We all want the best things.
Usually, we can’t have the best things.
Usually, the best things are out of reach or they say things like “you’re just not my type”.
Fortunately, when it comes to beard care products, things are very different.
The best beard products from the UK to the US and beyond are both accessible and affordable, so by golly if we want them we gon’ go get ‘em.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the best and most essential beard products for a perfect grooming session, so that when you’ve got your beard in tip-top shape, she will probably might say yes now.
What Are The Best Beard Grooming Products?
Deciding on the best beard care products can be a subjective process. Personal preferences play a part in fragrance choices, and ‘essential’ beard care products can depend on the time of beard you’re sporting. However, there’s no doubt that there are some best in class for each.
So, while we can’t tell you which beard grooming products will be best for your beard specifically, we can tell you which aspects to look out for when making your purchases.
We’ll also throw in some ballpark prices that you should expect to be paying.
The Best Beard Brush
Looking for a beard brush in essence is very easy. There are many.
Like with most things, they vary in quality, though, and you usually get what you pay for.
Beard brushes are used not only to tidy and tame your beard hair but also to exfoliate the skin beneath and remove dead skin cells that can cause itchiness and irritation.
The best beard brushes are made from great quality wood, like pearwood, sandalwood or cherrywood, and feature boar bristles - preferably the firmer cut variety.
You’d think that not much could go wrong with a beard brush, but those made from metal or plastic are known to snag and damage your beard hairs over time.
In terms of price, for some bang for your beard brush buck, you should be looking at around £12/$15 for a standard brush and no more than £20/$25 for a premium option. After that, you’re just paying for branding and exclusivity.
The Best Beard Comb
You don’t need us to tell you what a beard comb is for, but we will feel the need to intervene when men pull out a plastic one.
Plastic combs are notorious for snagging on beard hairs, owing to their microscopic inconsistencies. You see, while they may look smooth, they very rarely are, and are in fact fairly rigid and harsh at times.
Like beard brushes, beard combs should also be made of a smooth, high-quality wood, which makes for damage-free grooming, although we can’t guarantee that won’t be painless if you’re not combing enough.
Those pesky knots seem to know when you start to comb more confidently.
A beard comb can be either wide-tooth, fine-tooth, or both, and we always recommend getting a double-sided comb since you can gradually sieve through those knows and reduce the chances of getting caught off guard.
Beard combs usually come free with a decent beard brush, but if not, there’s no reason why you should be spending more than around £7-$10.
The Best Beard Oil
We get excited when we start talking about beard oil. We’re physically shaking, but we did have coffee without breakfast.
There’s a lot to unpack here. And a whole host of awesome oils worthy of your beard.
Beard oils can be very basic and offer nothing more than hydration. They can also include some of the most dermatologically proven natural oils that money can buy, like argan oil, avocado oil and sweet almond oil.
Beard oil is used to hydrate beard hair and the skin beneath, provide nutrients to your facial follicles and tame the stray hairs, leaving your beard soft, clean and beautiful.
Beard oil is one of the beard grooming essentials and it should be part of every beard care kit. It can set you back anywhere between £5/$7 and £50/$70, which comes down to which ingredients you think your beard could benefit from the most.
If you like a bit of Oud, Sandalwood or Neroli, which sounds like it belongs on an Italian restuarant’s menu, you could end up paying a little more - but watch out for artificial, copycat fragrances.
All of our fragrances are all-natural and made in small batches in the UK. Why not take them for a spin?
Best Beard Balm
Beard balm is preferred by many men, particularly those with longer beards.
It’s great for beard styling, as it has a much greater viscosity, meaning it sits on the beard and absorbs at a much slower rate.
The best beard balms will last longer as a result of containing shea butter, beeswax and aloe vera, for example.
Like their oily counterparts, they can also smell great, and by sitting on the beard for longer can even replace your usual aftershave. There’s a money-saving tip - back off Martin Lewis.
Beard balms will cost around the same as beard oil, and will last around the same time.
The Best Beard Wash
Beard wash is an essential tool to keep in your beard grooming kit.
Beards that haven't been washed get itchy, as do beards that are washed too often. Beards that have been washed with normal shampoo become considerably more itchy. Beard wash softens and cleanses the skin behind the beard to relieve discomfort.
Being in close proximity to the mouth, the beard shares your food with you more often than you think - especially those of you with longer man manes.
Beard shampoo/wash is a great counter to the mess this causes, and while it won’t mean you get a greater share of your own meals, it does mean your beard won’t smell like said food.
Beard wash isn’t as expensive as some people think. A quick check on Amazon reveals prices between £5/$7 and £20/$25.
The Best Beard Activator Serum
Got bald patches on your beard or inconsistent growth in general? There’s another beard product you might want to know about and it’s called beard serum.
How does this differ from beard oil? It contains minoxidil, which may help you promote hair growth in problematic regions.
Minoxidil does this via dilation of blood vessels that supply hair follicles with nutrient-rich blood, giving them the boost they need to flourish once again.
Furthermore, persistent usage of Minoxidil lengthens the hair development cycle's growth phase. As a consequence, your facial hair will be thicker.
The finest beard serums will include 5% minoxidil, peptides, proteins, and other active components, and will be available in spray, foam, or alcohol-based lotion forms.
