When searching for quality beard care products in the aisle of your local supermarket, chances are that most of us have absolutely no clue how to pronounce half of the ingredient list. However, more and more consumers in today’s world, want to be informed about the ingredients that make up the products we put into and on our bodies.
While today there are hundreds of food products that are advertised as vegan-friendly, some products outside of foods are still almost impossible to find. Vegan beard care is one of those particular categories. According to one recent report, the appeal for vegan products has been on the rise for a several years now. This means that men who want vegan ingredients to care for their beard may soon find vegan beard balm on the shelves of their local supermarket.
If, however, you are having trouble finding a quality, vegan product to care for your growing beard, below is a simple formula to make your own completely vegan, beard balm.
What Is “Un-Vegan” About Other Beard Balms?
Many companies that make male grooming products today have begun to realize that most men are reluctant to use beard care products that are filled with synthetic and chemical ingredients. Instead of using chemical lubricants, many male grooming products today use a variety of essential oils and other natural ingredients that help to moisturize male skin.
Likewise, as part of an effort to avoid using paraffin or other oil-based waxes as a base for products such as beard balms, companies often substitute beeswax for these petroleum lubricating products. While beeswax might be an improvement over oil-based lubricants in terms of ecological sustainability and holistic health, for vegans, beeswax is (as the name implies) an animal based product.
In recent years, bee populations have been plummeting around the country due to the somewhat enigmatic colony collapse disorder. One recent study has found that several different pathogens cause this strange and dangerous loss of honey bees, and many vegans (and others who care for the wellbeing of honeybee populations around the world) might consider it a wise move to simply avoid using bee-based products.
A Completely Vegan Beard Balm
Thankfully, you can easily make your own vegan beard balm from products that you can either find online or at your local market. This excellent and natural beard balm is 100 percent free from animal products and can be used by everyone from the CEO donning a new beard to a mountain climber trying to survive the elements while keeping his beard moisturized. Below you will find the simple DIY recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons carnauba wax (a plant based wax)
- 1 tablespoon tea tree oil
- 1 teaspoon of some other essential oil for added scent (optional)
Process
Melt the carnauba wax in a double bath. When it is melted add the coconut oil, tea tree oil and any other essential oils you are using. Stir and then let harden into a wax form. Store in an airtight container and use daily to keep your beard feeling soft and manageable.
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Author bio: Aron James is the founder of StubblePatrol.com. Stubble Patrol is a site on male grooming. He loves to write about his personal experiences and male grooming products.
Jordyn says
What’s a double bath? And is there any other way to melt the wax?
Rorkus says
A double bath is used to melt a solid product using hot/boiling water without having the product mix with the water.
Place the product you want to melt in a glass bowl then place the bowl in a saucepan of water (but as little water as to prevent the glass bowl from sinking below the waterline and therefore filling with water from the saucepan).
Place the saucepan on a stove and as the water in the saucepan heats up it will heat the glass bowl which will heat the product (the wax) and melt it. Once the product is melted just remove the glass bowl from the saucepan of water.
Erik Kihlsten says
Is ur really a tablespoon of tea tree oil?