Whether you have a short or long beard, a good beard balm can work wonders for your beard care regime and so we have taken it upon ourselves to bring you 7 of the best beard balms available in the UK.
Like most things in the beard grooming world, choosing the best product is not an easy task and it will partly come down to your own personal preference to determine what you should look for in a good quality beard balm.
That being said, there are some common ingredients and qualities to look for in the best balms for your beard and we will cover these before we dive head first in to our top 7 list.
What to look for in a beard balm
Beard balms are different to beard oils (we will cover that shortly) and both have their place in taking care of your facial pride and joy. Typically, beard balms will contain a blend of natural butters and beeswax which is an essential ingredient if you are looking for high quality beard care.
Balms are particularly useful if you live in colder and drier environments and as such beard balms are very popular in the UK. Balms offer excellent hydration for your beard and your skin and can help prevent the dreaded beard dandruff (beardruff) thanks to their hydrating qualities.
When choosing a beard balm you should opt for one that uses all natural ingredients and particularly all natural butters such as shea butter and cocoa butter. Argan and Jojoba oil are prime ingredients that top brands use in their balms and it is worth keeping an eye out for them.
The key difference between a balm and an oil is that beard oils will offer excellent hydration and nourishment for the beard but won’t do quite so much to keep it in check.
How to use a beard balm
Balms tend to resemble a thin wax and they offer many of the benefits of wax combined with those of an oil. They are convenient to carry around but the reality is that they will likely form part of your usual morning routine once you start using one.
The best time to use a beard balm is just after you have showered. This is when your beard is soft and damp and it will be ready primed for your beard care regime. Applying balm is fairly straight forward and you simply apply a small amount to your finger tips, rub to warm it and make it more pliable and then apply with downward strokes – you can also get underneath the beard and apply it from the inside as well as directly to your skin. You can choose to either rub it right in to your skin first or to simply apply it gently to the beard.
You will find that beard balms will tame those longer stray hairs and they serve an aesthetic purpose as well as a functional one. From first use you will notice the difference with using a good balm but after a few days your skin and the beard hair will really start to show an improvement in both looks and feel.
Beard balms are well worth the investment and can be used by men with long and short beards alike.
Top 7 Beard Balms In The UK
Right, that’s enough of talk of the benefits and ingredients – let’s take a look at our best 7 beard balms available in the UK.
Honest Amish Beard Balm
As you might have guessed from the name, the Honest Amish beard balm is completely natural and 100% organically made by hand. You may be forgiven for thinking the brand name is a clever marketing ploy but the company really do stay true to their Amish heritage and these natural ingredients and processes help to create a product that we are confident to promote as the best beard balm available today.
Some people suggest using beard oils and beard balms together but thanks to the blend of ingredients in this balm there really is no need as you can enjoy the skin hydration that is provided by the all natural oils along with the beard taming qualities provided by the waxes.
The ingredient profile of this balm is quite astonishing and there are absolutely no synthetic ingredients in the Honest Amish balm. Topping the list of impressive ingredients are organic cocoa butter, Kokum butter, lavender oil, organic shea butter, avocado oil and candelilla wax. There are a total of 15 different organic oils and there is of course room for those premium ingredients such as argan nut oil and jojoba oil.
The naturally made fragrance is mild but noticeable and it has a kind of sweet but woody aroma to it. The feel of the balm in your hands is smooth and it is easy to work in to the beard once made pliable on the fingertips. The 60ml tin is a good size and is larger than some of the cheaper brands.
For us, the Honest Amish balm is the best all natural beard balm available and we found it to work well on long and short beards alike and was effective even on really thick and wiry hair. A little goes a long way and with a money back guarantee if you don’t think it is the best you have tried it is a win-win.
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Riley Tate Premium Beard Balm
Riley Tate is one of only a handful of British companies to manufacture natural beard balm and we are pleased to say it is without a doubt one of the best balms we have ever used. Deserving of the name Riley Tate ‘Premium’, this balm contains a whole host of impressive ingredients and includes natural beeswax, coconut oil, almond oil and shea butter.
There is something appealing about buying beard balms that are made in the UK as you know the integrity of the product is intact thanks to stable storage conditions during shipping. Although it is unusual to find products that have melted and reformed in storage it does happen and does cause issues to the end product for the user – there are going to be no such issues with Riley Tate if you are buying from within the UK.
We found this product to be an ideal tamer for long bushy beards but it also works well with shorter beards as it provide a lovely non-greasy shine and also provides a really good level of hydration to the underlying skin.
The Riley Tate Premium beard balm also comes in larger tubs than many of its competitors so value for money here is excellent and again a little bit of balm goes a long way.
The fragrance has sweet almond undertones with a classic earthy vibe. This smell is almost what you would expect if you had to guess the smell from the look of the tin and although it’s not overpowering it is noticeable in a reassuringly understated way.
