How Often Should You Use Beard Balm?

When it comes to a man’s physical appearance, nothing is quite as masculine as a beard.

Whether you have a long beard, a short beard, or perhaps something in between – your beard should be something you take pride in and maintain properly.

Now I’m not saying you have to have a crisp, clean cut, perfectly shaped beard – because that’s not everyone’s style. Some men prefer a thick, big, unruly beard and that’s just fine.

What I am saying is that you should maintain the health of your beard by using beard beneficial products, such as beard balm, to improve beard strength, nourish and moisturize the skin under your beard, and to help prevent beard breakage and split ends.

In my opinion, having a healthy beard is more important than having a beard that looks like it belongs on the cover of GQ. I know a few men that have great looking beards but underneath it all their beard health leaves a lot to be desired.

On the flip side I also know men that have big, unruly looking beards but take great pride in maintaining the health of it.

At the end of the day it all comes down to the man behind the beard. No matter what beard style you choose, just remember to invest in quality beard care products such as beard balm or beard oil to help keep it happy and healthy.

Beard Balm 101: How Often Should You Use Beard Balm?

Short answer:

1-3 times per day; as needed.

Long answer:

Perhaps the second most popular beard grooming product – behind beard oil – is undoubtedly beard balm. Beard balm has become very common amongst beard growing enthusiasts due to its convenience and effectiveness. But the truth is many men still have questions regarding its use.

One of the most common questions I get regarding beard balm is how often it should be used and applied.

To answer this question it’s important to fully understand what beard balm is and who it is intended for.

Unlike beard oil that is intended for beards of any length, beard balm on the other hand is generally designed to be used by men who have medium to long length beards.

If you’re just getting started growing your beard or if you maintain a very short beard, beard oil is generally the better product for you.

That’s because beard balm contains wax (typically beeswax) that is intended to provide hold to help style the beard and to control flyways. None of which is needed when your beard is very short.

That’s not to say that men with short beards can’t use beard balm – because they certainly can – it just doesn’t present any added benefit over beard oil in this case.

Now that we have a better understanding of beard balm and what its purpose is, let’s get into beard balm application and how often it should be used.

As you probably already figured out, beard balm is very similar to beard oil in regards to benefits for the beard. Both are intended to nourish, moisturize, soften and condition the beard and skin.

The only major difference between the two is that beard balm contains wax and 1 or more types of butters.

That being said, beard balm, like beard oil, is completely safe and even beneficial to apply to the beard multiple times per day. But keep in mind that if you find yourself having to re-apply your beard balm frequently (3+ times per day) you might want to consider switching to a different brand of balm that offers more hydration for your beard. Not all beard balms are created equal. Here’s my favorite beard balm.

Other Commonly Asked Beard Balm Questions

What is beard balm used for?

Similar to beard oil, beard balm is designed to be applied to the beard to help nourish, moisturize, soften, and reduce beard breakage and split ends. It can also help prevent dry skin and beard dandruff.

Another added benefit of beard balm – and the biggest difference vs beard oil – is that beard balm contains wax which aids in beard shaping and styling.

Generally speaking, beard balm is intended for gentlemen with established medium to long length beards.

How much beard balm should I use?

Now that you know how often you should use beard balm, you may be wondering how much you should use. Thankfully the answer isn’t all that complicated.

For my medium length beard, I use about enough to cover my thumbnail. This is enough for me to evenly coat every strand of my beard.

If your beard is longer or shorter, simply find the amount of balm that works best for you. My only advice is try not to overdo it. Too much beard balm can make your beard look greasy. Not to mention it’s wasteful.

Start off with a small amount and simply apply more if you feel like your beard needs it. Eventually you’ll get a feel for how much to use and you won’t even have to think about it.

Do I really need to use beard balm?

No. Although beard balm offers a ton of great benefits for the beard, it is not absolutely necessary for you to use it. That being said, if you choose to not use beard balm, I highly encourage you to use either a beard oil or beard butter. One of the three at least.

What’s the difference between beard balm and beard butter?

Some beard products can be kind of confusing. Beard butter is one of those products. While some men assume beard balm and beard butter are the same thing, that’s not actually the case.

Traditionally speaking, beard balm is a firmer product and will contain a variety of ingredients but most notably: carrier oils, butter(s), and wax.

Beard butter on the other hand is usually ‘whipped’ and has a lighter, fluffier consistency and will contain carrier oils, butter(s), and NO wax.

Unfortunately (or perhaps not unfortunately?) traditionalism is slowly dying and some companies are putting beeswax in their beard butter and whipping it up, creating a fluffy beard balm/butter hybrid of sorts.

Confusing as hell, I know.

But at the end of the day beard balm is traditionally used for nourishment, moisture, and shaping your beard (because of the wax), and beard butter is just for nourishment and moisture (same as beard oil). If you want your beard butter to offer a bit of hold look for one with wax in it, I guess. Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes.