Beard Oil vs Beard Balm: What's the Difference?

One of the first things women, and everyone really, notices about a man is his beard. A beard sends multiple messages that can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. A beard can be the only differentiating factor between an alpha male and all others. Since a beard is so important, its especially necessary that men with a mane should know how to groom it. Therefore, you need to know the difference between beard oil vs beard balm to achieve a great beard.

If you’re relatively new to growing a beard, or you’ve already established a routine for caring for your beard, you know that choosing a grooming product is as daunting as searching for a needle in a pile of needles. You encounter products in the barbershop, in supermarkets, online at the gym, etc. But choosing one that works for your beard type is key to having that perfect mane.

Its a rule of thumb that men with shorter beards go for beard oil vs beard balm because at this phase, shorter beards don’t need any help staying in place. What they need is something to keep the beard healthy and soft all day long. Some short beards also itch in their early stages, beard oil also removes that itching and adds a smooth silkiness that’ll make you love your mane even more.

Beard Oil

Beard oil is or utility oil is a facial hair care product. Its serves to keep your beard and skin healthy while keeping it soft and shiny. Beard oil is the typical go to for men with shorter beards. While beard oil keeps your beard and face looking healthy and smooth, it doesn’t offer much in the way of holding it in place. This is why beard oil is widely recommended for shorter beards. It is worthy of note that the main function of any beard cosmetic product is to keep it healthy. Because beards look their best when they’re good and healthy.

Beard oil is mostly composed of other oils such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil and argan oil. These composite oils each perform a specific function. These include dryness, skin sensitivity, itching etc. The oil gets absorbed into the hair follicle which makes it as much medical as it is cosmetic. Most Beard oils are scented, so it might be a good replacement for Cologne.

Popular Beard Oils

Beard Balm

This is for men with longer beards. If you’ve a beard that’s a couple inches long, then you understand that sometimes the beard can have a mind of its own. Beard balm is like wax, mainly beeswax but coupled with other oil components. It is basically for men who want more control over their beard. Beard oil is good for smooth and shiny but if you really need your beard to stay in place, beard balm is the way  to go.

Balm is also intended to keep your beard healthy, though it takes longer to absorb into the skin. On the flip side, it lasts a lot longer on your beard than beard oil. So it might be a good idea to incorporate it into your routine if you’re a full day work person.

Popular Beard Balms

Beard Oil vs Beard Balm

The major difference between beard oil vs beard balm is that beard oil is liquid at room temperature, it gives your beard that smooth and shiny finish, but doesn’t offer much in the area of beard support. Beard balm gives ample support and can even be used for low hold styling. Beard balm really holds the whole beard in place, it catches those exuberant pieces of hairs that are out to get the look you’re aiming for. So if you’re willing to sacrifice that smooth lightness for some more control, then beard balm is the one for you.

Beard balm takes longer to absorb so it stays longer on your beard than beard oil. This means longer hours of shine while remaining as healthy as ever.. This is especially important for people who are traveling. Beard balm keeps you looking sharp, the whole day.

The biggest edge beard balm has over beard oil is in its versatility. Beard oil is perfect for keeping your beard and the skin under it healthy and shiny but beard balm can also be used a skin moisturizer. It keeps the skin moisturized and nourished. When traveling, it may be a good idea to go with beard balm because it can also be used as pomade especially in dryer months.

New growers may experience beardruff which is the beard version of dandruff. It results basically because of the drying out of your beard, as the hairs start to dry out, it also affects the skin. This causes the skin to start flaking, and voilà! Dandruff!!. The skin’s natural moisturizer is a secretion called sebum. As the beard grows longer, it drys faster than your skin secrets sebum. This is where beard balm comes in; beard balm keeps the hair follicles moisturized and keeps the whole beard healthy.

Can I use both beard oil and beard balm ?

A lot of people have been asking this particular question online a lot lately. The choice of beard oil vs beard balm based entirely on what you’re comfortable with, what works best for you.
While you can use both products, its easy to overdo it.
Overdoing it leads to a glossy unattractive look that’ll make you feel uncomfortable. So its good to find the balance between the two. That perfect recipe that brings out the perfect mane.