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Seven Potions Woodland Harmony
Seven Potions is one of the most recognisable brands of beard balm on the market and one of the reasons for this is the gorgeous scents and workable consistency of their balms. In a step to appeal to an even wider audience they have two beard balms to choose from with the key difference between them being the fragrance – the original Woodland Harmony was the one we tested and they also now have the Citrus Tonic.
The Woodland Harmony version is a lovely blend of cedarwood and sandalwood as well as a range of other oils and butters found within its mix. You will find jojoba wax, coconut oil, almond oil and cocoa butter all combining to create a really pliable balm that gives beards a lovely shine but maintaining the non-greasy profile you expect from a balm.
All Seven Potions balms are 100% naturally made with zero synthetic ingredients and they are also a British brand which is always a positive for UK consumers.
This a beard balm that will tame even the wildest of beards and it does a good job of moisturising the face too.
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Rocky Mountain
When you think of Canada you think of the great outdoors, bears and big beards… at least that’s what we think of. Rocky Mountain is a proud Canadian brand of beard balm that packs a lot in to its small but plentiful 60ml tub. It has a cedar scent that encapsulates the Rockies perfectly and also has whiffs of tea tree and eucalyptus – but don’t worry, these secondary scents are not overpowering.
Of course, there is more to a beard balm than scent so what else is going for Rocky Mountain we hear you ask.
First off, Rocky Mountain is very popular and is used by more than 300,000 people daily across the globe. It regularly obtains seriously high review ratings and it is rich in some of the most important hair and skin nutrients going.
Ingredients include Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Beeswax, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter and Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil to name but a few and you can take it from us that this balm will leave your beard looking and feeling great.
From big wild and bushy beards to neatly short trimmed beards, the benefits of Rocky Mountain can be enjoyed by all.
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Prophet and Tools
Prophet and Tools is another 100% natural and organic beard balm that has one of the most impressive profiles of ingredients of all the balms on our list. It smells great, comes in a good sized 60g tub (which should last up to 6 months with once per day application) and is also pretty affordable.
If you sometimes find that balms make your beard a little too greasy then this is a great option for you as the balm is extremely light and is designed to give a completely non-greasy look. Despite it’s light feel it can still tame bigger beards and will leave you looking seriously well groomed even after a single application. It is also ideal for anyone with sensitive skin and is completely alcohol free as you would expect.
The finish you can expect to achieve with Prophet and Tools is impressive. You will gain a good shine to your beard without an overly greasy appearance. This balm is great for all beard colours and types thanks to its light texture and white appearance. Don’t worry, you will find no discolouration to your beard when using this product.
In terms of ingredients, this product has one of the best profiles we have seen with Shea Butter, Beeswax, Jojoba oil, Argan oil and Sweet Almond oil all making an appearance. This is a more oily blend than some of the other brands we tested but the use of beeswax helps balance this out and provides a good hold for your beard with at least 10-12 hours worth of hold. There is a light citrus aroma to this beard balm which is not quite as masculine as most of those we tested but is particularly pleasant for Spring and Summer months.
Prophet and Tools is well priced and offers exceptional value for money and as such makes it on to our top 7 balms list.
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Zousz Black Oud
Zousz is an English brand that is certainly at the premium end of the beard balm spectrum and as such is the most expensive of those we tested. The good news is that it is worth the investment and if you are buying it as a gift it has the added advantage of looking great too thanks to its presentation box.
There are two main options to choose from, one of which is made with beeswax and the other which isn’t and thus makes it suitable for vegans. Whichever option you choose you can be assured that it has been ethically and sustainably sourced and manufactured and that the quality of ingredients in both is impressive.
Zousz Black Oud has won awards from the likes of GQ magazine thanks to its high quality and we found that this product was suitable for all beard types. It does not provide an overly shiny look so if you are looking for something with lots of shine you might be better off choosing a different brand, but if you are looking for a balm that offers a moderate hold and soft finish then this is a top choice. It is also excellent for dealing with beardruff.
Some of the ingredients you will find in the Zousz beard balm include coconut oil, jojoba wax, avocado butter, beeswax, cocoa seed butter, argan and macadamia oils.
The fragrance of this balm is masculine and the rich, dark nut butter smells come through and are long lasting.
Overall, this is one of the best beard balms on the market and so long as you are happy to stump up for the premium price you will not be disappointed.
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King C Gillette Beard Balm
From the most expensive beard balm we now bring you the cheapest to make the cut and that is the King C Gillette. This is a good option for beard and skin nourishment but the holding power is somewhat limited.
If you are looking for a balm that can soften and hydrate your beard and skin then this is a top option – however, you should not expect it to hold your beard as that isn’t really what this balm is designed to do.
The feel of this balm is much softer than other brands but it still has an impressive list of natural ingredients which includes cocoa butter, argan oil and shea butter. The smell of this balm is divine with cedarwood tones coming through along with bergamot and geranium.
This offering from King C Gillette is a good first step in to the world of beard balms or for anyone who has a well tamed beard that is just looking for some extra nourishment for it. In terms of value for money this cannot be beaten and the standard tub is a whopping 100g.
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