Katie Schenk
11 min
21.1K
The difference between a scruffy beard and a well-groomed beard is razor-fine!
Long beards are all the rage these days, but ONLY when they’re cared for properly.
Styling, trimming, and combing the beard is just step 1—you’ve got to make sure the hair and skin are healthy, conditioned, moisturized, and clean.
That’s what a beard balm does!
Beard balm conditions and moisturizes the hair and skin, helps to protect from beard dandruff, and gives you an easy way to style the hair.
It’s the ultimate solution for keeping your facial hair looking amazing.
That’s why we’ve come up with a list of the best beard balm products on the market, based on extensive research.
Our list has all the balms you’ll need to clean, hydrate, and groom your beard—making you the well-groomed man you want to be!
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Have trusted our product reviews
VERY low price tag, invigorating scent, easy to apply, excellent hold, great for styling thicker beards, no waxy or greasy residue, and smooth.
Ingredients are unclear, so no way to tell if it’s natural, organic, or loaded with artificial additives.
Coconut oil, panthenol, and natural beeswax are all ingredients mentioned on the list, but the rest are unspecified—meaning it’s unclear if natural, organic, or artificial ingredients were used to make this balm, or if it’s loaded with additives.
MAY not be suitable for those with sensitive skin.
The scent is pleasant—reminiscent of grapefruit—and strong enough to be present without overpowering your nostrils or overwhelming over fragrances (cologne, deodorant, etc.).
Expect excellent hold with this bad boy! It’s as firm as any wax or gel, giving you total control over your beard and allowing even the more complex facial hair styles.
The beeswax, panthenol, and coconut oil will do wonders to soften and moisturize your beard hair, and you’ll find it spreads easily, smoothly, and evenly. An excellent option for a healthier beard.
At less than $7 per tin, it’s the best-priced product on our list, and great value for the money!
Contains ingredients that encourage hair growth, all-natural, highly effective for moisturizing and conditioning, medium styling, leave-in formula, and pleasant scent.
VERY pricey.
Made with hempseed oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, apricot oil, Vitamin E, and other natural ingredients, it’s rich in the nutrients and oils that will help to condition, soften, and cleanse your beard.
However, it also contains caffeine, which is intended to speed up hair growth—both in length and thickness. You’ll find it’s highly effective if you want a thicker, fuller, and longer beard!
The scent is light and airy, and it contains no artificial fragrances to irritate those with sensitivities to strong smells.
The beard balm isn’t too thick or goopy, but it has enough oils to give you good (medium) hold when trying to style the beard.
Thanks to the combination of essential oils and all-natural ingredients, you’ll find your beard hair is beautifully soft, coated with a thin layer of oil to lock in moisture and nutrients, and easier to style.
At nearly $50 for a 2-ounce tin, you’re paying a LOT more than you would for other products. Too much, some may say, while others will consider it a worthwhile investment for the sake of a hair-growth product.
Good hold, can manage and control longer hair, absorbs fast, easy to apply, leaves a tingly fresh feeling in your face, and invigorating fragrance.
Scent may be a bit overpowering for some.
Made with shea butter, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, rosemary extract, and artificial Vitamin E among the ingredients, it’s not the most natural product, but still highly effective for conditioning and moisturizing your beard!
The scent is heavy on the mint—some say TOO heavy—and has been compared to the strength of Vicks Vaporub.
Though it’s formulated for longer beards, you get only a medium hold from this balm. It’s great for keeping things styled and under control, but it will struggle with more complex and demanding facial hair styles.
This is where the beard balm shines! It’s thicker and heavier than many of its competitors, which means it will be excellent for locking in moisture, keeping your beard hydrated, and softening even the thickest hair. The fact that it’s so thick means it really seeps into those longer beard hairs, keeping them easy to style, clean, and protected from dryness.
At just over $10 for a 2-ounce tin, you get pretty decent value for the price. Worth considering if you have a longer beard in need of extra-special attention.
Formulated to make your beard look and feel thicker, a highly effective moisturizer and conditioner, great for taming unruly growths of any length, 100% natural, tin is easy to open but securely sealed, and features a neutral smell.
Ideal for longer beards, but not as good for shorter facial hair; many users found the smell unpleasant.
The ingredients in this product include:
The ingredients are all-natural and U.S. made.
The smell of this moisturizer is fairly mild and neutral, though a number of reviewers complained about it. They couldn't put their finger on what exactly the balm smelled like, but they disliked the scent.
