, and medium hold defines curl without flattening it.
Can You Restyle Them During the Day?
Both are reworkable. The difference is how much.
If being able to run your hands through your hair and reset your style matters to you, choose Natural Matte Cream. Its medium hold stays soft and flexible, so if your hair gets messed up—or you're someone who can't stop touching it—you can generally reshape it without adding water or starting over.
Cement Clay can be reworked too, but it's firmer. You're trading some of that easy flexibility for staying power.
Neither is inherently better. They're doing different jobs.
Natural Matte Cream vs. Cement Clay at a Glance
Natural Matte Cream
Cement Clay
Hold
Medium
Extreme
Finish
Matte
Matte
Feel
Flexible, touchable
Strong grip, structured
Contains clay?
Yes (kaolin)
No (wax + polymer)
Best for
Fine to medium-thick, wavy or curly hair
Thick, coarse or hard-to-control hair
Best styles
Natural, casual, textured
Short, textured, high-control
Restyling
Easy
Possible, but firmer
Washes out
Easily (water-based)
Easily (water-based)
Price
$24.50 / 4.25 oz
$27 / 4.25 oz
Choose it when
You want texture + movement
You need maximum control
So, Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
Forget which product sounds stronger and think about what you actually need your styling product to do.
Choose Layrite Natural Matte Cream if you want texture, definition and control while keeping your hair flexible and natural-looking.
Choose Layrite Cement Clay if your bigger problem is getting your hair to stay where you put it. You get significantly more grip and staying power while keeping the finish matte.
If you're still torn, we'd start with Natural Matte Cream unless you already know you need stronger hold.
Because when it comes to styling products, more hold isn't necessarily better. The right amount of hold is better.
Which is stronger, Layrite Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
Cement Clay. It's Layrite's strongest-hold product (extreme hold), while Natural Matte Cream is medium hold. Both have a matte finish.
Is Layrite Cement Clay actually a clay?
Not by ingredients. Cement Clay's ingredient list doesn't include a clay mineral like kaolin or bentonite; its hold comes from waxes and a styling polymer. Natural Matte Cream is the one that contains kaolin clay.
Which Layrite product is best for fine or thinning hair?
For most guys with fine or thinning hair, Natural Matte Cream. It adds texture and definition without weighing hair down. Cement Clay can work in small amounts, but only choose it if you truly need extreme hold.
Should I apply them to wet or dry hair?
Either. With both products, damp hair gives a softer, more flexible result and dry hair gives the most hold and definition.
Do Natural Matte Cream and Cement Clay wash out easily?
Yes. Both are water-based, so they rinse out with a normal shampoo. No degreasing required.
Do they smell the same?
Yes. Both carry Layrite's signature mild cream soda scent.
The Henkey's Standard
Great grooming doesn't add complexity; it adds confidence. Both of these are built well and deliver on their promise. Match the hold to your hair, use a light hand and build from there.
We're a little different than most product comparisons. We're not pay-to-play.
Every product we recommend is something we carry in our own store. We buy the inventory and ship it direct to you. Nobody paid for placement here. We put skin in the game because we've tested everything first.
Layrite Natural Matte Cream vs. Cement Clay: Which One Should You Use?
Both are matte. Both are Layrite bestsellers. The real difference is how much hold you need.
By the Henkey's Grooming Team · Updated September 2026
Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
If you've narrowed your hair product search down to these two Layrite bestsellers, the biggest difference comes down to one thing: how much hold you actually need.
Both give you texture without a shiny finish. Both are water-based, so they wash out without a fight. But they behave very differently in your hair.
Start Here (Pick in 10 Seconds)
Still torn? Start with Natural Matte Cream unless you already know you need stronger hold.
Jump to: The biggest difference · Which one has clay? · By hair type · Side by side · FAQ
The Biggest Difference Is Hold
This is really the decision.
Layrite Natural Matte Cream gives you medium hold. It helps shape your hair and add texture and definition while still allowing it to move. You can run your hands through your hair, reshape it later and generally forget that you have much product in it.
Layrite Cement Clay gives you extreme hold. It's the strongest hold in Layrite's lineup, with significantly more grip and structure for hair that needs some convincing to stay where you put it.
So ask yourself a simple question:
Do you want your product to help shape your hair, or do you need it to make your hair behave?
If it's the first, start with Natural Matte Cream.
If it's the second, Cement Clay is probably what you're looking for.
Choose Natural Matte Cream for Texture That Still Moves
Layrite
Natural Matte Cream
$24.50 | 4.25 oz
Natural Matte Cream is the more flexible and forgiving of the two.
It gives hair texture and definition without making it feel particularly stiff or heavily styled. The finish is matte, but the hair still looks—and feels—like hair.
That makes it particularly good for styles with some movement: textured fringes, loose side parts, casual quiffs or simply making your natural texture look a little more intentional.
It works especially well on fine to medium-thick hair, including wavy or curly hair that needs definition without being weighed down.
Kaolin clay helps add texture and structure, but the product still behaves like a styling cream rather than a heavy clay.
Natural Matte Cream makes the most sense if you:
Editor's Note: Natural Matte Cream helps your hair look styled without looking overly styled.
How to use it: Start with a dime-sized amount and warm it between your palms. Apply to damp hair for a softer, more relaxed look, or to dry hair for more control and definition. Work it in at the roots for lift, then through the ends for texture.
