Picture this: you’ve recently started growing your beard and want to give it the best care possible. You have a couple of hair waxes lying around, and you’re wondering if you could use them on your beard. Sound familiar?
Well, a lot of men have wondered the same. Beard wax and hair wax—what’s the difference? Aren’t they all wax? True, but there’s still a huge difference!
Beard wax is specially formulated for styling facial hair. It contains nutrient-rich essential oils and moisturizing agents that condition, hydrate, and nourish beards. Conversely, hair wax is meant for styling scalp hair; therefore, it contains chemical ingredients that are fit for head hair only.
There is a lot more to beard wax than the styling of beards. This post will not only show you the difference between hair wax and beard wax, but you will also learn more about the superb benefits of using beard wax, and why you should not use hair wax for your beard hair.
But here’s a spoiler: the chemicals in hair wax can prevent oxygen from getting to your scalp. When your hair can’t “breathe” (due to excessive hold in hair wax), it becomes susceptible to damage. If this is the case with your scalp hair, imagine what this product will do to your beard hair and the delicate skin underneath.
What is Beard Wax?
Beard wax is a beard care product for taming and styling facial hair. If you’ve used beard balm before, you probably have used something similar to a beard wax. Think of it as the waxier version of the beard balm; beard wax contains essentially the same ingredients as beard balm, except that it contains more waxes—usually beeswax—and offers a better hold. If what you want is a well-kept beard, then beard wax will be your go-to product.
Men with long beards often find it challenging to keep their beard hairs from becoming unkempt, even when they use beard care products such as oils and balms. Fortunately, quality beard wax products, such as the Seven Potions Beard Wax, work well for men with long beards.
Although beard balms and oils are great for shorter beards, there is nothing stopping beard enthusiasts from using a combination of these great beard products.
In addition, if you want to save yourself the stress of searching for different beard products, you can simply opt for a beard care kit like this brilliant one put together by Glemme. More on beard wax, this kit comes complete with a comb, a titanium micro-needle (for stimulating dormant follicles), and beard growth oil serum particularly formulated for men with patchy beards.
Typically, good quality beard wax contains beeswax, shea nut butter or coconut oil, and scented oils. The beeswax is the dominant ingredient in the mix to provide long-lasting hold.
Benefits of Beard Wax
But, if mere styling of the beard is all there is to beard wax, you may as well use hair wax! After all, wax is wax, and if the consistency of hair wax is too thick for your beard, you can always melt it before use, right?
Wrong! The several benefits of beard wax are what makes the product so different from hair wax.
So, what exactly are some of the benefits of beard wax? I don’t plan to bore you with all the science behind the ingredients in and composition of beard wax. Let’s just keep it simple, so I’ll be mentioning the more apparent benefits in the next four sections.
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Beard Wax Offers Protection Against Elements
The worst thing any bearded man would want to experience is to have their beard ruined after carefully and painstakingly groomed it. However, it is ridiculous to stay indoors all day just to protect your beard from getting messed up. Even if you work from home or don’t work at all, you need to go out, or else how will people see and admire your beard?
Anyway—beard wax coats your beard nicely to save you the headache of worrying about elements that can mess with your beard, such as wind, dust, rain, and heat.
One of the best beard waxes that can provide this much-needed protection is this product fondly described as “The Ladies Man.” It is formulated with ingredients that shield your beard against harmful agents. And, as an added bonus, it gives your beard hair a denser and fuller appearance.
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Beard Wax Tames Unruly Beard Hairs
Beard waxes are created to manage and tame dry beards and flyaway hairs by providing long-lasting holds. Beard wax such as the Honest Amish Original Beard Wax, a world-renowned beard care product manufacturer, is perfect for taming unruly beard hairs. Besides, it is made from all-natural ingredients that can condition and soften your beard.
