Facial hair has always been one of the signs of masculinity, and recently it has also gained unprecedented popularity. Of course, at first glance, everything is simple — it is enough not to touch the razor for a couple of weeks, and the new image, striking outright brutality and charisma, will not leave any lady indifferent. But in fact, a beautiful beard that favorably emphasizes attractive facial features is not a gift from nature, but the result of daily self-care.
And, of course, this will require a lot of special tools, among which beard wax occupies an important place. It will help to give the hair on the face the desired shape and fix it for a long time, despite the rain, snow or wind. How to properly use beard and mustache wax so that they become a real decoration for a man? Let’s try to figure it out.
Wax will help to give the hair on the face the desired shape and fix it for a long time, despite the rain, snow or wind.
What is mustache and beard wax
Getting a mustache and beard is just the first step towards a new image. Without special care, they make a man look unkempt — who likes a beard that bulges in all directions, or a mustache that resembles a clothes brush? Just for such cases, there are special products for the care of facial hair, which are no less important to get on time than choosing a classy image-maker. Every bearded man should have at least a comb, soap, oil, balm and beard wax — they give the hairs the desired shape while they grow, and then maintain it constantly.
Every bearded man should have at least a comb, soap, oil, balm and beard wax
So, beard and mustache wax will help:
- to provide the vegetation with a shiny and well-groomed appearance;
- protect hairs from bad weather;
- avoid burning out in the sun;
- make the shade of the hair darker and deeper.
When answering the question of why beard wax is needed, one should also not forget about a subtle, pleasant aroma that will remain on the hairs and skin for a long time, adding an additional zest to the image and eliminating the smell of tobacco smoke and food. Fragrances are for every taste — cosmetics are made with the addition of essential oils or synthetic perfume compositions. Citrus aromas, sea freshness or conifers are popular, and more demanding customers can find wax that smells like almonds, cola or whiskey. In addition, there are also unscented men’s care products — the best option for allergy sufferers, for example, or those who simply do not want to smell like a May rose.
Most manufacturers prefer exclusively natural ingredients that are safe for hair and skin. The basis is various types of wax, for example, refined white or yellow beeswax, and then the set of additional components can be very diverse. For example, nourishing oils, minerals and vitamins to stimulate hair growth. Some products also contain natural dyes that can slightly tint facial hair. By the way, with the help of a beard product it is much easier to do this — ordinary paints rarely give the same color to all hairs, without exception.
The wax fixes the hair well, giving it the desired shape for the whole day, but the vegetation at the same time retains its natural look. Oil and balm in such cases are often powerless — they cope with moisturizing and nourishing the hair, but cannot curb the growing stubble on the temples and cheeks. On the contrary, wax, with regular use, can even «train» the hair to grow in the right direction, which means that over time the need for it will decrease. And, of course, another indisputable plus of this tool is efficiency. It is inexpensive, consumed slowly (15 ml is enough for 4-5 months, even if applied daily), and with the right approach, the frequency of its use can be reduced over time.
The most popular manufacturers
When choosing wax for a mustache and beard, the products on the market have to be evaluated according to several parameters at once:
- Color. It largely determines the end result from the use of a cosmetic product — an unsuccessfully chosen shade can completely ruin the appearance of facial hair. The best option is a shade close to the natural hair color.
- Rigidity. We are talking about the structure of the product — for thin and flexible hairs, a mild product is more suitable, and for those whose beard needs to be “tamed”, it is better to opt for hard wax.
- Smell. Not everyone initially attaches importance to this parameter, but in vain: the aroma of beard and mustache wax will accompany a man all day, mixing with the scent of perfume, shampoo and deodorant.
- Price. An equally important criterion when choosing a cosmetic product than others — in order to purchase a quality product, you do not have to pay impressive sums for the popularity of the brand, especially since you will have to buy wax for daily use often.
Every bearded man must find his own ideal facial hair care product.
The modern market offers men a lot of cosmetics for personal care, for every taste and wallet. Therefore, in order not to get confused, a beginner should first of all pay attention to products that have earned the recognition of buyers:
- Hi-Ho. The company was founded in Russia 4 years ago, but already occupies a confident position in the market of cosmetics for the care of beards and mustaches. The product is handcrafted according to special recipes — in addition to traditional ingredients, it contains a number of nourishing oils that protect hair and stimulate hair growth. An important nuance is the pronounced spicy aroma of wax, which persists throughout the day.
