Beard Oil vs Beard Balm: Which One Suits Your Beard?

It happens a lot. You commit to growing a beard, week after week, until it starts to feel like you. Then one bad day hits and you shave it off. Just like that.

The usual reasons are itching or feeling like it looks messy. Fair enough, but tossing months of patience is a big step.

If you’re stuck deciding what can help, start with the basics. Keyoma breaks down beard oil vs beard balm, plus how to use each so your beard looks and feels better.

Key Takeaways

• Beard oil blends carrier oils and essential oils to moisturize beard hair and skin.

• Use a few drops on a damp beard, work it in, then brush through.

• Beard balm combines oils with butters and beeswax for hold plus conditioning.

• Oil fits most daily routines, balm helps shape longer or patchy beards.

What is Beard Oil?

Most guys who keep a beard have tried beard oil at some point. If you only pick one product to keep your beard comfortable and manageable, beard oil is usually the one.

Beard oil is a mix of carrier oils and essential oils meant to nourish and hydrate beard hair. It can also support the skin underneath, which helps cut down on common beard-growing problems.

What Is Beard Balm?

People sometimes use the names interchangeably, but the products are different. Beard balm is closer to a pomade, made by blending, heating, then cooling moisturizers and sealants. The result is a shaping product that also works like a leave-in conditioner.

Because of that, balm often fits best if your beard is medium to long and either thin or patchy. It can help disguise sparse spots while still supporting overall hair condition.

When you shop for balms, skip heavy synthetic sealants when you can, and look for natural options like shea butter, lanolin, and beeswax. These can help reduce brittleness and breakage by coating your beard in a protective layer.

What Is the Difference Between Beard Balm and Beard Oil?

Beard oil works best as a daily moisturizer for any beard length, while beard balm is more of an as-needed styling step for an established beard. Since they do different jobs, both can fit in the same routine.

How Do You Use Beard Oil?

If you’re choosing between beard balm and beard oil, start by learning the basics of oil. Here is a quick walkthrough of how to apply it:

Step 1: Wash Your Face and Beard

Before you shave, trim, or put on products, wash your face and beard. A clean face matters for beard growth, and skipping it can make acne more likely.

Whether you shower or just wash at the sink, rinse your beard with warm water and use a non-alcohol facial cleanser. We recommend beard shampoo because it cleans your beard and softens facial hair without stripping your natural oils.

Once you wash up, gently pat your face and beard dry.

Step 2: Work In the Oil

When your beard and face are damp, but not dripping, you’re ready to apply oil.

Place a few drops in your palms, rub your hands together, and work the oil through your beard. Then press it into the skin under your beard too. I found adding one drop at a time keeps things from feeling too slick.

How much you need depends on beard length and thickness, so start small and build up. This product spreads easily, so there is no need to flood your beard.

After you apply oil, use a beard brush to spread it evenly through your beard and mustache. The boar bristles help smooth the hair while moving product down to your skin.

How Do You Use Beard Balm?

Once you have oil down, balm is the next step to learn. Here is how to apply beard balm in a simple routine.

Step 1: Apply the Balm

It helps to  wash your face and beard before balm. After a thorough cleanse, pat your face dry and move on.

When your face and beard are dry, you can use balm. With the back of your thumbnail or pointer fingernail, gently scrape a small amount from the tin.

No matter your beard length, whether you have a Gandalf the Grey look or Aragorn’s five O’clock shadow, start with a very small amount of balm. Think pea-sized, not grape-sized. A close friend with sensitive skin preferred less first, then added only if needed.

Warm the balm between your fingertips for a few seconds. Then work it through your beard and mustache and rub it into your skin until it feels smooth. If you want, use a beard brush to spread and shape it.

Step 2: Style Your Beard With Balm

After the balm is spread through your beard and mustache, you can shape it the way you like. Tools like your beard brush and beard comb help here.

Beard Type Fit

Beard oil and utility balm can do more than beard care. For example, beard oil can work as a hair oil and on dry skin spots. But if you had to choose one product for the widest use, Utility Balm is the more flexible option, from beard to hair to skin to tattoos.

Check out the list of beard types below and which product fits your needs.

Short Beards: 1 to 3 Inches

At this length, Keyoma Batana Oil with Rosemary for beard alone is usually enough to keep your beard hydrated and healthy. It is easy to work through the hair and down to the skin without leaving a greasy shine.

Use a few drops in the morning after your shower and you are set. If you live in a dry climate or have dry skin, you can add a few more drops later.

Medium to Long Beards: 3 to 12+ Inches

As your beard grows longer, keeping it moisturized takes more effort. That is why many guys with longer beards use both beard oil and utility balm.

 A common method is beard oil after showering, worked into the skin under the beard, then balm pressed into the beard hair. Some beardsmen also use balm as a conditioning mask by applying a generous amount before bed and leaving it on overnight.

Patchy Beards and Sparse Areas

Beard balm can make a patchy beard look a bit fuller. Shea butter and mango butter coat the hairs, which can create the look of more density.

Note: many companies sell beard oils that claim to make your beard grow thicker and fuller. There is no scientific evidence that backs those claims, and these “beard growth oils” are basically the same idea as penis enlargement pills.

Thin, Straight Beards

If your beard is full but the strands are thin and straight, beard oil is a good fit. You do not want to weigh it down, so a lightweight, fast-absorbing moisturizer can help you keep more volume.

Coarse, Curly Beards

If your beard is coarse and curly, it often runs dry. Using both beard oil and balm can help since coarse hair tends to take whatever moisture it can hold.

Grey and White Beards

As hair turns grey and white, it often feels drier. Beard Oil still matters for the skin under your beard, and balm can help add more moisture back to the beard hair.

Build Your Beard Routine with Keyoma

Use Keyoma Batana Oil with Rosemary first to deal with dryness, then reach for beard balm only when you need hold. After your shower, pat your beard until it is damp, then work it through the hair and into the skin underneath. Brush to spread it evenly and cut down on greasy spots.

If you still want more shape or flyaway control, warm a pea-sized amount of balm between your fingers and press it mostly into the beard hair, not the skin, since balm can feel heavy when you use too much.

Ready to dial in your routine? Buy Keyoma Batana Oil with Rosemary direct from Keyoma, or shop it in the Keyoma Amazon store.