And how much? Quite a lot in most cases. If you really do want the best beard serums, you’re going to need to be prepared to spend around £30/$40.
The Best Beard Roller
Beard rollers began as more of a skin rejuvenation technique, exclusively used by dermatologists and other skincare professionals. However, their benefits for growing new hair where no previous growth had occurred quickly became apparent.
But how do beard rollers work? It all comes down to collagen.
By piercing the skin with hundreds of tiny, titanium needles, beard rollers increase blood flow and collagen production - a protein produced by the body that's directly related to thicker, healthier hair growth.
When it comes to the best beard rollers, there are a few variables to take into account.
Needle size can range from 0.25mm up to 1mm, as this is the depth required to release collagen from between the epidermis and papillary dermis.
The greater the penetration, the greater the volume of collagen release. However, the longer the needle, the more pain discomfort. It’s your call.
Beard rollers are usually made of either stainless steel or titanium. Between the two materials, titanium is an easy winner in terms of effectiveness. Titanium needles are decay-resistant and lightweight.
Finally, the needle count makes a big difference as well and the verdict is:
the more the merrier.
The better beard rollers have 540 needles, in comparison to their prior count of just 200.
There’s no reason why a beard roller that fits all of the above criteria should set you back any more than around £15/$20.
The Best Beard Trimming Scissors
There’s nothing particularly trivial about beard scissors, is there? The instructions are in the name.
There are several important factors to consider when choosing a pair of beard scissors to buy, including the material, the size, the shape and the, believe it or not, extra features.
Material? Stainless Steel. Nothing else.
How big should your beard scissors be?
In terms of size, it’s certainly not a case of bigger is better. Generally speaking, anything in the 4-6′′ size range works well for facial hair. If your beard is long and thick, use 6-inch scissors; if it's short, use 4-inch scissors.
Most beard scissors suit a variety of hand sizes. The only people that need to worry about the size of the finger holes are the giants among you as well as left-handed people, who are quite frankly just attention seekers. We joke.
Features? You may have asked a second ago. Yep! Is our response.
A tension screw is found on most high-quality beard scissors, which might be useful if you wish to adjust them, but it's not required.
Rounded safety tips are also a nice touch, particularly around the moustache. We poke our lips much too frequently, and if anything it's more annoying than painful.
How much does a pair of beard trimming scissors cost? It depends on quality, but you can expect to pay anywhere from £10/$15 to £30/$40 for a decent pair.
The Best Beard Trimmer
Investing in one of the finest beard trimmers on the market is a certain method to keep on top of your facial hair care.
A cordless beard trimmer will conclude the tools you need to keep your face in prime condition, whether you’re simply conducting the daily stubble shave, shaping your face on the regular or just trimming off the rogue hairs every week or so.
The ideal beard trimmer (for you) will include all of the size attachments needed for your desired beard length, will be constructed of metal rather than plastic, will have a long battery life, will be waterproof, and will not need blade oiling.
If you're prepared to invest a little extra, beard trimmers with self-sharpening blades may provide years of flawless trimming.
Beard trimmers are the most difficult beard grooming product to price on our list, but you get what you pay for in the end. We wouldn’t go for anything less than £30/$40.
Are There “Best” Beard Grooming Products For Specific Types Of Facial Hair?
Many beard style options are available to you at the beginning of your beard-growing journey, and you can't allow anybody to persuade you out of picking the one you want the most, no matter how much stigma is behind it.
What your selection will mean, though, is that you will need specific tools to achieve your desired appearance.
In the most basic of examples, a beard comb isn't necessary if all you want to achieve is a stubbled appearance. You probably aren’t going to need beard scissors, either, but you will need a stubble trimmer.
On the other hand, if you’re rocking a lengthy facial manhood, you certainly are going to need a beard comb, alongside a beard brush to keep things tidy and a beard trimmer to keep any rogue hairs in order.
Beard oil will get the job done for shorter beards, but if yours is longer, a tin of beard balm could be a worthy purchase to help tame flyaway hairs and keep your beard styled.
What Is The Best Beard Grooming Kit?
Taking the above information into consideration, the best beard grooming kit is the one that offers you all of the tools that your particular beard style needs.
A beard kit that features beard oils, beard balms and beard shampoos should also be customisable based on fragrance preferences, so you can obtain not only all the beard items your beard requires in one single package, but you could possess your favourite scent, too.
The most comprehensive beard grooming kit will include all the products necessary to maintain the length, tidiness and cleanliness of your beard, as mentioned throughout the first half of this article.
Is Beard Wash Really Necessary?
Regular hair shampoo is likely to include harsh chemicals that will strip your beard of its natural oils, leaving the skin underneath it dry and prone to itching and flaking.
When you strip your beard of its natural oils, it becomes dry and brittle, which may lead to split ends or bald patches. Bald spots in the beard may appear when the roots get weaker and damaged, which can happen if the hair follicles in the beard become too dry.
Using a specially formulated beard shampoo or beard conditioner that has been carefully developed to work alongside the natural oils your body produces, you can eliminate the dangers that are presented by normal body washes and head hair shampoos.
Leave-in beard conditioner is an option, too, if you have the time to let it work its magic.