As you are growing a beard you come across a load of different products that you can use to make your beard look awesome. In the early stages are very beard you probably don’t want to rely too much on beard products and you should just focus on growing your beard and not messing with it too much. However, as your beard gets longer you will come across a time where you will want to use some form of conditioning product. Initially that may be beard oil. In the longer stages using a leave in conditioner or a beard balm is much better for your hair. It stays in contact with your hair for a longer period of time and it will condition and nourish your beard. In this article we are going to go over all of the reasons why beard balm is good and why you should consider adding it to your product purchases.
Is beard balm good? YES! Beard balm is amazing for dry and malnourished hair and providing a certain level of control due to the beeswax that is found in the balm. It will add a shine to your beard as well as a unique smell that is imparted by the essential oils. In summary, it is very good for your beard!
The good news is also that it is very easy to make yourself. Later on in the article I will share with you my custom recipe for making my DIY beard balm that I’m sure that you will love because you can customise it to your specific issues and tastes.
Now, let’s take a look at all of the reasons why you should use beard balm as your go to product for your beard.
What beard balm is good for…
Beard balm is good for your beard for a range of different reasons. Not only does it help control and nourish your beard but it can also change the smell and is very cost effective when you buy it in bulk or make your own. Here are all of the reasons why beard arm is great for your beard.
More control than beard oil
If you’ve been growing a beard for a while you may be familiar with using beard oil. Beard oil is commonly recommended for beard growers as it provides a lot of benefits to beard hair. However, the thing that beard oil does not provide for your beard is any level of control for the wild hairs that may be escaping the lines of your beard.
Beard oil contains only liquid ingredients. That means that it is able to add a shine to your hair but contains no ingredients that are able to hold your hair. Beard balms contain beeswax and shea butter which are harder and are able to provide a long-lasting hold.
In reality, it is the beeswax which provides the greatest amount of hold and if you want more hold you should choose a product or create a recipe that has a higher portion of beeswax. Beeswax is the bearded person’s best friend when it comes to managing the flyaways and problem areas of your beard.
Add shine to your beard
Beard balm contains a load of ingredients which can provide a beautiful and nourished shine to your beard. Beard balm contains shea butter, essential oils, carrier oils like jojoba oil and coconut oil as well as beeswax. The shea butter and carrier oils are what are able to add an awesome shine to your beard. Shea butter has so many awesome benefits that they are certainly the superpowers in the beard balm. They do a range of things such as:
- Stopping dry hair – people use Shea butter on chapped lips, cracked heels, and dry skin. And it is able to provide the same moisturising effects to your beard hair.
- Protects against split ends and broken hairs – Shea butter is an incredible way to deeply nourish your hair and protect the cuticles (the outside sheath) from damage. They do this by providing a deep moisturising action to the cuticles. Healthy cuticles on your beard hair means that your hair will be protected from environmental hazards.
- Non-greasy hair conditioner – Shea butter works so well as a hair conditioner and has been used for centuries as a leave in conditioner that won’t leave your beard feeling greasy. It will Help protect your beard hair from drying out in hot conditions and it will also reduce the freezing us that you experience on a day-to-day basis.
All of these awesome benefits create a lovely shiny beard which is a signal of nice flat cuticles and well hydrated beard hair.
The carrier oil is a component of the beard balm and consists of a mixture of oils. Each of the oils can have a different therapeutic property as well. Each of the carrier oils provide a range of different actions and properties and my favourite are jojoba oil and Argan oil – I use these regularly in my DIY beard balm recipes.
Add a unique smell to your beard
Beard balm is also great because it adds a unique smell to your beard. Sometimes beards can get musty. You need to balance the amount of times that you wash your beard per week with how dry you can handle your beard. Using shampoos can strip the beard hair of natural oils very quickly and therefore you should be very careful when washing your beard.
Using a beard balm means that you are able to add a unique smell to your beard (with the use of essential oils in the product) and cover up some of the less pleasant musty smells that a beard can sometimes have.
The great thing about some of the essential oils is that when you are selecting a product you can also in part some health benefits by selecting an essential oil which may act as an antimicrobial cleanser for your beard. Some awesome examples of essential oils which can provide a smell as well as therapeutic benefits are:
- Lavender – lavender has an antimicrobial cleansing action and it revitalises the appearance of hair as well as relieving itching. It may smell a little bit too floral for some people.
- Cedarwood oil – this is a very common woodsy aroma which can impart an antibacterial action as well as purifying and moisturising skin.
- Eucalyptus – eucalyptus oil has been used for centuries as an antibacterial cleanser. It helps fight bad odour as well as moisturising your skin. Be careful because I used to much eucalyptus oil in my initial recipes and it just smelt too much like a cleaning product.
- Peppermint – I love peppermint as an essential oil in my beard balm. It is cool and invigorates the skin and is able to moisturise and nourish your beard hair for hours.
Make sure that you choose a beard essential oil which you like the smell of. Even though throughout the day barely notice the smell occasional wafts and initial application are very obvious and can last for up to an hour with a relatively strong scent. Feel free to play about with a range of different beard balms and their smells and if you do not find anything on the market that you like I strongly recommend that you learn how to create your very own DIY beard balm. It is very easy to create as my YouTube video, below, will show you!
Use as a leave in conditioner
One of the best reasons why beard balm is good is because it sits against your hair for longer than beard oil and acts as a perfect leave in conditioner.
Although it is not a dedicated beard conditioner in the purest sense it is still one of the best ways to condition your hair. If you want to find out more about dedicated beard conditioners you should check out my other article where I go through the 10 best beard conditioner is that you can use and you may not have ever heard of – click here for full article.
