Expert's Opinion

Scalp Health Ingredients and Retro Style Crossovers Lead for Fall 2026 Haircare Trends

Product creator and hair expert Philip Pelusi shares what's next for styling and cleansing products.

The popularity of nostalgic hair trends is not just reserved for women for Fall 2026.  As it turns out, the gents are equally vibing with this season’s retro looks.  But move over Cary Grant, today’s male clientele is back to grooming but in a casual non-traditional way.

These vintage resurge trends are not the neat and tidy “Mad Men” genre styles that paired with the precisely pressed suits and ties back in the day.  But instead today’s men’s hairstyles harken back to the 80’s and 90’s.  They are relaxed yet purposeful and styled with intention.  The cuts, color and grooming all project a specific style sensibility.  Additionally, the other interesting aspect is their androgynist fluidity so they look good on everyone.

Styling products, specifically for finishing, are also making a big resurgence in popularity too.  Our gentlemen clients are looking for ease of use with predictable results.  So even if the hair is airdried then finessed with some product, the client will get their desired result.  Clients want no fuss products that can move through their hair, and their day, with just a bit of restyling if needed.  Plus their interest in beneficial scalp ingredients are also top of mind.

Warrior Cut

As it turns out the founders of the “I hate Rachel Green Club”, a.k.a. Ross Geller and Will Colbert, are two of the unintended muses of one of the most popular hair trends for 2026.  Yes, Brad Pitt’s famous hairstyle, also worn by his character Will in that well-known Friends episode in the 90’s, is back in style.

Choppy layers, heavily textured, rugged looking controlled chaos.  This style is purposefully untidy so it can be airdried, yet it does require some finish work to piece out the hair for the final look.  For our Warrior Cut Clients, we are recommending our newly reformulated P2 by Philip Pelusi Soft Wax to achieve this look.  The product has some grip to it but never dries stiff or crunchy, perfect for the Warrior Cut.

And the ingredients in P2 Soft Wax are quite buzzy, appealing to today’s savvy consumer looking for beneficial scalp ingredients.  Headlining P2 Soft Wax is our proprietary Tela Hair Immunity Complexwith probiotic enzymes derived from fermented food grade kelp harvested in the pristine waters of the north Atlantic that help reinforce good bacteria on the scalp just like an ingested probiotic does for the gut.

Our Hydro Charged Pelusi Ceramide Complex (patent pending) and organic quinoa help strengthen the hair and scalp. Not to toot our own horn but it’s really a joy to use.  Get a bit on the fingertips and piece through wet or damp hair for a somewhat firmer style or apply to dry hair for a much softer more natural look and feel.

Modern Mullet

Another universally popular retro style for Fall 2026 is a modern version of the 1980’s mullet.  This reemerging style started to gain steam a couple of years ago and today now is being worn with so many different textures and lengths, it’s a variation on a variation and so on.

Today’s Modern Mullet is a style shapeshifter that can be worn airdried with disheveled texture or worn groomed for work and other more professional settings.  We believe the key to this look is the quality of the hair and that this is really what differentiates it from the mullets of the 80’s.  When we reflect back to the iconic mullets of the 80’s donned by stars like Mel Gibson and Billie Ray Cyrus, those styles were worn with a crisper finish, unlike today’s Modern Mullet, worn shiny smooth or with soft loopy curls.

So we are focusing on scalp and hair quality by recommending our Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi Life Force system.  We believe one major component to a healthy head of hair is a well-tuned scalp microbiome or scalp surface.  So we applied the same thinking and benefits of pre and probiotics inside the body to the scalp.

The collection is comprised of the Tela Life Force Power Shampoo, Power Conditioner, The Fountain of Hair Vitality Serum, Probiotic Scalp Scrub and Probiotic Hair Mask

Other headlining ingredients include our proprietary USDA Certified Organic Regenerating Blend.  This infusion is comprised of burdock, red sage, horsetail and reishi mushroom that serve as antioxidants to help prevent color fadage.  And our Tela infusion-based formulas are based in a super charged color and strength protecting blend of USDA certified organic white, green and oolong tea. 

Textured Crop

Last, we are also loving the ever-stylish Textured Crop as a go-to trend for our clients who are looking for low maintenance everything.  This Fall 2026 trend stays true to its classic predecessors with closely cut sides that graduate into a slightly longer top.  This season’s crop also follows the same casual feel for 2026 as the other popular trends in that is purposely disheveled and works with the natural texture.

And styling the 2026 Textured Crop trend is extremely easy for the wearer.  Products should leave a matte to demi matte finish, nothing shiny, and finished with zero part.  So we are recommending our Tela Beauty Organics Play Freeform Waxand or Tela Taffy Pomade Gelfrom our Tela Beauty Organics by Philip Pelusi Modern Hair Wear Collection.  These products create a modern textured look but they also enhance the scalp and hair with their cutting-edge dynamic ingredients.

Tela Taffy is a medium density pomade-like formula with light moveable hold.  Tela Play is a thick crème formula that controls like a wax yet is totally moveable.  Both can be applied to wet or dry hair for freeform piecing, grooming and finger styling with zero buildup.  We have coined our Tela Modern Hair Wear Collection as “The New Textile for Hair” because the products almost melt onto and into the hair giving it a modern feel and approach to styling and wearing hair. Plus this collection contains all the hair and scalp enhancing ingredients threaded throughout the Tela Beauty Organics line.

So at least our thoughts on this season’s hair trends harken back to the adage “everything old is new again.”  And all we can say is, thank goodness!

For product recommendations and more information go to www.telabeautyorganics.com and www.philippelusi.com

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