Beard Balm vs Oil

Beard Oil Vs. Balm

Beard Balm vs Oil

Many people who like using products to help maintain a healthy and great looking beard are often torn between using beard balm vs oil for their beard grooming needs. Outside of the difference in the name, there are also different ingredients in each of these products which help you receive different benefits. If you are looking to maintain a healthy beard, you might choose to use one or both of these products.

If you want to learn the difference between beard balm vs oil, this page will serve as a reference in helping you make an educated purchasing decision. In any case, make sure that you know how each of these products work before jumping on the bandwagon.

Although both beard balm and beard oil are great for helping you maintain a healthy, good-looking facial hair, they both differ in composition and the effects that come along with using them. In a nutshell, beard oil is great for shorter beards, and beard balm is best used with medium to long beards. However, there are many further differences to consider.

Let’s dive in below to see exactly what distinguishes beard balm vs beard oil.

Beard Balm or Beard Oil

Beard care is extremely important in maintaining a proper beard. Therefore, it’s only right to take a look at two of the most popular beard care products. Beard balm and beard oil are two different products with their own set of benefits. Choosing to use one or the other may be difficult when you learn the differences between the two. After all, each of these products comes with its own set of features which are useful when trying to attain certain effects.

For example, beard oil is a great product to use when you want to moisturize your beard, leave it smelling great and free from dry skin that flakes off onto your beard. It is great at fighting the dry skin underneath your beard to keep your skin, and accordingly, your beard free of flakes. It works both as a deodorizer and conditioner, allowing your beard to shine and smell great at the same time while helping you style your beard according to your desire.

Beard balm, on the other hand, works mainly as a protectant which also conditions your beard. Its ingredients include numerous minerals which work as natural sealants, helping to keep dust, flakes, and other particles out of your beard so that you can maintain a clean and healthy look. Its focus is also aimed at helping you style your beard.

Why Use Just Beard Oil?

If you have a short- to medium-length beard, beard oil might be the best product to use. Since it works to help common problems with a shorter beard such as itching, beard-druff, and dryness, it might be suitable for those who simply want to attain a healthy looking beard. Although it can be used to assist with styling, its use is not typically aimed at this feature.

Beard oil is a great product to use if you want to keep your beard healthy while you grow it out, or if you plan on routinely trimming it. However, since shorter beards are typically easier to maintain and style without further assistance, many people won’t choose to use beard balm until they graduate in length or the needs that come along with longer facial hair. Many people will also use beard oil to help keep their beard smelling great, which possibly eliminates the need for cologne when going out.

Why Use Just Beard Balm?

Beard balm functions as a conditioner, protectant, and styling agent. It is best used for people who have a medium to long beard. Many people will wash their facial hair and then apply beard balm since its protective agents will help you to keep dust, dirt, and flakes out of your beard. It also works as an effective conditioner, helping to keep your beard soft and shiny.

Perhaps the most important feature is that beard balm is great at helping you to style your beard and keep flyaways in place. Although beard oil can do this pretty successfully with shorter beards, long beards are an entirely different story. If you have a longer beard and are finding it difficult to comb your beard into the perfect position and have it stay in place, beard balm is the better product for you to use. It’s also important to pick out a beard comb. A regular comb will end up snagging and pulling out your beard hair!

Using Both Beard Oil and Balm

Instead of a question of whether you should use solely beard balm or beard oil, you might even consider using both. Of course, your budget is the most important factor in making this decision. However, if you are having a hard time deciding whether it would be best to use just beard oil or just beard balm, you might be pleasantly surprised that you can, in fact, use both.

Personally, I like to use both products since they have inherently different effects and features. I first start off by applying beard oil to my face to moisturize and soften my beard and skin. Then I use just enough beard balm to seal, style, and protect my beard. In these circumstances, beard oil is used for conditioning and deodorizing the beard. Finally, with beard balm you are left with a beard that is sealed, protected, and easy to style according to your preference.

Beard Balm vs Oil Summarized:

To help you make a quick and educated decision, here are the key differences between beard balm vs beard oil so that you can easily decide which is best for your beard care routine.

Length:

People who have shorter facial hair might choose to just use beard oil since it will condition your beard and help eliminate the dry skin underneath which will naturally put flakes and dust into your beard. People with longer beards will appreciate the styling and protective features that come along with using beard balms.

Smell:

If you want to make your beard smell great, the best option is to get beard oil. Beard oil works both as a deodorizer and cologne. From my experience beard oil tends to hold its smell longer. However, beard balm also has appealing fragrances so don’t decide based on this decision alone.

Conditioning:

Both beard oil and beard balm can be effectively used as a conditioner for your beard. When applied properly, your beard will be left soft and easy to comb.

Dryness and flakes:

Beard oil is best at fighting the dry skin underneath which can make your skin flaky and itchy. Beard balms can do this as well, but it is best used for sealing these things out of your beard.

Protection and styling:

People with longer beards will want to style their beard and leave it protected from flakes and dirt. In this case, the best product to consider is beard balms since it has natural protectant and styling features. Beard oil can also be used for styling, but works best when applied to shorter beards. Overall, I would suggest trying both out if they fit within your budget.