Beard balm is an amazingly diverse tool that many men use to tame and moisturize their wild beards. With a quality beard balm, you may never feel the need for any other beard grooming product. But, what exactly makes up a quality beard balm? And what signs can you look for to determine if a beard balm is worth the price? This is what we’re discussing today!
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Here are the categories that we use to gauge the quality of a beard balm (in no particular order):
- Ingredients
- Price
- Performance
- Scent
Let’s begin by looking at the ingredients of the balm itself.
Ingredients
Your beard is special and unique to you, almost like a fingerprint. And after all the hard work and time it takes to properly care for a beard, you’ll want to make sure you use only the best beard balms with the best ingredients. These ingredients should be natural, skin-safe, preferably familiar, and organic. Here’s an example of the ingredients we use in our Premium Volt Beard Balm.
Natural Waxes
Most balms are made with some blend of waxes. You’ll want to be sure the waxes that are used are natural and free of harsh chemicals or man-made substances that could cause adverse reactions. Here are the waxes that Volt Beard Balm is made of!
- Bees Wax
- Carnauba Wax
- Lanolin Wax
100% natural waxes can lock in moisture and keep your beard/skin moisturized. They also add thickness and style to hair while providing a light hold.
Natural Butters
To provide a good blend of texture and moisturizing abilities to the balm, butters are used to soften the waxes and incorporate a balance of hold and nourishment to your beard. These butters should, once again, be natural and free of harsh chemicals and provide relief from dry, itchy, or irritated beards. Here are some examples of familiar butters that make up Volt Beard Balm.
- Shea Butter
- Mango Butter
- Capuacu Butter
These naturally sourced butters are meant to provide amazingly smooth texture and performance to your balm. They will also hydrate and nourish your beard and skin, relieving itchiness, redness, or flakes.
Organic Oils
Oils (like beard oil) are meant only to provide some hydration, nourishment, and shine to your beard. As the oil is absorbed, it will soften up your hair and keep your beard and skin hydrated and comfortable. There isn’t much styling ability with oils alone, but oils combined with waxes and butters is what makes balm a “do-it-all” men’s grooming product.
Here are the oils we use to create our own Volt Beard Balm.
- Babassu Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Abyssinian Oil
- Olive Oil
- Argan Oil
These oils are fast-absorbing and light, this means they won’t be sticky, tacky, or otherwise annoying when applying the balm or wearing it throughout your day. They also provide shine, moisture, and softness for both your beard hair and the skin underneath.
Price
When it comes to grooming products, price is a decent indicator of quality. That’s not to say that you should buy the most expensive beard balm on the market, absolutely not. But the point is, very low-priced beard balms, oils, or waxes, generally contain less natural ingredients, more preservatives, and lack texture and performance.
We generally recommend a product that meets the minimum requirements for quality ingredients as opposed to the most favorable price. This ensures that you always get a product that is made of good ingredients, and will likely save you money in the long term because you will get more applications per container.
Generally, the best price to pay for a quality beard balm is a balancing act between one that won’t break the bank but ensures good quality. Prices will vary depending on the size of the product you choose as well. We at Volt offer 2 sizes, along with some savings if you choose the larger size. We offer a 1.5oz beard balm and a 2.75 oz balm ($15.50 and $22 respectively). That being said, our beard balm can provide more applications than most (due to the texture and ingredients), causing your dollar to go farther than with others.
Overall, when it comes to your beard’s health and wellness in general, it’s often good practice to not choose the least expensive option. We always recommend you choose the option that makes sense for you and we can guarantee that an extra few dollars is well invested in a high-quality beard balm that will last you a good amount of time!
Performance
So, what does a good beard balm do? How does it behave in your beard? And what will you notice when you apply it?
A beard balm that’s worth its weight will accomplish 2 specific things.
- Provide a styling hold to your beard hair.
- Moisturize and soften beard hair and skin.
Most products specialize in just one of these things, but balm can usually do them both quite well. This is why we call it the “do-it-all” men’s grooming product. And some men with different length beards will find certain characteristics more useful than others. For example, a man with a long wild beard will enjoy the control that balm provides when holding hairs in place. Another man with a shorter beard may appreciate the moisturizing ability of balm more than its styling ability.
No matter what you prefer, here are some universal characteristics of a quality balm that you should look out for!
- Quick-Absorbing: Beard balm shouldn’t be sticky or tacky. A balm that doesn’t absorb fast is going to be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
- Balanced: Beard balm needs to have a decent amount of both styling and moisturizing capabilities. Balm that is too thick will be focused on styling, and a balm that’s too thin will be all about moisturizing. You’ll need a balance of both to ensure that you get the maximum benefit that beard balm can give. This also makes a difference in terms of how often you need to reapply the balm. Thinners balm will need to be applied more often for continued effects. Keep this in mind.
- Comfortable: Perhaps more than anything else, you’ll want your balm to feel comfortable for you. After all, there are few things worse than an uncomfortable beard!
Scent
The last, but certainly not the least, factor of a quality beard balm is the scent. Scent can always be chalked up to a personal preference, but with that being said, here are some factors to consider when choosing a personal fragrance for your beard balm.
- Longevity: There’s no point in choosing a scented balm if the scent disappears after a few minutes! You’ll want your scent to last for a minimum of a few hours after application to ensure that the balm is offering some styling ability and isn’t absorbing too quickly. As a side note, Volt Premium Beard Balm scents last into the 4-5 hour range.
- Strength: It’s important to consider that longevity and strength are NOT the same things in terms of scent profiles. You’ll want a scent that lasts long, but not one that is overpowering, especially near your nose and in your beard. Overpowering scents become annoying very quickly, and can induce headaches. Always choose a balm with a light, pleasant scent that you can deal with all day.
- Style: As you probably already know, not every scent is favorable in every situation. Whether you prefer fresh and citrus, or woodsy and floral, having a variety of scents can give you a plethora of options that compliment any situation. In fact, we have a quiz that helps you find your perfect Volt Scent Profile if you click the button below!
All in all, choosing the best beard balm for you will come down to a variety of the factors mentioned above. Not every balm is perfect for everyone, but knowing what to look out for when choosing a quality balm will make your life way easier!
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