Beard oil and beard balm. Both indispensable care and nourishment of the beard. Besides these 2 products there is also a hard(er) beard wax variety but we will leave that one aside in this article. Beard oil and beard balm are not the same thing. Beard oil is there purely for the care of the beard hairs and the underlying skin. A good beard oil keeps the beard hydrated, soft and beautifully shiny. It replenishes the necessary fats and moisture after beard washing. So beard oil is actually a leave-in conditioner. If you don't use beard oil for your beard, you will soon shave it off. Without oil, the beard will become dry and flaky. Resulting in an incredibly itchy beard. Read our article " What to do about an itchy beard" for more information.
A good beard balm is also an excellent way of nourishing the beard's hairs, but it can also be used to style and massage the beard into shape. A beard simply cannot do without beard oil. But in addition to beard oil, beard balm is also a crucial product. Especially if you have a somewhat longer beard. Beard balm has the ultimate nourishing properties due to its ingredients, and it can also be used to style your beard. This is not possible with beard oil.
What does beard oil consist of?
A good beard oil consists of at least 80% base oils and 20% essential (fragrance) oils. A base oil is used to dilute all essential oils or fragrance oils. These base oils are plant-based such as grapeseed oil, apricot kernel oil, argan oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. These oils are fats composed of a mixture of triglycerides, also known as fatty acids. Fatty acids that have very important nourishing and moisturizing effects on our skin and beard hairs. There are many choices in various types of beard oils. For example, liquid and thicker varieties are available in different compositions and with a variety of ingredients and fragrances. Check out our article"How to use beard oil" so you know exactly how to get started!
Why is beard oil so important for your beard?
It's actually quite simple. If you don't water a houseplant, it will dry out, become barren and die. The same is actually true for your beard. If you think you can just let a beard grow without investing TLC in it, you're going wrong. Beard hairs are not like the hairs on your head. Beard hairs are stiff, hard and inflexible. The hair follicles/dermal sacs are also incapable of providing the beard hairs with sufficient moisture and fats. Especially if you have a long beard. Then the hair follicles are quickly exhausted. Just like your beard hairs. They become bone dry. The skin is also easily irritated as a result. Scales & beard itch! By the way, check out our blog'Why use a beard oil'. We'll go into even more detail. So a beard needs perfect support to flourish. And to stay there.
The solution to a healthy, soft and shiny beard? The daily use of a good beard oil. A beard oil supports healthy beard growth because it is perfectly hydrated and at the same time provides the necessary fats for your beard to look super healthy. In addition to providing nutrition, good beard oil also gives your beard a phenomenal smell. From gently tingling vanilla to masculine rum and smoke. Fragrance-free variants of beard oil are available for lovers, by the way. If you want to buy good beard oil, we have a phenomenal collection of beard oils with high-quality ingredients that will take care of your beard right down to the very tips of the hair.
Tip: Use a good beard oil especially during the growth of your beard. After all, the first 2 months are spicy. A lot is asked of the skin and, unfortunately, youthful beard hairs often itch. Solution: Use beard oil!
What is beard balm?
Beard balm is a beard care product that consists of a mixture of butters, waxes and oils. With a good beard balm, just like beard oil, you can perfectly nourish and moisturize your beard. Provided, of course, that you do decide to choose the most traditional beard balms possible. There are a lot of chemical beard balms on the market. Don't use them because these artificial components only damage the beard hair and skin. As we already wrote, beard oil does not allow you to style the beard. That's where a quality beard balm comes in. So with a beard balm, you can not only nourish your beard excellently but also style it slightly so that the beard looks nicely shaped. And that's what you want.
What does Beard Balm consist of?
A beard balm is not a liquid elixir like beard oil is. It has more the substance of a cream. However, with a good beard balm, as with beard oil, you nourish the beard and the skin. But by mixing various butters, waxes and oils, a good beard balm also allows you to style your beard. Of course, like beard oil, most beard balms have phenomenal scents added. Good to know is that the perfumes in a beard balm generally linger longer than in beard oils.
Why is beard balm so important for your beard?
Like beard oil, beard balm is an essential part of caring for your beard. Suppose you don't use beard oil then good beard balm is a must. Especially if your beard is already a bit longer. Your beard hairs cannot do without the necessary fats and hydration. After all, a beard's moisture level must be in order. Beard hairs tend to grow in all directions, and beard balm allows you to comfortably massage the hairs into shape. If you are new to this product or want to try a different one, we have put together a top 10 of the best beard balm for you.
Tip: If you suffer from inconsistent beard growth or have 'holes' in your (relatively short) beard, using a beard balm with shea butter on board is highly recommended. This is because it allows you to camouflage these spots. By the way, you can find more information about this in our blog, what to do about bald spots in your beard.
Can you use beard oil and beard balm at the same time?
Of course, you can use both beard oil and beard balm at the same time. However, order is:
- Wash the beard with a good beard shampoo .
- Massage dry beard with a good beard oil.
- After about 10 minutes, you can massage in the beard balm.
By the way, beard oil is easier to apply than beard balm because the latter is a thicker substance and you need to rub it in warm with your palms first. The only drawback is that the mixture of beard oil and beard balm does not give the beard as much hold.
For your convenience, we have also compiled a top 10 best beard oils for you. All of them are excellent products to give your beard the ultimate care it needs. By the way, if you want to know more in detail about beard oil , we recommend you to read our article why beard oil .
Of course, we hope to have helped you along the way and that you now have a clear understanding of the differences between the two products. Bottom line: from a starter to a long beard, you can't do without a good beard oil and/or beard balm! If you still have questions, please let us know.
Good Luck
Your friends, The Alpha Men.