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With the advent of male grooming, products like beard balms and beard oils have become essential, and these products should not be thought of as exclusive but mutual.
In the mid-2000s, male grooming became a lucrative business as more men were taking pride in their appearances. The period of the 2010s is especially important to note as it started the paradigm shift with heteronormativity. This is as male grooming was no longer exclusive to just metrosexual men. This was seen through the evolution of style and fashion, for instance, a full beard started being deemed as suave and stylish.
As a result, male grooming specifically focused on taking care of your beard. This is as various start-up companies started to launch male grooming products which focused on growing a full and defined beard. Two of the most popular and widely interpreted products are beard balms and beard oils. Initially, they were thought of as mutually exclusive. However, the truth is, both products serve different purposes and should be used mutually.
This is as both products serve a different purpose in the upkeep and maintenance of your beard. Therefore, when considering whether to buy beard balm or beard oil, one should consider buying both as they will help in different aspects of ensuring that your beard competes with the best of them. So, let’s start with beard oil as an essential must-have product for any men looking to grow the perfect connecting beard.
What are beard oils and beard balms?
Essentially, beard oil consists of a mixture of essential oils in a bottle. Therefore, the consistency of serum will be oily. The purpose of a beard oil is to help in the growth of one’s beard while moisturising the skin. The frequent use of beard oils is recommended for men who are just starting out with growing out their beards. The beard oil, also dependent on the essential oils used, aims to help in the consistent growth of a beard. This is especially true for men whose beards either grow in patches or inconsistently on the face.
So, if the beard oil is to help grow the beard consistently, what is the purpose of beard balm? Well, consider beard balms as the perfect aftercare treatment for mid to full-length beards. While beard oils have an oily consistency, balms have a dense texture. The reason is that besides the mixture of essential oils, the formulation also most commonly includes shea butter and beeswax.
The addition of the shea butter and the beeswax has a dual purpose. The first being to help the balm to function as a leave-in conditioner and moisturizer. Seeing that the beard oil’s texture does not ensure durability, the denser formulation of the balm ensures longer stay and better protection for the skin and beard. Also, the denser texture allows for the balm to accommodate for your beard to be styled as desired, something which cannot be achieved through the use of a beard oil.
What to stay away from when purchasing
It is also important to note that the conversation about the mutual use of beard balms and oils is in reference to the use of products that only use natural ingredients. This is as that most products that are manufactured with a mixture of essential oils and synthetic ingredients are mostly harmful. These products often suggest that they will help improve the scent or longevity of product.
However, in reality, the use of these products in the long term prove to be detrimental to beard growth and the skin underneath. This is as the synthetic products either result in the damage of the beard by eventually making it dry and brittle, or affect the skin underneath which would inevitably lead to a loss of either beard density or lustre.
Go-to must haves
If you are looking for proof of the above, most of the leading male grooming products have steered away from the use of synthetic ingredients. Not only that, but they also sell male-grooming products which contain both the beard balm and beard oil. Additional products included in a beard grooming kit is a beard shampoo and conditioner, a brush depending on the range released and some kits also offer optional grooming scissors to take care of the flyaways or uneven growth.
Some of the best grooming kits in the market include the Jack Black Beard Grooming Kit, Maison Lambert Ultimate Beard Kit, Billy Jealousy Beard Envy Kit, and the Shea Moisture Complete Kit.
