Did you know from 3000 BCE to 1580 BCE, Egyptian royalty wore fake metal beards? They tied these false beards on their faces with ribbon.
All throughout history, beards had many uses. Early humans grew beards to keep warm and for intimidation. In ancient Greece, men wore beards as a sign of honor.
Today, once a sign of unkemptness, the beard is having its heyday. Leading Hollywood men are wearing their beards on the red carpet. The longer and fuller, the better.
However, you can't just grow a beard and think you can let it be. You have to maintain your beard and keep it looking neat and healthy.
If you're thinking about growing a beard, or if you already have one but are not sure how to style it, beard balm can help.
We recommend any bearded man have some beard balm on hand. But what exactly is beard balm? How does it differ from beard oil?
Read on to learn everything you need to know about beard balm.
What Is Beard Balm?
Beard balm is a pomade that you leave in your beard as a conditioner. It is thick and best for taming medium to long-length beards.
The best beard balms contain natural ingredients such as shea butter or beeswax. Some balms use synthetic ingredients such as petroleum jelly, but we don't recommend those as they can cause skin irritation and mess with your facial hair. Balms with synthetic ingredients won't properly seal in moisture which eventually leads to dry facial hair and breakage.
A good beard balm should help style and shape your beard. It should also tame flyaway hairs and keep your beard moisturized and shiny.
Beard balm is not only for your beard. You can use beard balm as a skin and face moisturizer as well. You can also use it to style and condition your mustache or sideburns.
If your beard is thin or patchy and you want it to appear thicker, try using a balm with shea butter. The shea butter can help make your beard look fuller.
How Does It Differ from Other Beard Products?
Although it may seem like there is an endless array of beard products out there, there are two essential products that you can use to care for your beard. We already talked about beard balm; beard oil is another product.
What Is Beard Oil?
Beard oil is similar to beard balm, but it's not as thick. While beard balm keeps your beard moisturized, beard oil is mainly for moisturizing the skin on your face.
The skin on our faces is thinner and more prone to irritation and dryness than the rest of our bodies. A good, quality beard oil can keep our facial skin healthy and soft. Healthy skin can promote healthy beard growth.
What to look for in a beard oil? Look for all-natural ingredients and stay away from fragrance oils. Fragrance oils can have alcohol which can irritate your skin and dry it out.
Beard oil is also great as a beard deodorizer and can leave your beard smelling fresh.
We recommend beard oil for those with shorter beards or those still growing out their beards. The oil can help with the itching.
How to Use Beard Balm
Want to learn the pro tips on how to use beard balm? Read on for a quick tutorial and additional tips.
Remember a Little Goes a Long Way
You remember being in middle school and using too much of your dad's cologne to the point where you smelled like you bathed in the stuff?
Don't be that guy with beard balm.
We recommend you use a small amount at first and use a little more if needed depending on the length and thickness of your beard.
How to Apply
Here's a step by step tutorial on how to use beard balm.
Step 1: Use the back of your thumb to get a small amount of balm.
Step 2: Rub the balm in the palm of your hands until it softens into an oil.
Step 3: Apply the balm all throughout your beard and your skin.
Step 4: Use a brush or comb to evenly apply the balm and to style your beard.
Additional Tips
We'll leave you with a few more additional tips. A quality beard balm should last you all day. You should apply it in the morning after your shower, and it should keep your beard styled until bedtime.
Also, your beard balm should not leave your beard looking greasy or oily. It should give your beard with a healthy sheen.
Moreover, remember to use your beard balm all throughout the year, not just during the cold months. Our face and beard are exposed to the harsh elements all throughout the year. You need to moisturize your face and beard in the hot summer months too.
When to Use Oil or Balm
Not sure when to use beard oil or balm? Generally, you can use beard oil every day to maintain the health and look of your beard and skin.
You can apply beard balm when you need to style your beard or tame it for certain occasions such as a formal event or a job interview.
If you have a particularly long and lustrous beard, you can use both beard oil and then beard balm to keep it in check.
Other Beard Products to Check Out
Now that you know all about beard balm and how to use it, you might want to consider getting a quality boar hair brush for styling. You can check out all our beard care products to protect your beautiful beard.
If you want to learn more tips and advice on maintaining your beard, check out our blog.