Beard Oil vs Beard Balm: Which One Do You Need?
The WizardFrom the Wizard's journal, entry #1,244: The Marksman slipped into the shop an hour before dawn, which is the only hour he keeps. His beard was soft as moss, he told me, thanks to the oil. The trouble was that it kept drifting into his bowstring. "It feels right," he grumbled. "It just won't stay where I put it."
That's the whole beard oil vs balm question in one complaint. Beard oil is for the skin and the hair: it soaks in, softens the hair and helps keep itch and flakes away. Beard balm is oil plus shea butter and beeswax, so it conditions the hair and gives it light hold to tame flyaways and shape the beard. Short beard with itchy skin? Start with oil. Beard past an inch or so that puffs up, frizzes or won't lie flat? You'll want balm too, and most guys with a beard that length end up using both: oil first, balm on top.
- Beard oil moisturizes the skin under your beard and softens the hair. No hold.
- Beard balm adds shea butter and beeswax, so it conditions and gives light-to-medium hold for flyaways and shaping.
- Under about an inch, oil alone is usually plenty. Longer than that, most beards do best with both.
- Order matters: oil first on a damp beard, then balm once it's nearly dry.
Beard oil vs balm: the real difference
Both start from the same place. A Fable beard oil like The Marksman is a blend of castor, coconut, sweet almond, argan and jojoba oils with fragrance. Liquid, light, gone into your skin in a minute or two.
Balm takes a similar set of oils and adds two things: shea butter and beeswax. The shea gives it a richer, creamier feel. The beeswax is what gives it hold. That's the part oil can't do. Oil makes hair soft and a little heavier, but it won't keep a stray hair from springing back out by lunch.
So think of it this way. Oil looks after the skin. Balm looks after the shape. Both soften the hair, just in different amounts.
Beard balm vs oil, side by side
Here's the quick version of beard oil vs balm on the things people actually ask about.
| Beard oil | Beard balm | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Moisturizes the skin under your beard and softens the hair | Conditions the hair and tames flyaways and frizz |
| Hold | None | Light to medium, from beeswax |
| Feel | Thin liquid, soaks in fast | Soft solid that melts between your palms, a bit of weight on the hair |
| Best for | Itch, flakes, dry skin, wiry hair | Puffy, frizzy or unruly beards that won't lie flat |
| Beard length | Any, including the first few weeks of growth | Roughly an inch and longer |
| How to apply | 3 to 10 drops, worked down to the skin, then through the hair | A fingernail-sized scoop, warmed in your palms, pulled through the hair and shaped |
| Order of use | First, on a towel-dried, slightly damp beard | Second, once the oil has soaked in and the beard is mostly dry |
| Fable size and price | 1 oz bottle, $18.99 | 2 oz tin, $23.99 |
When beard oil is all you need
If your beard is short, oil is the one to start with. During the first month or so, the hair is stiff and pokey and the skin underneath hasn't caught up. That's when the itch shows up, usually around week two, along with flakes you notice on a dark shirt. Oil goes straight to that skin.
Oil alone also makes sense if your beard already lies the way you like, or if you just don't want anything in it you can feel. A few drops after the shower and you're done. Every bottle in our beard oil collection shares the same base, so you're really just choosing a character and a scent. If you want help choosing a scent, our guide to picking the best beard oil by scent walks you through it.
When you should reach for balm
Balm earns its spot once the beard has some length to it. Somewhere past an inch, a lot of beards start doing their own thing: curling out at the cheeks, frizzing in humid weather, flipping up under the jaw. Oil softens all of that but can't hold it down. Balm can.
It's also the better pick if your beard is coarse or curly and drinks up oil like a dry sponge. The shea butter gives it a heavier dose of conditioning that sticks around longer. And if you live somewhere cold and dry, a balm can feel more comforting than oil alone in January. You'll find every scent in the beard balm collection.
One thing balm isn't: a strong styling wax. It shapes and smooths. If you want a sculpted mustache that holds a curl all day, that's a job for mustache wax.
Do I need beard oil and balm?
