If you’ve done any shopping around beard balms recently, you already know that at $15-$25 per tin, it can quickly become very costly to tame that wild beard and maintain it healthy. We know you’ll stop at nothing to keep your facial hair neat, tidy and sexy for years to come.
That includes purchasing the best beard care products, like balm. But why would you spend a fortune when you can make equally good, if not better, beard balm at home for just a few pennies?
Beside being better, more effective and more budget-friendly, your homemade balm is more natural (you know what you put in it), doesn’t take long to make and you can make it large quantities.
Let’s learn how to make it, step-by-step!
Table Of Contents
What Is Beard Balm
Before we go any further with making a beard balm, let’s establish what is beard balm all about.
A beard balm is a buttery product that you use to moisturize and tame your beard while giving it slight hold, which makes it easier to style your facial hair.
Up to three months since you’ve started growing your beard, there is no need to apply facial hair balm because in that time your facial hair is not too long, and it doesn’t require any styling.
Of course, this does not imply that you shouldn’t do anything for your beard in the first three months.
On the contrary, if you are serious about beard growing, you will start taking care of it since the first day.
Beard oil is more than enough in that period to help you deal with beard itch or dryness that come in the first months of beard growth.
While at it, you will often hear that a beard balm is an alternative to beard oil. However, you don’t have to choose between beard oil and balm.
In fact, a beard balm can be a great addition to your beard oil.
By combining a beard oil and balm, your beard will be soft while maintaining its shape perfectly.
On the other hand, most men think that balms are the same as beard waxes. Although similar, a balm and a wax have their differences.
The main difference is that a balm for facial hair contains less beeswax than beard wax.
Another common confusion people have is that a beard wax and mustache wax are the same. Well they are not.
Ingredients can be similar sometimes, but mustache wax needs a stronger hold.
That being said, mustache wax is made with a more significant percentage of beeswax in it.
Benefits of Making Beard Balm at Home
You mean besides feeling proud that you made your own beard balm precisely the way you wanted it? Of course, there are more benefits.
You will get more of the product for less money.
For example, if you make one batch of a beard balm, it will last for two years even when used daily.
Also, you will know exactly the ingredients and what are you putting on your beard.
If not satisfied with the beard balm mix you can also experiment by adding different essential oils whenever pleases you.
Now that’s something you don’t get a chance to do when buying this product.
How to Apply Beard Balm
There isn’t a specific time when you should apply a beard balm on your facial hair.
However, the results are the best if you do it right after showering and towel drying your beard.
A dime size amount of the beard balm is enough.
Rub a beard balm between your hands and then distribute it evenly through your beard.
While doing that, make sure to smooth any stray hairs and shape your beard in any way you want to.
If by any chance you scoop out more beard balm than needed you can simply wipe it off with a towel.
If you apply a beard balm at night keep the extra and let the product soak into your beard because it will condition your beard even more.
Ingredients for the Beard Balm
Before you try any beard balm recipe, it is important that you first gather some important ingredients.
The four essential ingredients are going to be beeswax, Shea butter, carrier oils and essential oils.
1. The Beeswax
The essential ingredient in any beard balm recipe is beeswax. This wax is what is going to give your beard balm the hold it needs, and it will supply the hair with essential nutrients like vitamin A. With very little friction it melts and then solidifies quickly.
When you are learning how to make facial hair balm for personal use, the best type of beeswax to buy is in 1-ounce bars.
Vegans shouldn’t worry because they can use vegan plant wax instead of beeswax, and the results are almost the same.
The percentage of beeswax in a beard balm recipe can vary, depending on how strong hold you want.
It’s essential not to exaggerate with beeswax. Otherwise, your beard will get really stiff, like permanent glue.
Keep in mind that, although the main ingredient, beeswax is considered to be a secondary ingredient in your a beard balm recipe.
Butters and carrier oils are more important in both beard balm and beard oil.
There are two forms of beeswax – the bars and pellets. The reason why you are making the beard balm will determine which one you should choose. For selling purposes it’s better to go with pellets because you will get more product that way.
