What’s the Best Beard Balm on the Market? Here Are Our Picks for 2023!

a person holding a beard balm

Growing a beard might not be that challenging, but keeping it from looking insane once it grows a little long sure can be!

If you’re a beard aficionado, you’ve probably heard of beard oils, waxes, and specialty conditioners. Now, beard balms are sort of in between oils and waxes. They’re moisturizing and taming products aimed at simplifying your medium-length-to-long beard care routine.

We’re here to help you find the best beard balms that suit your facial hair needs, so here are our picks for 2023!

Overview

Depending on what you want from your beard balm, we’ve put together a list of quality products you’ll want to give a try. Here are our picks:

  1. Best Overall: Honest Amish Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  2. Best on a Budget: Old Spice Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  3. Best for Shine: Viking Revolution Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  4. Best for Light Hold: Bulldog Original Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  5. Best Luxury Beard Balm: American Crew Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  6. Best for Beard Dandruff: Rocky Mountain Barber Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.
  7. Best for Sculpting: Reuzel Wood and Spice Beard BalmOpens in a new tab.

Best Overall: Honest Amish Beard Balm

honest amish beard balm
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The Amish take their facial hair super seriously. Aside from being a sign of manhood, it’s also considered a divine order to grow them out. That’s why you know an Amish beard balm is the good stuff!

The Honest Amish beard balmOpens in a new tab. has a mix of apricot kernel, almond, virgin argan, avocado, and virgin pumpkin seed oils. They’re then mixed with fruit and nut butters to produce a smoothening, strengthening, and conditioning beard balm.

The scent is also natural, with hints of cedar, clove, and anise seed.

Pros

  • All-natural ingredients with no harmful chemicals
  • A trusted product with consistent quality
  • Helps tame wiry, unruly hairs

Con

  • Not everyone enjoys the scent because of the clove and anise notes.

Best on a Budget: Old Spice Beard Balm

old spice beard balm

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If you’re on a budget and want to reach for a cheap yet effective option, may we suggest the Old Spice beard balmOpens in a new tab.? It’s about half the price of each of the other options and still does a heck of a good job at keeping your face mane at bay.

The only real downside to the Old Spice beard balm is the inclusion of drying ingredients like alcohol and parabens. This is to be expected from a commercial brand, but some customers might not prefer to use a facial hair product with these ingredients.

Pros

  • Original Old Spice scent but is faint enough to use with other fragrances
  • Great price compared to competitors
  • Effective for smoothening and frizz control

Con

  • Contains alcohol, parabens, and other artificial ingredients

Best for Shine: Viking Revolution Beard Balm

viking revolution beard balm

Image SourceOpens in a new tab.

The Viking Revolution beard balmOpens in a new tab. is a breath of fresh air thanks to the super refreshing citrus scent. The unique mix of argan oil and mango butter helps make your beard stronger, shinier, and a lot more under control. The perfect way to grow a Viking beard!

That said, if you have a naturally soft beard, this beard balm might be overkill. The formula is a little heavy and might be too overbearing if you have acne-prone skin underneath the beard.

Pros

  • Smoothing formula perfect for longer or thicker beards
  • Citrus scent for a refreshing aroma after application
  • Great shine if that’s the look you’re going for

Con

  • Can get too greasy and tacky for naturally soft beards

Best for Light Hold: Bulldog Original Beard Balm

bulldog beard balm

Image SourceOpens in a new tab.

If you’re looking for a leave-in conditioner for your beard, look no further than the Bulldog beard balmOpens in a new tab.. This lightweight formula is perfect for short-to-medium-length beards that don’t require a lot of hold.

The Bulldog beard balm contains Aloe Vera, Camelina oil, and green tea. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, so it has that going for it.

Pros

  • Lightweight, moisturizing beard balm that takes care of your beard and the skin underneath
  • Easy to distribute formula that leaves no residues
  • Matte finish, if that’s your preference

Con

  • Doesn’t work for longer beards that require more hold

Best Luxury Beard Balm: American Crew Beard Balm

american crew beard balm

Image SourceOpens in a new tab.

This luxurious beard balm by American CrewOpens in a new tab. has all the goodness of sweet almond oil and shea butter going for it. It’s both smoothening and moisturizing to the skin beneath the beard, keeping your beard soft and your face happy.

