Best Beard Balms

When it comes to men’s grooming, facial hair is often overlooked beyond trimming and shaving.

However, your beard also needs constant maintenance in order for it to remain as soft and shiny as possible. 

One product that can help with that is a beard balm - but what are they and where can you find a great beard balm to try out for yourself? 

Here we are going to be looking at the best beard balms out there, along with answering a few questions you may have about this handy hair care product.

So, check out the guide below to find everything you need to know about the best beard balms! 

What Are Beard Balms? 

First up, let’s talk about what beard balms are. 

Beard balms are kind of like a conditioner for your beard. While you may put on your usual shampoo and conditioner while in the shower, you can also add a beard balm to your beard and then wash it out just like a conditioner. 

The whole point of a beard balm is to help moisturize your facial hair.

Beards can grow tough, brittle and coarse if not properly cared for and this can result in a wild, rough beard.

Using a beard balm helps make facial hairs soft and gentle, plus they are given all the nutrients and moisture needed to stay hydrated and strong. 

So, it's definitely recommended that you use a beard balm if you have a lot of facial hair.

They can also be left in and used to help style your beard while locking in moisture to prevent your facial hair from drying out. 

Beard balms also help hydrate and take good care of the skin beneath your beard.

This skin is usually left to dry out because water struggles to penetrate longer facial hair, so using a beard balm also doubles as a kind of moisturizer for your skin doo (just don’t use it on skin that has no hair at all, there’s no point in that). 

All of these benefits make beard balms a great addition to a man’s daily routine.

Whether it’s conditioning or styling, beard balms are multipurpose and definitely something you should invest in.

If you want a beard balm to try out for yourself, then check out these amazing options below! 

OUR TOP PICK

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EDITORS CHOICE

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BEST VALUE

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OUR TOP PICK

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One of the go-to beard balms a lot of guys go for is Honest Amish. 

It’s easily one of the finest made beard balms thanks to all of the amazing ingredients used in its formula.

Each one is organic and humanely sourced, making this beard balm also super eco-friendly for those guys who are concerned about where their products come from and the impact they have on our world. 

For those more concerned about the impact of this balm on their beard, Honest Amish uses some amazing ingredients to help soften your coarse facial hairs.

This includes ingredients such as almond oil and avocado oil, both of which are super gentle on both skin and hair, as well as shea and cocoa butter for a smooth, creamy texture.

This balm also uses aloe in its formula, making it a great balm to use to sooth itchy and irritated beards. 

Although this balm won’t leave your beard shiny in appearance, it will help make your facial hair super healthy and hydrated.

It also leaves your beard smelling fresh with notes of cedarwood (a popular scent used in male products), licorice, and spicy clove. 

So, it’s easy to see why so many guys opt for Honest Amish when looking for their ideal beard balm! 

Pros

  • Honest Amish create organic, eco-friendly products that benefit both beards and the environment. 
  • The formula of this balm is packed with hydrating ingredients such as almond oil, cocoa butter, and avocado oil. 
  • It also utilizes aloe to help soothe irritated skin and rashes.

Cons

  • Although richly hydrating, Honest Amish doesn’t contain any ingredients that help make your beard shine.

EDITORS CHOICE

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This British brand beard balm ticks all the boxes for those looking for an affordable addition to their bathroom cabinet.

The Bulldog Original beard balm is ideal for those who need a balm that acts as a treatment for their itchy and irritated beard - and all for a super low price! 

The key behind Bulldog’s soothing and calming properties is its amazing formula.

It’s packed with aloe vera, camelina oil (which is super moisturizing and filled with vitamin E), and tea tree oil which uses its antibacterial properties to fight off potential causes of disease and infection.

This makes Bulldog’s beard balm a great treatment for inflamed and irritated skin. 

However, one issue with this beard balm is how thin it is.

This might work great for those who want a beard balm that feels almost invisible but those with longer beards may need something thicker to cover more ground (or should we say hair?). 

Despite this, Bulldog’s beard balm works great at hydrating facial hair and works best for those with short beards or lots of stubble. 

