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Is your beard unruly? Are those stray beard hairs driving you crazy? Looking to level up your grooming game for an important interview or date?
Whatever your reason, beard wax should be your go-to grooming product for well-tamed beard styles. It will allow you to sculpt and shape your facial hair, whatever its length, color, texture, or style.
Beard wax also offers more hold to tough strands and whiskers, making it a stand-out beard taming and training product. If you’re rocking a more intricate beard style with a mustache section, you can combine your beard wax with a mustache wax for even more definition.
With such a wide range of ingredients, scent options, and strength levels to choose from, a beard wax will make sure your beard waxes lyrically from dawn through dusk.
However, if this is your first foray into the world of beard grooming, finding the right product might be hard. Luckily, we are experts in this department – and we’ve curated a list to help you look and feel like your best self, whatever your taste and budget.
Honest Amish, run out of small-town Western Pennsylvania, use their oldest recipe to create the Original Beard Wax. Their all-natural, organic blend combines fruit and nut butters, organic oils, and locally-harvested beeswax to create a nourishing, kind-to-skin product.
A light and masculine scent is perfect for every day and won’t offend sensitive noses. This beard wax offers a light to medium hold and is best used to provide shine and conditioning to short and mid-length beards, taking you from work to the weekend.
Beard Type: Short to medium length, normal hair types | Size: 2 oz | Hold: Light to Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Natural, organic formulation free from artificial preservatives
- Light and pleasant scent ideal for daily wear
- The lighter hold may struggle to tame long or unruly beards
Handmade in the foothills of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, The Bearded Goons have been perfecting their stronghold beard wax for over 6 years.
Its list of conditioning ingredients includes coconut oil, lanolin, tree resin, and essential oils for a subtle, yet intense scent. The anti-staining formulation prevents white or gray beard hairs from yellowing as well.
The Bearded Goon’s beard wax proves stronghold needn’t mean sticky; expect a full day of hold from just one morning’s application. Your beard will stay groomed from the boardroom to the bar without reapplying.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types| Size: 1 oz | Hold: Strong | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- All-day long hold from a single application
- Anti-staining formulation ideal for white and gray beards
- Before applying, the wax must be thoroughly softened
Bearded warriors rejoice – this beard wax is badass. Suitable even for the wildest beards, this beard wax has a more solid texture than the brand’s beard balm, providing more softening and taming power.
Badass Beard Care, founded by bearded army veteran Charlie Moyer, offers its beard wax in a range of impressive, premium scents. Our favorite is The Viking, a fresh outdoorsy blend of Siberian white fir, orange, and clove that will leave you feeling invigorated.
The product’s heavier texture adds weight to the beard, helping it look longer and denser.
Beard Type: Medium to long, all hair types | Size: 2 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Unique and premium scent range perfect for day to nightwear
- Comes with guitar pick-style applicator for scooping product
- May need reapplying after 4-5 hours to maintain hold
Up and coming, London-based brand Seven Potions created a beard wax that goes further than a simple styling product by focusing on quality, moisturizing ingredients, such as peach kernel and shea oil. The finished result is a beard that appears not only tamed but healthy.
Seven Potions’ Beard Wax is one of the few vegan-friendly products, using natural plant waxes like sunflower seed and jojoba to create their moisturizing finish. Their cruelty-free manufacturing process and artificial chemical-free formula mean the product cares for your beard and the planet.
Offering sensitive, non-greasy, medium hold for any beard size, Seven Potions Beard Wax is perfect for today’s eco-conscious man.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types | Size: 1 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Vegan-friendly formula free from artificial chemicals, preservatives, and parabens
- Moisturizing ingredients to nourish and style beard hair
- Stronger scent that may be overpowering for daily wear
Do you have a wild, coarse beard that’s sometimes dry, itchy, and hard to manage? Finding products able to battle wiry hairs isn’t easy; until now.
Bill Jealousy Tin Man Beard Wax contains an extra hit of naturally derived lanolin wax, which mimics the body’s natural sebum production. The fatty acids in the wax coat and condition the beard without preventing it from absorbing other nutrients and water. A nourished beard is less prone to itching and flaking and easier to style.
This beard wax also has a date-night-worthy aroma of white musk, ocean breeze, and vanilla that is noticeable without being overpowering.
Beard Type: Medium to long, coarse hair| Size: 2 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Glycerin and lanolin wax provides intense conditioning for coarse hair
- Helps to soothe dry, itchy beards
- Conditioning formula isn’t ideal for mustaches, so users may need two face products
If you’re a guy on the go who’s always looking for new ways to shorten the getting-ready process, then get your hands on the 18.21 Sweet Tobacco Wax.
Thanks to the satin-like finish, this versatile formula is perfect for your beard, mustache, and head hair. While the product’s price tag may seem a little higher, as a 3-in-1 wax, it represents good value.
This beard wax is also strong, yet supple, and offers long-lasting pliability. It works well for stylized beard types. Think Van Dyke, Imperial, Bandholz, Garibaldi, and French fork beard styles.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types| Size: 2 oz | Hold: Strong | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Multi-purpose product ideal for beards, mustaches, and hair
- Offers long-lasting pliability ideal for more intricate beard styles
- Higher than average price tag for those who don’t need a multi-purpose product
Sweet Comb Chicago began their beard wax journey motivated to improve the plight of the honey bees through responsible beekeeping. Whether you’re passionate about bees, Sweet Comb Chicago Mustache Beard Wax is a great grooming product.
Their 100% natural, homegrown beeswax forms the base of this oil-rich formula. While beeswax holds the beard in place, peppermint, hemp seed, jojoba, tea tree, and most notably, neroli oil, soften and nourish the hairs.
