It’s well known that beard balm is a must for styling your beard and helping it hold its shape. But did you know it’s also an essential item for nourishing your beard and keeping it healthy and itch-free?
Beard Balm is a pretty amazing product used by men all around the world. Yet, despite its popularity and usefulness, there are plenty of guys who don’t use it properly. For instance, it’s very obvious when a guy puts on too much balm or applies it wrong because his beard looks weird, greasy and unsightly.
So, we'll show you the ropes on how to use beard balm properly to get maximum benefit from it. It’s really simple and it will take your beard enjoyment and confidence to new heights.
Even the most rugged bros use balm
No matter how tough and gruff you think you are, your beard isn’t so much. In fact, it’s surprisingly fragile. To keep it looking badass, it needs TLC. Kinda ironic, huh?
Proper care, cleansing, moisturizing, oiling, balming and brushing are the ticket to magnificent ruggedness. Without these things – especially without beard balm – as your beard lengthens, it may look like a Brillo pad mated with a tumbleweed.
The benefits of beard balm may surprise you
It’s like a leave-in conditioner. A quality beard balm is packed with ingredients that help moisturize, soften, condition and nourish beard hairs.
It holds your beard in shape all day.
It can help ease out knots and tangles, especially if it works in tandem with beard oil.
It helps stave off itchy beardruff.
It helps keep your skin nice and moist.
It tames stray flyaway hairs that beard oil can’t quite master.
When applied right, balm will not leave your beard feeling greasy, heavy or stiff.
The kryptonite to beard itch
Some dudes get serious beard itch that drives them crazy, even when they use a good beard oil. Beard balm (not shaving!) can be the answer to that.
Your facial skin produces sebum oil everyday in an effort to keep it balanced and healthy. (Too much sebum can cause acne, just like with teenagers.) But a beard can steal a lot of that sebum, which leaves your face’s skin dry, flaky and itchy.
Enter: beard balm. Provided you know how to apply beard balm properly, it’s butters and oils will help soothe your skin and replenish its moisture balance. Sheer relief!
Is there a best time to apply beard balm?
Yes and no. Really, you can apply beard balm anytime you feel like you need it to tame your beard and make it feel and smell great.
It’s really up to you to decide when to put it on, but we do recommend most dudes apply it after a shower or whenever your beard feels itchy.
How to prep your beard for balm
Take a warm shower first, if you can. Let the warm water open your pores.
Cleanse with a beard wash. Get your whiskers clean. Remove skin flakes, dirt, debris and oily residue. Cleanse right down to your skin. And do this only with a specially formulated beard wash.
Towel dry your beard. Leave it slightly damp. Balm spreads and takes more easily when whiskers are damp (not soaked).
Apply beard oil. Get the hairs soft, smooth and shiny – but not greasy! Brush the oil through using a quality beard brush, not a comb (it will snag and pull). Brush out any frizz and tangles. If you'd like more info on how to apply beard oil, check out our blog, How to Apply Beard Oil | Step-by-Step.
How to apply beard balm
Do the prep work above, if you can.
Scoop out some balm. About a pea-size or fingernail-size is about right, depending on your beard length. Probably better to use the back of your fingernail to avoid getting any under the nail. Less is more here. Too much is obvious – your beard will have a crusty and stiff look, or else it will look greasy, even kinda lank.
Warm it up. Work and rub the balm around in your fingers mostly (but palms are okay), until the product is warm and soft and easy to spread.
Flat fingers. We recommend applying balm using your fingers straight and flat. Fingertips can be too aggressive for some beards. But whatever works for you.
Apply from the bottom up. Yep, start at the bottom of your beard and with flat fingers rub/swipe firmly upwards towards your chin and sideburns. A nice massaging action can help get the balm deep down towards the skin. You wanna get the base of the hairs, not merely the tips. Move upwards to the chin and lastly the area around your mouth.
Remember your skin. Be sure to massage deep down with flat fingers to coat and hydrate your skin beneath the whiskers.
Brush. Use a wild boar bristle beard brush to break up any clumps, move the balm around evenly, massage your skin, and shape your beard. We recommend brushing downwards.
Leave it! Once your beard is coated and shaped, there’s nothing more to do. It should feel soft, not stiff.
How often should you use beard balm?
You can apply it every day. With the right beard balm made from gentle ingredients and essential carrier oils, you can feel safe using it daily with no fear of damaging your whiskers. A good balm provides hydrating protection for your beard and face.
Now that you know how to apply beard balm, you’re good to go, bro. With regular use, we think you’ll notice some great changes to your beard’s health, look and feel. You should also see improved skin issues beneath.
