The best beard conditioner for you is a matter of preference: Do you want a lightweight beard oil, a denser beard balm, or a middle-ground product (like a leave-in lotion or rinse-out conditioner)? Some people opt for more than one of those products, too, but it’s important to incorporate at least one beard conditioning agent into your regimen, especially if you want to avoid beard itch, beard dandruff, and stubborn, unstylable scruff. This extra step can also ensure you grow the healthiest, softest beard possible. 

So, from beard oils to balms to moisturizing creams, here are the best beard conditioners for maintaining soft, healthy scruff—but first, the best types of ingredients to look for across the board.

The Best Ingredients to Look For in a Beard Conditioner

Before getting into the different types of beard conditioners, let’s quickly spotlight some of the best ingredients you should seek out. You’ll notice a pattern here: they’re mostly oils and butters, which will seep into the hairs and even into the underlying skin. They prevent things like beard itch, split ends, brittle hairs, beard dandruff, and to even promote beard growth and shine. 

Jojoba oil: One of the best hair growth oils, in that it promotes longevity with its extremely nourishing properties.

Coconut oil: This ingredient softens and moisturizes, while neutralizing bacteria and fungus with its antimicrobial abilities. (Note that coconut oil can clog pores of acne-prone individuals.)

Argan oil: Bolsters defenses with its antioxidant powers, thus preventing dryness, split ends, and more.

Shea butter: Conditions hair and skin with fatty acid and a roster of vitamins.

Cocoa butter: Simultaneously softens hairs and strengthens their shafts. (Also highly comedogenic for acne-prone individuals.)

Beeswax: You might find this more commonly in balms and heavy-set styling products. Still, beeswax is extremely moisturizing, and it coats the strands to trap moisture inside the hairs.

Different Types of Beard Conditioning Products1. Beard Oil

A beard oil is one of the easiest products to add into your regimen, and a few drops go a long way. Beard oils condition your facial hair by pumping the strands full of moisture. They can soften the hairs on contact, and keep them more relaxed over time. This prevents things like split ends, breakage, and beard itch—and it even nourishes the skin itself, since that often goes ignored once you’ve got hair covering everything up. (And in turn, this prevents beard dandruff.)

Most blends offer some universal version of these benefits, while others might offer a unique oil blend that targets specific conditions. Regardless, apply beard oil to clean, dried hair of all lengths, both morning and night. It should absorb quickly, and in the evening won’t rub off into your pillowcases.

GQ’s Favorite Beard Oils:

King C. Gillette beard oil$10

Amazon

Baxter of California beard oil$28

Amazon

Smooth Viking beard oil$12

Amazon

2. Beard Balm

Beard balms are lightweight but, compared to beard oils, offer significantly greater control over your beard’s shape and style. This makes them more optimal for longer beards, though guys with full scruff should also use beard oils to help nourish the skin beneath all that bush.

The best balms are chock full of beard softening oils, butters, and possibly even waxes, depending on the recipe. You can use them in the morning to get better control over your beard (and even in place of a beard oil if your balm contains the same ingredients).

GQ’s Favorite Beard Balms:

Honest Amish beard balm$11

Amazon

Scotch Porter beard balm$15

Amazon

Blind Barber x Bryce Harper beard balm$16

Ulta

3. Leave-In Conditioner

Product nomenclature can get fuzzy, especially as you enter the middle ground between beard oils and beard balms.  This is largely because different brands might offer entirely unique formulas for their similarly named products. Beard creams and moisturizers have the same goal, of course, which is to hydrate and condition your whiskers. Their texture is probably inherent to their name: A beard cream would feel like a hair cream, with lightweight holding properties, while a beard moisturizer will feel similar to a facial lotion, and will likely absorb more completely into the skin and hair. 

Along those lines, anything calling itself a leave-in conditioner is basically a beard cream with tons of beard softening ingredients. Don’t get too hung up on the name of your chosen product; instead, simply make sure you’re using it properly. In any case, you can wear any of them overnight if they absorb into your skin and hair (like a beard oil), but anything that leaves residue or provides hold should only be worn in the daytime. One approach we also love is using post-shave or pre-shave conditioning products as leave-in softeners. Anything that is designated to soften skin and hairs alike is terrific for this, so don’t get lost in the weeds when it comes to different product names from all the brands out there.

GQ’s Favorite Leave-In Beard Conditioners:

Jack Black beard conditioner, pre/post shave, and shaving lotion$18

Ulta

Cremo beard & scruff cream$12 $8

Amazon

Stubble & 'Stache beard and face moisturizer$34

Amazon

You can also get that Jack Black beard conditioner in the latest edition of the GQ Box. 

The Spring 2023 GQ Box$50

GQ

4. Rinse-Out Conditioner

You can, in fact, use regular hair conditioner on your beard in order to soften it (just like you can use regular facial cleanser or shampoo on your whiskers, too). That said, you need to remember that products engineered for your scalp and hair are very different from those engineered for your face—since some ingredients might visibly irritate the face or clog pores. 

So, while the head shampoo and conditioner would certainly benefit your hairs, it might not benefit the skin underneath your whiskers. Instead, pick up a rinse-out product that's been specifically engineered for your mug. Wash your whiskers, then rinse it out and apply the conditioner for 1-2 minutes before also rinsing it away. Some products also act as a conditioning wash (the same way a co-wash combines both steps up top your head, except this time for your beard). Then, follow the shower with a leave-in oil or conditioning cream.

Or, cleanse with your facial cleanser, and follow the shower with a beard oil, cream, moisturizer, or balm application. It’s as easy as that.

GQ’s Favorite Rinse-Out Beard Conditioners:

ZEUS rinse-away beard conditioner$18

Amazon

Anthony conditioning beard wash$26

Amazon

Just For Men rinse-away beard conditioner$10

Amazon

More Great Grooming Recommendations from GQ

The Best Beard Trimmers of 2024

The 10 Best Moisturizers for Every Type of Skin

The Best Men's Deodorant for Every Kind of Stink and Sweat

The Absolute Best Face Washes for Men

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQBathroom and ShowerBeardsFacial Hair