Common questions asked among beard groomers are often about straightening their beard. From asking, “What are the best products for straightening a beard?” to “Will beard oil, beard balm, or beard wax help make straightening of a beard easier?” I can answer those questions and more.
If you are one of those asking questions and wondering if you can use your beard balm before or after straightening, you can find out here.
To answer the question, a beard balm is a conditioner that is best applied after heat treatment (blow-drying or straightening). Using a beard balm before straightening may come with unintended consequences, so don’t attempt it.
We can’t overemphasize the importance of a beard conditioner, such as a beard balm. In this post, you will find the answers to common questions surrounding the use of beard balm. You will find out how the beard balm works and how to apply it to get a good result.
Beard Balm: What It Is And What it Does?
Beard balm is like a leave-in-conditioner for the beard. It helps in moisturizing, conditioning, and as well as softening your facial hair.
Beard balm is a beard care product that helps in conditioning and taming beards. Growing a longer beard demands that you get yourself prepared to take care of any facial hair that attempts to have a mind of its own. If you want a more in-depth look at beard balm, check out the this post.
In the early stage of growing a beard, your beard is easier to control. I guess it is happy to see the outside world and do anything you ask of it. As they get longer and older, they will likely become stubborn, and you will be needing some form of persuasion to get them in order.
This is when a beard balm comes in handy. It is a product of persuasion that is very helpful in controlling unruly beards. If you aim to achieve an ‘unkempt mountain man’ look, you don’t need beard balm. You can allow the unruly hair to grow as they like.
There are different beard balms out there, but most of them have shea butter, sweet almond, and beeswax. The shea butter helps in moisturizing and softening the beard, while the sweet almond conditions the beard. It also boosts beard growth. The beeswax in it is to seal and lock moisture.
All these ingredients are important as they help in facilitating good beard grooming when used. They are safe for use and don’t have any side effects when used.
If you want a good quality beard balm, choose one that is scented with a mix of essential oils and not synthetic. The synthetic ones are usually toxic and can easily irritate the skin. It may also have alcohol that will dry and brittle your beard. We wouldn’t want that. It’s best if you go for all-natural products. Carefully read the list of ingredients before you make a choice.
How Does Beard Balm Work?
If you want to know how beard balms work, it’s equally vital to find out why it’s important to add it to your beard grooming routine.
The ingredients used in making beard balm helps in moisturizing, conditioning, nourishing, and promoting healthy facial hair growth all at once. A beard balm is a conditioner that softens your beard. A beard balm will come in handy for those with a tangled beard as it will help to get rid of any tangles.
Our skin naturally produces oil (sebum), and when this natural supply of oil depletes around your beard, you tend to have beardruff. Beardruff is the dandruff of the beard. Beard balm has carrier oils that mimic the sebum oil. It acts like it by moisturizing and conditioning the beard to prevent beardruff.
Also, beard balm prevents itching. It shares this similarity with beard oil. They both help in locking in moisture to prevent itching.
Although we can’t really say that providing hold is the selling point of beard balm, as a beard wax will suffice better, it’s still a product that can keep stubborn hair in place. It contains beeswax, which helps it tame stray hairs and makes styling easier.
You can also use a beard balm to detangle your beard. Longer beards tend to get tangled up easily but since a beard balm softens and moisturizes a beard, you will want to use a brush after applying it to detangle your beard.
When Should I Use Beard Balm?
A beard balm should be applied after washing and drying your beard. If applied regularly and correctly, it will help your beard stay healthy, strong, shiny, and promote healthy beard growth.
The moment after taking a shower is the best because that’s when your beard is clean. You should then towel dry it with care and apply beard balm. If you want to use beard oil, then use it before applying beard balm. By doing this, you are ensuring that the beard oil is trapped deep inside your skin underneath your beard, moisturizing your beard from the root to the tip.
The beard balm going on afterward will act as a sealant to lock in the moisture, giving you a soft, healthy, and well-kept beard.
How Much Beard Balm Should I Apply?
The first thing you need to learn is how to take out the beard balm from the container. It’s not difficult. It only requires some of your time.
You can heat the balm with low-heat if necessary. You can use your pointed fingers to warm up the balm by running your finger across the top in a circular motion. Afterward, use the back of your thumbnail to take out your desired amount. If you don’t want to use your thumbnail, you can use the tip of your beard comb to take out the amount needed.
How Do I Apply The Beard Balm?
Applying a beard balm is easy. Most of the time, you just need to take a sizable amount of the balm, use your fingers to rub it in between, and apply it to your beard. Start rubbing the balm from your neck and work your way up.
Done that? Then reverse your finger motion’s direction, and run it from top to bottom, as you ensure that every hair root has contact with the balm to nourish and facilitate beard growth. Make sure you don’t neglect your moustache as you apply the beard balm.
Once done, use a beard comb to detangle your beard and evenly distribute the beard balm.
How Often Should I Apply Beard Balm?
Although it’s not necessary, you can apply beard balm more than once a day. How often you should apply depends on your individual needs. Everyone will eventually find what works best for them with time. If you live in a dry, cold climate, you may need to use it more often.
The application process is effortless and so easy. It takes just a small amount of your time to make your beard healthy, soft, and better groomed when you use an all-natural beard balm.
Beard Balm Before Or After Straightening?
Do you want to straighten those tangled and curly beards? Or you just want to keep your beard straight? Whatever you want to do, I want you to know that straightening isn’t difficult, like people think.
The natural combing method can be tiresome for you, but when you realize that you will be getting a tidier and healthier beard after the process, you should get motivated to start. The heating process will take just an extra caution from you as you handle the beard straightener to detangle, uncurl, and straighten even the thickest of hairs. To top it all, the process is very quick!
Before you use beard balm it is important that you clean your beard. Take a shower or use warm water to clean just your beard if you can’t take a shower.
It is always best to condition your beard with beard balm after heat treatment. If you are like some people who like straightening their beard regularly, it’s even more important to use beard balm. If you rarely straighten your beard, then you can just use the beard balm since it’s very helpful for healthy beard growth.
Straightening your beard regularly is tough on your hair follicles, making your beard need more nourishment and moisture. What better way to offer your beard what it needs than with a good beard balm?
Beard balm contains great ingredients that act as a conditioner and provide your beard with light to medium hold after using a straightener.
Finally, I can’t overemphasize why you shouldn’t apply beard balm before straightening. Applying a beard balm before using a straightening tool will make the balm boil, which will likely cause steam damage to it and to your beard. Steam damage will destroy your hair and for the issue to be resolved, you will need to completely cut off your beard and start growing and grooming all over again.
Conclusion
Using beard balms are great for your beard! If you want to, feel free to apply it more than once a day. It is easy to use and there are some great products. I know you will definitely find your groove, and when you do, you will enjoy all the amazing benefits of using beard balms.
If you’ve been using beard balms before straightening your beard, now is the time to stop. It is unhealthy for your beard. Use your straightener first. Then wait a few more minutes before rubbing it in. Now, go get a good beard balm and start doing the right thing for your beard. If you are doing it already, thumbs up for you!
