For any bearded guy who is ready to take his daily beard care routine to the next level, The Bearded Bastard beard balm is a great way to go. Beard balms are becoming more and more popular as they are multi-functional products that are typically loaded with ingredients that your facial hair absolutely loves. Due to the surge in popularity, you’ll find that the beard balm market is loaded with a diverse and extensive selection of products. This can make choosing the right one a challenging task indeed.

Factors to Take into Consideration When Choosing a Beard Balm

Luckily, we’re here to make things a bit easier for you. Choosing the perfect beard balm is pretty simple when you know what to consider. This way, when the time comes to make your purchase, you’ll be able to choose the beard balm that best suits your facial hair’s unique needs.

Factor #1: What You Want Out of Your Beard Balm

First, you need to determine why you’re using beard balm in the first place. Beard balm is a waxy product that serves many different purposes. It can smooth down frizz, add texture to fine facial hair, add an extra layer of moisture to your beard, help you create an intricate style and so much more. Knowing what it is that you want out of your beard balm will make it easier for you to choose the best formula.

Factor #2: The Size of Your Beard

Next, you have to consider the size of your beard. When we talk about your beard’s size, we’re referring to both the length and the fullness. In other words, does your beard cover your entire face, or is it only full in the center? You’ll want to take your beard’s size into consideration due to the simple fact that more facial hair means that you’ll need to apply more balm per grooming session. For example, men with outrageously long and full beards are going to want to go with a larger size jar, and one that doesn’t cost too much as they’ll be using a lot at a time.

Factor #3: Thickness and Texture of Your Beard

Next comes the thickness and texture of your beard, which, believe it or not, are two different things altogether. The thickness of your beard refers to the diameter of each strand. Some strands are very thin while others are extremely thick. The texture refers to, quite literally, the texture of each strand. Some facial hair is very fine and smooth while other men have facial hair that’s coarse and looks rough under a microscope.

Different textures and thickness levels respond better to particular ingredients. So, take a good look at your beard and figure out which texture and thickness level you have so that you can choose a good formula accordingly. As a rule of thumb, the finer and thinner your beard, the lighter the formula should be. Otherwise, it can weigh down facial hair and make it look greasy. Alternatively, the thicker and coarser, the thicker and richer the formula should be as thick, coarse hair requires more product to permeate the cuticle of each strand.

Factor #4: Your Preferences Regarding Fragrance

Next comes fragrance. Most beard care products on the market are scented, but many brands offer unscented options as well. Do you want your beard balm to have a fragrance? If so, what do you want it to smell like? Do you want the fragrance to be particularly strong? Do you want it to complement a cologne that you wear each day? Do you want it to be made from natural ingredients like essential oils, as opposed to synthetic fragrances? Do you have any fragrance allergies? All of these things must be thoroughly taken into consideration.

Factor #5: That Brand's Reputation

It’s important to consider the brand’s reputation before buying a beard balm from a particular company. You want to make sure that the brand you buy from is known for their consistency in terms of quality, their customer service, their transparency with the ingredients that they use and the effectiveness of their products. Check out online reviews to determine whether a particular company’s beard balm is worth your money or not.

Factor #6: Budgeting 

Of course, your budget comes into play as well. If your budget allows it, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with splurging on a high-end beard balm made with luxurious ingredients. After all, if having a healthy and luscious beard means that much to you, money is no object, right?

However, most of us are budget-conscious and must choose our products accordingly. So, compare prices online to get an idea of what’s a normal amount of money to spend on this type of product. And, if a product seems incredibly cheap compared to the rest, try to find out why. In many cases, it’s because the formula consists of inferior ingredients that aren’t necessarily great for your beard.

Factor #7: Ingredients

Speaking of ingredients, this is perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a beard balm. Generally speaking, you want to choose a product that has a plant-based formula. In other words, the ingredients come from plants rather than synthetic chemicals. Why? Because many synthetic chemicals are very harsh, meaning they can strip away moisture from your beard and leave your skin feeling irritated.

Factor #8: Size

There are a couple of reasons to consider the size of the beard balm jar before buying. One is because you have to know that you have enough room to store it properly. Secondly, you want to know that you’ll be able to use up all of the product before it expires.

Make the Right Beard Balm Choice Today!

With so many beard balms on the market today, choosing the right one is no easy feat. However, by knowing the different factors to look for, you’ll be able to narrow down your search. Use this guide to select the right beard balm for your unique facial hair.

Credit to Jeremiah Newton from The Bearded Bastard