- in Beards by Jason Hall
9 Best Beard Balm Reviews – The Most Under-Rated Product That Will Take Your Beard to The Pro Level
Growing a beard can be hard.
Dry skin, brittle and itchy beard are some of the problems you might face when growing a beard.
The overall feeling that there's something very uncomfortable on your face can drive you straight to the razor, especially if it's the first time for you.
WAIT! Don't lose hope.
There is a solution that will help you power through this phase and it's called beard balm.
Beard balm is very versatile:
If you are venturing into the world of beard balm for the first time, then here’s our pick of the top 9 best beard balms in the market currently.
Some Great Beard Balms - Quick Comparison
What Is a Beard Balm?
Beard balm is a waxy styling and conditioning aid that will help you keep those wild beard strands in check.
Ever woke up in the morning with unruly looking beard that refuses to stay the way you want it to? Then you need beard balm to hold it in place without looking unnatural.
Think of it like pomade for the beard with extras.
You might be asking yourself what is beard balm good for?
It's not a beard wax which is made purely for styling the beard. The best beard balm will also function as a leave-in beard moisturizer and conditioner that will soften your beard and help keep beardruff in check.
The next popular question I usually get is: ‘How different is it from beard oil’?
Because apart from the styling, that’s pretty much what beard oil does. Isn’t it?
Not really. Apart from providing more hold to a long and gnarly beard, beard balm can also make your beard strands appear thicker and fuller. So, if you have a short and patchy beard, you’d want to use beard balm every day to give it a fuller appearance.
Beard oil on the other hand will nourish the beard strands and keep them healthy. It will also help nourish the skin and prevent it from drying out. Here's a detailed article that compares beard balm vs beard oil.
Think of beard balm as a conditioning, moisturizing and subtle pomade for your beard.
Beard Oil = Moisturizing & nourishing.
Beard Balm = Styling, giving your beard shape, hold, conditioning & moisturizing.
What Is a Beard Balm?
There’s a lot of debate on what constitutes a good beard balm. And there are tons of DIY recipes as well as product manufacturers selling their own products claiming it to be the holy grail of beard grooming.
But in essence, a good quality beard balm is a blend of moisturizers, sealants and essential oils. Some beard balms aim to double up as beard oil and also add carrier oils and fragrance oils to make it a complete solution to an array of beard problems.
I like to keep the two separate though.
What to Look for When Buying a Beard Balm
There are few things to look for before buying a beard balm.
Ingredients
As mentioned before there are several types of ingredients in a beard balm. Let’s look at each category of those ingredients in detail.
Moisturizers
The most popular and widely used moisturizing ingredient in a beard balm is Shea Butter.
Not only does it moisturize the skin underneath the beard and prevents it from getting irritated with trapped dead skin cells, it also works perfectly as a leave-in moisturizer that you can apply on your beard and spread evenly without it looking overly sticky.
Another reason why Shea Butter features prominently on most beard balms is because of its inherent ability to make your beard appear fuller.
For guys with patchy beard growth, a beard balm with Shea Butter is your ticket to beard glory.
There are many other ingredients that may also be used as a moisturizer and conditioner. Coconut oil for example has a buttery texture rather than like that of oil. Some beard balms may also contain cocoa butter or mango butter.
- Cocoa Butter: An excellent skin moisturizer. Heals your skin from the inside.
- Mango Butter: Nourishes and moisturizes the skin.
Most butters do the same, moisturize and nourish the skin. The main difference between butters is the scent and the texture- some have a light texture and some have hard texture. So butters will have an effect on the balm's texture and scent.
Sealants
The best balms use beeswax. It is natural, does not irritate the sensitive facial skin and helps to give your balm some shape and hold.
But some cheaper varieties of beard balm may also contain synthetic sealants. I like to steer away from anything that contains synthetic stuff like petroleum jelly for obvious reasons.
You spend an extra few dollars, but get a product that does not irritate your skin.
