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If you’re here, reading this, it means that you’re in the process of growing a beard or you already grew it and found out that it takes a lot of care to make it right. You see, you cannot just decide that you’ll grow your beard and look awesome, not.so.fast. It takes plenty of patience, time and continuous care to look like those models that gave you the idea in the first place. However, once you have it, and master the process of care, you’ll see it was all worth it.

Before continuing to our little DIY beeswax beard balm, let’s clear few things out of the picture.

What is beard balm and why you should use it

Beard Balm is a product that acts as a leave-in conditioner that you would use on your hair (or at least we girls do). You apply it on dry after washing your beard, and you should notice an immediate change.

It will moisturize, soften and help you style your beard more easily. The reason why it is recommended to use beard balm is that beard hair is usually harder, more bristle than the hair on your head (beard is also on your head, but you get my point). So, to make it stay in one place and behave, look shiny, and taken care of, among the other products, beard balm is inevitable.

Most store-bought beard balms contain shea butter for softening and moisturizing, sweet almond oil for conditioning and enhancing the growth, and a protectant (such as beeswax) for sealing in moisture. These ingredients are aimed at facilitating proper beard grooming and when naturally based, should not have adverse side effects on your skin or beard. However, it’s possible for beard balms to be often scented with blends of natural essential oils instead of synthetics.

Synthetic fragrance oils often contain toxic chemicals which can irritate your skin and alcohol that can leave your beard more dry and brittle in the end. And this is why I love DIYs. Later in this post, you will find a simple recipe to make beard balm at home, without the use of unknown, harmful ingredients.

How to use beard balm

Now that you know the Why, it’s time to discuss the How. Let’s assume that you took a shower, washed your beard, used a good-quality shampoo and conditioner for it, and now what? Now it’s time to air dry it (or blow dry if you’re running late) and apply the leave-in beard balm that will stay onto your beard and style it as you wish.

You have the option to use beard balm every time you wash your beard or whenever you want it styled more than the usual.

PRO TIP:

Do not use a lot because it will make your beard greasy and tone it down too much. Just, take a small quantity to start with, and increase by need. If applied correctly and regularly, beard balm will keep your beard healthy, strong and shiny and help you grow it full and long as you’ve always wanted.

Beard balm Vs. Beard oil

Now that you know what beard balm is and how to use it, it’s time to see the difference between that and beard oil. This is essential to picking the right products and growing your high-quality beard. This being said, beard oil is one of the vital products to soften your beard, as well as for beard straightening, growth, and maintenance. Men use it as a deodorizer and cologne too because of its contents of essential oils like tea tree, lavender, cedarwood, agar, and many others. [Read: How to Make Your Own Beard Oil]

NOTE:

Read the ingredients when buying, or make one of your own at home because many products use synthetic fragrances that can irritate your skin. While beard balm is used when you have fully grown your beard, beard oil is needed throughout the entire process of growth. This is because oil minimizes the itchiness by softening and taming the facial hair. It moisturizes the skin as well, which is why it’s recommended for both guys with thick beards and those who are just starting to grow one.

While it’s not ideal for beard shaping like the balm, you can still soften the beard with oil, if you’re not into styling as much, but you do need something to keep it in one place.

DIY Beard Balm Recipe

To get about 2 to 3oz of beard balm you will need:

• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• 1.5 teaspoon of shea butter
• 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil
• 1 teaspoon of argan oil
• 4 drops of tea tree oil

HOW TO:

Place the beeswax and butter in a pot and start warming them up until those melt. Keep them on low fire because if they start boiling, you will burn them and make them unusable. So boiling is a big no-no. Keep on stirring until it’s all melted and homogeneous.

Once you get the liquid ingredients, take the pot away from heat and add your preferred carrier oils and essential oils and stir until everything gets evenly distributed. Make sure that your mix isn’t solid when you add your oils. When done with mixing pour the liquid mix into tins or a plastic container that you know won’t melt. Leave it overnight to thicken, and in the morning you have your very own, natural, beard balm.

Most used carrier oils for beard balm:

• Sweet almond oil
• Avocado oil
• Argan oil
• Black seed oil
• Castor oil
• Coconut oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Hazelnut oil
• Hemp seed oil
• Jojoba oil
• Macadamia nut oil
• Mango oil
• Olive oil
• Papaya Seed Oil
• Watermelon seed oil

Most used essential oils for Beard Balm:

• Tea Tree
• Bergamot
• Cedarwood
• Spruce
• Fir
• Pine
• Eucalyptus
• Rosemary
• Clary Sage
• Sandalwood

[Read: Essential Oils for Men]

To Your Stylish Beard,

Monika