Growing a beard is a must, nowadays. Over the centuries, beards have been a sign of masculinity, but former generations also liked the clean-shaven look.
However, in our day and age, most men do grow their beards, and their appearance is massively improved.
But. There is always but! For facial hair to look good, it needs proper grooming every day.
Two excellent products for men’s beards are beard balm and beard oil.
In this article, we will
- Make a detailed comparison of beard balm vs. beard oil
- Discuss the pros and cons of each one
- Differences and similarities
- If you should use both
- Discuss what’s best if you had to choose one
and much more!
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
What Is Beard Oil?
Before we start the comparison, let’s ensure we all know what each product is used for.
Beard oil is a blend of natural oils (such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, etc) and is specifically designed for facial hair and the skin beneath it.
Beard oil contains vitamins A, D, and E and a high concentration of linoleic acids that feed your hair the necessary nutrients for healthy growth.
In short, beard oil helps:
- Moisturize the skin and the beard
- Reduce irritation and itchiness
- Promote healthy beard growth
- Give a nice scent to your beard
- Brushing and getting rid of tangles
Beard oil solves the problem of rough and dry beards by softening facial hair and making it easy to style or comb through within a few weeks of constant use.
Beard oil also enriches the beard with necessary oils, vitamins, fatty acids, and micronutrients that strengthen the hair follicles and improve beard health.
What beard oil does not do is promote beard growth in general. For example, if you have a patchy beard or cannot grow facial hair, beard oil will NOT help you.
On the opposite side, if you have some patchy areas and you lose hair cause it falls, splits, it breaks, then beard oil can help promote the healthy growth of your beard.
I hope you get my point.
All in all, beard oil is a hell of a product for bearded men. Yes, even for those with stubble beards.
How To Apply Beard Oil?
The first step is to shake the product bottle well before use and brush your beard after applying beard oil.
It is also crucial that your beard oil is kept at the optimal temperature, as some oils might need a slight warming for those living in icy countries or during winter.
Applying beard oil is very simple. Put a few drops of oil (the number depends on the length of the beard), and then massage your beard and ensure it reaches the skin beneath it.
Generally, 2-3 drops are enough for stubble beards. For a longer beard, 3-5 drops are usually ok. Please don’t overdo it, though, cause your beard will look greasy.
For bushy beards, it’s better to drop the oil on the beard directly, but for trimmed-down beards, you should spread the oil over your palms before rubbing it into your beard.
This is followed by gently caressing the beard and mustache, and marinating it in the sauce of the beard oil concoction.
You may use beard oil at any time of the day, but the best time to apply it is either at night before bed or in the morning after showering, so it doesn’t get mixed up in sweat.
Read Also: How Often Should Beard Oil Be Used?
What Is Beard Balm?
Beard balm is a mix of shea butter and beeswax, essential oils, and carrier oils that provide hold and shape to your beard. The balm also nourishes, hydrates, and softens your beard, just like beard oil.
Beard balm also seals in moisture and adds volume to the beard, making it look healthier and fuller!
Beard balm is similar to beard wax in terms of ingredients and consistency. The main difference is that beard balm contains less beeswax and more butter. This makes it easier to spread and gives it a softer hold.
Beard balm is also usually scented with essential oils, which can benefit the hair and skin. Some popular essential oils in beard balms are tea tree, lavender, and eucalyptus.
Therefore, in a way, it also moisturizes in a similar way to beard oil.
The types of oils used in making beard balm are beneficial to the health of your beard and body. Beards pull a lot of dirt and debris, so keeping them clean is essential. The oils used in beard balms help to do that by trapping dirt and bacteria.
I want you to remember that beard balm gives a medium hold (not strong like beard wax), and it is a product that helps both with the health of the beard and with styling.
Read Also: Beard Wax, Beard Balm, or Both?
How to use beard balm?
To apply beard balm, we will follow the same process as with beard oil. Place a small quantity of balm in your palms, massage your beard, and make sure you spread it evenly across it. Also, make sure it reaches your skin. Finally, brush your beard and give it a final look.
The balm will help it stay there for the rest of your day.