What is in beard balm?
Clearly, the magic of a beard balm and what makes it great and good for your beard hair is what is in it. As I’ve outlined above, there are some common ingredients in beard balm such as Shea butter, essential oils, carrier oils, and beeswax.
It is this combination of moisturising agents (Shea butter and carrier oils), therapeutic oils (essential oils) and ingredients that provide a certain level of hold (beeswax) makes beard balm and incredible addition to your beard routine.
Each one of these ingredients is vital in providing the moisturising, hold, and nourishing action that people love about beard balm.
The great news is that making your own DIY beard balm is as easy as mixing and heating some common ingredients together. If you can bake a cake you can definitely make your own beard balm. I’ve done it for a number of years and it has saved me so much money that I would never go back to buying a commercially available beard balm – unless it had some secret ingredient that was magical for my beard!
I have created a YouTube video which talks you through the entire process and gives you a run down on all of the ingredients that you can use in your very own DIY beard balm.
My DIY beard balm:
Here is everything you need to and purchase to create your very own, inexpensive, and customised beard balm which is guaranteed to make your beard more manageable, softer, and easier to style.
You will notice in the video that as long as you are able to melt together the different oils and butters it is easy to create enough beard balm to last you for many years and months. Buying different sized containers means that you will be able to have some beard balm in larger containers at the mirror where you style your beard and you will also have travel sized ones which I use recently on a road trip and they were perfect for chucking in my toiletry bag.
Which beard Balm is the best?
Clearly, I think that my DIY beard balm is better than anything I could purchase on the market at the moment. However, I am completely aware that most people haven’t got the time or patience for making their own beard balm. Therefore, I have put together some of the best beard balm products on the market and I recommend these for anyone that wants to get their feet wet in the beard balm market. There are a number of awesome products on the market but here is a list of my favorite beard growing products:
Honest Amish Beard Balm Leave-in Conditioner
The reason that this is in my list: This beard balm is an absolute star and something that you should keep in your cupboard at all times! I love the fact that it doesn’t have an overwhelming smell like other beard balms can have. They have managed to balance the smell and function of this balm perfectly!
There is a slight hint of anise (or licorice) that some people may find off-putting. If you are worried about the smell the manufacturers also make a nonscented version of this balm too! If you want to try a number of different scents before you settle on one – take a look at the next option on our list!
4 Beard Balm Variety Pack
The reason that this is in my list: Having a variety pack will allow you to try a load of different scents without having to get through a massive tin of it! Naturally, you’ll probably not like every single one of the four options – but that is why you are buying it right!
The balms leave a just about matte, natural finish and natural look with soft but surprisingly good hold. The texture of these is a little bit softer than the balms that I make at home. So they will not offer a tonne of hold but just enough while also conditioning and leaving your beard feeling soft and cared for.
Scotch Porter – All Natural Men’s Beard Balm
The reason that this is in my list: This beard balm is on the more expensive range of the spectrum but it is a product that is worth the money you pay for it! It really is a luxury product for your beard! It has a fantastic smell and seems to be designed for people who make a thick coarse beard but want it to be a little softer.
The beard balm is also whipped up – making it easier to scoop of the the container and apply evenly. If you are looking for a brilliant way to treat your beard or a beard of someone you love – this is a really nice treat! I’ll be getting more as soon as mine runs out!
If you want to see the whole range of beard products that I have been recommending regularly – check out the recommended beard tool page for a list of all of the things that I have been using for years to look after my beard.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about beard balm as well as some advice around each one of the questions.
Does beard balm help growth?
Unfortunately, no. Beard balm cannot grow your facial hair. Your facial hair growth is down to genetics and the rate that your body produces testosterone and the sensitivity of your hair folicles to DHT. If you want to know if you can grow a beard – check out my other article – How to know if you can grow a beard? Four important questions to ask yourself…click here.
Does beard balm clog pores?
The ingredients in beard balm should not clog pores as all of the ingredients are known as Non-comedogenic. This means that the product is not likely to clog pores and it makes it perfect for people who are prone to acne.
Products that clog pores stimulate the overproduction of skin cells and this is largely thought to be why acne is promoted. Researchers first discovered that certain cosmetic products could cause acne in 1972 after investigating the appearance of pimples on adult women who regularly used facial cosmetics.
If you’re in doubt of any of the ingredients of your very own beard balm you should check out whether or not they clog pores by doing a simple Internet search on the individual ingredients. You should know however that the FDA does not regulate this term which means that even though some manufacturers can support their claims with research and testing it is not a requirement that they show that evidence to the FDA before claiming that their beard balm does not clog pores.
Should you use beard balm at night?
If you are using beard balm at night you run the risk of ending up with more beard balm on your pillow than against your beard hair. There is no reason why you cannot use beard balm at night but you must be careful that you are not simply rubbing it on to your pillow while you are sleeping. You can use a beard wrap while you are sleeping and you can check out my other article where I look at the best beard wrap for sleeping and give you a full comparison guide – click here to read the full guide.
Conclusion
Is beard balm good? Yes, it is amazing for your beard! Beard balm contains all of the ingredients which provide a myriad of different benefits to your beard hair. It nourishes, provides hold, and can help provide some therapeutic properties through the ingredients and the essential oils. It is also amazing because it is simple to make and you can make enough to last for many years at a fraction of the price of regular commercially bought beard balm.
If your beard is starting to get a little bit long you should seriously consider buying some beard balm for your beard hair. It is something that I have used regularly and I feel is an important product for every bearded person to try at some point.
Happy beard and I hope that your beard balm journey is as awesome as mine has been!
