In the era of beard grooming products, it is significant to know which one is superior to others. However, it is impossible unless you try each one by yourself. Besides, it becomes a daunting task to pick one out of two when both the products cater to the same purpose. With hundreds of incoming requests demanding to state the difference between Beard Balm vs Oil, we decided to prepare an article.
In this article, you will get to know the following things:
- Personal experience
- Experience with both beard care products
- Similarities & Differences between Beard balm and best beard oil
- Things to look at when picking up the product
- Mistake to avoid for healthy beard growth
Also, there are a few sets of questions, that many people have in common. It would be best if you went through these questions as well.
Let’s get started.
Table Of Content
What Ingredients Beard Oil and Balm Includes?
Before knowing what it includes, you must know what purpose these products serve. Assuming you are looking at the differences because you want a multi-purpose product that conditions, moisturizes, and nourishes your facial hair and skin beneath.
All this is possible with the inclusion of natural and organic ingredients. And you must be surprised to know that both oils and balms contain almost the same ingredients, i.e., carrier and essential oils. Still, beard balm is superior to mens beard oil. How?
It’s because it contains two more ingredients, i.e., butter and beeswax. Let’s understand each ingredient in detail:
Butter (Shea/Cocoa)
If you live in a dry climate or if your skin tends to produce less than minimal natural oil, then you should opt for a product rich in moisturizing agents.
Carrier oil is one of the ingredients that moisturize the skin, but having shea or cocoa butter along with it will be like a cherry on the cake. It adds an extra layer of moisture to your skin. It will help in reducing beard dandruff and dryness.
Beeswax
Beeswax is another ingredient that makes beard balm different from beard oil. Along with primary care, beeswax allows you to style your beard. Though it does not have the same amount as beard wax, beard balm still manages to tame and shape your unruly and wiry beard.
Also, you do not need to worry about moisture fading away within hours, as the beeswax makes sure to conceal it under the skin.
Carrier Oils
Both balms and oils contain this ingredient, which makes them similar to some extent. It is one of the vital ingredients to condition your hair and skin. Here is the list of carrier oils you must look into your product:
- Jojoba Oil
- Argan Oil
- Sweet Almond Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
The list goes on. If you ignore these oils, you are welcoming white flakes on your facial hair that goes unnoticeable. Furthermore, it relieves you from beard itch and makes you feel more confident.
Now this advantage is more specific for men with coarse and wiry beards. When I applied it to my facial hair, I was astonished by the results. It made my mane soft and fluffy. I can now shape and groom it easily. I had also suffered from split-end problems that seem less susceptible after applying beard oil.
Essential Oils
It is another ingredient, which you will find similar in both beard oil and beard balm. Essential oils are the reason why your beard care products have natural, pleasant, and masculine fragrances.
These scents aren’t overpowering and will also not clash with your cologne or deodorant. Also, it dissipates within a few hours of application.
The benefits of essential oils don’t end here; it acts as an antifungal agent, and even it pumps up the blood flow that results in promoting hair growth. You can call it a beard growth oil as well.
Here is the list of essential oils:
- Lavender
- Sandalwood
- Chamomile
- Cedarwood
- Grapefruit
To conclude, beard oil only moisturizes and nourishes your skin, while beard balm adds a layer and seals moisture. The additional ingredient will also allow you to style your beard. In my opinion, beard balm is a step ahead of beard oil when it comes to ingredients.
Which Product Will Best Suit Your Beard? Beard Balm vs Oil
Now the answer to this question is your bead length.
Ideally, when you start growing your beard, you must focus on strengthening your hair follicles and conditioning your skin. It’s because this is a crucial time when you don’t want to lose hair. Also, you will have a less rugged and coarse beard during the initial beard growth stage.
That’s where you can start applying beard oil and condition your facial hair as much as possible. It is advisable to apply for the first six months of beard growth.
On the other hand, the beard balm game begins when you start noticing whiskers on your upper lips entering your mouth. Or maybe when the facial hair starts growing in a different direction, making you look unkempt.
In this stage, you need to train, tame, and shape your beard hair. For this, you can also add a beard brush to the grooming kit and start brushing before and after applying beard wax.
The addition of shea butter will keep your beard soft and tame the whiskers properly. It will also clean the pores on the skin. Here, you must not pick the beard balm that contains solid coconut oil as it clogs up the skin pores, making the cleaning process worthless.
Beard balm will keep your whiskers in check throughout the day.
In this case, there can be no battle between beard balm vs. beard oil as both products are necessary at different stages. You can use beard oil when you have a short beard and introduce beard balm when you notice medium to long beards.
Are Beard Oils and Balms Travel-Friendly?
For this, you either need to travel with both beard grooming products in travel-kit or get some piece of information before stepping out with both products.
The second option is a much better and wise decision.
First of all, you must know what packaging it comes in. Both the balm and oil come in a container that consists of a maximum of 2 fluid ounces.
With this, one thing is sure that both are easily portable. But there is something else which you should not miss while carrying it with yourself.
Durability is a factor where when it comes to traveling. Beard balm tends to melt if subject to UV rays, while beard oil comes in an amber glass bottle that will block these harmful rays. It will not harm the natural ingredients.
Contrary to this, carrying a glass bottle means you need to be extra cautious as you don’t want it to slip from your hand and break down into pieces.