Essential Oils
The sky is the limit when it comes to essential oils in beard balm. And they are picked according to the unique benefits that they offer and their scent.
A beard balm with tea tree oil is ideal if you have excessive dandruff or flaking in your beard. On the other hand, if you have fungal infections, then eucalyptus oil is a better choice.
Essential oils will also add fragrance to the beard balm and if you are picky about the fragrance, then you’d want to look for products with a blend of essential oils that include lavender, sandalwood or cedar wood.
For more info about essential oils, you can read my DIY guide where I explain about essential oils and their benefits.
Carrier Oils
Carrier oils help carry the essential oils into the skin. Most balm will contain carrier oils such as: jojoba oil, argan oil, grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil. Each one has its own benefits.
What Are Your Needs?
Beard balms can be roughly divided into 2 types:
The difference between them is in the ingredients each one has.
If you're looking for a conditioner and little hold go for a balm that has high percentage of butters and oils and less beeswax. If you want more hold look for a product that has high percentage of beeswax.
It's all about your needs: conditioning or hold & style?
Balms with high percentage of butters and oils will condition & moisturize your beard.
Balms with high percentage of beeswax will be better for hold and styling.
9 Best Beard Balms - Reviews
There’s a lot of clutter and to make the task easier, I have dug through the muck and picked the best beard balms in the market.
These have been picked on the basis of the following criteria:
Some people pick a beard balm purely based on its scent. This shouldn't be a major factor, you can an unscented beard balm and use a beard oil for the scent. It all boils down to what you think works best for you.
I have picked the best of the lot. There’s a balm that gives you the maximum hold, one that works best as a moisturizer, another that is a blend of everything, ah...You will see.
Another note - the balms are not ordered in a best to worst manner. They are all very good products in my opinion.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Honest Amish is one of the earliest brands to enter the Men’s grooming products business with an impressive line-up of beard care products.
The fact that they did not sizzle out over the years stands as testimony to the quality of their products.
Their beard balm leave-in conditioner is one of their flagship offering that is also the best selling beard balm on Amazon.
This is an all-natural and vegan-friendly beard balm that has an impressive blend of carrier oils, essential oils and butters with a hint of beeswax for hold.
It keeps the beard and the underlying skin moisturized, gives it a natural sheen and lets you style it with ease.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Virgin Argan, Avocado, Grape seed, Virgin pumpkin seed and Apricot kernel.
Butters: Shea, Aloe, Cocoa, Kokum.
Scent: A mild but lasting aroma with sweet and woody notes. Honest Amish also sells an unscented version of the balm. If you are put off by fragrances, then you can opt for that version.
IDEAL FOR
Softening the beard, moisturizing it, conditioning it, restoring the natural glow, preventing dryness, beard itch, styling.
VERDICT
With almost 15 beard strengthening ingredients, a blend of essential and carrier oils and zero synthetic products, this beard balm from Honest Amish is hands down one of the best options you have.
It has a slightly greasy texture but is absorbed within seconds into your beard. The aroma is natural and mild and it is easy to apply.
It is made in the USA too! Great product!
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
If you've ever used beard grooming products before, you have surely heard about Wild Willie’s.
The brand is quite popular among the beard lovers around the world.
Their beard balm, which is advertised as beard butter is completely hand-made from locally sourced ingredients in the USA without any colorants, preservatives or fragrances.
It contains a blend of 13 organic ingredients that includes a blend of carrier oils, essential oils and beeswax.
If you're a bit sensitive with aromas, there's a natural Tea-Tree scent or a cool mint flavor. both have a slightly strong aroma profile that will last for at least an hour before dissipating.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Sweet Almond oil, Apricot oil, Gold Jojoba oil, Castor oil, Argan oil.
Butters & Wax: Shea Butter, Yellow Beeswax.
Essential Oils: Tea Tree oil, Cedarwood and Rosemary.
Scent: Lovely pine aroma, there's also a natural Tea-Tree scent, or a cool mint scent.
