Beard Balm vs Beard Oil, what’s the difference? Choosing the best product for your beard can be hard. We have had many customers contact us asking this question so we thought it would be best to write this article to break down the main differences between both products.

There are hundreds of beard products out there now and many offering different purposes and results. When two products are both designed to moisturise your beard it can get confusing when deciding which product to pick.

If you want to find out the best answer to this you need to ask yourself a few questions first.

What type of beard do you have?
Is it a well groomed short beard that needs little maintenance? Is it a long beard that may require a lot of product to keep it in check?

What type of skin do you have?
Do you have fairly oily skin naturally or is your skin on the dryer side.

Matte or shiny?
Do you prefer your beard to have a matte finish or would you prefer it to have a shiny appearance.


Dick Johnson Snake Oil Beard Oil 50ml

Beard Oil

Beard oil is typically the most recommended beard product for all beards, especially in the early stages of growth. Beard oils moisturizing factor not only help with beard dandruff and flaking but it helps you through the dreaded itchy phase you go through in the early stages of beard growth (as many of you here will either know about or know soon enough!).

The biggest benefit of beard oils is that it can be applied to your entire beard quickly. It can also reach the skin beneath the beard and moisturise it. Another benefit is that beard oil doesn’t clog up your pores or wright your beard down. Beard oil when applied with give your beard a nice healthy shine.

Suavecito Premium Rum Cask Beard Oil

Beard oils are made up of two components, carrier oils and essential oils. These components work together to replace nourishment to your hair during its growth as you beard can become dry and brittle. Your hair also draws moisture from your skin making that dry and flaky as well.

Carrier oils complements the natural sebum oils produced by your skin. Essential oils provide vitamins and minerals that help to nourish your beard.


Suavecito Beard Balm Whiskey Bar

Beard Balm

Beard balm (utility balm) is a great product to use if you have a medium to large sized beard. It is also a perfect choice if your skin is on the dryer side. Beard balm was designed to have a higher viscosity than oil. This means it is a thicker texture and takes more time to be absorbed into your hair and skin. Beards balms texture is very different to beard oils. Beard oils are in a liquid form but beard balms texture is closer to a pomade or solid cologne.

Beard balm sits on your beard and skin for longer than beard oil does before its absorbed. This means it will give you more nourishing and longer-lasting moisture. This is also gives your beard some extra shine while keeping it healthy.

Dick Johnson Vegan Snake Beard Balm

Beard balms still use the same carrier oils and essential oils that beard oils do but they also include a butter or wax as well. Some of the most common butters and waxes are shea butter, coconut butter, beeswax and carnauba wax. Beeswax is probably the most common ingredient to use but obviously if you are vegan you will want to look for a product that uses carnauba wax instead.


Which one should I choose?

If you are just starting out with growing a beard or have a short beard then we recommend choosing a beard oil, it will help with the itchiness and moisturise your face. Beard oil is also the best option if you are happy with the natural shape of your beard as it is.

If you have a medium to large beard and need to keep it tame then we recommend going for a beard balm. Due to the balm having a butter/wax in it it will help control your beard and give it a bit more shape. Beard balm is also a great choice for longer beards due to it sitting on the hair a skin longer before being absorbed.


Can I use both?

The simple answer to this is yes absolutely! If applied correctly the use of both products at the same time will maximize the benefits whilst keeping your beard looking neat and healthy, you just need to be conservative when using both products together. Start with a little bit of product and slowing work in more until you get the desired look. We recommend applying the oil first to start moisturising and softening the hair and skin. Once you are happy go ahead and apply the balm on top, this will not only completely then moisturising side of things but it will also help to style your beard and keep those stray hairs in check.

When using both beard oils and beard balms for the first time it may take some time to work out what the right amount to use is for your beard as every beard is different, just make sure you start small and apply more if needed as you can also apply more if necessary.


Top 3 Beard Oil Recommendations


Top 3 Beard Balm Recommendations

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