Although different companies make beard balm in different ways, beard balm contains some type of wax along with moisturizing oils and/or butters (plant butters such as shea butter, not the type of butter that would go on toast). A balm is traditionally made by mixing oils and wax to make a product that is stable at room temperature. Depending on how it is made, some brands melt in hot weather or can be hard to use in cold weather. It really depends on the mixture of waxes, butters and oils that are present in the beard balm. Traditionally, beard balm is a leave in conditioner made to soften your beard. However, some balm makers go heavy on the waxes to make the balm more like a styling wax. Many times it is hard to tell which brands are designed that way if you are only reading the label because two balms might have the exact same ingredient list but are vastly different based on how much of each ingredient is present. Your best bet is to read the item description. If it says something similar to, “provides stellar hold for styling your beard,” then its purpose is as a wax. If it instead says, “superior at conditioning your beard and skin while providing a light to medium amount of hold,” then it is a beard conditioner. In the case of Chuckanut Botanicals Beard Conditioner Balm we put the word “conditioner” in the title of our products to try and help make its use less ambiguous.
The purpose of beard balm is to soften your beard, tame wild hairs, moisturize dry skin under your beard and to stop beard itch. It also adds a nice smell if you purchase a beard balm containing a scent. Most beard balm companies offer both unscented and scented varieties. You should always read the ingredient list because some companies use synthetic fragrances while others prefer to stick to all natural ingredients. If a company is using all natural ingredients then either essential oils, resins, and/or absolutes are used to give your beard balm it’s scent. If this is the case and you have allergies to certain plants, read the label carefully to make sure it does not contain your allergen. This is important because essential oils are highly concentrated versions of the plant itself. Beard Balm is made (by professionals) in such a way that the essential oils are diluted to safe levels for use by people without allergies but if you have an allergy to a plant listed in the ingredients, steer clear of that brand.
When it comes to choosing a beard balm, personal preference is going to play a large part in your choice. The main considerations to think about are:
Since beard balm is a leave in hair conditioner it is proper to apply it anytime you assess that your beard is dry or looking a little downtrodden or if you are suffering from beard itch or dry skin under your beard. Beyond that, after washing your beard, apply a bit of beard balm to soften those hairs right up and to tame those wild hairs. Often your facial hair will end up in disarray from washing and drying after a wash-up and beard balm will help everything get back in its proper place.
If you are wondering how to apply beard balm, don’t worry, it’s very easy.