IDEAL FOR
Dandruff, beard itch, provides good hold.
VERDICT
It is excellent for beard maintenance too if you are looking to restore order to a beard going haywire. Your beard will be soft and will look amazing.
Handcrafted in the USA from locally sourced ingredients and comes with a 100% money back guarantee!
This product contains Emu oil which can raise ethical issues for some people, so it's not for everyone.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
If you're looking for a balm that gives extra hold without compromising on the moisturizing and conditioning. Smooth Viking Beard Balm will solve the problem.
Out of the can, this seems a lot thicker and waxier than most other beard balms that you may have tried before. But that’s only until you apply it between your fingers and palms and rub it. It melts evenly and becomes a consistent, spreadable texture that allows easy application.
The slightly thicker ointment like consistency also gives it the extra hold.
If you have beard or mustache that grows bonkers in all directions, that's your go to product.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Avocado oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Pumpkin Oil, Argan Oil and Castor Oil.
Butters & Wax: Shea butter, Beeswax, Mango butter.
Scent: It is almost scentless. Even though they claim to use a blend of essential oils, the scent is mild.
IDEAL FOR
Styling, hydration, itching and flakes.
VERDICT
The carrier oil blend is sufficient enough to solve most beard problems.
It will hydrate, solve beard itch, prevent dryness, make the beard appear fuller and with castor oil, also possibly help the beard grow faster.
The only thing that I would like to mention is to use very little if you have a short beard. This stuff can leave your beard greasy if you slather too much.
So use only a thumbnail sized portion for the first time and adjust it from there on.
Overall, great styling product with a subtle aroma!
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Beard Balm is not a very innovative name for a beard balm. Kind of like naming your pet dog ‘Dog’.
But this handmade all natural beard conditioner has been around for a few years now and its popularity has remained consistent.
Handcrafted in Detroit, this ticks all the right boxes that one looks for in a beard grooming product.
It has a wonderfully mild aroma, is just the right consistency, it will soften tough beard strands and a small can will last for months, although it's a bit smaller than the standard 2oz.
It is not the ideal choice if you are looking for something that can hold your beard all day.
You can check out our next pick for the ultimate beard styling balm. But if you are looking to tame your face jacket, reduce the horrible beard itch, reduce frizz, tangles and dryness; Beard balm will do the job just fine.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Grape seed oil & Coconut oil.
Butters & Wax: Michigan beeswax.
Essential Oils: Lemon peel oil, Eucalyptus oil & Geranium flower oil.
Scent: Wonderfully mild aroma. A blend of lemon peel, eucalyptus leaf, and geranium flower.
IDEAL FOR
Conditioning, softening beard strands, reducing dryness, itching and frizz.
VERDICT
With transparent product sourcing from some of the least contaminated environments in the world, this is one of the purest all-organic beard balms in the market.
If you are absolutely picky about using only the safest ingredients on your face, this might be a great choice for you.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
The only reason why Honest Amish’s Heavy Duty Beard Balm features so low in this list is because not many people look for beard balms purely for styling purposes.
But if you're gifted with coarse, frizzy and extremely curly beard that refuses to stay in place no matter what you try, then this is your lucky day!
For starters, it comes from one of the most popular manufacturers of men’s grooming products, Honest Amish who are renowned for their all-organic and handmade products.
Secondly, this beard balm has all the ingredients from our #1 pick in this list of best beard balms.
It is extremely effective and keeps your beard in place even after a 10-12 hour shift at work.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Virgin Argan, Avocado, Grape seed, Virgin Pumpkin seed and Apricot kernel.
Butters & Wax: Shea, Aloe, Cocoa, Kokum, Candela wax, Beeswax
Scent: Wonderfully mild aroma. woodsy scent
IDEAL FOR
Styling (strong) and conditioning.
VERDICT
If you did not like the original beard balm from Honest Amish because it was too mild in its holding power, then check out this heavy duty beard balm.