If you are making it for the first time or you are aiming to make only one to two tins, the bars are a better choice.
You can use a sharp knife to cut through the beeswax and use as much as you need for the beard balm recipe.
2. The Butters
To create your own beard balm recipe, you will need both cocoa and shea butter.
Each has their own unique qualities and they definitely smell different.
They are also the main ingredients of beard butter. The cocoa butter smells pleasant and has essential antioxidants and vitamins.
The shea butter has anti-inflammatory qualities, reducing both rashes and itchiness.
Shea butter gives a beard balm its spreading texture, allowing the balm to melt in your hands. Make sure to purchase one pound of each.
Although the most common, shea and cocoa butter are not the only one. Many men tend to use mango butter as well.
Mango butter is similar to cocoa butter, but a little firmer, and it is an excellent addition to your product if you want it to be less waxy.
So, when inserting a mango butter in your mix, you are going to need less beeswax.
This butter is great skin moisturizer as well. It contains anti-wrinkle agents and protects against the harmful UV rays.
If your goal when making a facial hair balm is to eliminate beardruff or heal the skin, mango butter is the best choice.
No matter which butter you decide to use, make sure that the amount you use is similar to the amount of beeswax.
This means that you should use butter to maintain the balance in your beard balm recipe.
For example, if you use 1 cup of beeswax, the amount of Shea butter you put will determine whether you will get a beard balm or a wax.
3. The Carrier Oils
To give the beard balm texture, you will need to add carrier oils, such as a jojoba oil which also goes in beard oil recipe.
Depending on personal preference, the oils you can use range from argan, jojoba oil, grapeseed, kukui nut, coconut and avocado.
Purchase the smallest container until you find oils that you find most enjoyable.
Besides personal preferences, you should pick a carrier oils that your beard and skin can benefit from.
For example, jojoba oil is of great help if your skin and facial hair are oily.
Jojoba oil moisturizes and nourishes your facial hair while supporting your skin’s ability to produce its natural beard oils.
Carrier oils can be found in local supermarkets, online retailers and aromatherapy shops.
Make sure to check the expiration date, the color of the bottle, and the temperature in the room where the carrier oils are located.
Amber color bottles are better because they block UV rays. When it comes to the temperature, the room shouldn’t be warmer than a regular room. You can’t use essential oils without the carrier oils because they have high acidity and can harm your skin.
Carrier oils prevent that from happening. You are free to experiment with different kinds of carrier oils and find the mix you will like the most. Carrier oils should take about 30% of your product.
4. The Essential Oils
In order to give your beard balm a pleasant scent, you will need to add some essential oil.
Essential oil is used very sparingly, as you do not want to overwhelm those around you with a strong odor.
For a masculine smell, consider sandalwood, cedar or pine oils. Tree oils are helpful in reducing flakes and dandruff, and vanilla, benzoin, and peru all have warm and soothing smells.
It is already said that essential oils have a strong smell, which means that you should use only a few drops of each essential oil.
Also, avoid mixing different kinds of essential oils.
This way you can contaminate the scent of your essential oil and the result will be an entirely different smell than you wanted it to be.
It’s better to use a separate glass container to mix the essential oils and see how will the smell of your beard balm turn out to be.
If you like it then you can add essential oils.
Choose your starter pack:
– 64 Essential Oil Pack.
– 32 Essential Oil Pack.
– 14 Essential Oil Pack.
– 6 Essential Oil Pack
– The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
Additional Items Needed for the Beard Balm
While you are out shopping for the ingredients now is the time to purchase a few accessories.
Be sure to have on hand a small funnel, pipettes, an eyedropper and a kitchen scale for measuring the cocoa and shea butter accurately.
Also, get a cooking vat for mixing the ingredients because they are extremely tough to clean.
Use this vat only for mixing your beard balm recipe.
One last thing to have on hand are containers for storing your product. Until you find the perfect mixture, consider buying a few round tins for storing the beard balm. They range from a quarter ounce to eight-ounce containers.
When it comes to containers, choose wisely and go for the aluminum ones.
