In this article, we're going to break down beard balm vs wax.  We'll discuss the similarities between beard balm and beard wax, and we'll also discuss the major differences.  One thing is for certain, after reading this, you'll immediately know the difference between beard balm and beard wax and which product is right for you depending on the situation.

First, let's look at a comparison chart we put together just for this, and then we'll discuss each point in finer detail below.

Beard Balm vs Beard Wax Comparison Chart

Let's start by breaking down the similarity between beard balm and beard wax.  

Both Contain Beeswax:  Both balm and wax contain beeswax, and here's why.  Beeswax helps provide hold and shapes the beard.  Without beeswax, these products would be more compatible with beard butter, which does not contain any.  Beeswax is found naturally in the world, and the amount of hold it offers to the beard is relative to how much beeswax makes up the contents of the ingredients.  Beeswax is used because it's safe and effective at providing hold.  It's also a straightforward ingredient to wash out of a beard.

Both Offer At Least A Medium Hold Or Better.  Both beard wax and beard balm contain enough beeswax to offer hold to the beard.  But this is where they begin to differ.  Beard balm has more of a medium hold, and beard wax has a firm hold.  The main reason is that the bulk of the ingredient list for beard wax is Beeswax, and beard balm contains far less in comparison.

Beard Balm Has A Stronger Scent Profile. This, of course, does not apply to either of our unscented balm or unscented wax formulas, but for our scented profiles, balm definitely stands out more.  This is because, based on the volume, we have to add more essential oils to our beard balms than our beard wax by volume.  The result is our beard balm has a stronger, longer-lasting scent. However, adding more scent to the beard wax would lessen the hold, and you do not want that when you're looking for a beard wax! If you open both products and just smell the surface, you can always smell the scent inside the beard balm, but on certain scents, it's almost impossible to smell the scent within the wax until you pierce the wax surface with your finger!

Here is a quick ingredient breakdown so you can compare beard balm to beard wax.

Beard Balm Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Beeswax, Cocoa Butter, JoJoba Oil, Avocado Oil, Grape Seed Oil. All-Natural Essential Oils For Scenting.

Beard Wax Ingredients: Beeswax, coconut oil, jojoba oil, grape seed oil & All-Natural essential oils for scenting.

As you can see the ingredients are similar but the few variants are enough to create massive differences in the texture and hold.

Beard Balm Has More Shine:  Though it's not typically a noticeable difference, beard balm adds more shine than beard wax.  Neither will make your beard sparkle or anything weird, but beard wax has more of a dull look to the final look than beard balm.  Again, this is due to the beard wax containing more beeswax with dulls the shine slightly.

Beard Balm Is A Little Easier To Wash Out:  Neither one of these is going to be hard to wash out of your beard.  The beard wax will leave a little more residue in the beard before washing simply because it contains more beeswax.  However, it's easy to resolve this by taking a warm shower, and using a small amount of any of our beard shampoos will do the trick.  

When To Use Beard Balm vs Beard Wax

So you may be wondering in which situations should you use a beard wax or beard balm.  We like to think of it like this; beard balm is a better everyday product, and beard wax is a better situationally used product.  If the conditions outside are extremely windy, consider applying some beard wax in your beard. Beard wax is also great if you need to add a bunch of extra hold to your beard and you don't want to lose the style.  I.e., men who compete in beard competitions might use a beard wax, and in fact, some men use quite a bit!  Or perhaps you're attending a wedding or formal event and need your beard to look its best for several hours on end, then using a beard wax can add that extra hold, so you don't need to continuously groom your beard.

Beard Wax Isn't Right For Everyone

Some guys simply do not want the firm hold on their beard, and some do.  Some men do not want a light to medium hold, and some do.  Our motto here at Artius Man of "Be Your Own" fits perfectly in this situation and any other situation in life.  We think you should be your own man at all times and use the products that fit your needs, and that includes when you're assessing beard balm vs wax.  If there is a product that you don't like using, don't use it.  This means you may need to test the various products out from time to time to see what you personally like, but once you get it right, you'll know from there on out.  

In closing, we also want to point out that both our beard wax and beard balm contain all-natural ingredients.  Though we avoided tossing that in the generalties above only because some brands out there are not all-natural.  So our beard balm and beard wax contain all-natural ingredients, and we stand by both products!