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How To Use Beard Balm & When To Start Using: Apply It In 5 Easy Steps

How To Use Beard Balm

Finally decided on including beard balms into your beard care routine? You purchased beard balm at a discount, and are now looking to try it out on your decently-sized beard? Beard balms are great for those who want to keep their beard looking good and feeling soft and healthy. They also prevent dry skin, dandruff, beard itch and even smoothen split ends. There is no question that most men applying beard balm daily are left looking and feeling their best. In this article, you will learn how to use beard balm and get the most out of it.

If it’s your first time attempting to apply beard balm, make sure to follow this step-by-step guide.

1. Wash Your Beard

Washing Your Beard Before Balm

Before you choose to apply beard balm, a shower is in order. Of course, you can just wash your face and beard if you don’t have the time to shower, but cleansing, rinsing and drying your beard is a necessary step before using a beard balm. Be sure to wash your facial hair and remove all the dirt and oils that may have accumulated throughout the day.

2. Melt The Balm By Rubbing Your Hands

Pull out the appropriate amount of beard balm with your fingers or nails and rub it on your palms. It should be a dime-sized amount. There is such a thing as too much beard balm, but fortunately, if you’ve pulled out too much, you can use the remainder on any hairs on your head or chest to avoid clogged pores.

After you’ve put the beard balm on your fingers, rub it in your palms to soften it and set it up for application.

3. Apply To The Skin

For your skin to enjoy all the beard balm benefits, you need to apply the balm to the skin underneath the facial hair first. You’ll need to use pressure, pushing in your skin to get the balm on while keeping your fingers flat. Do not do anything to overly irritate your skin such as pushing too hard or scratching it.

4. Apply To The Beard

Now it’s time to apply beard balm to the beard hair. It is best to start from the bottom beard hairs and move upwards, either in small circular motions or an upward motion, pushing your fingers through the beard hairs like you’re giving yourself a massage.

Since the balm you are going to apply will stay on your beard and mustache for a while, you should find the best smelling beard balm for you.

5. Optional: Comb Or Brush

Brushing Facial Hair Fibers

It is an option I would totally recommend if you want to avoid any waxy clumps or butter lines on your beard hair. Both the beard comb and the beard brush are great for this, and even the skin underneath will get evenly coated.

The beard comb and brush are also great for catching stray and unruly hairs and giving your beard style.

When To Use Beard Balm

You should use beard balm anytime you step out of a shower or wash your face. Stray hairs benefit from a little styling and softening and your skin benefits from moisturizing. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should use it anytime you shower or clean your face, the general motto is once every one, two or three days, depending on your beard size.

When To Start Using Beard Balm

You should start using beard balm after two to three months of beard growth. You should use it once every three days at most. The reason for that is that the addition of butter doesn’t do much for thin beards. You’d be better off using beard oil in the early stages of beard growth. 

How Much Beard Balm To Use

For first-time use, you should use a dime-sized amount of beard balm. After that, adapt. Thicker beards need more, while thinner beards need less. Think of your skin and how it reacts to the balm. If preventing itchiness is your main concern, don’t overuse beard balm, but if you have oily skin, more balm is usually the solution.

Beard Oil Vs Balm

Beard Oil Vs Balm

Choosing whether to use beard balm or oil is up to you. The main difference is that most beard balms use either cocoa or shea butter, giving it more solidity and allowing you to structure your beard more than beard oil, which uses tea tree oil or any natural oil most of the time. While both grant nutrients and moisturize your skin and beard, beard oils are more hydrating and have essential oils such as tea tree or jojoba oil, which grant further protection to your beard. You can also choose to add beard wash to your grooming routine, as it doesn’t stand in either product’s way and helps with additional moisturizing.

If you’ve decided to apply beard oil, you can see here our top beard oil picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Beard balm does a lot, from moisturizing and conditioning your beard and skin, to softening and feeding them healthy nutrients. It helps in styling your beard, not as much as beard wax, but close enough for a versatile product. Depending on the balm you use, it can even help with beard growth or seal moisture in.

You should use beard balm once every one to three days. Of course, this depends on beard size, thickness and skin type. Facial hairs over six inches should probably get beard balm treatments every day. However, you should avoid daily use if your beard hair tends to get dry and itchy often.

You can use beard oil and balm together, but give each of them time. The ingredients such as cocoa butter and coconut oil for example, don’t tend to mix very well, and you could end up with a greasy mess. Give beard oil space to soak in before picking up the beard balm, or make a choice and stick to it.

You should use beard oil first and let it soak in ideally for 30 minutes. The reason behind using beard oil first is that it soaks in more quickly and doesn’t block new additions. If you’re in a rush, five to ten minutes might be enough. Then, put on beard balm and give your beard the desired shape.

Conclusion

You now know how to use beard balm. Make sure to avoid beard balms with synthetic or harsh ingredients such as silicones or alcohol. For a better beard grooming experience, since there are plenty of hair types out there, choose the best beard balm for your type of beard and stick to it.