Pros

  • Bulldog’s beard balm is available at a great affordable price, making it a great choice for those looking for a beard balm on a budget. 
  • It’s packed with antiinflammatory ingredients such as aloe vera, camelina oil and tea tree oil to help make it a soothing balm for itchy, sensitive beards. 
  • It’s super light and feels almost invisible when worn, making it great for styling. 

Cons

  • Its light texture makes it difficult for those with long beards to properly cover every inch of their beard with this balm.

BEST VALUE

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For those who need a beard balm that works great on sensitive skin, then the Viking beard balm range is definitely a great choice for you.

Their beeswax balms provide a firm hold that makes it great for styling along with plenty of amazing organic ingredients that are gentle on the skin. 

This includes jojoba oil, the oil that is closest to our natural sebum, and argan oil.

It also uses shea butter in its formula, providing beards with the right ingredients to help soften coarse hairs while also strengthening them and making them healthy. 

Out of all of Viking’s amazing beard balms, we chose to recommend its citrus scented version as its orange oil also helps give beards a healthy shine - something that is sometimes overlooked.

So, if you want to look your best, this is the beard balm for you. 

The only drawback we think you might find with this balm is its scent.

It’s very floral thanks to additional oils including lavender and rosemary, which complements the orange scents.

This may be too floral for some guys, who prefer more ‘macho’ scents like sandalwood or clove. 

Pros

  • Viking beard balms come in a huge range of scents and purposes so there’s one for every beard. 
  • The citrus beard balm contains plenty of gentle ingredients which makes it great for sensitive skin.
  • The inclusion of orange oil gives beards a shine which looks amazing. 

Cons

  • This balm’s scent is particularly floral but Viking does have alternatives on offer.

RUNNER UP

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Our final beard balm on this list is this deep cleaning balm from Grave Before Shave.

It’s an amazing choice and especially suited to those who want to use their beard balm to help tame their facial hair. 

It contains all the best hydrating ingredients such as almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil, with each one working towards conditioning every single hair in your beard to help bring them under your control.

These ingredients do give the balm a very heavy viscosity and make it incredibly thick, which can be annoying to those who want to use this balm to also style their beard. 

However, this Grave Before Shave beard balm also contains grapeseed oil which acts as this balm’s secret weapon to strengthening and adding more shine to your facial hair.

Grapeseed oil is also antimicrobial which means that this ingredient also helps protect your beard and skin from acne and other bacterial infections.

This means that this balm from Grave Before Shave is also designed to help keep your beard clean as well as soft and tame. 

As for scent, Grave Before Shave contains a range of essential oils added specifically to enhance the smell of your beard.

There are notes of sharp citrus and rosemary, bringing the classic smells of nature to your beard to help keep it smelling fresh just like the outdoors.

This makes it a popular balm for those who live in grimy cities as Grave Before Shave as it helps freshen up facial hair while keeping it clean from pollutants. 

Pros

  • Grave Before Shave is a deeply hydrating beard balm thanks to its gentle yet moisturizing ingredients including shea butter, coconut oil, almond oil, and more. 
  • It also contains grapeseed oil which helps strengthen your hair and kills any bacteria that pose a risk to your hair and skin’s health.
  • It’s a very fresh smelling beard balm with notes of herbs and citrus.

Cons

  • This is also a very thick and heavy balm which can turn off some guys who want a more subtle beard balm.

Buyer’s Guide 

So, those were our top picks for the best beard balms - but if you would rather have a look around by yourself, then here is a handy buyer’s guide to help you find the best one!

Check out the advice below and keep it in mind when looking for your own beard balm! 

Best Beard Balms

Tin Size/ Amount Of Balm

When looking for your ideal beard balm, you first need to think about how much balm you will need. 

Thos with long, dry beards will need more balm than those who are just starting to grow their beards.

Alternatively, your beard may not need a lot of balm to help keep it tame and hydrated, or perhaps you need to apply your beard balm daily to keep it manageable.

Ultimately, every guy’s beard is unique and so your beard may need more or less than the average beard.

Think about how much beard balm you expect to use and how frequently. This will help you choose the right tin size. 