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The Product Nourishes and Moisturizes Beard Hair
Beard wax contains carrier oils and essential oils that are formulated to nourish and moisturize beard and facial skin. Growing a beard is a tasking job for your skin, as it has to produce extra oil to keep your beard hairs from drying out. This is usually “mission impossible” for your skin. Fortunately, the ingredients in beard wax can ease that task, help your skin retain its moisture, and keep your beard hair healthy.
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Beard Wax Prevents Your Beard from Getting Messy
As a styling agent, beard wax doesn’t just make your beard look good; it also holds it in place throughout the day, so that your beard hairs don’t get into your mouth while you’re talking or eating. No one enjoys seeing pieces of food on beards! The best way to prevent this is by using beard wax.
What is Hair Wax?
Okay, let’s shift our focus a bit to hair wax.
Hair wax is a scalp hair styling product that contains wax with a thicker consistency than beard wax. It works similarly to hair gel but does not have alcohol and is less likely to dry out like hair gel. The product has gained rapid popularity, not only among women, but equally so among men with long hair or those who wish to style their hair.
Typically, hair wax contains ingredients such as emulsifying wax, beeswax, castor wax, lanolin, and carnauba wax. Although the product is generally safe on scalp hair, excessive use can cause hair loss. This means you would run the risk of damaging your hair if you wax it daily.
There is also the risk of creating a seal around your scalp and hair, thus trapping the skin oil on your head. Besides, you may need to change your pillowcase if you sleep with wax on.
Please don’t get me wrong, however—hair wax is still a great product for scalp hair and can help you style your hair perfectly if you use it as it is intended. But that doesn’t mean it is the best product for your beard.
Can I Use Hair Wax for My Beard?
No. Not all waxes are created equally. Apparently, hair wax contains ingredients that target the hairs on your head. That means they are formulated with harsher chemicals because of the type of skin and hairs found on the head.
Hair wax has a stronger hold and will keep hairs in one place, which is not the effect you want on your beard. You want something that will style your beard hair but also make it pliable so it can move naturally while having enough shine and smoothness. Because beard wax has a light consistency, it gives beard hair the flexibility and softness every bearded man desires.
Although it can be quite tempting to use hair wax on your beard—especially if you have the product lying around—it won’t accomplish the result you hoped for, and neither will it feel remotely right on your beard. You will likely end up with a beard full of grease, excessive shine, and too much hold.
And while we’re still on the subject of hair products for beards, I’ll like you to check out this post to learn if you can use hair gel on your mustache.
How to Apply Beard Wax
So, you’ve seen the difference between beard and hair wax; next is the correct way to use beard wax. Whatever you do, I strongly suggest that you resist the temptation to just smear wax on your beard without following the proper procedure. Here’s how to apply beard wax:
1. Clean Your Beard
First, rinse your beard with warm water. Although it may not seem obvious, your beard collects a lot of dirt from dust as you go about your daily activities. Applying wax to a dirty beard is essentially trapping dirt in your beard and blocking your pores from taking in the moisturizing properties of beard care products. Besides, it is more difficult to style a dirty beard.
2. Dry Your Beard with a Towel or Hair Dryer
After washing, towel-dry your beard or use a hairdryer to make sure it is completely dry before applying wax. Beard oil may spread fairly well when applied to a wet beard, but the thick consistency of the wax can make it difficult for the product to spread throughout your beard hairs while it is still wet.
3. Straighten Your Beard Hair Using a Comb or Brush
Next, comb or brush your beard. Doing so will untangle the hairs and straighten them out to apply proper integration and absorption of the wax. Make sure to use a comb or brush specifically designed for beards to straighten the hairs. Start combing at the bottom and work your way up to the chin.
4. Prepare the Beard Wax
The next step is crucial, so pay close attention.
Soften the wax first before application. It is normal for beard wax to solidify at room temperature, but you cannot use it effectively in its solid-state.
Thus, you need to melt it using mild heat. You can do so by pouring hot water over the tin with its lid closed tightly. Do not expose the wax to open flames, microwaves, or stovetops, as doing so may damage the ingredients in the product.
