By Carolyn Schuk

 

Gil Bernal is truly a promise keeper. His new line of men’s hair care products, introduced in 2006 and named for Bernal's Sunnyvale salon, The Particular Man, is the fulfillment of a promise he made to his late business partner, Eddie Mighetto.

 

Now semi-retired, Bernal still styles hair for a few long-time customers and focuses on bringing his innovative line of hair products to market through his online store, www.theparticularman.com.

 

A Santa Clara native, Bernal has been cutting South Bay hair for four decades. After graduating from both San Jose Barber College and San Jose Beauty College, Bernal opened his first business 1968.

 

“Back then to do men and women in the same salon you had to hold both licenses,” he explains. It might have been extra effort, but it gave Bernal a leg up.

 

“There was a period in the 70s and 80s if you didn’t know how to cut long hair you were in trouble,” he recalls. “And at that time men wouldn’t go to a beauty salon.”

 

The unisex styles of those decades also opened up a market opportunity for The Particular Man.

“Back in the 60s we had men’s hair products,” he explains. “For the last 40 years, all the quality products were turned into unisex lines. Men’s products went out the window.”

 

In Bernal’s opinion, that was a wrong turn.

 

“Men don’t need a product line for women, who strip, perm and curl their hair," he says. "Those products have to be made with a high conditioning level. So I formulated this product line based on my experience of 40 years of shampooing and cutting men’s hair.”

 

Bernal started with shampoos and conditioners already on the market and began adding and subtracting ingredients, working with Bria Labs in Illinois to formulate and manufacture Particular Man products.

 

The product line is simple and straightforward. You won't find any trendy names on the products, or edgy typography on the containers.

 

Bernal starts clean with a Ph-balanced gel shampoo designed for frequent use. That’s followed with a highly concentrated leave-in conditioner.

 

“With rinse-out products you pay the same amount but you’re throwing it out.” He shakes his head. “You have to explain that to people."

 

The third basic product is the non-aerosol finishing spray. “You use it and if you don’t like how it looks you can brush it right out,” he explains. "You don't have that helmet look."

 

Bernal has also added a new product that doesn’t have a counterpart in the mass market: a non-aerosol styling foam that delivers weightless volume for fine hair. "It works better than mousse and it's better for the environment."

 

Ray Tedesco has been a client of Bernal's for the past 20 years and just started using Particular Man products recently. "They're great. I get a lot of compliments on my hair," Tedesco says, adding, "He gives the best cut around, too."

One of the unique features of the Particular Man line is that all the products are "no scent." Not the medicinal smell of many "unscented" products. No scent whatsoever. The reason isn't allergies.

 

"People don't realize how many scents you have on before you put on your cologne," Bernal explains. "You have eight to ten different scents. That means you have to use a lot more cologne. With our products there's no scent, you so get the true scent of your cologne and you won't have to use near as much."

 

Men are not the only ones who appreciate Particular Man hair products. One woman who has tested them extensively is Bernal's wife Genevieve, who runs the administrative side of the business. "She's the glue that keeps this business together," he says.

"I love the conditioner and the hairspray," she says. "I never used hairspray before. But this is different because you can comb through it."

 

Bernal has additional products in the pipeline. One is a shampoo-in foam hair color that lets you add a little or a lot of color, as you like. The product will come with a color comb that lets you try it out first to see how much color you want, and guides you in applying just the right amount of color.

 

Ultimately, Bernal says that he wants to offer a complete line for men. "Everything," he says, "A tonsorial parlor would need to serve a gentleman."