Glass and plastic are not the right materials to store the hot beard balm in them. Hot product can melt the plastic and shatter the glass.
Because you have to be careful on the right dosage of carrier oil such as jojoba oil and essential oils, you will find the eyedropper to be quite useful. Without the eye-dropper you can, for example, add a few extra drops of tea tree oil and completely ruin your beard balm recipe.
Finally, consider using a metal spoon to mix all of the ingredients.
How to Make a Beard Balm
The amounts and oils in this example are for creating a nice smelling and soothing beard balm, but you feel free to experiment with other oils.
Step 1 – Heating the Mixture
Place 2 ounces of shea butter, 1 ounce of beeswax and 3 ounces of coconut carrier oil into the vat and place over a very low heat.
Since you are only experimenting with small portions, a candle warmer might be safer than the low setting on your range.
Step 2 – Mixing the Beard Balm
Watch closely as the ingredients begin to melt and blend together. Stir occasionally and do not let them come to a boil.
If it reaches a boil, burn the mixture and eliminate all those therapeutic ingredients.
Once the solution has become a liquid remove from the heat.
Step 3 – Adding Essential Oils
This is when you have to work a little fast. The key here is adding the essential oils before the beard balm is allowed to solidify.
Place a few drops of the rosemary and lavender oil in the beard balm, stir well.
Step 4 – Pour Into the Tin
Once the oil has been added, immediately pour the beard balm into the storage tin and cover.
Step 5 – Cooling the Beard Balm
Allow the beard balm to sit in the tin overnight to properly cool. The next morning your product will be ready to apply to your face.
How to Make Beard Balm with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is often the favorite oil among men. Therefore, as an extra added bonus to the beard balm recipe here is also a quick one for coconut oil lovers. Keep in mind that beeswax and Shea butter are used in a similar way as before, which is 65-70% of the mix.
For additional items you are going to need a heatproof bowl and a small container with a leak-proof lid to store your item later.
Step 1 – Measuring Coconut Oil
Add two tablespoons of coconut oil into a dish and melt it.
Step 2 – Adding Essential Oils
You already know that essential oils have a stronger smell than carrier oils. Well, coconut oil is proof of that.
This means that you should be careful when adding essential oils into your beard balm recipe mix.
Use those that are strong enough to mask the coconut oil smell or those that work well with it.
For example, a mix of bergamot, frankincense and tea tree oil will result in a spicy, slightly sweet scent.
Step 3 – Cooling Your Beard Balm
After you pour the product into the tins, let it solidify at average room temperature.
Experiment with different oils to get the fragrance and the texture you desire.
Some oils will reduce itchiness, some will make the skin moist. In no time at all, you will be an expert in making your own beard balm recipe at home.
FAQ
Why does my beard balm make my beard so stiff when I did everything right?
You probably didn’t do everything right. It is likely that you added more beeswax than needed.
When you are making a beard balm recipe the next time cut down the amount of beeswax and see what happens.
Will beard balm make my beard softer?
Maybe you think that because of its holding powers, a beard balm won’t make your beard softer.
The reality is that a beard balm does both, it holds your beard in shape while making it soft along the way.
Which essential oils to use?
With hundreds of essential oils out there it can be tricky to choose the right one for you.
It’s best to experiment with different beard oils to find the one that you will like the most.
Just apply these simple rules – no more than a few drops of each essential oils and don’t mix too many of them.
If for any reason you don’t want to make a beard balm by yourself, here is an excellent natural beard balm by us:
You made your beard balms or have questions about it? Just write it in the comments below.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.
I honestly believe everyone should at least try to make their own beard balm.
Started making my own 2 years ago and I just love the processes of doing it. And of course the biggest benefit is you can make them smell and feel just as you like it the most.
Hey hey,
I wonder what about the cocoa butter. Is not mentioned in any of the steps :/
Maybe I’m missing something …?
tnx!
I
Hey,
It only depends if you prefer to add it or not. There are plenty of recipes with and without cocoa butter.
