Hair & Body
The Best Unscented Beard Products
I absolutely love having a beard, but there’s one thing I don’t like about it: I don’t like having a beard that smells. I’m not just talking about the scent of dirt or stale beer; I personally don’t want my beard to smell like anything, including fragrances. While many of our brands make some lovely scents, and I do love fine fragrances, I’m just not keen on having them under my nose for 12 hours most days. I’m willing to bet you feel the same if you're reading this article. These are my suggestions for the best unscented products to put in your beard.
Unscented beard products
I always start the beard discussion with the importance of washing correctly. You want to use a product formulated for your beard, not the drying shampoo you use on your hair. Any product labeled “beard wash” should do the trick, but I’m partial to Tremendous Beard Wash. It’s deeply cleansing, totally unscented, and even has a matching unscented beard conditioner!
Speaking of moisture, it’s essential to follow any wash with some hydration, as even the most gentle wash will leave your face fuzz feeling a bit parched. Again, Tremendous makes a fantastic unscented beard and face cream. Mammoth Beard Co. also makes a very similar product if you’re brand-loyal, and theirs comes in a nicer recyclable glass container!
Fragrance-Free Beard Oils & Balms
Oils are easily the most popular category of beard products, accounting for most folk’s first experience with beard care. You’ll quickly notice there’s no shortage of ‘man-scented’ scents like Lumberjack Sweat and Arnold’s Cigar Ash, but there wasn’t much else for a while. Luckily, beard companies caught on quickly and started making more gender-neutral scents like Lime, Lemongrass, Lavender, and some unscented oils. I find Mammoth’s Unscented Beard Oil an excellent all-rounder, but Like Grandpa also has a lighter option if you keep a short beard.
Unscented balms and waxes are even less common; luckily, Mammoth is on the ball once again with their unscented beard balm and even a strong-hold version! Unscented moustache waxes are shockingly uncommon for some reason, especially considering they’ll be under your nose all day. That said, I find Uncle Norman’s Moustache Tamer to be exceptionally light in scent, only naturally fragrances with beeswax, pine resin, and juniper oil. I used this one for years and found my nose tunes it out right away. Once again, Mammoth comes through with a genuinely unscented product that doesn’t disappoint!
Naturally scented beard products
While I sometimes prefer to avoid scents altogether, I do find myself in the mood for some light fragrance once in a while. Luckily, most beard products are scented naturally, so they’re far less likely to bug you than the average drugstore product. Mammoth Beard Co. uses only natural ingredients as their co-founder, Lindsay, has a background in aromatherapy and massage. Like Grandpa also believes in using natural local ingredients and has scented their products naturally, except for their Sandalwood line. Finally, Bartigan & Stark is a personal favourite, and founder Glenn Loveless has even told me he tends to go for a five out of ten in terms of scent intensity.
That’s about it! There aren’t an overwhelming number of choices, and I’m cool with that. A handful of unscented products do the trick for me beautifully, and I can mix in the odd scented item as I like. Happy bearding, folks!
