Ox Marrow Pomade

Glass bottle with cork stopper and red, green, and yellow decorative label with an image of a rose in the center. Label reads: “OX MARROW / POMADE.” No other labels appear on the product and the manufacturer is unknown.

Ox or beef marrow was a popular ingredient in hair pomades in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Instructions for making the pomade appear in home recipe books, druggist’s formularies, and pharmacy journals. “The Improved Housewife, or Book of Receipts,” written by Mrs. A. L. Webster of Hartford, Connecticut, and first published in the 1840s, contains this recipe: “Ox Marrow Pomade: Simmer 10 ozs. ox-marrow. Strain it on 10 ozs. castor oil. Beat together till white as cream; if for hours the better. Add ounce and half of essential oils for perfume. Brandy and castor oil also good for the hair.” By the 20th century, the marketing of ox-marrow pomades appears to focus more exclusively on African Americans, promising to help soften and straighten the hair. Ford’s Ox Marrow Pomade (Chicago, Illinois) and Carpenter’s Ox Marrow Pomade (Louisville, Kentucky) were two popular brands that stayed on the market through the 1920s.

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