Here's a review for all the manly men out there! I never realized that there was a need for beard products but it makes sense that men with beards can have the same problems and concerns that people have with the hair on their heads, such, as dryness, itchiness, dandruff, and styling issues. I learned a lot more about these issues when Smooth Viking sent some products to review and feature on this blog. My husband has an awesome beard going on right now so I wrangled him into trying out these products for me so I can put this review together. (Yay for the best husband everrrr!)
Before I start the review, keep in mind that my husband is a guy that does good enough if he washes his face with face wash instead of just water. He is as low maintenance as they come in regards to his "beauty" routine. The biggest issue for him is the fact that he doesn't like to feel products on his face and doesn't like greasy things. At first, he treated these products like conditioning treatments and used them 30 mins before his shower and washed them out after they soaked in for a while. Now, he has gotten used to the products and will wear the beard balm all day to tame certain parts of his beard that like to stick out.
- Beard Oil: designed to moisturize your beard, keeping it healthy and itch free. This comes in a glass bottle with a rubber dropper. The oil feels very moisturizing but not overly greasy. It definitely has more of a sans-parfum natural manly scent.
- Ingredients: avocado oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, olive oil, jojoba, pumpkin seed oil, castor oil, vitamin E, pure essential oil.
- Direction: Rub 3 drops of oil between fingers and massage into beard. Use more as needed.
- Hubby's thoughts: Takes more than 3 drops. More like 9 if you have much on your face. It definitely keeps the skin from becoming itchy or dry, and if you don't use Head and Shoulders or conditioner on your beard, it would be good for preventing flakes or itchiness. I don't like oil or cream on my face, though, so I rinse this out after a while too.
- Beard Conditioner: contains natural ingredients chosen specifically to condition and nourish your beard. It comes packaged in a durable metal tin and has a similar scent to the Beard Oil. The consistency is hard to describe but it's softer and more moisturizing than the Beard Balm. The best way I can think of describing it is that it's a pressed salve.
- Ingredients: shea butter, mango butter, sweet almond oil, argan oil, olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba, beeswax, pure essential oil.
- Directions: Scrape a pea sized amount of balm with the back of your nail. Rub between fingers and work into beard from root to tip as necessary. If more is needed, repeat.
- Hubby's thoughts: This one feels heavier, so I wouldn't wear it all day. Instead, I use it as a leave-in conditioner for about a half hour some mornings. I put it in, do some crunches or go for a run, then rinse it out when I take my shower.
- Beard Balm: contains natural ingredients chosen to style and invigorate your beard. This comes in the same packaging as the Beard Conditioner and has a similar scent. The consistency is harder than the beard conditioner and it takes a while to warm up between fingers but that makes this a good product for beard styling and keeping hairs in place.
- Ingredients: mango butter, shea butter, beeswax, avocado oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, castor oil, pure essential oil.
- Directions: Scrape a small pea sized amount of balm with the back of your nail. Rub between fingers and work into damp or wet beard from root to tip as necessary. If more is needed, repeat.
- Hubby's thoughts: This is for that one spot of the beard that likes to be a rebel in fifteen different directions. It keeps it in the same direction as the rest of the hairs. Because of that, I actually use this prior to trimming my beard sometimes because it allows the clippers to trim more evenly.
*These items were sent to me for free thanks to Smooth Viking but, as always, I (or in this case, my husband) provide a 100% honest opinion and would never recommend a product that I don't like.
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