Short answer: if your beard is past that one-inch mark, probably yes. Here's why. Balm is thick, so it mostly coats the hair and doesn't reach the skin as well as oil does. Oil reaches the skin but doesn't hold anything. Using one without the other on a medium or long beard tends to leave you with either itchy skin under a tidy beard, or a soft beard that looks like it lost a fight with the wind.
Using both isn't twice the work. It adds maybe 30 seconds to your morning. And because the two products overlap on softening, you'll use a little less of each than you would on its own.
If you want them to smell the same (and you should, since two clashing scents on your face is a lot), buy a matched set. The Marksman Beard Oil & Balm Kit pairs the 1 oz oil with the 2 oz Marksman beard balm for $39.99, a few dollars under buying them separately. The balm carries the full Marksman blend: crisp pine, warm cedar, fresh sandalwood, soft mosses and mystical amber. Other characters come in pairs too, over in the Oil & Balm bundles.
The order to apply them
- Wash or rinse, then towel dry. You want the beard damp, not dripping.
- Oil goes on first. 3 to 5 drops for a short beard, 5 to 8 for medium, closer to 10 for long. Rub it between your palms and push your fingertips down to the skin before pulling it through the hair.
- Give it a minute or two. Brush your teeth, find your keys. Let the oil soak in and the beard dry most of the way.
- Balm goes on second. Scrape out a fingernail-sized amount, rub your palms together until it melts and turns glossy, then work it from the cheeks down and from underneath the beard outward.
- Brush or comb into shape. This is where the hold kicks in. Comb it the way you want it to sit and it'll mostly stay there.
Why oil first? Oil is thin and moves easily to the skin. If you put balm on first, its wax layer gets in the way and the oil mostly sits on top of the hair.
Mistakes that make either one feel wrong
- Using way too much balm. This is the big one. Too much and your beard looks greasy and feels heavy. Start with less than you think. You can always add more.
- Not warming the balm. Cold balm drags and clumps. Rub it until it's melted and shiny before it touches your beard.
- Only hitting the ends. With oil especially, the skin is the point. Ends-only oiling leaves the itch right where it was.
- Balm on a soaking-wet beard. Water and wax don't mix well. Let the beard dry most of the way first.
- Leaving the tin in a hot truck. Balm softens in the heat and can turn soupy. It firms back up once it cools, so don't toss it, but keep it out of the glovebox in July.
- Mixing loud scents. A pine oil, a vanilla balm and a citrus cologne all at once is too much. Pick one scent to lead.
If your skin stays red, itchy or bumpy after a couple of weeks of oil, stop using it and see a dermatologist. Something besides dryness may be going on.
FAQ
Should I use beard oil or balm first?
Oil first, balm second. Oil is thin enough to reach the skin, so put it on a damp beard, give it a minute or two to soak in, then add balm to the hair for softness and hold.
Can I use beard balm without beard oil?
Yes. Balm contains oils, so it will soften the hair on its own. It just doesn't reach the skin as well as oil does, so if you get itch or flakes, add oil underneath.
Is beard balm good for short beards?
It won't hurt, but a short beard rarely needs hold. Under about an inch, beard oil does most of the work. Balm starts to make a visible difference once the hair is long enough to puff out or frizz.
How much beard balm should I use?
Start with a fingernail-sized scoop and warm it in your palms until it melts. Long or very thick beards may need a bit more, but adding a second small scoop beats starting with too much and looking greasy.
Which is better for beard itch, oil or balm?
Oil, because it gets down to the dry skin where itch usually starts. Work it in with your fingertips, not just over the hair. If the itch sticks around for weeks or comes with a rash, see a dermatologist.
What's the difference between beard balm and beard butter?
Balm has beeswax, which gives it hold. Butter skips the hold and focuses on soft, rich conditioning. Pick balm if you want your beard to stay in place, and butter if you just want it softer.
One last thing
The Marksman left with a tin of balm to go with the oil he already had. He came back a week later, before dawn as usual, and said his beard hadn't touched the bowstring once. He didn't say thank you. He just nodded, which from him is practically a hug.
Your beard, your story.
β The Wizard
