To improve how your facial hair looks and feels, beard oil and beard balm are both helpful. Learn the differences and which is better.
Beard oil and beard balm are two excellent products to keep your beard healthy. They condition your beard and also work for styling.
Related: How to straighten your beard
Overall, the two are similar. However, several main differences affect how your beard looks.
The following explains what each one is and how to use it. Plus, you’ll learn which one is the best for you.
Related: 10 best beard shampoos and washes
What’s beard oil?
Beard oil is a light moisturizer that you can quickly apply to your beard. High-quality beard oils will also moisturize your skin, in addition to your beard.
Most beard oils are packaged in a glass or plastic bottle. They’re made with carrier oils and essential oils. If a beard oil has other ingredients, specifically chemicals, avoid it.
The benefit of beard oil is that it leaves your beard smooth and gives it a silky look.
Another reason to use beard oil is that it eliminates an itchy beard. If you’re starting to grow your beard, it’ll keep you comfortable. It’s also excellent for treating flakes.
As an oil, it’s easy to work it through your beard. Plus, it won’t make your beard greasy.
One of the best beard oils is the Cremo Forest Blend Revitalizing Beard Oil. It has sunflower oil, avocado oil, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, argan oil, cedarwood oil, spruce oil, rosemary extract, vitamin E, and eucalyptus leaf oil.
Buy Cremo Forest Blend Revitalizing Beard Oil from Amazon for $7.42.
How to use beard oil
Since beard oil moisturizes your beard and skin, it’s best to use it after washing your face.
After you’ve washed your face, use a towel to dry your beard until it’s slightly damp and take the following steps to apply beard oil:
- Add two or three drops of beard oil to your palm and rub your hands together.
- Once the oil has spread evenly, use your palms to brush the sides of your beard down toward your chin.
- Run your hands and fingers through the front of your beard and mustache.
- Use a comb or brush to distribute the oil evenly and style your beard.
If you feel like you need more oil, add one drop at a time. A little goes a long way with beard oil.
What’s beard balm?
Beard balm is similar to beard oil, as it’s a moisturizer. However, beard balm is also excellent for styling, which is why it’s popular for medium to large beards.
While beard balm has similar ingredients, such as oils, it also has butter and beeswax.
Shea butter and cocoa butter are common ingredients. They provide more conditioning, itch relief and helps make the product a solid instead of a liquid.
Beard balms also use beeswax, which protects your skin, hardens the product, and allows you to style your beard by holding it in place.
If you’re looking for a new beard balm, Honest Amish is one of the most popular options. It’s made with a blend of oils, cocoa butter, kokum butter, shea butter, and beeswax.
Buy Honest Amish Beard Balm from Amazon for $11.43.
How to use beard balm
Like applying beard oil, it’s best to wash your beard before use. Then, towel-dry your beard until it’s slightly damp.
Now, you’re ready to apply beard balm. The steps are as follows:
- Use your finger to scrape out a dime-sized amount and rub it in your palms.
- Apply it by running your hands through your beard, starting at the roots.
- Massage the skin under your beard by rubbing the balm in a circular motion.
- Use a brush or comb to style your beard.
Beard balm warms up when you rub it in between your palms. It may take a bit longer to apply than beard balm.
However, warming it up softens the balm and ensures there aren’t chunks in your beard.
Which is better?
Both products work well for maintaining a healthy beard. However, the best out of the two is beard balm because it does a better job of moisturizing your beard and skin, and it’s better for styling.
If you want something easy to run through your beard and has a stronger scent, beard oil will do the trick.
Overall, beard balm is the way to go. Look for one that uses natural oils and butter. Avoid beard balms with chemicals, as they can dry out your beard.
Using them together
Another option is to use both of the products. If you want to use them simultaneously, you can. Treat beard oil as a moisturizer and beard balm as a styler.
If you use them at the same time, only use one or two drops of beard oil. Since beard balm also has oil in it, you don’t need much.
You can also use one during the day and the other at night. The best way to go about this is to use beard balm during the day since it has butter and beeswax. It gives you a styled beard. At night, use beard oil as a way to keep your beard moisturized.
Conclusion
Regardless of your beard length, you’ll benefit from beard oil and beard balm. The one you use depends on what you need, as you can also use them together.
Overall, beard balm is the best because it has the same oil as beard oil, but it also has different types of butter for deeper conditioning and beeswax for protection and styling.
Featured image courtesy of Canva.