Most beard balms are available in tin cans that weigh around two ounces, but you can get smaller one ounce tins that are easier for travel and ideal for those with smaller beards.

So, think about how much balm you need to avoid constantly restocking. 

The Hold Of The Balm

There are different kinds of beard balms that come with different holds.

This is because some are made using more solid ingredients, such as fats or waxes, while others are more liquid and use more oils in their formula. 

While all of these ingredients are great for hydrating and softening your beard, they do have different kinds of holds.

This means that some are better when it comes to styling your beard.

For example, a wax-based beard balm will help you style your beard and hold it into place while a liquid balm will only work at moisturizing your skin, hydrating your hair and softening your beard. 

So, think about how you want to use your beard balm and if you plan on using it to help you style your facial hair. If so, then a balm with more hold will be better for you. 

Base And Additional Ingredients

There are a range of ingredients used in beard balms, and each has its own purpose.

Therefore, you can get different balms which aim to do different jobs or are designed to tackle certain issues.

This means that if you have a particular issue with your beard, you can find a beard balm that is best suited to tackling that issue depending on its additional ingredients. 

The base ingredients of the balm help give it its texture and consistency, but also have additional effects.

Coconut oil and shea butter are incredibly hydrating as well as soothing, while beeswax is not suitable for vegans but helps make your beard feel luxuriously smooth. 

There are also carrier oils included in each balms formula. Some popular ones include jojoba oil, argan oil, peppermint oil, and tea tree oil.

While most of these are added to help give the balm a strong scent, they also have additional properties to help your skin and facial hair’s quality. 

Argan oil is especially gentle which makes it a great choice for those with sensitive skin or brittle hair, while jojoba oil is the closest ingredient to our natural sebum, making it the best choice for those who tend to have reactions to beauty products.

Peppermint oil stimulates hair growth while tea tree oil features antibacterial properties which helps fight acne. 

Then, there are the oils added to help give your beard a great smell.

This includes lavender oil which is said to help against anxiety, cedarwood which is a traditionally ‘manly’ smell that most guys love to use in their products, and eucalyptus oil which is another popular smell for men. 

Overall, you need to think about what kind of beard you want and find the best ingredients to help you achieve that goal. 

Price

Finally, we have come to one of the most important factors you should consider before purchasing your beard balm - the price. 

Most beard balms range between the $20 to $30 price range but a lot can go beyond this. It’s important to set yourself a budget so you only pay what you are comfortable with paying.

So, think carefully about how much you want to spend on your beard balm.

You will also need to take into account how often you may need to restock and the annual cost this will have on your expenses. 

Set yourself a maximum price and stay within your limits.

There’s no point in spending money on a beard balm you can’t afford when there could always be more affordable options out there that work just as great! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Beard Balms Good? 

Beard balms have a lot of benefits, including making beards tamer and easier to style, while also providing great nutrition and hydration to both your beard and the skin beneath.

For a full, in-depth look at why you should use a beard balm, just check out the guide above! 

Should I Use A Beard Balm Everyday? 

How often you should use your beard balm depends on your beard itself.

The longer it is, the more frequent you should use your beard balm to help keep them in great condition. 

However, shorter beards tend to need less hydration because of how close they are to your skin and this makes it easier for water to penetrate the hairs. 

Despite this, those with beards longer than five inches should apply a balm every day. 

But, you know your beard best. If your beard is already soft and easy to style, then perhaps you don’t need to use your beard balm everyday. Instead, use it whenever you feel it needs a boost of hydration! 

Do You Rinse Off Beard Balm? 

You should wash out your beard balm after every use because leaving it stuck to your skin can cause a build up of oils, sebum and bacteria - and this in turn can lead to acne breakouts, itchiness and irritation! 

Beard balms are used for styling so they can be left in your beard for hours. Just remember to rinse the balm off once you are done for the day! 

Should You Comb Beard Balm?

Combing your beard balm into your beard is not a necessary step but it can help you with styling your beard.

Usually, you just run the balm through your beard using your fingers but a comb can help - it’s just not necessary. 

Matt Park
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