In the realm of rugged beards, diversity reigns supreme.
Beards, like fingerprints, are unique – they come in different shapes, sizes, and styles, each a testament to the bearer's distinct personality.
To celebrate this hairy diversity, two champions of beard care have emerged from the shadows – beard balm and beard butter.
If these two similar names have you scratching your chin in confusion, worry not.
We're setting out on an insightful voyage into the high seas of beard care, a journey promising to make your whiskers wiser, your goatee more enlightened, and your moustache marvel at the mysteries we're about to unravel.
And because we make this stuff for a living, our founder Alex tells you which one he actually uses. (Spoiler: it isn't butter.)
Beard Balm Basics: Beard balm combines conditioning oils and wax, like beeswax, to hydrate and style your beard. It’s perfect for taming flyaways and adding light to medium hold.
Beard Butter Essentials: Beard butter is all about deep conditioning with no wax. Made from oils and butters like shea, it keeps your beard soft, hydrated, and well-nourished.
Key Differences: Beard balm is for conditioning and styling due to its wax content, while beard butter focuses solely on conditioning with a creamy, wax-free formula.
When to Use: Use beard balm in the morning on a dry or towel-dried beard (never wet) for styling and hold. If you use butter, save it for the evening.
Table of Contents
Beard Balm – The Solid Choice
Beard balm is your beard’s own Hercules: nourishing oils and butters blended with just enough wax to keep things in place. It pulls double duty, conditioning and styling at the same time.
A good beard balm is much like a personal fitness coach and nutritionist for your beard.
Beard balm does two main things – conditions and styles.
The conditioning component stems from the oils in the balm. Just as you wouldn't leave your skin to get dry and flaky, you shouldn't neglect your beard. The oils in beard balm work to hydrate and nourish your beard, making sure it doesn't become as dry as the Sahara.
If you've ever had a dry, scratchy beard, you'll appreciate how important this is.
But beard balm doesn't stop at conditioning. It's also got a dose of wax in there. This isn't the kind of wax you'd use on a surfboard or in a candle, though.
Most commonly, you can expect to see beeswax in your balm.
This is a special, all-natural wax that helps give your beard some shape and hold without making it overly greasy or tough to manage. This means it’s great if you want your beard in a particular style - or if you just want to tame flyaway hairs.
Looking for a balm to try? Our Underdog Beard Balm is made with shea butter, cocoa butter and beeswax for a light to medium hold: enough to stop flyaways, without being sticky.
Beard Butter – The Cream of the Crop
Beard butter is a creamy mixture that's packed with moisturising oils and plant butters like shea and cocoa butter but leaves out the wax, like a relaxing day spa just for your beard.
Picture going to a spa, slipping into a plush robe, and spending the day being pampered. Now, imagine that same level of relaxation and care, but for your beard.
That's what beard butter is like.
Unlike beard balm, beard butter doesn't contain any wax. Instead, it's made from a mixture of rich carrier oils and butter. These ingredients are designed to moisturise and condition your beard, keeping it soft and healthy.
This is perfect if your beard tends to get dry or if it just needs a little extra care.
One of the great things about beard butter is that it feels creamy and luxurious. It leaves your beard softer than a cloud's underbelly and smelling great too.
What's even better is that the benefits of beard butter stick around, just like that relaxed, refreshed feeling after a day at the spa.
The potent oils and butter in the mix keep working even after you've applied it, nourishing your beard and leaving it softer, healthier, and possibly even a tad more voluminous.
Some folks reckon their beard even sports a fuller appearance, with fewer split ends and breakages – like LikeyeaScoob on Reddit:
Beard butter vs beard balm – What’s the Difference?
Both beard butter and balm are similar products - but they hold a few crucial differences that you need to know about. So, what sets these two whisker wizards apart? The core difference lies in their mission statements.
Beard Balms
Beard balm is a multitasker, doubling as a conditioner and styler, while beard butter is more of a specialist, focusing solely on conditioning your fuzz.
Beard balm, thanks to its wax content, is a maestro when it comes to shaping and styling. It's your beard's personal architect, helping you sculpt that chiselled, rugged look. Its disadvantages? Sometimes, your beard just wants a chill day at the spa, not a session at the gym.
Beard Butter
Beard butter, being wax-free and containing natural butters like shea butter and mango butter delivers a rich, deep-conditioning treatment. Its downside? Without wax to instill discipline, it could leave your beard as unruly as a teenager on a sugar high. And nobody wants that.
In terms of ingredients, both products carry natural oils such as jojoba and argan oil, which are known for their hydrating properties. However, the wax in beard balm, often beeswax, provides the hold and structure, while the extra shea or cocoa butter in beard butter gives it a richer, creamier texture and deeper hydration.
Balm or Butter? What Our Founder Uses
We asked Alex, who started Mission Beard, which one he reaches for. Here it is in his words.
“I’ve used beard butter before, but it’s not my favourite. To me it has the worst of oil and balm: the greasiness of oil and the heaviness of balm, without the hold.
“I’ve got a thicker beard, so I use oil for nourishing and moisturising, and balm for hold. That’s why we make a balm and not a butter. I wanted all the benefits of oil, plus some extra hold, and butter couldn’t offer that.