Choose Cement Clay When Staying Power Is the Problem
Layrite
Cement Clay
$27 | 4.25 oz
Cement Clay is about control.
It gives you considerably more grip and structure than Natural Matte Cream while maintaining a dry, matte finish. It's particularly useful for thick, coarse or hard-to-control hair, or simply for hairstyles that need more help staying in place.
Think short textured styles, quiffs, short pompadours or looks where you're trying to create height, separation and strong definition without shine.
Cement Clay makes the most sense if you:
And here's the important part: stronger isn't automatically better.
If your hair doesn't need extreme hold, Cement Clay may simply be more product than you need. There's no prize for using the strongest styling product on the shelf.
Editor's Note: If lighter products give up on you by lunch, this is the upgrade.
How to use it: Use less than you think. Warm a small amount between your fingers and work it through dry hair for maximum hold, or slightly damp hair if you want a little more flexibility.
Which One Actually Has Clay in It?
Here's the part the names don't tell you.
Natural Matte Cream is the one with clay. Kaolin is right there in the ingredient list, and it's part of why the cream gives you texture and a matte finish without much weight.
Cement Clay doesn't list a clay mineral at all. Its grip comes from waxes (lanolin wax, beeswax, ozokerite) and a styling polymer. That's not a knock on it. It's exactly why the hold is so strong. But if you're choosing it because you want a true clay, you're buying the name, not the formula.
That's more common than you'd think. We dug into it in Your Hair Clay Might Not Have Any Clay in It.
Which One Is Better for Your Hair Type?
Fine or thinning hair
For most guys with fine hair, we'd start with Natural Matte Cream.
Fine hair often needs texture and definition without being overwhelmed by the styling product itself. Natural Matte Cream gives you enough structure to shape the hair while keeping it relatively light and flexible.
That doesn't mean someone with fine hair can never use Cement Clay. A small amount can provide significant grip and texture. But we wouldn't choose Cement Clay because you have fine hair. Its real advantage is its extreme hold.
If hold isn't your problem, you probably don't need it.
Thick or coarse hair
This is where Cement Clay starts to make a lot of sense.
If you've used creams and lighter pomades only to watch your hair slowly return to whatever position it prefers, the extra grip of Cement Clay can make a noticeable difference.
But thick hair doesn't automatically mean Cement Clay.
If you have thicker hair and prefer a looser, more natural style, Natural Matte Cream may still give you enough control.
Again, come back to the same question: Do you need help shaping your hair, or help keeping it there?
Wavy or curly hair
Start with Natural Matte Cream. Layrite specifically calls it out for wavy and curly textures, and medium hold defines curl without flattening it.
Can You Restyle Them During the Day?
Both are reworkable. The difference is how much.
If being able to run your hands through your hair and reset your style matters to you, choose Natural Matte Cream. Its medium hold stays soft and flexible, so if your hair gets messed up—or you're someone who can't stop touching it—you can generally reshape it without adding water or starting over.
Cement Clay can be reworked too, but it's firmer. You're trading some of that easy flexibility for staying power.
Neither is inherently better. They're doing different jobs.
Natural Matte Cream vs. Cement Clay at a Glance
So, Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
Forget which product sounds stronger and think about what you actually need your styling product to do.
Choose Layrite Natural Matte Cream if you want texture, definition and control while keeping your hair flexible and natural-looking.
Choose Layrite Cement Clay if your bigger problem is getting your hair to stay where you put it. You get significantly more grip and staying power while keeping the finish matte.
If you're still torn, we'd start with Natural Matte Cream unless you already know you need stronger hold.
Because when it comes to styling products, more hold isn't necessarily better. The right amount of hold is better.
Considering the rest of the Layrite lineup? Take our 20-second Layrite quiz →
Not sure you need a cream or a clay at all? Read our clay vs. paste vs. pomade guide →
Natural Matte Cream vs. Cement Clay FAQ
Which is stronger, Layrite Natural Matte Cream or Cement Clay?
Cement Clay. It's Layrite's strongest-hold product (extreme hold), while Natural Matte Cream is medium hold. Both have a matte finish.
Is Layrite Cement Clay actually a clay?
Not by ingredients. Cement Clay's ingredient list doesn't include a clay mineral like kaolin or bentonite; its hold comes from waxes and a styling polymer. Natural Matte Cream is the one that contains kaolin clay.
Which Layrite product is best for fine or thinning hair?
For most guys with fine or thinning hair, Natural Matte Cream. It adds texture and definition without weighing hair down. Cement Clay can work in small amounts, but only choose it if you truly need extreme hold.
Should I apply them to wet or dry hair?
Either. With both products, damp hair gives a softer, more flexible result and dry hair gives the most hold and definition.
Do Natural Matte Cream and Cement Clay wash out easily?
Yes. Both are water-based, so they rinse out with a normal shampoo. No degreasing required.
Do they smell the same?
Yes. Both carry Layrite's signature mild cream soda scent.
The Henkey's Standard
Great grooming doesn't add complexity; it adds confidence. Both of these are built well and deliver on their promise. Match the hold to your hair, use a light hand and build from there.
Shop all Layrite →
How We Work
We're a little different than most product comparisons. We're not pay-to-play.
Every product we recommend is something we carry in our own store. We buy the inventory and ship it direct to you. Nobody paid for placement here. We put skin in the game because we've tested everything first.