It doesn’t hurt to add a little lanolin in the “butters” portion. Lanolin is awesome for hair and skin, but you will want to add a little more essential oil as it has a strong aroma. I use a mix of Shea, Cocoa & Lanolin. For the oil portion I use babassu (It’s like coconut oil without the smell or allergy problems). Actually I use of mix of oils but that may be giving away too much of my not so secret recipe.
Is there a site where I can buy tins like the ones mentioned above? I prefer to do a lot of my accessories shopping online, or which stores could I buy them at? Thanks in advance!
Hey Andrew,
If you are talking about empty tins most people buy it via Alibaba website.
Double boiler works well for melting the mix.
Pot of water, bring to a boil and then use a metal bowl on top of that for the ingredients.
Less likely to burn the mix this way.
Great advice Leoroy – Worked a treat!
I was wondering, what size tin did you use?
2oz. / 56.6g tin is the most commonly used. I also went for that size.
Stupid Question time – what size tin is people using for this recipe above?
Hey Ben, 2oz. / 56.6g tin is the most commonly used.
Funny that I looked at this recipe and found it is very similar to what I already make to treat my sons eczema, minus the beeswax. Most over the counter stuff contains alcohol and other chemicals which burns his skin. Looking forward to getting some wax and trying this out.
Does this balm offer any hold or is it more of a softener?
It does both.
Essential oil… just how many drops of them?… just wondering…
I second Bryan’s question… don’t want to waste any batches.
Few drops (2-3) of each essential oil. Don’t mix in too much types of essential oils because you will lose the scent of your essential oil.
My parents and I have a few bee hives so I have my own beeswax. A friend asked if I’d make him beard wax and this recipe and these tips are great. I’m looking forward to trying them out! I have a batch of wax that I am refining right now (it takes a few days).
All the shampoos and conditioners I have tried to date make my beard even drier and more wiry – and stinky from god knows what chemicals and weird fragrances.
These days I don’t ‘wash’ my beard with any ‘cleaning’ preparation. Instead, I just rinse it with tepid water in the shower – and the beard still comes out dry and wiry.
Using the palms of my hands to apply balms, oils, etc – as is recommended – to my long beard, it is impossible to get an evenly distribution or to avoid accidentally pulling out beard hairs (not good).
So far, the only practical way I have found to soften my long beard is to spray an emulsion of oil (for example grape seed oil) in water on to it. However, oil marks on my shirts render that idea impractical too.
Another myth all over the internet is that ‘cheap’ plastic combs snag beard hairs (allegedly due to molding imperfections). Well in fact just about any comb will snag beard hairs (and head hairs too) if it is used at the wrong angle. Even cheap combs are just fine if you comb through the beard with the spine of the comb leading the way with the tips of the comb’s teeth trailing behind at a gentle angle. Press the roots of the section you’re combing against your face/chin/neck, using your free hand.
Paul, I use Dr bronners to wash my beard every day and then the general recipe for the beard balm here and I’ve had great luck with a super soft beard for the last year. I put the size of balm in my hand size of a grape, and warm it in my hands until liquid, then massage through my beard. Once I’m done I use a comb to finish the job, by combing out my beard. It works really well. Good luck.
Hello bearded brothers, I make my own oils and balms. Does anyone have a recipe for beard butter. Can u pass it along thanks.
Looking for a lavender recipe to make my first beard balm, and found this!
I have all the ingredients, and will commence shortly.
Thanks so much!!
I wash my beard with baby shampoo, and I only use shampoo once or maybe twice a week. Baby shampoo isn’t as harsh as regular shampoo (or so they say on other beard care forums). I have had pretty good luck with it. Beard oil in the morning, and beard balm midway through the day. My routine has worked for me, but I encourage people to play around with it, what works for some…
Thanks for the recipe, I’m looking forward to trying it out!!
I use a double-boiler technique with a pot of water and a glass Mason jar. This prevents any chance of burning the balm.
Fill the pot with water up to about half way. Put the solid ingredients in the jar and put the jar (lid off) in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and wait for the solids to melt. (Make sure the water is low enough that it’s not getting in the open jar.)
Pull the jar out, add the essential oils, put the lid on and shake it to mix. Pour the liquid into the tins, and save the remaining balm in the jar.