It will soften your beard and give you a lot more control in the way you style it.
It is not a thick beard wax though. It is just a very effective beard conditioner and softener that will help you tame even matured beards.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
I'm usually wary of anything that promises to stimulate hair growth because I haven’t seen anything except Minoxidil do that.
But I get tons of emails from readers who are not blessed with a fur blanket on their face asking about beard products that can help with beard growth.
So this one is for you guys!
I decided to do some research on Beard Bolt XL, which is advertised as a ‘Facial Hair Growth Stimulating beard balm. On the face of it, this looks pretty much like any other beard balm in the market.
It has a blend of organic essential oils, some butter thrown in and a nice floral fragrance that’s not too manly though.
This product gets good reviews from customers saying that they can definitely see a marked improvement in the rate of beard growth.
It is growing faster and the patches which had the slowest growth rate seem to have improved significantly. It is definitely looking fuller and thicker.
The only downside about Beard Bolt Xl is that I wasn't able to find anything at all about the ingredients, not even on their website. Tried contacting Delta Genesis but all I know now is that it contains a blend of essential oils.
I don’t like the secrecy bit. But for now, looks like the product works. It helps to style the beard, makes the beard fuller and thicker and has also helps reduce beardruff.
Overall, a pretty good product if you are struggling with slow or patchy beard growth.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
This premium beard balm from Rocky Mountain Barber is an all-natural beard tamer that has a blend of eight essential oils that are highlighted by the cedar wood fragrance.
True to the brand name, this beard balm will take you right to the Rockies. There’s a lovely woody aroma with pine, cedar and lots of cool mountain air.
The good part is that it is not an overpowering scent.
It dissipates in the first few hours after you apply it but you can still feel it lingering on your beard.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Coconut, Argan, Jojoba, Grape Seed.
Butters & Wax: Shea Butter, Beeswax.
Essential Oils: Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree, Lime, Cedarwood.
Scent: Lovely woody aroma with pine, not an overpowering smell.
IDEAL FOR
Conditioning, itching, beard dandruff and styling (mild).
VERDICT
The ingredient list is not fancy but it is very effective. They are locally sourced from Canada.
Add to that a compact sized can that can slip into your pocket and you have the perfect grooming product even if you travel frequently.
Easy to apply, not greasy, holds the beard in place and gives it a wonderful sheen.
Cannot ask for more! If you prefer the lingering mountain aroma over lavender or sandalwood, go for the Rocky Mountain Barber premium wax blend.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
How about a bit of the Appalachian in your beard?
With a citrusy aroma that has a rich blend of fir and cedar that is reminiscent of the West Virginian mountains, the Magic Beard Balm from Mountaineer Brand is perfect for men who hate floral fragrances in their beard balm.
This is as masculine as they come.
But the effectiveness of the balm goes way beyond the aroma. It has a blend of carrier oils and lime, fir needle and grape fruit essential oils.
To top it off, it contains Vitamin E oil, a blend of butters and beeswax for giving your beard some shape.
The standout feature though is the Pine Tar, which is pure dynamite for flaking. If you are experiencing dry skin, flakiness or beardruff, then try this for a week and see it disappear. You do not need anything else for beard dandruff.
Out of the can, it has a thick consistency but it melts easily in your palm and absorbs in minutes into your beard and your skin.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Virgin Argan, Avocado, Grape seed, Virgin Pumpkin seed and Apricot kernel.
Butters & Wax: Blend of butters and Beeswax.
Essential Oils: Lime, fir needle, Pine Tar and Grapefruit.
Scent: Light Pine Tar scent balanced with Lavender and Eucalyptus.
IDEAL FOR
Reducing beardruff, tangles and softening the beard.
SPECS
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Despite being a recent entrant into the world of beard products, ‘Gentlemen’s Beard’ has been able to get some attention in the beard world.
This sandalwood beard balm is one of their bestsellers. As the name suggests, this beard balm has a sandalwood aroma.
