Today we’re counting down our favorite homemade beard balm recipes and walking you through how to make your own homemade organic beard balm.
Buying a beard balm every few months can end up costing you a lot, especially if you use it often. If that’s the case, then you might have probably started thinking about making one. Well, you’re in luck. For first-timers, it can be a bit terrifying because the process involves melting down beeswax, using butter, blending oils, and adding essential oils.
Worry not; this guide will help you throughout the process so you can learn how to make beard balm on your own. We also included some beard balm recipes that are worth trying!
What is Beard Balm?
Beard balm is a partly solid and smooth product that is used to tame and moisten beards. Its consistency is comparable to hair pomade. Nevertheless, it has a unique combination of wax and oils that make it ideal to be applied on beards.
Since beard balm is used to tame, it has a firmer consistency compared to beard oil and is used for styling a beard instead. It also contains wax and a little moisturizer to keep your facial hair in position.
On the other hand, beard oil is ideally used after washing your face in the morning and evening. That is because it acts as a conditioner for your beard, making it ideal for those who have big beards.
It is recommended to use beard balm and beard oil in your beard care routine to have a soft, sleek, and touchable beard.
Components of Beard Balm
1. Beeswax
When making beard balm, the most essential ingredient you have to prepare is beeswax. That is because it is the binding agent of the balm to keep your beard in order. It’s also the styling component, so it is impossible to make a beard balm without it.
You have several options on where to acquire beeswax. You can simply search for it on Amazon and order there. The second option is to look for beekeepers near your area and ask them if you can purchase several blocks of beeswax. The latter is more affordable and you can also order it by paying extra.
There are different types of beeswax you can choose from such as sheets, bars, and pellets, among many others. You might also see that there are two different colors of beeswax available. You can get either since the color won’t affect the final product.
2. Butters
If beeswax makes it possible for the balm to hold your beard, then butter makes it spreadable. The most popular option for butter is shea butter which is also the ideal butter type for starters. Shea butter is generally safe to apply to your skin. You can see this used in many other skincare products. Aside from using it on your skin, you can safely eat it.
Other types of butter that you can use are kokum and cocoa.
3. Carrier Oils
It is crucial to carefully pick out carrier oil because this is one of the most important ingredients for your beard balm. That is because carrier oils can moisturize not only your beard but also your whole face. Moreover, they provide essential nutrients.
For beard oil, there will be around 95% of carrier oil content. Nevertheless, beard balm has a different blend because of beeswax and butter with around 30% of carrier oil content.
When choosing a carrier oil, you need to consider some factors. To start, you have to make sure that the color of the bottle is amber. You have to check this because bottles in this color helps block dangerous UV rays from indoor lights.
It is also not advised to get a bottle of carrier oil that is not expeller-pressed or cold-pressed. If that is the case, the oil likely contains chemicals that you don’t want to include in your beard balm concoction.
Here are some of the common carrier oils which you can add to your beard balm:
- Argan oil
- Almond oil
- Black seed oil
- Castor oil
- Coconut oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Hazelnut oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Kukui nut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil
- Mango oil
- Watermelon seed oil
- Papaya seed oil
- Macadamia nut oil
- Sweet almond oil
4. Essential Oils
You can make your beard balm better with essential oils. Even though beeswax, butter, and carrier oils have scents, they are subtle. When you add essential oils, it makes a lot of difference in the smell of your balm. Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind that essential oils are very strong, so you have to be careful when adding them.
Besides giving your beard balm a good smell, there are also many other benefits. For instance, if you use essential oils such as tea tree or peppermint, you can benefit from their naturally anti-viral properties.
On the other hand, if you have acne on the surrounding skin of your beard, both tea tree and peppermint oils can fight off the bacteria that cause them. Not only do they get rid of your acne, but they also prevent beardruff or dandruff in your beard. This often happens because of dry skin and not having enough hydration.
How to Make a Beard Balm
Now that you know the key ingredients in making beard balm, it is time for you to pay attention to how you can blend these ingredients.
Preparing your Work Area Properly
Before you start mixing all your ingredients, you must prepare your work area and make sure everything is ready. First, you have to make sure that you all have the ingredients you need. You can’t possibly make a decent beard balm if any of the ingredients mentioned are missing.
After you have all your ingredients, you need to have your pot ready. There are many reasons why it is a bad idea to use an old pot. Since you will be adding all-natural ingredients to your blend, you want a pot that you will not reuse to cook food in the future.
You already understand that essential oils are very strong. That is why when you place your balm in your pot, it may take several thorough cleaning before you can completely get rid of the smell.
