Wondering where to buy beard balms? I mean there are an abundant amount of brands out there selling these ready-made products, one can sure get confused on which one to pick. This article is not about “Mine is better than yours!”, this is to mainly on how you should pick your product.
To answer this question, you must first understand why one must apply beard balm or what does it do. I have written a few similar articles in the past, today I am going to go in to bit more detail on the ingredients.

Unlike beard oils or conditioners, the beard balm is something mainly used for styling. To take control of your beard so you can tame it or style it the way you want. That is what expected.

Before I started making my own products I bought products online like anybody else, mostly these were commercial products from different eCommerce websites. My first experience wasn’t that great. Most of them would just melt, don’t give a hold that I wanted for my beard or just don’t smell right. Some of them were chalky and the texture isn’t the same as I expected. This is where my research into the styling product began. It took me over a year to find the ingredients I needed to make the balms the way I wanted. And few more years to fine-tune my recipe. Made different types of alterations to and tested within my friends’ group. I’m sure everyone who’s been following Kavemen through social media or know me personally have tried and tested these samples I made in the past.

Throughout the research, I found out that beard balm itself is not only used as a styling product but also works as a leave-in conditioner. But the benefits don’t stop there. To understand how these natural ingredients help, we need to dissect the recipe.

Let me give you a breakdown on each ingredient and where and how these things help.

Beeswax: This has been used for centuries in old school medicine. Coming from Sri Lanka, you must have seen these in ayurvedic medicinal ointments. The anti-inflammatory properties of beeswax encourage the healing of wounds, scratches and cuts. It is also protective, helping form a barrier between the skin and the environment without clogging pores. Also keep in mind that beeswax has a higher amount of vitamin A, which has been found to support cell reconstruction and health.
One of the biggest benefits is moisture. The vitamin A content in beeswax helps to moisturise hair/beard, while its overall formula locks in that moisture. This is why I prefer using beeswax, oppose to petroleum jelly which is not a natural substance (more about that another time).
Locking in moisture means your skin won’t get dry throughout the day which means this can help fight the beard itch and dryness that you often get.
People who find their hair difficult to manage also use beeswax to smooth flyaway strands, keep styles intact, and straighten their hair. It’s particularly useful for natural hair as well as twisted and braided styles.

Shea butter: Due to its high concentrations of fatty acids and vitamins make shea butter an ideal cosmetic ingredient for softening skin. The moisturising and anti-oxidant property work together to help your skin generate healthy new cells. It can restore the barrier between the skin and the outside environment, holding moisture in and reducing your skin from dryness. It can help to fight infections caused by fungi. Shea butter is also the reason why the balm melts in your hands. Giving the beard balm it’s spreading texture. Balms without shea butter or similar types of butter would be grainy/chalky.

King coconut oil: Golden King Coconut oil is included in a unique mixture of natural fats, which makes it useful in healing both skin and hair. King coconut oil is a transparent oil with a comforting smell. Golden King Coconut oil is very useful in treating the skin from acne-prone skin, improve the skin barrier function and repair. It can work wonders on dry itchy skin and protect the skin from harmful bacteria. It also contains antioxidants that prevent ageing so keep the skin bright and alive. Golden King Coconut oil can easily enter the strands and even prevent protein loss. It can help lower the levels of yeast on the skin that turn infection flaking, and itching associated with dandruff. And also an excellent remedy for hair loss and thinning.

Argan oil: Moroccan Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the roots of the argan tree. This oil is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which is required for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It is also used for varieties of cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Moroccan Argan oil can be applied directly to your skin to reduce the plague caused by injuries or infections. It can luxuriously hydrate and infuse with moisture and maintain healthy skin. It is very effective in treating acne. If you struggle with dry skin or general irritation, argan oil may provide a solution. Moroccan Argan oil can leave your hair beautiful, shiny, and nourished with each use. It can consistently restore shine to dull lifeless hair. You can apply argan oil directly to damp or dry hair to improve moisture, reduce breakage, or reduce fizz.

Jojoba extract (aka jojoba oil): Golden Jojoba oil, also commonly known as Jojoba Oil is not really an oil but rather a liquid wax ester. In the early 18th century, Native Americans used to ground Jojoba seeds into a salve to apply on skin and hair as a conditioner and a natural skin remedy. This is also one of the closest extracts we have that is similar to Sebum (a waxy substance our skin produces to keep it from getting dry – more about that here). When you apply jojoba oil on your beard or scalp, your skin is soothed and moisturised. Once applied it sends a signal to your hair and sweat follicles that your skin doesn’t need any additional sebum for hydration hence regulating the sebum production. In result, your beard, hair and skin look shiny and helps prevent acne caused by clogged pores.

One of the best things I found about this amazing oil is that it helps with dry skin and itchiness. Thanks to it’s anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Topical application may help relieve dryness, flaking, itching, and related symptoms. People who have inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema may find jojoba oil especially beneficial.

King coconut oil: King coconut oil is very useful in treating the skin from acne-prone skin, improve the skin barrier function and repair. King coconut oil can work wonders on dry itchy skin and protect the skin from harmful bacteria. This oil contains antioxidants that prevent ageing so keep the skin bright and alive. This has been used in Sri Lankan ayurvedic medicine for treating hair and skin conditions of ages.

Essential oils: I have been collecting essential oils since I started this hobby. The Egyptians cultivated plants for their oils and used them extensively in their religion, in cosmetics as well as for medicinal purposes. Historians believe it was the true birthplace of essential oils, or ‘aromatherapy’ as we know it today. These aromatic extracts and resins were used in their daily routines and even embalming processes. Most of the essential oils have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, soothing properties and some even aphrodisiac properties. It takes quite a lot of plant base to extract a small quantity of the oils. With great benefits comes a greater price tag as well. There are a few essential oils which are not so expensive you can find the market place, which is still great. But, the ones which are considered rare and exotic and can be very expensive.

Fragrance oils: While essential oils are made with 100% natural extracts, fragrance oils or flavour oils are made with a mixture of natural and synthetic extract. There are two types of fragrance oils out there in the market. Natural and synthetic. While natural fragrance oils are mostly a diluted version or a byproduct of essential oil or a blend of essential oils that’s been diluted. Synthetic fragrance oils are artificially made from chemical compounds that you don’t find in nature. I personally have experimented with few fragrance oils, but never used in any of my commercial products. This is because there’s no way to trace the source, or how it’s made. Most commonly these oils are used because they have a variety of scents (mango, bubblegum, banana etc…) and because they are cheaper to buy compared to essential oils. Many of the cheaper products you find the market is made with one or few of these ingredients to reduce cost and so that the smell lasts longer. Next time double-check the ingredients lists before you made a purchase.

So there you have it, folks! Every ingredient you find in these products is carefully picked to help your skin, hair and soul one way or another. So next time you go out there in Sri Lanka or anywhere around the world looking for something natural you know what to look for.

Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment if you have any questions. As always, stay safe and stay awesome!