Half the men who sit in our chairs with a beard own both a balm and an oil, and most of them use one of the two wrong. Usually the balm goes on cold in a lump the size of a grape, and the oil goes on top of it, and the beard looks like it was waxed for a car show. The products are fine. The order and the amount are the problem.
Here is the difference in one line. Beard oil conditions the skin under the beard and softens the hair. Beard balm shapes the beard and holds it there, with a little conditioning on the side. Oil goes on first, in a few drops, on a clean damp beard. Balm goes on second, in a pea sized amount, melted between the palms and worked through to the ends. If you want to skip one, skip the balm when the beard is short and skip the oil when your skin is already oily. A beard trim every few weeks does more for the shape than either product, but the right routine keeps the shape between visits.
Balm or oil: which one you actually need
If your beard is itchy, flaky or dry, you need oil. If your beard sticks out, splits in the middle or will not hold a shape, you need balm. If both are true, you need both, in that order.
Beard length decides most of it. Under about two weeks of growth there is nothing to shape, so balm is mostly wasted and oil is the whole routine. From two weeks to a couple of months the hair starts pushing out sideways, and a light balm after the oil keeps it down. Past a few months the beard has weight and direction of its own, and balm becomes the main product, with oil in the morning to keep the skin under it calm. Skin type adjusts the dose. Oily skin wants fewer drops of oil. Dry skin, and most of Manhattan in winter, wants a drop or two more.
What beard balm is and what it does
Beard balm is a soft solid made from a butter, a wax and a carrier oil, sometimes with a scent. The butter conditions, the wax holds, and the oil carries both into the hair. It melts at skin temperature, which is why it must be warmed before it goes on.
Its job is control. Balm coats each hair with a light film that adds weight, tames flyaways, and lets you comb the beard into a shape that stays put for the day. It also seals in whatever moisture is already in the hair, which is why it goes on after oil and not instead of it. The hold is light. A balm will keep a trimmed beard lying flat and close the gap in the middle of a mustache. It will not sculpt a long beard into a point or hold it against wind on Park Avenue. For that there are heavier waxes, and most men never need them. Aftershave balm is a different product, covered in our guide on why our shave ends with balm.
What beard oil is and what it does
Beard oil is a blend of light carrier oils, sometimes scented, with no wax and no butter. It is thin, absorbs fast and does nothing for hold. Its job is the skin.
The skin under a beard dries out because the hair wicks away its natural oil and because washing strips what is left. Dry skin flakes, itches and makes the beard feel like wire. A few drops of oil massaged down to the skin replaces what the hair took, softens the hair from the root, and keeps the beard from feeling like a scrub brush at the end of the day. It also makes the beard easier to comb, which reduces the breakage that makes a beard look thinner than it is. Whether it does anything for growth is a separate question, and we answer it straight in does beard oil help growth.
How to use beard balm, step by step
Balm goes on a clean, mostly dry beard, after oil, in a small amount, melted first. Every one of those conditions matters.
- Start clean. Wash the beard with a beard wash or a gentle cleanser and towel it to damp, not wet. Product on a dirty beard traps the dirt.
- Apply oil first if you are using it. Three to six drops depending on length, rubbed into the palms and massaged down to the skin.
- Scrape out a pea sized amount of balm with the back of a thumbnail. A short beard needs less. A long beard might need a chickpea.
- Melt it. Rub the palms together for ten seconds until the balm is clear and feels like oil. Cold balm clumps and sits on top of the hair in white streaks.
- Work it through from the back of the beard forward, palms first, then fingers, pulling down from the cheeks to the ends. Hit the mustache last with whatever is left on the fingertips.
- Comb it into shape. A wide tooth comb or a beard brush spreads the balm evenly and sets the direction. This is where the hold happens.
- Check the mirror from the side. If the beard looks wet or shiny, you used too much. Blot with a towel and use half next time.
The whole thing takes two minutes in the morning. Done right the beard looks like it is not wearing anything and stays put until you take your jacket off at night.
How to use beard oil, step by step
Oil goes on a damp beard, in drops, massaged down to the skin before it goes on the hair. The skin is the target, the hair is the bonus.
- Wash or rinse the beard and pat it to damp. Damp hair takes oil evenly; dry hair takes it in patches.
- Count the drops. Stubble to two weeks, two or three drops. Short beard, three or four. Medium, four to six. Long, six to eight. Start low. Adding is easy, removing is a wash.
