What’s the difference between a balm, wax and an oil?

Short answer...

Balm

The versatile one. The main purpose of beard balms is usually for taming, moisturising and as a solid cologne. However it works great as an emergency lip balm and hand moisturiser on the go, even loosely shaping head hair too!

Oil

Usually used for wearable conditioning, cologne and shine. No harm in using it for massage though, or even trying it in a candle oil diffuser too though!

Wax

Our flagship selection is a strong hold moustache wax ideal for keeping those those lip whiskers curled all day long.

No, really. What's the difference? I can't decide...

Long Answer...

Oil

Pros:

• Holds its scent in the bottle for a fraction longer than the balms
• Great for occasional users who just want to tart up / show some self love every now and then
• Makes your beard pop & brings out the light
• Quicker to apply than balms
• Doubles up as a diffuser! Pop some in a candle burner, or stick some on your temples for some zen vibes
• Use as a massage oil!
• Vegan!

Cons:

• Evaporates quicker than a balm, so will need topping up if you want that scent and beard-conditioning-hug to carry you all day
• Some people aren’t into that beard 'shine' look - at least everyday
• Glass bottle - if you’re the clumsy type you might not want to take this out on the town!
• Harder to recycle- a fair bit of dis-assembly involved when you’re done - best bet is asking about refills!
• Won't style and tame as steadily as a balm or a wax

Balm

Pros:

• Help style and tame a more unruly beard
• Long lasting conditioner. Because balms have thicker oils in them, they will stay on your face for longer, keeping that beard happy all day
• Lasts longer. Period. Folks tend to throw beard oil everywhere, where as a balm is more considered and will get used up less quickly.
• Doubles up as a lip balm!
• Doubles up as an emergency hand moisturiser! If you’re on the go, spritzing your hands with alcohol gel and they start to crack - these balms can be a life jacket!
• Easy to carry around. The aluminium tins are durable and will take some knocks, so you can top up on the go!
• Easy to recycle - just slip out the EPE liner in the lid, put that with plastics, then the rest is with metals!
• More of a matte look

Cons:

• Can take a little longer to apply. Ensuring your balm is warm in your hands is a key step here and sometimes cold weather & nature can get in the way! Top tip: keep it in your pocket to stay warm.
• We don’t yet offer a vegan version (i.e. without bees wax) Could be a deal breaker for some!
• The essential oils in the balms will dissipate slowly over time (especially top notes like citrus etc.)
• More of a matte look... Some folks want that shine!

Wax

These babies are the flagship of the brand.

• Made for curling a moustache and keeping it styled - a lot of lovely local beeswax goes into these, and you’ll notice the difference in hold! We care about those that style their tash, and it shows in the fact that unlike some beard-care brands, we offer the same wide range of scents in our waxes as we do our oils and balms. It goes right under your nose, so it has to smell right!
• We’ve heard some use these for eyebrow definition too, so - double trouble!

Do your products contain perfumes?

Nah. Essential oils do the trick at scenting our products and are much closer to the natural source, so provide so many more health benefits.

Are your products tested on animals?

Nope. And they never will be. We also ensure our suppliers are doing things ethically and check that the ingredients going in to your products have led a clean life.

Is your product free from preservatives and parabens?

Last we checked! We only use natural oils and butters in our anyhydrous products, meaning any preservatives are those that come with the nature of the organic ingredient! Bees wax for instance is anti-microbial, as are essential oils like star anise and cinnamon!

Where does your bees wax come from?

Local beekeepers hives in North Finchley (London), Norfolk and Kent. When these aren't available we source organic certified African wax from a fair trade supplier. This is one of very few producers of organic bees wax, due to the fact that bees need 6km of wild land to do their thing!

Are your products vegan?

All our beard oils are vegan. At the moment, both our balms and waxes contain locally sourced excess bees wax, mostly from London but also Norfolk and Kent. We keep in conversation with our beekeepers about the way they look after their bees and we ensure things are done symbiotically and with care. However, we are currently looking into sourcing a local eco soy wax that we hope to release in the near future!

Are your products safe to use on skin?

Yes. We have full Cosmetics Product Safety Reports on all our products and have tested them on ourselves too! If you have sensitive skin or allergies, always check the ingredients and let us know if you would like a full allergen list - these are available on request!

Why is the ingredients list so small?

The fewer the ingredients, the less production and therefore the lower the carbon footprint. We went minimal and picked the ingredients that counted, after researching and testing which blends worked best on the beard and face and which additions simply weren't making much difference. In due course these elements may change, but our vision for sustainability, low carbon footprint and minimalism will remain the same.

Do you offer an unscented version of your product?

At the moment we don’t offer this, but we are planning to release this in due course due to popular demand. Sign up to our newsletter for updates on this along with discounts down the line. Don’t worry, we send these once every 3 months or less usually as we aren't fans of spam!

Are your products organic?

While we don’t yet have organic certification, there are only 3 ingredients in our products are not organic.

• Vanilla essential oil is not widely available organically
• Virginian cedarwood is not widely available organically
• UK bees wax Is not widely available organically and the production of beeswax in the UK by nature doesn’t hold the conditions to achieve organic certification, due to the agricultural pesticides that are used on most of the land, and the amount of space of untouched land that would be required for bees to create a hive that was truly organic would only be possible abroad. Therefore, when our local beeswax becomes un-available or low in stock, we have a supplier that produces their organically certified wax on African soil.

Does your packaging contain any plastic?

At the moment, a small amount.

Our beard oils have a lid that can be diss-assembled and recycled in the normal way - but we recommend telling us who your local barber is so we can send refill stations to them for you to re-use your bottles there! It’s also pertinent to mention that our aluminium containers have an EPE lined lid, which you can slip out and put in your recycling too when done.

We are in the process of introducing a new plastic-free packaging system which is undergoing testing, and we hope to be launched by the close of 2023.

All our shipping packaging is plastic free!

Why does my balm have bits in it?

As we use ingredients that are as minimally refined and close to the raw nature that created them, each product is individual and may change slightly over the course of their life. While we've taken steps like filtration, heat and percentage control to ensure that the products remain stable throughout their shelf life, you might find some natural artifacts! Natural oils will behave like they do in the wild, and separation and crystallisation may occur after prolonged use.