What is Beard Balm?
What is Beard Balm? If you’re new to growing a beard then this blog is for you! I’m going to break it down and let you know all about the balm. What is it, why you need it and what it does for your beard! Read on….
I’ll keep it simple
So, you are growing a beard for the first time. Maybe you are growing it again after shaving for a job, or something similar. Possibly you already have a beard but have never used balm before. If you’re new to growing a beard you are probably wondering what the hell is going on, there’s so many products for my beard but which one do I need?
Beard oil is pretty self-explanatory but what is beard balm? It’s a game changer for your beard, that’s what!!
A styling tool to help keep your beard on point no matter what you’re doing. It’s a wax, it’s a hard oil, it’s a bloody lifesaver that fights against the weather!
What does Beard Balm do?
Beard balm is designed to nourish your beard, keep it healthy and to hold it in place. Style it if you will. The idea is to give your beard all the nutrients it needs to survive.
Beard hair can become brittle the longer it grows. While oil is effective in shorter beards, balm really helps with the medium to long whiskers. Beard Butter is also better here but that’s another story!
It helps to replace the natural sebum produced in your hair follicles and coats your beard rather than absorb into it. This is what gives that manly mane more nourishment and also gives it some hold.
The make up of a balm
Beard balms come in all sorts of sizes, made with all sorts of ingredients and with varying hold. Most companies will use the same carrier and essential/fragrance oils as their beard oil. This is to maintain consistency throughout the range. The carrier oils are used to dilute the EO/FO’s and they also give your beard some much-needed nourishment.
The EO/FO’s add the scent with essential oils also providing a small benefit for your whiskers. Once the oils have been added you then typically get a butter thrown in there. Mango, Shea and cocoa are the most popular butters. After that comes the wax. Beeswax is more commonly used in balms and sometimes, more than one type of wax is added depending on what strength hold the balm has.
How do you use it?
Depending on the size of your mane will depend on how much balm you need to use. If you just have stubble or a very small, tidy beard, the chances are that you won’t need to use balm and can instead just use beard oil. Check out my blog, Do I need Beard Oil?
Let’s say you are 3 months in to your beard journey. It’s growing nicely but starting to produce some fly away hairs. You want to keep your beard neat for work or other reasons. Beard Balm to the rescue!!
At this stage you will probably only need a small amount, the size of a pea perhaps. You will find out the right amount for you as we are all different and one size does not fit all! The amount you need can vary depending on the length and thickness of your beard.
Application
Rub the balm between your fingers to soften it up. Apply it to the top of your beard and spread it evenly through to the tips of those whiskers. You want to cover as much of the hair as possible for it to have maximum effect.
Using a comb, preferably a wooden one, helps spread the balm and even it out. You can also use a boars bristle brush to help get your beard into the position you want. I use both.
Once that is done, your beard should be ready for the day ahead. You can now enter the world with confidence that your beard will be healthy and look great for longer!
Can I use beard oil as well as balm?
Absolutely! I often use both and for a very good reason. However, there is a right way of using both products and a wrong way. I’ll just tell you about the right way!
The best way to use both products is to first of all wash your beard. Preferably in the shower where the hot water really opens your pores. You don’t have to wash your beard with beard shampoo, in fact I would only use beard wash twice a week. (All to be revealed in another blog soon!) You can just rinse your beard thoroughly with the warm water instead.
Once out of the shower, pat down your beard gently with a towel. Do not rub it vigorously as this can damage those whiskers. Apply beard oil to your skin and beard and brush through with a boars bristle brush. You can then dry your beard and shape it using a rounded brush and a hair dryer on medium heat.
Now that your beard is dry you can apply the balm as described above. This is the best way to “double dip” as it is commonly known in the beard world. Now you are looking after your skin and beard at the same time as well as having it shaped and styled to your liking.
Thank you for reading What is Beard Balm? I hope this has helped you understand what balm is and how to use it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Until next time take care, keep growing and continue being the best man you can be!!
Tony.
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