- Trius. The product line of the Russian manufacturing company provides buyers with a wide selection of aromas and 3 degrees of fixation. The main component is beeswax or carnauba wax, supplemented with several nourishing oils at once.
- The Bluebeards Revenge. A line of products made in England, including means of varying degrees of fixation, composition and purpose. Used even for professional styling. Storage containers are aluminum jars that extend the shelf life of the product.
- Borodist. A Russian-made product that confidently declared itself in 2013. Most of the offered products have a soft structure, and the natural composition of the products makes it the sales leader in the entire CIS. Another plus that attracts the attention of buyers is the stylish packaging made of environmentally friendly material, thanks to which the product is well preserved and remains safe for a long time.
- Cowboy Comb. The products of the American company are popular all over the world — the beeswax and shea butter included in it provide good fixation and, thanks to their natural shade, are invisible on the hairs.
- Manly. Ukrainian manufacturer of personal care products for men, offering a classic version of wax with a rigid structure for maximum fixation and «summer», soft and enriched with wheat germ oil, which protect hairs from burnout.
Of course, every bearded man must find his own ideal facial hair care product, but why not take advantage of someone else’s experience to protect yourself from annoying mistakes?
How to properly use beard wax
Even having bought a whole arsenal of the best tools for styling a beard and mustache, you may not get the desired result if you do not learn how to use them. In extreme cases, the effect will even be the opposite — incorrectly or too thickly applied wax will make the facial hair look dirty and greasy. The first thing to remember is that you need care products every day. This is especially true of bearded men with lush and shapeless vegetation.
Hair should be thoroughly washed before waxing. If this rule is followed, you can safely proceed: open the jar and pry a little cosmetic with your thumb. To tidy up the mustache, the product will need no more than a pea, for the beard — a larger ball. The mass must be malleable, otherwise it will not be possible to distribute it evenly over the hairs, therefore, before applying the wax, you need to gently, carefully warming it up in your hands, knead it with your fingers and rub it between your palms.
The next step is to slowly move from the temples to the chin, apply wax on the beard, from roots to ends of the hair (in the case of a mustache, it is better to move from the center to the edge). So that there are no lumps or stuck hairs left, the treated vegetation must be carefully combed with a special brush or comb, simultaneously giving the desired shape. If there is not enough wax, the procedure can be repeated, but it is better not to be zealous, otherwise the presence of the cosmetic product on the mustache and beard will be noticeable even with the naked eye.
At the end of the day, beard and mustache wax should be rinsed off properly. You can use soap and hot water, but then there is a risk of overdrying the skin if this becomes a daily ritual. Therefore, it is better to purchase a special wax remover with softening and nourishing components, or use olive oil — apply it to the hairs, wait and comb out the remaining wax with a comb or brush.
Can you make beard wax at home?
The answer to this question is unequivocally positive — it is quite possible to make beard wax at home with your own hands. The components can be easily found in pharmacies or cosmetic stores, which means that you just need to choose the recipe you like and strictly follow the instructions. The base invariably remains beeswax, yellow or white, and you can experiment with the rest of the ingredients as you like. You can get about 20 g of a natural product from 15 g of beeswax, 4 g of lanolin, 2,5 g of peach seed oil and 5-6 drops of essential oil.
The wax must first be crushed, the easiest way is to grate it, and then melt it in a water bath. When the mass is heated, lanolin is added, after which the mixture must be stirred over low heat until it becomes liquid. Further, peach seed oil and flavorings are introduced into it. In order for the wax to turn out to be of high quality, it is important to mix the finished mass thoroughly, making it homogeneous, and then cool and put it in a previously washed and dried container with a tight lid.
Having decided to make a cosmetic product for a beard and mustache with your own hands, you need to pay special attention to the smell of the finished product. By mixing the ingredients yourself, it is not always possible to predict what flavor will ultimately turn out. Therefore, it is better to choose essential oils and essences with an unobtrusive smell, adding them just a couple of drops for the first time. If the result meets expectations, the amount of flavoring can be increased in the future, or you can go for more daring experiments by adding several oils with different smells to the wax at once, for example, citrus and mint.
Also popular among beard styling products is a recipe based on coconut oil. In this case, instead of peach seed oil, refined coconut oil is added to beeswax, which has protective and nourishing properties, as well as a pleasant sweet aroma.
There are a lot of similar recipes, as well as ready-made cosmetics for beard care — all that remains is to make the right choice. The main thing is to remember that facial hair requires constant attention, and the more often its «carrier» will forget about it, the less the appearance of the beard and mustache will please him and those around him.
