Using beard butter is one of the best ways to promote healthy beard growth. Beard butter conditions your beard, controls flyaways, and has a silky consistency that makes it easy to use.
Sure, beard oils and beard balms can moisturize and style, but they have limitations. Beard oil is excellent for moisturizing the skin beneath your beard and providing a glossy shine, but it doesn't give much in the way of hold or control. It’s also easy to go overboard with beard oil, creating an almost greasy look.
Meanwhile, beard balms typically contain beeswax. The wax gives superior hold and control to an unruly beard. Still, it can also make it harder for the moisturizing agents to reach your skin, and its waxy consistency makes it hard to spread throughout your hair evenly.
Why Use Beard Butter?
Beard butter provides the best of both worlds, giving you lots of moisture and medium control. It can tame flyaways while acting as a deep conditioner, and it's easy to apply. It won't leave your beard with a mirror-like shine, nor will it lock it in place. Instead, beard butter will give your beard a natural, healthy look while soothing the skin beneath it.
Like any grooming product, though, beard butter comes in a wide variety of qualities. Many of the lesser quality types contain cheap base butter or oils that don't moisturize as well.
Finding the best beard butter for healthy beard growth means finding those with all-natural or primarily natural ingredients, high-quality bases, and subtle but sexy fragrances. We've managed to do just that.
Below you'll find the top six beard butter, in our humble opinion. So read on, fellow beard wearer. It's time to find your new favorite beard butter.
Live Bearded American Beard Butter
Live Bearded is a top-notch company specializing in all-natural, high-quality beard grooming products with no synthetic fragrances, and their American Beard Butter is no exception.
A creamy, shea butter base lends vitamins and fatty acids that moisturize and soften your beard. Shea butter is also thick, and if your house happens to get below 64 degrees Fahrenheit, this beard butter will require a lot of warming up between your palms before use.
The scent is woodsy and masculine, but we'll admit it's unique and not for everyone.
Pros
- Top-notch company with excellent customer service
- Made with super moisturizing shea butter
- No synthetic fragrances
Cons
- The scent is unique and strong
- On the thick side for a butter
- It will take time to emulsify on cool days
Detroit Grooming Black Beard Butter
Detroit Grooming's Black Beard Butter features a musky, masculine scent and deep conditioning power. Though the main ingredient is sweet almond oil, this butter does contain moisture-rich shea butter and coconut oil. It also features vitamin E oil which promotes healthy skin and faster beard growth.
While the high oil content makes this butter easy to apply, it can also lead to excess shine and a greasy feel. Although the amount is minimal, this butter does contain synthetic fragrances, which may irritate the skin, but overall, Detroit Grooming's Black Beard Butter is one of our favorites.
Pros
- A subtle, long-lasting masculine scent
- Easy to apply thanks to high oil content
- Added Vitamin E oil promotes beard growth
Cons
- A small number of synthetic fragrances
- High oil content may produce too much shine
- It can make your beard feel slightly greasy
Fresh Beards Black Light Beard Butter
Fresh Beards is an all-American company that creates high-quality grooming products at an affordable price. Their Black Light Beard Butter contains lots of shea butter for serious deep-conditioning, but it's not too thick, thanks to plenty of carrier oils that make this beard butter feel almost whipped.
The consistency of this butter is great, though it's not going to provide any hold and may be too greasy for everyday use. For a special occasion or as an overnight conditioner, though, it's ideal. The fragrance, even though it's synthetic, is an absolute fan favorite.
Pros
- Long-lasting, subtle, but sexy cologne scent
- Ideal for conditioning without too much shine
- Soft and easy to apply
Cons
- It contains synthetic fragrance oils
- It doesn’t provide any hold
- Can feel greasy
Beard Guyz Beard Butter
Beard Guyz Beard Butter is a water-based beard butter that makes it lightweight and far from greasy. Loaded with mango, shea, and cocoa butter, this beard butter will provide deep conditioning. Mango butter especially will protect your beard from sun damage.