- Rub the palms together so the oil spreads thin across both hands and the fingertips.
- Massage down to the skin with the fingertips, against the grain first so the oil reaches the roots, then with the grain to smooth it.
- Finish through the ends with the palms and comb once.
Oil works best in the morning after a shower and, for long or dry beards, again at night before bed when the skin can soak it up without a day of city air on top of it.
The right order, and when to use both
Oil first, balm second, always. Oil has to reach the skin, and a layer of wax on the hair blocks it. Balm then seals the oil in and gives the shape.
Whether you use both on a given day depends on length, weather and what the day asks of the beard. This is the rough grid we give clients who ask.
| Beard length | Oil | Balm | Order and timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stubble to 2 weeks | 2 to 3 drops daily | Skip | Oil after the morning shower |
| 2 weeks to 2 months | 3 to 4 drops daily | Pea sized, as needed for shape | Oil first, balm second, mornings |
| 2 to 6 months | 4 to 6 drops daily | Pea sized daily | Oil, then balm, then comb |
| 6 months and longer | 6 to 8 drops, morning and night | Pea to chickpea sized daily | Oil at night, oil and balm in the morning |
| Any length, oily skin | 1 to 2 drops or skip | As above | Balm alone on humid days |
In winter the dose of oil goes up a drop. In August in Midtown the balm can go on a little lighter because heat softens it through the day. If you have a beard trim coming up, show up with a clean beard and no product, since the barber needs to see where the hair really lies before shaping it.
Mistakes that make a beard greasy or stiff
Almost every complaint about beard products comes down to too much, applied cold, in the wrong order, to a dirty beard. Fix those and the products start behaving.
- Too much balm. A grape sized lump turns the beard waxy and white at the roots. Start with a pea and use half if the beard is short.
- Not melting the balm. Cold balm streaks and clumps. Rub it until the palms feel oily and nothing solid is left.
- Balm before oil, or balm instead of oil. The skin dries out under the wax and the itch comes back within days.
- Expecting a strong hold. Balm is a light hold. If the beard is long and needs to stay put in a wind, that is a wax product, not a balm.
- Product on a dirty beard. It locks in sweat and city grime, and the beard starts to smell by afternoon.
- Oil only on the ends. The skin is what needs the oil. Massage it in first, then worry about the ends.
- Skipping the comb. The comb distributes both products and sets the shape. Without it, product sits where your fingers left it.
If a beard has been over loaded for weeks, wash it twice with a clarifying cleanser, let it dry fully, and start over with half the amounts.
Products keep the shape; the barber sets it
No balm will give a beard a shape it does not have. Balm holds what a trim created, and oil keeps the skin healthy enough that the beard grows in evenly. The shape itself comes from the chair.
A beard trim and grooming at Deja Vu is $18. The barber sets the length to your face, cleans the cheek line and the neckline with a straight razor, blends the beard into the sideburns, and finishes with a hot towel. A line up and edge up is $18 if the lines are the only thing that needs attention.
The Sharp Edge package pairs a line up with the beard for $30, and the Classic Combo pairs a fade with the beard for $48. Most men with a short to medium beard come in every two to four weeks and use balm and oil to carry the shape in between. If you want to know how to pick the shape in the first place, our guide on how to shape a beard to your face shape walks through it by face.
Get your beard shaped at Deja Vu Barbershop
Bring the beard in clean and let a licensed barber give the balm something worth holding. Deja Vu Barbershop is at 101 E 34th St between Park and Lexington in Murray Hill, two minutes from the 6 train at 33rd Street and about eight minutes from Grand Central. Hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm, closed Saturday.
Walk ins are always welcome, or book online for a set time. Call (212) 576-1062 with questions. A beard trim is $18.
Questions readers ask
Should beard balm go on the skin or just the hair?
Mostly the hair. Work it through the beard and comb it into shape. The oil underneath is what the skin needs, and a thick layer of balm on the skin can clog pores on some men.
Can I use beard balm every day?
Yes, in a pea sized amount on a clean beard. Daily use is normal for medium and long beards. Wash the beard a few times a week so product does not build up.
Does beard balm work without beard oil?
It holds the shape on its own, but the skin under the beard will dry out over time without oil. Men with oily skin can sometimes get away with balm alone on humid days.
Why does my beard feel greasy after balm?
Too much product, or balm that was not melted before it went on. Use half as much, rub it until the palms feel like oil, and comb it through so it spreads instead of sitting in clumps.