Simple mustache wax recipe from humblebeeandme (29-44% beeswax):
- 10g jojoba oil
- 4-8g beeswax
- 11 drops of essential oil
Start light, re-melt and add more beeswax as needed. Add essential oils when it’s the right consistency.
Or this softer beard balm (20% beeswax):
- 5g beeswax
- 4g shea butter
- 16g oils (could be replaced with grapeseed, sunflower)
- 11 drops of essential oil
Even a conditioning beard balm (8-15% beeswax):
- 6g BTMS-50 – also helps against build up (could replace with BTMS-25)
- 2-4g beeswax
- 5g mango butter – could replace with shea but greasier
- 12g oils (could be replaced with grapeseed, sunflower?)
- Vitamin E
And an even lighter conditioning formulation (6% beeswax):
- 3g BTMS-25
- 0.9g beeswax
- 3g coconut oil
- 8g oils (jojoba, argan, ..)
- Vitamin E
Also, this guide is great for checking the effect of different percentages of beeswax. Basically:
- 50%: hard & sticky, doesn’t melt
- 33%: firm & not really sticky, melts slowly
- 25%: soft & not sticky, melts averagely
- 20%: not solid, melts averagely
- 17%: not solid, melts quickly
- 13%: not solid, melts very quickly
BTMS and any butters also affect the consistency. BTMS-25 is a more potent hardener than BTMS-50. The butters from soft to hard: coconut, mango, shea, cacao – this matters less at >10% wax. Of these, mango is the least greasy. Only coconut melts directly on skin contact, the others need some convincing.
I think I’d like to try the BTMS-50 & mango butter one, perhaps substituting coconut oil instaead.