Another tip to keep in mind when using a pot for your beard balm recipe is to not use a Teflon or non-stick coated pot. That is because these kinds of pots have been recently discovered to have a link to cancer. It will not hurt to take extra precautions since you will use this on your face.
Depending on whether you get pellets or bricks of beeswax, you can use measuring cups or a kitchen scale to get accurate measurements. For carrier oils, many of these have droppers in the bottle. If there is no dropper or you need large volumes of essential oils as stated in the recipe, you can use your measuring cups.
Again, you have to keep in mind to add essential oils in very small amounts in your mixture. Many of the beard balm recipes have essential oils measured in drops.
Regardless of your recipe, you should use a separate dropper for every essential oil. If you plan to follow a recipe with various kinds of essential oils, you don’t want any of your essential oils to be contaminated when mixed with other essential oils. This will result in a balm with a muddy scent because the oils are not able to retain their original smell.
Also, it is best to use a metal spoon to combine all your ingredients. A final tip is to use metal tins with lids to keep your freshly-made beard balm. It can be a challenge to find the right containers, but you can try searching online. Some stores sold these in packs with 12 metal tins for under $20.
Making Your Beard Balm
After you have prepared your work area, you are ready to get dirty and start making your first beard balm. What you want to do first is to measure all the ingredients for your chosen beard balm recipe. You don’t want to deal with all the measurements before you start cooking.
You should not bring water in your pot to a boil yet as it will only eliminate all the beneficial nutrients in your ingredients. As a result, your beard balm won’t be able to do its main function which is to provide nourishment to your beard.
You can just put your pot on very low heat and add the beeswax and butter you measured. Mix these occasionally. After the beeswax and butter completely melt, mix your carrier oils. Once the carrier oils are well-combined with the beeswax and butter, your beard balm is almost complete.
You can add your chosen essential oils to the mixture before placing it in your metal tins. After adding the essential oils, stir it a few times and pour the liquid mixture into your metal tins.
Finishing the Beard Balm
When you have poured all your liquid mixture into your metal tins, leave it uncovered for around 12 hours. Aside from leaving your metal tins uncovered, you can also put tinted wax paper to ensure that no condensation forms. Moreover, this can help protect your freshly-made balm from anything that can drop on it or make it dirty.
Beard Balm Recipes You Can Easily Make on Your Own
You can take note of the given steps on how to make beard balm when you try some of these recipes:
1. Classic and Clean
- 2 tbsp. beeswax
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 tbsp. apricot kernel oil
- 2 to 3 drops of clary sage oil
- 2 to 3 drops of cedarwood oil
2. Premium Mix
- 4 tbsp. beeswax
- 4 tbsp. cocoa butter
- 4 tbsp. shea butter
- 4 tsp. almond oil
- 2 drops sandalwood oil
- 2 tbsp. jojoba oil
3. Holiday Love
- 1 tbsp. beeswax
- 1 tsp. shea butter
- 1 tsp. argan oil
- 1 tsp. sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
- 4 drops vitamin E oil
- 2 to 3 drops vanilla oil
4. Wooden Grape
- 5 tbsp. beeswax
- 20 tsp. shea butter
- 20 ml rapeseed oil
- 20 ml jojoba oil
- 3 drops cedarwood oil
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Frequently Asked Questions About Making Your Own Beard Balm
I think my beard feels crunchy after using the beard balm I made. Why is that?
When you feel your beard becoming crunchy after using your balm, this could mean that you added too much beeswax. When making your next batch, we recommend lessening the amount of beeswax you put into the mixture and testing it out.
Can my beard become soft even with homemade beard balm?
Yes. This is the main reason why beard balm is created among many others. If you want your beard to be very soft, there are specific beard balm recipes for that.
I am not familiar with essential oils. What should I use?
You should not worry too much about it because there are many essential oils available. Because of this, it is recommended to try them out in small packs so that you can determine the scent you want for your beard balm.
How long can I store my beard balm?
When kept at room temperature, it is safe to store it for around 6 months. If you do not use it, keep the lid on to maintain its freshness for a longer period. Since there’s a lot of wax in your beard balm, you can expect it to be firm even if the temperature rises. You just need to make sure not to leave it in extremely high-temperature areas such as hot cars.
A Final Word From The Trending Man
Finally, your preference plays a role in making your ideal beard balm. Even though it may look complex and daunting at first, you are in for a surprise on how easy it is to make one at home. Hopefully, the tips and beard balm recipes we mentioned can help you get started.