So, if you prefer something else, skip this and scroll further down for other options.
I quite like the woody and rich aroma of sandalwood which is often used as a base note in an aroma blend.
Sure, it will linger for a while. But the aroma is so mild that most people would hardly notice it.
INGREDIENTS & SCENT
Carrier Oils: Coconut oil, Sunflower seed oil, Argan seed oil, Evening primrose seed oil, Jojoba seed oil.
Butters & Wax: Shea butter.
Essential Oils: Chamomile flower extract, Sandalwood oil.
Scent: A blend of woody and spicy notes with clove being the dominant top note.
IDEAL FOR
Softening, conditioning, nourishing, beard itch and styling (mild).
VERDICT
The blend of carrier oils with Shea butter makes the Gentleman’s beard balm a great choice for nourishing your beard.
It will soften any hard and unruly bristles and let you maintain the softness throughout the day. Also, it is very effective against beard itch.
With natural vitamin E, this is one of the best beard balms that addresses split ends in beard strands.
Although that’s not a common problem, because very few people grow their beard beyond a couple of inches. Those with a 5-6 inch beard who are suffering from split ends, may find this product very helpful.
Can You Make Your Own Beard Balm?
There are tons of websites offering beard balm recipes which can make it seem like a very easy thing to make at home.
Sure, you can gather all of the ingredients individually, rustle them up together and make yourself a potion that you ‘MAY’ call a beard balm.
But to come up with a balm that has the ingredients in the right proportions is a very difficult and labour-exhaustive process that demands precision, skill and experience.
Get even one of the ingredients wrong and you will end up with a product that can do more harm than good.
One of the common mistakes that people do while trying to make their own beard balm is to go overboard with the essential oils. The result is an overly fragrant balm that can mess with the natural sebum production of the skin.
A slight increase in beeswax can result in a balm that makes your beard stiff. This takes away the natural feel of a beard.
Go overboard with the carrier oils and you will end up with a balm that is excessively sticky and has the consistency of oil rather than a spreadable balm.
The point is, that while it can be done, there is no reason for you to go through all the trouble when you can easily buy the best beard balm for a lot less money than what you’d expect to. You can handpick the balms according to the ingredients and select one that is best suited for your grooming needs.
Having said that, if you just like to experiment with different essential oils and carrier oils and you would like to make yourself a year’s stock of beard balm, you may explore the DIY route.
Making your own beard balm will require some research and experience.
If you're the type that likes to experiment and do stuff on your own, then making your own balm is the way to go.
How and When to Apply Beard Balm?
People fuss a lot about the application of beard products including beard balm and beard oil. The fact is that while technique does ensure that you get your beard strands evenly covered, it is a reasonably straight forward process.
Take a pulp full of beard balm into your palm and rub it to melt it so that it coats your palm evenly. Now apply it on to your beard working your way from the roots to the edges. The amount of balm that you will have to use will also depend on the length of your beard.
If you intend to style it, then you may have to use a little more quantity than what you’d use otherwise.
For beards that are shorter than a couple of inches, even a thumbnail sized scoop will suffice.
However, if you have really long beard, then you may need more to ensure even coverage. Also, if your beard is longer than 2 inches, you may need to use a beard brush and comb to style the beard properly.
Use the brush after applying the beard balm and when your entire beard strands are coated, use a comb to style it as desired.
When it comes to beard combs, never make the rookie mistake of picking a drugstore comb for your beard. Look for something that is designed to help you style the tough and thick beard hair to perfection.
There is a general misconception that a beard balm is only to be used when you want to style your beard.
Not true!
You can use a beard balm for daily maintenance too and when you use it with a comb and a brush, you will be able to tame your beard much like combing hair in the same direction each day lets you control it better.
Final Thoughts
This wraps up our 9 best beard balms reviews. As I said before if you haven't tried beard balm before and you'd like to take your beard care to a new level, you should try out some of the balms out there.
