Two years ago now (time flies!) I made my husband Steven a batch of DIY beard balm, and he’s been using it ever since. He discovered that a little bit also works well as a styling product for the hair on his head, so he uses it for that, too. You can see the difference below, where he goes from scruffly to well-groomed (and adorable).
But after two years, he’s finally running low. So it was time to make him a new batch. This time around I mainly used the same recipe, but I weighed the ingredients to help make it a little more exact, and I added coconut oil. Plus, Steven requested a minty smell, so I used peppermint, cedar, and rosemary essential oils to scent it. They were left over from the last time I made this beard balm, and so were a couple of the other ingredients.
I’ve linked to sources for the ingredients on Amazon, and even though I tried to find the smallest amounts, they’ll be way more than you need to make a batch of this balm. Maybe you already have some of the ingredients on hand, and/or can find smaller amounts locally. Or you’ll either have to make lots of batches (the perfect gift for all of the bearded men you know!), host a beard-balm-making party, or save the ingredients and use them for other bath, body, and home projects.
Add a beard brush and a mini travel version, and you’ve got yourself a nice little gift set.
Beard Balm Base
2 1/2 Tbsp (17 g) beeswax, coarsely chopped (or use beeswax pellets)
2 Tbsp (25 g) shea butter
1 Tbsp (6.5 g) cocoa butter
1 Tbsp (9 g) jojoba oil
2 tsp (8 g) sweet almond oil
1 tsp (5 g) coconut oil
Scent:
3 drops peppermint essential oil
2 drops cedarwood essential oil
2 drops rosemary essential oil
Container:
These tins are similar to the one I used, but they’re not available on Amazon individually. I bought mine at a local herb shop, but I think it was one of these tins. (Last time around I used a mini mason jar for storage, but it wasn’t good for travel, since the glass could break.)
If you want a label for your jar, you’ll need a printer, sticker/label paper, and a spray sealer (without it the ink will run from contact with moisture). Print the label, cut it out, then give it a couple of coats of sealer before sticking it to your container. Here are the labels I made (vintage graphics from here):
Steps:
Add all of the balm ingredients (but not the essential oils, yet) to a small jar or tin, and place in a saucepan. (The container you’re storing it in is probably too shallow for this step. A tin can is a good choice, but you should avoid glass, since it can crack from direct heat.) Add water to the pan to an inch or two below the top of the jar, and heat over medium heat until everything melts and liquifies. Keep a close eye on it, and stir with a disposable skewer or wooden chopstick.
After everything has melted, add essential oils just a few drops at a time to scent your balm, and stir to combine. When you’ve achieved the scent you want, pour your balm into a tin or small jar, and allow to cool.
“My name is Steve, and I endorse this product!”