However, you can skip this step if your wax is not solid.
5. Apply the Beard Wax
Now that your wax is ready for use, scoop a small quantity of wax using your finger and place it in your palm. Rub it briskly to further soften the product.
Apply the wax to the sides of your beard and massage it evenly throughout your beard hair. Add more wax if necessary, but don’t use too much, so you can avoid excessive shine and making your beard too greasy.
There is no need to worry about getting the beard to reach the skin under your beard; the wax will provide the necessary protection for your beard, even if it doesn’t get to your facial skin.
Care products, like beard oil, are what you need to spend time massaging into your skin. By the way, it is a great idea to use both products at the same time for better results.
In addition to beard wax, consider getting good quality beard oil like the Honest Amish – Classic Beard Oil. It is enriched with all-natural and organic ingredients, such as golden jojoba, organic virgin argan, and other premium hydrating oils to soften and condition your skin.
6. Style Your Beard
The wax will give you more control over your beard, so you can style it in whatever way you want. Before stepping out, allow the wax to dry off. It doesn’t usually take long before it sets it. If you’ve discovered that you’ve used too much wax, you can use a cloth or towel to clean off any excess wax.
How to Remove Beard Wax
Remember earlier when I said you might need to change your pillowcase if you leave hair wax on overnight? That’s because the ideal thing to do is wash off the wax before going to bed.
This also applies to beard wax. It is okay to leave in the product throughout the day, but remove it before you go to bed. You want to give your beard some “breathing space” from beard products. Imagine your loving baby being with you all through the day and night, 24/7 and 365 days of the year! That’s not a healthy relationship.
Although it is okay to use beard wax daily, it is best to take a break from it for a couple of hours, and what better time to do so than at night?
The process is pretty straightforward:
1. Massage Beard Wash to Your Beard Hair
The first step is to apply a small amount of beard shampoo or wash to your beard hair. Massage it all over your beard to coat the hair follicles.
Whatever you do, never use regular hair shampoo to clean your beard. It will erode your facial skin oil quickly and leave you with beardruff and possibly itchy skin.
Choose a good beard wash like this one from Badass Beard Care. Besides refreshing and hydrating your facial skin, it will leave your beard smelling fresh and clean.
2. Allow the Shampoo to Soak for a While
Wait a couple of minutes while the shampoo soaks in. This will allow the beard wash to bind with the wax completely and give it deep cleansing.
3. Comb Out the Excess Wax
Use a comb to comb out the excess wax. The Viking Revolution Wooden Beard comb is an excellent choice. It is designed specifically for removing wax, oil, and balm from beard hair. And the best part? It is a dual-sided comb with no static, making it perfect for untangling knots.
4. Rinse Out Your Beard with Warm and Cold Water
Use warm water to rinse out your beard thoroughly for the first time. Then, rinse again using cold water. It is best to rinse twice in this pattern because the first rinse will remove the shampoo, and the second rinse (with cold water) will lock in the moisture.
Moreover, rinsing twice will ensure that no waxy residue is left in your beard.
Here’s a quick note about using hot, soapy water for washing your beard—don’t do it! Soaps are generally formulated with harsh chemicals that can damage your hair, leading to split ends, skin dryness, irritation, and itchiness. Ordinary water will do the trick.
Conclusion
Here’s something I’d like you to do right now: stand in front of a mirror and take a good look at your beard. Go ahead; do it. Do you see those nice-looking hairs on your chin, neck, and cheeks? They won’t look that nice for too long as soon as you start applying hair wax on them!
Treat your beard like your loving baby and give it that which is meant for it. You can combine beard wax, balm, and oil, as long as they are all beard products. That’s how real-bearded men keep their beards smooth, stylish, and, most importantly, healthy.
Considering the possible side effects of hair wax, I wouldn’t advise anyone to use it on their beards. Remember that scalp skin is very different from the skin on your face, and so are the hairs too. Although hair waxes are generally safe to use on scalp hair, it is best to limit their use to your head alone.
