Beard Balm vs. Beard Oil: Which Should You Sell?

Beards are back in a big way and at no point in history have men spent so much time (and money!) on maintaining their beards as they do today.

In this article we’re going to cover the different selling points for beard oils and beard balms and why guys prefer one over the other.

Beard Oil:

Five years ago, the average guy would probably grimace at the thought of putting any kind of oil in his beard, maybe even think you were joking to suggest it. And yet, here we are.

Today, many of the bearded gents we’ve spoken to have at least tried oil at some point.

So why should your customers consider going with beard oil?

• It softens the hair - not all facial hair has the same texture and beard oil is great for extra coarse facial hair and bringing it a nice, supple texture the significant other will love.

• Most popular of the two - For the time being, beard oil continues to maintain its lead over other beard care consumables. So until that changes, this is the easier sale.

• Typically what bearded men start with - this ties into the point above. After men have taken the initial plunge via beard oil, it will be easier for you to introduce them to varieties of beard balm in the future.

• Thoroughly moistens and conditions the skin - great for the facial hair, but also nourishes the skin underneath with nutrients it might not otherwise get.

• Can combat any lingering odors should they be an issue - ask any dude with a thick beard and he’ll likely tell you that at least one lady friend made a comment about his man mane’s smell.

Beard Balm:

Beard balm is for the gent who is “all-in” with the beard and is always on the lookout for new ways to embellish his whiskers. While beard oil is still more popular than balms, men who invest in balms are serious consumers.

How serious? They’re willing to seek out harder-to-find scents or varieties of beard balm (some men will also ONLY use Catholic beard balm - yep, that’s an actual thing). Beard balm users also have their own group on Reddit, which we strongly recommend that you visit to get even more insights on what your customers prefer and are already buying.

Now, what sets beard balm apart from beard oil? Let’s start with the ingredients.

Beard balm is great in that it typically contains four core ingredients: carrier oil (jojoba, argan or both), an essential oil (sandalwood, for instance), Shea or cocoa butter, and finally, beeswax.

• There are two types: wax-style balm or cream-style balm - creamy balms are best for beards under four inches and the wax style balms provide extra-strong hold for shaggier beards. What differentiates one from the other is the ratios of the four core ingredients.

• Balms are preferred because they’re much cleaner than oils - simpler to apply, and they don’t create any messes during the application process and don’t retain anything.

• When a man starts using beard balm or switches over from beard oil, he more often than not starts with creamy balms before making the move over to waxier-style balms.

In Conclusion:

When presenting your clients with the option of beard oil or balm, the points we discussed in this article really are the key touch-points to stick with. The length and thickness of the beard depends greatly.

Our sales team would be happy to coach you and your staff on the best marketing and merchandising methods to use for your specific clientele.

Go here if you'd like to get an idea of what would look good on your shop's retail shelves, check out our collection of beard oil, balms and waxes here.