Pros

  • Smoothening formula with natural ingredients
  • Helps moisturize dry skin
  • Perfect for coarse hair that frizzes easily

Con

  • The smell could be too overpowering for some customers.

Best for Beard Dandruff: Rocky Mountain Barber Beard Balm

rocky mountain beard balm

Image SourceOpens in a new tab.

If you have sensitive skin and are struggling with continuous skin irritation, some heavy products might cause beard dandruff, aka “beardruff.”

The cedarwood beard balm by Rocky Mountain BarberOpens in a new tab. has tea tree oil as part of its formula to relieve itchy skin and aid in healthy beard growth.

Pros

  • Contains cedarwood and tea tree essential oils that give this beard balm its scent and efficacy
  • Reduces beard dandruff and itchiness with regular use
  • Lightweight, non-greasy formula

Con

  • The scent isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

Best for Sculpting: Reuzel Wood and Spice Beard Balm

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Image SourceOpens in a new tab.

For those with wiry, thick beards who’d like something a little more akin to beard wax, try Reuzel’s beard balm. This product has better sculpting properties than a regular conditioning beard balm, but it still keeps your beard healthy and skin nourished.

Just make sure you get the Reuzel beard balmOpens in a new tab. in the “wood and spice” scent since the “original” tends to smell like baby powder or elderly women’s cologne.

Pros

  • Has heavier formula for thick and long beards
  • Better beard balm for sculpting your whiskers
  • Contains shea butter and argan oil for a softer beard

Con

  • The texture could be a little too hard and unworkable for shorter beards.

How to Pick a Beard Balm For Beard Care and Styling

Choosing the best beard balm for your facial hair care needs depends on multiple factors:

Beard Types

Short beards require products with minimal styling properties; that’s why a beard oil or a beard conditioner-like balm is suitable. Once you grow a longer beard, you’ll probably need beard balms with more sculpting power.

The same goes for soft beards vs. coarse beards. If your beard hairs are wiry, a thicker product would make more sense.

Skin Sensitivity

People with sensitive skin often struggle with issues like itchiness around the hair follicles, which could sometimes lead to flaky skin or beardruff. Moisturizing the skin and having bacteria-fighting ingredients in the beard balm can help mitigate this issue.

If you have acne-prone skin, avoiding comedogenic ingredients that clog pores, like cocoa butter or coconut oil, can help prevent breakouts. Aim for lighter ingredients like jojoba oil and grape seed oil.

Scent Preference

The best beard balm won’t be the best if you hate how it smells. Keep in mind that the stuff hangs around right under your nose. That’s why you should find something you enjoy so you wouldn’t feel suffocated all day.

How to Apply Beard Balm

If you’re more of a beard oil kind of guy and beard balms are a bit out of your comfort zone, here’s how to use beard balm:

  1. Start with a freshly washed and dry beard before applying beard balm or other beard products.
  2. Using a beard comb, brush out your beard in the direction it normally goes.
  3. Take an appropriate amount of beard balm into your hands and rub it between your palms.
  4. Spread the product evenly through your beard. Don’t be afraid to really get in there!
  5. Using a beard brush, smooth down your beard and style it as you usually do.
  6. Add more beard balm to the areas that need it.

Conclusion

The best beard balm on the market isn’t just one product. Your individual needs define what beard balms should work best for your face mane, just like with head hair!

Try to go for a product that suits your beard style, whether short or long. A heavy, wax-like balm can do wonders for long beards and be a dud for short beards.

Aim for a decent beard balm with natural ingredients. These product tins usually last you over a month, so investing in a good-quality beard balm probably won’t hurt your wallet too much.

Paulina Romain

Paulina Romain is an entrepreneur and artist in the beauty industry. She is the founder and owner of The Art of Ink Studio, where she provides services such as permanent cosmetics, microblading, and artistic ink, focusing on personalized body art. Additionally, she owns Mill Pond Salon, through which she aims to deliver big-city salon services in the comfort of a small town. Apart from her hands-on work in her studios, Paulina Romain is also active on social media platforms like TikTok, where she showcases her fine line and cosmetic tattoo work. Furthermore, she's been in the salon and beauty industry for over 14 years and operates Team True Beauty with Sam Romain. This platform includes a blog on various beauty-related topics and marks the opening of two beauty brands by the couple.

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