Beard Oil Vs Beard Balm...which one's for you?

Beard care is essential for any man with hair on his face, but for first-time users of beard care products this can be a little confusing.

I’m often asked which beard care product to use, and the choice can be quite easy depending on the type of beard you have.

Beard Oil

I recommend beard oil for short beards (from stubble to two/three weeks of growth). Beard oil contains wonderfully conditioning oils like Argan and Jojoba which are excellent at moisturising dry skin which in turn can prevent the dreaded beard itch!

Just a few drops are needed. The aim is to massage the oil into the skin under your beard before putting a drop or two on the hair itself.

Too many men concentrate on the beard first and the skin second…BIG mistake! You may have a soft shiny beard but your skin is still suffering from lack of care and moisture.

Remember, nobody wants an oily face! Just a few drops will do. The longer the beard the more oil you will use as it will be absorbed into the skin and hair.

Main takeaway: Massage a few drops of oil into your skin first and your beard second.

Beard Balm

Beard balm is a wax-like substance that has similar carrier and essential oils to beard oil. However, it usually has two or more extra ingredients and these are key!

Beeswax

Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees and is what gives beard balm its hold. It melts together with all the other ingredients and is responsible for setting the balm when cooled.

It locks moisture into your beard by coating the hair and face, thus creating an ultra-conditioned environment. It controls larger beards by flattening wispy flyaways and allows the beard to be brushed and manipulated to the desired look.  

Shea Butter

Shea Butter is the magic ingredient that gives beard balm its smooth spreadabilty. It also has skin healing properties, vitamins, and skin nourishing fatty acids. It softens beard hair and helps eliminate frustrating sticky lumps in beard balm caused by poor ingredients or incorrect ratios.

I would definitely recommend beard balm for longer beards (four weeks plus of beard growth) to keep your beard looking and feeling its best.

Expert beard balm tip:

When taking some balm from the tin don't plunge your finger into the tin. This causes the balm to break up and slows how fast the balm melts in your fingers before applying.

Use the back of your thumb nail to glide across the top of the balm to gather a nice smooth layer every time.

Can you use both oil and balm simultaneously?

Yes! Beard balm does not add as much shine to your beard as beard oil.

Therefore, to get the best of both worlds (and to make sure your beard looks downright killer) apply some beard oil followed by a half a thumb nail of beard balm. 

This will lock in moisture, keep your beard healthy, and give it a wonderful subtle shine.  

If you have any beard care questions please feel free to leave them in the comments below!