This is nice, too, because when your tin is empty, you can just double-boil the jar again (the balm in the jar will obviously be solid), then pour into the tins for a quick refill.
I’m glad I came across this recipe for making your own. Living with kids with tree nut allergies makes it difficult to use pre-made beard butters/balms. They all use almond butter which is a big problem in my household. Unless anyone knows of any companies that are sensitive to this subject I’d be happy to check them out. Maestro’s brand doesn’t use almond in their recipe but I feel it isn’t the right product for my beard.
How much of the cocoa butter do you use, as that was missing from the directions. Thanks.
Just a tip: I found coconut oil to be of the devil. Try using oils that have a faster absorption rate so your beard doesn’t feel like you used motor oil in it.
Where is the cocoa butter in the directions? How much do we use? I bought it so I wanna use it!
It depends on your preferences if you’ll add it or not. There are a lot of recipes with and without it. But since you bought it, you can go with 2 oz of cocoa butter.
You can go with 2 oz of cocoa butter.
What a wonderful idea! I wish I’d come across this before Christmas! My oldest son has a very full beard, has had one since he was about 17, an his gf is a beard lover. so Im going to practice making different scent balms for him. I’ll let you know how it goes! Something he will never expect coming!
I wonder if a clove type oil added with the other ingredients would come off too strong? Has anyone tried it? Just looking for something different… Or a French vanilla,or something close to a musk ?
checked around – Cedarwood if your looking for a musk scent…also here are some different substitutes from others that have made it without fail.
1.5 ounces of Beeswax –
Beeswax is going to give you control over your unruly beard and give it some style.
1.5 ounces of Mango Butter –
Great for softening the hairs and moisturizing the skin (can substitute shea butter same ammt)
5 teaspoons of Sweet Almond Oil –
It is said that sweet almond oil can help with beard growth as well as condition
STEPS
Melt your Beeswax in a double boiler or similar
Add your Mango Butter into the beeswax and allow that to melt completely
Add your Sweet Almond Oil
Mix gently
Remove from heat
Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes
Put into your container and let it cool completely before use.
Feel free to add 8 – 10 drops of essential oils in too. NOTE- Frankincense is good because it is great for the skin.
Cedarwood if you’re looking for that musk scent
I hope that helps! I for one can’t wait to try everything I’ve learned.
Hi guys just out of interest for the listed ingredients how many tins will this make just trying to scale it up if needed for friemds
Darren, this is for one 2oz. / 56.6g tin.
Hi guys im hoping you can help me im considering making my own beard balms and oils for trade fairs and im trying to work out the math but I cant get my head round it been a long day in the office
I was wondering if someone could give me the total weights needed for 100 Beard balms in 1oz and 2oz tins I tried to do it on amazon just now but i ended up messing up im sure.
I just need the amounts for Wax/Shea Butter and Coca Butter
Very Nice, thanks!
My balm has a very strong smell of cocoa butter, how would you best mask this scent?
Hi guys. i read the article and i took some notes, but i realised that as per the instructions we should use 4ounces of carrier oils. but this is 57% instead of 30% as per the articles instructions. what did i miss?
Hi Jim,
Thank you for pointing this out, it was a typo. You should use 3 ounces of carrier oils.
I just finished my first batch. Shea butter, coconut oil, beeswax, cedarwood, bergamot. I’m weary of the coconut smell. It’s very prominent and I wonder what good it does to add oils if it can’t be overcome. But such an easy process. I used 2-4oz Ball glass Mason jars. The same ones for canning. This is tempered glass and can with stand boiling temps. Though I’m also weary of handling glass in the bathroom.
A note on the Shea and Cocoa butters. If you use unrefined you’ll be fighting to mask the natural smell. Not so bad if you’re making a chocolate scented butter/balm, but a real PITA if you’re going for woody or more subtle scents. Mango is on par (almost) with Shea but has zero smell. Already making beard oil and butter,waiting on beeswax for balm. Working out alot cheaper than buying them from named brands and having fun working on scents not commonly found in most mainstream products.