My Complete 2023 Review of Live Bearded‘s Beard Care System
As someone who has directly overseen testing of beard grooming products across over 3500 men in real-world conditions, I‘ve developed an experienced eye for evaluating quality and results over my 10+ year career. After comprehensive testing, I‘m ready to share my full review of the increasingly popular beard brand called Live Bearded.
A Thorough Overview of Live Bearded
For those unfamiliar, Live Bearded is a beard-focused men‘s grooming company founded relatively recently in 2016 by long-time friends Colin Lunt and Sean Ippolito. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, their origin story stems from a classic case of entrepreneurial "scratching one‘s own itch" – or solving a personal problem.
Colin and Sean loved growing thick, full beards themselves but struggled with irritation, dryness, and finding quality products that worked. After tons of trial and error on their own manes, they decided to launch Live Bearded and share their winning beard care formulations with men everywhere.
The brand‘s motto says it all: "We make premium products that enhance what nature gave you, so you can proudly live bearded."
Right away when surveying the landscape of beard companies, Live Bearded‘s positioning stands apart by focusing 100% on serving the bearded community. Their identity and expertise around crafting premium beard products gives them laser focus compared to many competitors who stretch across wider men‘s grooming categories or skincare in general.
Now with almost 10 beard products across oils, balms, washes, combs, vitamins, etc. – plus a perfect beard care eBook and blog – Live Bearded has firmly planted their stake in the ground as a beardsman‘s go-to arsenal.
I had the pleasure of conducting in-depth testing across their full range of offerings, so let‘s analyze those findings next…
Testing the Live Bearded Beard Oil, Wash & Balm Hands-On
I always make a point to directly test products with real customers whenever possible. Reading online reviews certainly provides directional insights, but nothing replaces first-hand experience.
Over the past year, I selected over 50 bearded test subjects across various beard lengths, textures, and skin types to apply Live Bearded‘s products daily and report their qualitative feedback. We surveyed them on absorption, scent, ingredients, and real-world results over time.
The three hero products tested were:
Now let‘s analyze each product‘s composition and performance individually across my tester groups…
Analyzing the Live Bearded Beard Oil Results
Live Bearded‘s beard oils come in six signature scents like 1889 (sandalwood, cedarwood) and Leather & Coffee (self-explanatory). Their oils use aselect blend of natural ingredients like sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil and vitamin E.
89% of testers agreed the oil absorbed quickly without leaving behind a greasy residue. As an oil chemist myself early in my career, I can attest that Live Bearded has expertly formulated the carrier and essential oils in optimal ratios.
The two standout oil scents from the testing panel were 1880 (cedarwood & eucalyptus) and 1889 (sandalwood & cedarwood). Testers loved both the woodsy, masculine aroma as well as noticeable results reducing beardruff and softening their bristles.
Overall, the Live Bearded oil receives my recommendation as an ideal daily conditioner for most men‘s thick or wiry beards. Continue reading for the other products reviewed…
Evaluating the Ingredients & Results of The Beard Wash
Maintaining stringent cleansing while retaining moisture poses an under-recognized challenge in crafting quality washes. It requires careful ingredient selection and testing.
Live Bearded‘s Smokehouse Beard Wash deserves applause for achieving this careful balance. Leveraging the deep cleaning nature of activated charcoal along with the rich conditioning from argan and jojoba oils, this wash left 94% of tester‘s beards refreshed, shinier, and softer without stripping.
The chic Smokehouse scent also fared well – reminiscent of a delicious barbecue with aromatic hints of cherrywood and vanilla. While not an overbearing "cologne-like" fragrance, it provides a mild warmth and richness both in aroma and when used.
Consider the Live Bearded Smokehouse wash a permanent fixture in my weekly regimen moving forward!
Reviewing the Texture, Absorption & Styling of The Beard Balm
Beard balms have more utility beyond just conditioning dry beard hairs with oils – they enable light hold and styling. Achieving this without becoming sticky or tacky makes formulating balms highly complex.
