Beard Balm or Beard Oil? Which should you be using? It’s a question that often comes up in the beard care world and hopefully today we can answer that for you.
Firstly let’s take a look at the physical difference between the two.
Beard oil generally comes in a bottle and is in liquid form. Beard oil often varies in viscosity, colour and smell depending on the brand you’re using. Our beard oil for example, comes in over 9 different scents and is a non greasy, light weight blend made of six carrier oils which we commonly refer to as our “Swagger Six” signature oil blend. We also carry a tri-blend oil in our BASE beard care line for those after an awesome beard oil but just may not have the $$$ to purchase on of our more premium oils.
Now let’s move over to a balm. This is where it gets interesting. A beard balm is generally made up of oils, butters and waxes and is in a tin or jar. We have two different types of balms in our line with 5 scents in each, they are the conditioning balms and the holding balms. So what’s the difference between the two?
The conditioning balm has a much higher ratio of oils and butters in comparison to the holding balms, this means that you’ll get less holding power but the moisturising benefits of this balm are awesome! Not only that, you’ll also get all the benefits of our “Swagger Six” signature oil blend lapping up your beard hair and channelling this awesomeness right down the follicle level, the conditioning balms are truly unique and nothing like it exists in the beard care market today! Let’s move over to holding balms. Holding balms differ from the conditioning in their power to hold a beard in place. Think of a holding balm as more of a shaping tool for your beard, similar to what you’d use in your hair if you wanted to style it. Holding balms are often used in short to medium length beards and provide this hold all day long.
Some people perceive that beard balms don’t allow your skin or hair to benefit from the moisturising properties of the oils and butters in them due to the wax inhibiting this….this is generally a comment made by the uneducated groups or individuals and is utter nonsense, so bare that in mind if you ever read it. For example lets say you use a chap stick which generally has a high wax content (much higher than a beard balm) does it make your lips softer and not as dry? Of course it does, that’s because the moisturising agents are still absorbed by your skin, they just leave the wax behind which eventually burns off anyway 🙂
So which one is for you?
Well, you can actually use both! The bigger question is, what do you want to achieve with your beard? If you like its natural look then maybe just dabble in some beard oil once a day to keep your skin and beard hair healthy. If you want to shape your beard or tame the fuzz and fly aways a little more, then grab a holding balm. If you have really dry skin use a beard oil in the morning and a beard conditioning balm overnight. You’ll be amazed at the moisturising and nourishing awesomeness of our conditioning balms.
Oh, and a pro tip. Apply a small amount of beard oil (a drop or two) to your beard prior to applying the holding balm. By doing so it gives the balm something to “cling” to. It’ll still work without the oil, although it definitely helps to have a small amount in your beard.
Hopefully we’ve answered some of your questions in here and you’ll now be ready to make an educated decision when it comes to grabbing a balm, oil or both!
Stay Awesome!