Beard balm is way more compatible while traveling. To sum it up, you can choose beard balm if you want a travel companion.
Which Beard Product to Choose for Styling?
When it comes to styling or shaping a beard, you can count on beard balm. Beard oil loses the battle between beard balm vs. beard oil as it doesn’t have any holding agents.
You must not forget that beard oil is a blend of carrier and essential oils and doesn’t contain cocoa or shea butter. Also, it lacks beeswax, a primary ingredient for taming and shaping facial hair.
On the other hand, beard balm contains all the essential ingredients required to style your beard. Though it doesn’t match the holding ability of beard wax, it still manages to make you ready for an occasion or event.
With this, it is a fact that if you want to wear any beard style, beard balm is a product you must choose over beard oil.
So, these are the differences between beard oil and beard balm. Now you might think that instead of using it individually, how about applying both together for achieving double benefits? To know the effects of using it together, read our next section.
Do You Use Beard Oil And Beard Balm Together?
Yes. You can apply beard care products together, and there is no harm to it. Every beard is unique and requires a different set of treatment for growing and maintaining.
To use beard oil and balm together also requires a procedure to follow:
- Wash your beard with warm water to open up the skin pores. Now pour 2-3 drops of beard oil in your palm and spread it.
- Once you determine both the palms contain oil, massage it on your facial hair and skin underneath your beard.
- Now scoop out an almond-sized beard balm and start coating your facial mane with it.
- You can apply beard products either simultaneously or separately in the morning and evening.
- Also, you apply it on every alternate day or every day. All that depends on your personal choice.
So this is how beard balms and oils work amazingly well. Besides, some ingredients may slow down the growth process that you must take care of by avoiding them.
Chemicals That Hinder Beard Growth
Here many beardsmen commit a mistake by overlooking the ingredients section and end up having slow beard growth. Many beard balms and oils companies add harmful chemicals to bag huge profits.
What you must do is; check the packaging and avoid the product that contains the following chemical compounds:
Chlorine
It is one of the chemicals that dry out skin and beard, resulting in damages, breakouts, and split ends. If you want to know how chlorine reacts, then you must remember the pool parties you had when it made your eyes feel a burning sensation.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Whether it be beard oil or beard balm, if it contains alcohol, you should avoid it. Alcohol can wipe out moisture, damaging the beard and skin. Along with killing harmful bacteria, it also kills good bacteria that reside on the beard and skin underneath it.
Dimethicone
This harmful chemical can prevent beard oils from absorbing into the skin. It blocks skin pores that can cause multiple problems, such as acne, irritation, ingrown hair, and rashes. It can cause severe issues to sensitive skin guys.
Parabens
Parabens are ideally preservatives that make the product long-lasting. They are common and mostly found in almost all grooming products. However, it is not suitable for the skin as it disrupts the hormonal balance, resulting in severe problems.
Synthetics Fragrances
Most companies hide what they have included by stating fragrances, which is scary and not worthy. Here, companies do not contain essential oils and replace them with synthetics. It can be overpowering and unpleasant, and you end up wasting your hard-earned money. Also, it can cause allergic reactions, rashes, and embarrassing moments.
FAQs:
1. What is the difference between beard oil and balm?
The main difference between both the products is the ingredient and consistency. Due to the inclusion of butter and beeswax, beard balm has a thicker texture than beard oil, which is entirely a combination of oils. Regardless of ingredients, both are known as the best beard moisturizer for beardsmen.
2. Which beard balm or oil for a short beard?
Beard balm is a styling accessory and often used when wearing different beard styles to shape the hair. A short beard hair that has just started to grow doesn’t require styling properties, and that’s where beard oil is advisable to use.
3. How to stimulate hair growth?
Multiple factors boost hair growth, such as sufficient sleep, proper diet, exercise, and low-stress levels. You can also use a beard brush to exfoliate the skin and promote hair growth.
4. Which is better: beard balm or beard oil?
For styling your beards, beard balms are helpful as they can include ingredients that include holding properties. Apart from these, both beard grooming products make sure to supply essential nutrients and vitamins.
5. When should I use beard balm?
Beard balm is a leave-in conditioner that contains shea butter and wax along with essential beard oils. Due to this, it is advisable to use it on beards that are more than 1.5 inches. It is the time when it gets dense and unruly. Beard balms will shape and tame the stubborn whiskers.
6. Do you need beard oil and balm for beard care?
For beard maintenance, you can apply either beard balm or beard oil. Of course, there is no harm in using both the items together unless you have oily skin. Beard oil will leave a matte finish, while beard balm makes skin and beard shine.
7. Which is better: beard balm vs. beard butter?
You can use beard balm if you want your unruly hair to be in proper shape. On the other hand, if you’re going to condition and promote beard growth and strengthen hair follicles, beard butter is worth an investment.
Conclusion
Both balm and oil are quality beard moisturizers. From short to long and straight to curly beards, these products work fantastic. Though there are differences between beard oil vs. balm, the best beard moisturizer still depends on your personal preference.
With this, we end our article and hope it finds you well. You can subscribe to our website for more such good reads. Also, you can share your thoughts, feedback, and suggestions. We would be happy to answer and bring you articles that match your needs and requirements.