This is a great product not just for moisturizing, but also for grooming. It can help to get wild, thick, and coarse beards under control. It will soften and make it easier to comb/manage your whiskers, and it will hold the hair firmly in place. It may take a bit of time to learn how to apply it properly, but once you get the hang of it, it's like the perfect "gel" or "wax" to keep your facial hair looking good.
The ingredients in this beard balm are intended to make your beard look and feel thicker, and it will do wonders to moisturize and condition the hairs. The all-natural conditioning ingredients in the beard balm will also help to encourage hair growth and provide the nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and oils) your hair follicles need to grow thicker and longer hair.
At just over $13 for a 2-ounce tin, this is one of the higher-priced items on our list. You'll get a quality grooming product that will moisturize and condition your facial hair, and at a price you'll be happy to pay every time.
Homemade, all-organic product, mild aroma, excellent conditioning, light hold for styling, soothing fragrance, high quality fair trade ingredients, and well-priced.
Scent tends to get stronger, may go rancid if left unused for months.
Medical grade lanolin, Michigan beeswax, and fair trade organic coconut oil are all ingredients in this beard balm, along with grape seed oil as the carrier. With a hint of lemon peel oil, geranium flower oil, and eucalyptus leaf oil, it’s got the makings of a beautiful-smelling product.
All of the ingredients are natural and organic! A great option if you’re looking for a product made to high quality standards.
Freshly opened, the tin has a beautifully light scent of mint, lemon, and geranium that you’ll find very soothing.
However, be warned: left unused, the product may start to smell rancid after 9+ months, and the smell will grow stronger over time.
This beard balm is designed to eliminate tangles and knots, and it can help with some light beard styling. However, if you want a stronger hold, look elsewhere.
Thanks to its natural and organic ingredients, you’ll find this is an amazing product to condition, moisturize, and clean your beard. It will help to soften the strands of hair and make them easier to style, and it will combat dryness, itching, and the frizz common among wavy and curly-haired beards.
At $10 for a 1.5-ounce tin, you’re getting a quality organic product at a fairly reasonable price. It’s not the cheapest on our list, but it’s definitely good value for the money!
Thicker and richer than most beard balms, conditions and hydrates your hair, hand-made from locally sourced ingredients, free of artificial ingredients, strong aroma profile, moderate-to-good hold, plus combats dandruff and beard itch.
Contains emu oil, which may be considered unethical.
Sweet almond oil, gold jojoba oil, argan oil, castor oil, and apricot oil all serve as the carriers, layered with beeswax and shea butter for thickening. Tea tree oil, rosemary, and cedarwood are the essential oils that provide both the scents and the cleansing agents.
All of the ingredients are organic and locally sourced in the USA.
Fair warning: this beard balm MAY contain emu oil, which may raise ethical issues for some users.
The pine smell is strong enough to be pleasant without overpowering your senses. For those who want milder scents, there is an option heavier on the tea tree oil or mint.
If your beard is woolly and wild, this is a great product for you. It delivers good hold and makes it easy to keep even the bushiest beard under control.
This is where the balm really shines! The essential oils it contains will combat beard dandruff, beard itch, and dryness of your hair and skin. You’ll find the carrier oils and butters lock the moisture into your beard and keep the hair protected from direct sunlight and environmental pollution. It’ll keep your hair healthy, easy to style and comb, and growing well.
At just under $10 for a 2-ounce tin, you’re paying a very reasonable price for a high quality product.
Excellent to condition and soften facial hair, vegan-friendly and all natural, eliminates dandruff and itchiness, makes managing even thick and bushy beards easier, and features an amazingly pleasant scent.
Canister is very small, and the balm can leave a greasy film.
The ingredients in this product include:
All of the ingredients are organic and vegan-friendly.
The primary smell of this balm is anise (black licorice), but it's not so strong as to overpower the other sweet and woody scents. You'll find that it's a fairly pleasant smell, one that's easy to get used to as you wear the product daily.
(Note: Unscented version available as well.)
This beard balm is all about conditioning, not so much about styling. Thus the hold is fairly weak.
Thanks to the ingredients mentioned above, you’ll find it’s the best beard balm to condition your beard hair and hydrate your facial skin.
This is where this product suffers! Each tin only costs $13, but they're very small. You'll get maybe 30 uses from the tin if you apply it with a stingy hand, but those who use it liberally will have to stock up regularly. Still, if you want only organic (and vegan-friendly), it's a good option for you.
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Fitness has come hard for Andy; he's had to work for it. But, his trials have led him to becoming a martial artist, a NFPT-certified fitness trainer, and a man passionate about exercise and healthy living. That’s why he’s our resident fitness expert.
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7 Best Beard Balm
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