Home Grooming A Guide to Choosing the Right Beard Products

A Guide to Choosing the Right Beard Products

Growing a healthy, epic beard takes a lot more effort than just kicking back and letting it do its thing. It requires some hair care and grooming maintenance. But, with so many products out on the market it may be difficult to decide which one will work best for your beard. Beard balm, beard butter, beard wax, beard oil – what’s the difference? We know, its overwhelming but fear not, confused brethren! Ritual Beard came to the rescue with an in-depth guide to break down each beard product, what it’s made of and what its purpose is, so that you can make the right choice for your love curls.

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BEARD OIL

Ahh, the trusty old beard oil! If you’ve been interested in the beard grooming game for a while you’ve probably seen a ton of beard oils out there. They’re made up of various carrier oils like jojoba, argan and sweet almond that provide intense hydration. Mixed in you will find essential oils such as patchouli and cedarwood that provide scent and powerful nutrients. The purpose of beard oil is to keep the facial hair moisturized, add some shine and encourage strong, healthy growth.

Beard oil is most known for eliminating the dreaded “beardruff” that plagues bearded men in the very early stages of growth. The reason that beard oil works so well for this as opposed to other beard products is because the oil deeply penetrates the hair follicle right down to the roots. Think of your face as a garden; water the roots and you’ll sprout beautiful bearded buds!

Ritual Beard offers three beard oils, each one promoting growth and strength. With natural essential oils like eucalyptus, pine needle and cedarwood, Ritual Beard oils provide deep conditioning and amazing fragrance. You can check out their lineup here.

Beard oil works best when used after the shower on a slightly damp beard, that way the hair follicles and pores are open from the shower steam and are ready to absorb the oil. A little goes a long way so be careful! Too much will have you feeling and looking greasy.

The one thing that beard oil lacks is styling hold. Because it is purely an oil, it won’t help you create that awesome handlebar mustache or mold your beard into a pleasant point. If you are seeking more of a styling product, you’ll want to grab some beard balm or wax to do the trick.

BEARD BALM

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If you have a longer beard and are looking for something to style it, tame fly-aways and condition the hair, then beard balm would work best for you. Beard balm has pretty much the same properties as a beard oil, except it is thicker and provides a little support throughout the day. Consider it to be a beard wax and oil hybrid. The main ingredients are typically beeswax, carrier oils, cocoa butter and various other conditioning agents that give it a thick, buttery like consistency.

If you are comfortable with a little bit of weight and texture in your face fuzz, then you’ll enjoy really enjoy beard balm. Ritual Beard has a line-up called Duplex Balm that comes in three different fragrances. It’s a 2 in 1 product that can be used to moisturize your skin and body too. With ingredients like mango seed butter, cocoa butter and essential oils, Duplex Balm will have your face blanket smelling, looking and feeling amazing.

Although it may seem like you must choose one or the other, you can use beard oil and balm together in perfect harmony. One suggestion is to use beard oil after a shower before you go to bed so that the oil can work its magic overnight. When you wake up, slap on some beard balm in the morning to keep your beard shaped, styled and hydrated all day long.

BEARD WASH

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Stinky, bacteria filled beards are attractive – said no one ever. A severely overlooked product is beard wash or beard shampoo. It’s important not to forget that your beard hair is STILL hair! If you wash the hair on your head, you should probably wash the hair on your face too (considering a beard doubles as a crumb catcher).

You’re may be thinking, “what’s the difference between regular shampoo and beard shampoo?” That’s a great question. Generic shampoos that are meant for head hair can strip your beard and skin of the natural sebum and oils you produce, leaving a dry, brittle beard. There’s even a greater chance of your beard hair breaking and falling out by using a regular shampoo.

If you use a designated beard wash, you’ll be cleansing your beard but also infusing it with hydrating oils to maintain its strength and shine. Ritual Beard’s Beard Wash acts as a shampoo and conditioner all in one, preventing dry skin and itching. It will also leave your beard smelling clean and fragrant.

WHICH Beard Products are FOR YOU?

Hopefully now that we’ve distinguished what each beard care product does, you’ll be able to choose which product your rugged mug needs. Ritual Beard’s suggestion is to use all three! You’ll gain maximum benefits from the different carrier and essential oils, plus your beard will look and smell the best it’s ever been.

To start building your beard grooming kit, check out Ritual Beard at http://www.ritualbeard.com.