Neroli oil is a unique ingredient to find in beard wax. Neroli oil, extracted from bitter orange tree flowers, contains citral, which is effective in improving skin resilience, skin tightening, and regenerating skin cells. So if you’re looking to fight off the effects of aging, get your hands on this natural beard wax – it’s the bee’s knees.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types| Size: 2 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Contains neroli oil which has anti-aging properties
- Contains 100% natural homegrown beeswax
- Product can clump if not adequately warmed between hands before applying
Volt Beard Wax is the perfect travel buddy for bearded jet-setters and weekend-breakers. The lightweight and slim rectangular tin are ideal for carrying in your wash bag or pocket, and it also comes with a carrying pouch and a solid walnut wood scraper for a mess-free application.
Volt Beard Wax is also versatile. You can customize the hold to medium or strong, thanks to locally sourced American organic pine rosin. If you have a medium-length beard, take a pea-sized amount. To smooth a wilder, longer beard, use double the amount and enjoy a stronger hold with a non-greasy, non-sticky finish.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types| Size: 0.7 oz | Hold: Medium to Strong | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Light container and travel pouch make it ideal for carrying on the go
- Wooden scoop included makes scraping product mess-free
- At the higher end of the beard wax price range
There are many reasons to choose an unscented beard wax. For one, dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar says, “fragrance-free skincare products can be better for those who find fragrance, whether it’s natural or synthetic, offensive. Some with sensitive noses easily get headaches from the lightest of scents.”
If you’re one such guy, consider Beards Until Skulls Unscented Beard Wax. It is a conditioning styling product that’s also great for guys with sensitive skin irritated by perfumed ingredients.
Hemp, kokum, castor and sweet almond oil all feature on the impressive ingredients list. These nourishing oils prevent dry, itchy skin, repair split ends, and promote new hair growth.
Beard Type: Short to medium lengths, dry hair types| Size: 2 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Oil-rich blend promotes new hair growth and split end healing
- Unscented formula for those sensitive to strong scents or perfumed ingredients
- Product is temperature-sensitive, so may separate and need re-mixing
Managing acne and inflammation shouldn’t mean missing out on the best beard wax products. Instead, look for an ingredient list that features Argan oil, which contains high levels of Vitamin E and 80% fatty acids. Together, these components promote hair growth, improve skin metabolism and moisture retention, and reduce inflammation.
Urban Nomads Beard Wax contains cold-pressed Moroccan argan oil, shea butter, and lupeol-cinnamate, which is known to minimize the spread of acne. This soft, creamy beard wax is easy-to-spread and will style and shape facial hair without irritating the skin beneath.
Beard Type: All lengths and hair types| Size: 2 oz | Hold: Medium | Cruelty-Free: Yes
- Contains shea butter and argan oil to help soothe and minimize acne flare-ups
- Soft, easy-to-spread formula
- Amber glass jar packaging is heavy to carry on the go
What to look for in a beard wax
Ingredients
We believe that the best beard wax is one that styles the facial hair and takes care of the skin beneath. To see if your beard wax ticks this box, look for ingredients recognized for their moisturizing properties, including lanolin, glycerin, and essential oils.
If you suffer from dehydrated or irritated skin, keep an eye out for ingredients rich in Vitamin E. According to board-certified dermatologist David Kim, vitamin E is “readily absorbable in our skin, which is great for people with dry skin.” These ingredients are often carrier oils like argan, peach kernel, grapeseed, sunflower, and almond.
Hold
The hold is an essential consideration when choosing the best beard wax for your grooming routine. If you have a long, wild beard, a light or medium hold product won’t tame it! However, if your beard is short and sparse, a stronghold product may weigh down the facial hairs.
For shaping and holding intricate beard styles, choose a beard wax with a strong yet pliable hold that allows you to tweak the style throughout the day.
Scent
While some guys love their beard wax to give their facial hair an attractive aroma, others may find fragrance directly under the nose overpowering.
If you’re not prepared to try and test different scents or are sensitive to specific perfumes, consider opting for an unscented beard wax. Remember that unscented means no added perfumes; even unscented products may have a subtle aroma from their base ingredients.
FAQ
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Beard wax is a styling agent that usually contains beeswax. It helps to protect your facial hair from harsh climate conditions. It’s a lot like beard balm, but more solid and offers more hold.
Other common ingredients include coconut oil, shea butter, scented oils, and sometimes petroleum jelly.
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Paula Ludemann of the American Academy of Dermatology Association advises, “once your beard has grown out, use beard wax to style your beard and hold the hairs in place.”
The best time to use beard wax is following a shower when the hairs are soft and clean. Then, use the strength of beard wax best suitable for your preferred style and hold requirements.
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Beard wax, first and foremost, is a focused styling product for when you want to define a beard shape, add texture, or control pesky hairs.
It is also ideal for conditioning and moisturizing and will keep your scruff looking buff.
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The best way to get the results you’re looking for when using beard wax is to clean and dry the beard area before applying. Then, scoop out a little beard wax onto the palm of your hand. Warm the wax between hands to soften and melt it.
Next, apply the beard wax to one side of the beard, massaging it gently into the hair to absorb. Finally, style the waxed beard into shape with a comb before repeating the process with the other side.
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Mal Lee is a freelance writer and editor with 20+ years of journalistic experience. As well as writing for USA Today, LA Times, Science Times, Honda, Belstaff, Universal Studios, Disney and Travel South USA he is also the author of two published non-fiction books. Mal is a keen motorcyclist, bass guitarist and tattoo collector, who enjoys hanging out with his wife, daughter, and two rescue dogs: Gumbo and Bean.