Beard Balm Vs Beard Oil: Choosing Between The Two
When deciding between these 2 products, you should consider a few factors.
If you have a short beard, you may not need the added hold of beard balm and can stick to beard oil. On the other hand, if you have a long beard, it is wiser to get beard balm to keep it in shape and prevent flyaways.
Another important factor is a personal preference. Some of you do not like the one or the other products, and that’s ok. Both beard oil and beard balm moisturize and nurture your beard, so if you don’t like one, choose the other. You will be just fine.
If you prefer a more natural look and have a shorter beard, beard oil may be your go-to. Conversely, if you want a more sculpted style or your beard to have a specific style, go in a particular direction, then definitely choose beard balm because beard oil barely helps with holding.
Read Also: Beard Oil Vs Beard (Which One To Choose)
Can I Use Both Beard Oil And Beard Balm?
It is definitely an option to use both beard oil and beard balm. However, since their main difference is the holding only, I find it a bit too much if you don’t have a long beard.
Even if you have a long beard, beard oil and beard wax may be a better combination because wax provides a better and stronger hold.
In my opinion, even if you can use both products, I think it is unnecessary, and it comes down to personal preference.
The thing I know for sure is that you should use at least one of them to keep your beard healthy, strong, and hydrated.
Do Beard Balm Or Beard Oil Promote Beard Growth?
Beard balm and beard oil do NOT promote beard growth. What I mean by that is that you will not grow more facial hair by using them.
However, they promote the healthy growth of your existing hair because if you don’t care for your beard, you will lose hair from breaking, tangles, etc.
Having said that, it is crucial to use at least one of these products to have a healthy beard, but your beard will not become thicker by doing so. Beard growth is 80% genetics, 10% hormones and only 5-10% comes from diet and grooming. Keep this information in mind forever.
One Awesome Beard Oil
#1 Jack Black – Beard Oil
This beard oil is light and penetrates deeply into your beard hair. You need to apply less quantity compared to other similar beard oils. Its smell is nothing too crazy, but it is pleasant and it keeps for about 12 hours.
This product can be applied very easily. Its main advantage, which is not obvious in our era, is that it does what it says it does. It moisturizes your beard, and keeps it healthy and ready to comb.
It is also very light. Many people have said that it saved them from dryness underneath their mustache and beard without the need to visit a doctor.
As a drawback, I will say that it is tough to get off hands, it needs some time. All in all, in my opinion, this is the best in the market as of now.
I could talk about other beard oil options you have, but that’s a topic for another day. I don’t wanna go off-topic and waste your time. If you wanna buy good beard oil, this one is a great option.
One Awesome Beard Balm
Different brands try to be unique by adding signature ingredients to their beard balm. Beard balms differ from brand to brand, and choosing the perfect beard grooming product may be daunting. I have found out what the best heard balm might be and how to use it to ease your pain.
Scotch Porter All-Natural Men’s Beard Balm
With all-natural ingredients, Scotch Porter All-Natural Men’s Beard Balm works best in taming stray facial hairs and grooming your beard without affecting the wax in the beard balm.
In addition to the principal property of this product, which is the wax, natural butters and oils are also included to make your unruly mane as tame as you want. It is effective and highly nourishing. However, it might not be your first call if you’re working with a tight budget.
While value for your money is assured with this beard balm, there are less expensive brands. To use, rub a little amount of your Scotch Porter All-Natural Men’s Beard Balm onto your palms before applying thoroughly to your beard, depending on the length and thickness of your beard.
All you have to do is be patient in getting the right amount of product on your beard.
Conclusion – Beard Balm Vs Beard Oil
To sum things up, both beard oil and beard balm are important beard care products that help millions of men every single day.
Beard balm does similar stuff with beard oil (not as well but good enough) but is also thicker and gives a medium hold to your beard.
Beard oil moisturizes, gives your beard a nice scent, helps brushing, reduces skin irritation and more.
You can definitely use both but using at least one is crucial to your beard grooming routine.
And that’s it for today! I really hope you found this article helpful and interesting. If you have any comments or questions, leave them in the comment section below, and we will be more than happy to help.
Until next time,
Stay safe,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.