Every beardsman needs a beard oil kit containing dedicated products to help him grow, maintain and keep his pride and joy (his beard) in the best possible shape. Beard hair is a lot different than scalp hair and needs dedicated products and a specific grooming regime. Today, I will be recommending top beard products you should always have in your beard oil kits.
1. Beard Oil
Beard oil kits should contain the best beard oils to keep your moustache and beard in top shape. Beard oils are made using blends of essential oils like Myrrh, Geranium, Frankincense, Lavender, and Sandalwood etc with carrier oils like Coconut, Olive, Hemp or Jojoba oils.
A good quality beard oil can moisturize and protect your hair and skin. It can nourish hair follicles and stimu late growth. Many beard oils also fight inflammation and are antibacterial and antiseptic in nature. These properties are more suitable for acne prone or oily skin. Likewise, you can have beard oil kits specifically formulated for dry skin having dandruff or itchiness and flaking. Beard oils made using Rosemary, Tea tree and Chamomile oils are especially beneficial for preventing ringworm and fungal infections.
2. Beard Balms
Beard balm kits condition the beard and are generally made using ingredients like beeswax, butters like Shea or Cocoa butters and lanolin. Balms are heavier than beard oils and can keep the hair in place.
Key differences between Beard oils and Beard balms:
- Beard balm acts as a styling aid whereas beard oil mainly moisturizes and softens beard hair and skin.
- You can use beard balm for daily conditioning.
- Beard oil is thinner than beard balm.
- Beard balms help seal in the moisture making your beard look sleek and glossy.
- Beard balms are very useful in keeping stray hairs in check.
- Beard oils are best used at night as leave-in conditioner before shampooing with a beard shampoo. However, many lightweight oils can also be used during the daytime as they do not give a greasy, oily look to the beard.
- Beard oils promote healthy growth.
3. Mustache Wax
Mustache wax is an essential component of your beard oil kits. It is a sticky, tacky pomade used specifically as a styling aid to hold the shape of the mustache. You only need to apply a little mustache wax and comb the hair for a natural look. You can also apply a lot of mustache wax to twist the whiskers into a number of shapes. This important item in your beard oil kit usually has the following ingredients: Beeswax, shea or cocoa butter, carnauba wax etc.
4. Pre-Shave Oil
A beard oil balm kit can also contain pre-shave oil. Even bearded men need to trim and shave stray hairs from their cheeks and neckline. A pre shave oil does the following:
- Enables the razor to glide smoothly along the skin
- It prevents razor burns
- It promotes closer shave
- It creates a super thin lubricating layer for wet shaving
- It is heavier than beard oil.
Pre-shave oil should ideally contain following ingredients: Olive oil, essential oils like Seabuckthorn and rosehip etc.
5. Shave Soap
You can go for a beard oil balm kit with shave soap instead of shave oil. Like pre-shave oil, shave soap creates rich, moisturizing lather. It is very sudsy and this creates a ‘slip’ conducive to closer shave. Opt for shave soaps with coconut oil, glycerin, shea butter etc.
6. After Shave Tonic
After shave tonic in your beard oil balm kit helps invigorate, refresh and tighten the skin. A good quality tonic will hydrate and moisturize the skin and will also suit all skin types. Look for soothing ingredients like Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera and one or more gentle essential oils like Bergamot, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, or Sandalwood etc.
7. After Shave Face Oil
Instead of after-shave tonic, you can also use after shave oil, particularly if you have dry skin. After shave oils refresh the skin post shave. They also condition and nourish and cool or soothe irritated skin. You can use them as a daily moisturizer. Look for beard oils containing soothing and moisturizing ingredients like Rosehip, Helichrysum, and Geranium etc.
Key differences between face oils and face tonics
- Beard oils or after shave face oils are ideal for sensitive skin.
- After shave face oils cool, soothe and moisturize whereas face tonics tone and tighten the skin.
- Face oils have a soothing and gentle finish. After shave tonics provide a cooling sensation to calm irritated skin.
8. Beard Shampoo
Your scalp hair follicles and your beard hair follicles are as different as chalk and cheese. That is why you need special beard cleansers in your beard oil kits. Regular scalp shampoo can impact your beard’s PH and strip it off its natural oils. A good quality beard shampoo moisturizes the beard while cleaning off dirt and dandruff without stripping away its natural oils.
9. Beard Brush or Comb
You can use any brush or comb on the beard but dedicated beard brushes are made with organic boar bristles or horse hair. They also have wider bristles to avoid pulling or hurting your hair.
10. Beard Supplements
Many pills and potions are available that claim to increase beard growth rate. However, not all of them are proven to work and you’d only be wasting your money. The best beard growth supplements ideally contain biotin, iron, antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E as well as calcium and zinc. Talk to your dermatologist or general physician as to which beard growth products are best for you.
A beard oil kit can also contain a quality shave brush made with horse hair or natural bristles. It can also include a shave bowl to help you while shaving. You can add in a razor and a pair of scissors or trimmer to trim away stray or flyaway hair. Beard oil balm kits are an ideal gift to give your loved ones.
Pre-Packaged Beard Oil Kits
If you’re starting your beard oil kit from scratch, it would be smarter to begin with a starter kit. They will get you stocked with all of the basic and essential items, like your beard oil, beard balm, mustache wax, beard comb and beard brush, and from there, you can add on more specialized individual items.
Here are just a few starter beard oil kits and what they contain:
Dapperganger Beard Grooming Kit
|
 |
Honest Amish Beard First Aid Kit
|
 |
CanYouHandlebar Ultimate Beard Care Kit
|
 |
You can also assemble a beard oil kit with homemade beard oils and beard balms based on resources available on this website. For all the recipes you’ll ever need, check out my recipes page!