This beard butter features a light, clean scent suitable for daily wear, but beware that the fragrance will quickly fade in humid environments. Beard Guyz beard butter also contains a few less-than-stellar ingredients, like propylene glycol, which helps enhance skin penetration. Still, per the EWG (Environmental Working Group), it can also be a skin irritant.
Pros
- It contains mango butter for sun protection
- Very lightweight
- Clean, everyday fragrance
Cons
- It doesn’t provide hold or control
- It includes a few sketchy ingredients
- Effects don't last long in humid climates
Grave Before Shave Aphrodisiac Beard Butter
Grave Before Shave's Aphrodisiac Beard Butter features shea butter as its main ingredient, followed by mango butter and coconut oil. There are absolutely no chemical binders or synthetic fragrances, which are ideal for healthy beard growth.
However, being an all-natural product means that the environment has a significant effect on its consistency. This product melts to pure liquid in warm weather, and in cold weather, it gets grainy. And, the scent is a little on the mild side, given the name, but overall, Grave Before Shave makes a top-quality product that puts many other beard butter to shame.
Pros
- Long-lasting effects
- No iffy ingredients
- One container will last a long time
Cons
- The consistency is greatly affected by temperature
- A high amount of carrier oils can leave a greasy feel
- Given the name, the scent is too subtle
Every Man Jack Natural Hemp Beard Butter
For a lightweight, easy-to-apply beard butter that will help strengthen your facial hair, Every Man Jack's Natural Hemp Beard Butter is a great option. It uses hemp seed oil (THC-free) to enhance hair proteins besides shea butter and coconut oil for deep moisturization.
The consistency of this product is fantastic, but it comes from using several emulsifiers, like cetyl alcohol, which is safe but can create irritation for some people. Although the scent is fresh and clean, it comes from synthetic fragrances, which may be a deal-breaker for some.
Pros
- Features hemp seed oil to strengthen beard
- Very lightweight and easy to apply
- Fresh and appealing scent
Cons
- Water-based, so effects don't last as long
- It contains several emulsifiers that may irritate the skin in sensitive folks
- Uses synthetic fragrances
How To Use Beard Butter In 3 Simple Steps
For beard butter to be effective, you need to use it properly. It's not hard, but there is a little technique to using butter on your beard. By following these tips and tricks, you can ensure your whiskers stay supple and fresh.
First Step
Choose a beard butter that works best for your beard.
When it comes to beard butter, a little goes a long way, so don't get greedy with how much you use. For moderate beard lengths, you should need no more than enough to cover the tip of your thumb.
Second Step
You'll want to bring your beard butter to temperature by rubbing it in between your palms. Then, rub and massage your face and beard thoroughly, making sure you coat everything as evenly as possible.
If your beard is on the longer side, you may want to use a beard comb to ensure the beard butter reaches every strand from root to tip.
Final Step
Be sure to wash your hands after applying the butter. Beard butter consists primarily of oil, and oil tends to get everywhere. It'll absorb into your beard well enough, but the remnants on your hands will quickly stain your clothes.
Final Thoughts
Beard butter is a favorite for many bearded men, thanks to its middle-ground nature. Ideally, it won't create too much shine like oils tend to do, and it won't make a stiff look as many wax-based balms will. Instead, beard butter softens and conditions while providing a medium hold.
It's ideal for beards of any length and works great for everyday styling. Plus, it feels downright silky and tends to smell fantastic. That makes it a pleasure to put on, and your partner is likely to appreciate it!
The best beard butter for healthy beard growth contains all-natural ingredients and is usually shea butter-based. Many have cocoa butter, mango butter, or even hemp seed oil to encourage better moisturization, sun protection, and hair growth, respectively.
Though many types of beard butter use some synthetic fragrances or chemical binders, there are entirely natural options for sensitive skin. Even the types that use a few synthetics aren't all bad.
For many, synthetic fragrances smell better than their natural counterparts, and chemical binders can create a luscious consistency no matter the temperature in your home.
Whether you want wholly natural butter or are willing to include a few more modern inclusions, finding a beard butter that works for you is all about experimentation. So, if you can't decide between the ones on this list, feel free to try a few! Your beard, and the skin beneath it, are sure to be thankful!