“We are working on a beard butter, but development takes a long time, so there are no plans to launch it soon. In the meantime, if you’re a butter lover, try our balm. It has a lighter hold than you might expect, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Conditioning vs Styling Beard Balm
Often, choosing between conditioning and styling beard balm is like choosing between pizza and ice cream – it's a cruel, cruel world.
But here’s the good news – you don't always have to choose. Why? Because there's a secret weapon that can help you get the best of both worlds. A quality brush for your beard.
Think of a beard brush as a mediator in the world of beard care. It works hand-in-hand with both conditioning and styling balms, it protects your beard, ensuring it receives the nourishment and styling it needs.
When used with a conditioning balm, a beard brush helps distribute the balm evenly throughout your beard, making sure every single hair gets its share of nourishment.
And when used with a styling balm, the brush can help sculpt and shape your beard, creating the stylish look you want.
Are Beard Balm and Beard Wax the Same?
Dispelling the beard myth that has been circulating around like an old wives' tale, beard balm and beard wax are not the facial hair version of identical twins separated at birth. While they share a surname and a certain familial resemblance, their goals for your beard are markedly different.
Beard wax, often likened to the strict headmaster of a school, is a product that leans heavily towards the discipline of styling. It's packed with more wax (usually beeswax), which provides a formidable hold, making it the go-to for those days when your beard needs to be on its best behaviour.
Want to sculpt your beard into an impressive architectural feat or just keep those rebellious whiskers in check? Beard wax is your guy.
Beard balm, on the other hand, is more like a favourite schoolteacher who knows how to strike a balance between work and play. It offers the best of both worlds, providing nourishment through conditioning oils while still containing enough wax to offer some styling power.
It doesn't offer quite as much hold as its beard wax sibling, but it compensates by taking care of your beard's health and appearance.
When to Use Beard Balm?
Ideally, balm is part of your morning routine. Apply it after your shower to a dry beard: towel-dried and slightly damp is fine, fully blow-dried is fine, but never wet.
Here’s how Alex does it. A few drops of beard oil first, given a minute to absorb. Then about a thumbnail’s worth of balm, scooped out with a fingernail. It locks in moisture and leaves your bristles ready to face the world.
When to Use Beard Butter?
Buttering up your beard is the perfect nightcap for your whiskers. Applying beard butter before bedtime allows your fuzz to soak in the rich, moisturising goodness all night, making you wake up to a beard softer than your favourite pillow.
Can I Use Both At The Same Time?
Although beard balm and beard butter can complement each other, we wouldn’t recommend using them at the same time. This is because balm and butter are quite thick, making it difficult for your hair and skin to fully absorb them.
This can lead to greasiness and if used in too high quantities, blocked pores and irritation. For optimal results, use the beard balm in the morning for styling and the beard butter at night for conditioning.
Can I use them with beard oil?
Did you think we forgot about the place of beard oil in all of this? No way.
But can you use beard oil with beard butter and balm? Let’s take a look, starting with the hydration champion that is beard oil.
Beard oil and balm perfectly complement each other, with oil hydrating and moisturising hair and skin, and balm adding much-needed control. One tip from Alex: when you use both, go a little lighter on the oil than usual, because balm contains oil too.
However, combining beard oil and beard butter gets a little more complicated. Since they both serve similar purposes, using both products at the same time can leave your beard looking and feeling greasy. For this reason, we’d recommend picking one or the other, or using oil in the morning and butter at night.
Beard Hair Wisdom – The Whiskered Conclusion
So there you have it. We've journeyed through the landscape of beard care, cutting through the fog of confusion, and finally arrived at the destination of clarity.
Now, go forth and continue your journey into the realm of magnificent manes, carrying the flag of knowledge high.
And remember, your beard is your canvas – so paint it well and wear it proudly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is beard butter the same as beard balm?
No. Both are made from nourishing oils and butters, but balm adds wax (usually beeswax) for hold. Butter leaves the wax out, so it softens and conditions your beard without holding its shape.
Is beard butter or beard balm better?
It depends what you need. Balm conditions and gives light to medium hold; butter only conditions. Our founder Alex has a thick beard and uses oil and balm: he finds butter has the greasiness of oil and the heaviness of balm, without the hold. If you love butter, try our beard balm. The hold is lighter than you might expect.
Can you use beard oil and beard balm together?
Yes, and it’s the classic pairing. Apply a few drops of oil first and give it a minute to absorb, then work in about a thumbnail’s worth of balm. Use a little less oil than usual, because balm contains oil too.
Can you use beard balm and beard butter together?
Not at the same time. Both are thick, so layering them can leave your beard greasy and heavy. If you want both, use balm in the morning for hold and butter in the evening.
Is beard butter better than beard oil?
Neither is better; they do a similar job. Oil is lighter and easier to work through to the skin, while butter is thicker and creamier. Using both at once can leave your beard greasy, so pick one, or use oil in the morning and butter at night.
Is beard balm the same as beard wax?
No. Beard wax contains much more wax and gives a firm hold for shaping and styling. Beard balm has less wax and more oils and butters, so it conditions your beard while giving it a light to medium hold.