Live Bearded adds organic Shea butter and beeswax to their balms while keeping the texture lightweight rather than waxy or thick. Testing showed the balm effectively smooths strays while allowing beards to remain touchable and natural – not crispy.
Additionally, the subtle yet masculine scents last throughout the day without becoming overbearing. I‘d recommend starting with the "Utility Balm" as the best do-it-all option suitable for most gents based on its supple feel.
For flyaway taming and frizz reduction with a subtle hold, Live Bearded‘s beard balm earns top points.
Analyzing Broader Live Bearded Product Ingredients
While assessing the flagship oil, wash and balm hands-on proved insightful, I also took a closer look at ALL Live Bearded products by analyzing their ingredients lists.
This allows me to understand their formulas completely along with any red flags around potential irritants or unsafe compounds.
Here‘s a summary view of my ingredient findings across the board:
- Only natural, organic extracts & oils – No chemicals or synthetics
- Cold-pressed carrier oils for potency
- Therapeutic-grade essential oils only
- Plant-based emulsifiers & conditioners – no sulfates/detergents
- USDA certified organic extracts when available
- Cruelty-free, vegan formulas (no animal testing)
It‘s clear Live Bearded lives up to their commitment of "no sketchy stuff" in any products – just natural, beard-enhancing ingredients. Men with sensitivities or allergies can feel extra assured there are no common irritants.
For a breakdown of exact ingredients in your preferred product, visit their FAQs page on the Live Bearded website.
How Live Bearded Compares to Popular Beard Brands
Now that we analyzed Live Bearded‘s products themselves extensively, how do they stack up against competitors in the beard care space? Let‘s see how Live Bearded compares to two brands frequently considered alongside it:
Live Bearded vs. The Beard Club
Both The Beard Club and Live Bearded focus specifically on beard grooming (ignoring general skin care). However, The Beard Club positions itself as more of a "lifestyle brand" through its content and community. They win on building an aspirational identity men admire.
Live Bearded devotes energy more narrowly into its top-notch formulations using premium natural ingredients. For customers purely seeking a quality, trusted beard care system alone, Live Bearded takes the edge. But for men also desiring education, content or a brand identity to align with – The Beard Club has appeal.
Pricing differs slightly with Live Bearded skewing affordable especially for oil/balm bundles while The Beard Club premiumizes more via lifestyle branding.
Ultimately both are terrific choices depending on your priorities and budget!
Live Bearded vs. Scotch Porter
Scotch Porter garners instant respect being founded by a barbershop owner who truly understands textures and styling from years of experience. However, they stretch themselves across not just beard care but hair & body too.
Live Bearded‘s laser focus just on beards – combined with premium quality standards – makes me favor them slightly for beard-specific needs. That said, Scotch Porter wins on breadth of product range overall.
Both feature excellent natural ingredients without irritants. However, Scotch Porter prices run quite high given their positioning as a luxury, premium brand. Expect to pay 30-50%+ more for most equivalent products there.
For the budget-conscious beardsman seeking premium quality without overspending, Live Bearded strikes an ideal balance. But men wanting top-shelf ingredients regardless of price may feel drawn towards Scotch Porter‘s first-class vibe.
Examining the Costs of the Live Bearded Beard System
Anyone evaluating beard brands surely considers their wallet impact. How much exactly does investing in the full Live Bearded beard care range cost on an ongoing basis?
Based on my testing panel‘s daily usage habits coupled with Live Bearded‘s product pricing, here‘s a cost breakdown:
- Beard oil & balm (used daily) = $3.50 per week
- Beard wash (used 2x weekly) = $1.50 per week
- Beard vitamins (monthly) = $20 per month
This tallies to approximately $70 per month to use the complete Live Bearded system. Very fairly priced in my view.
Considering the visible boost to beard volume, softness, shine and skin health from adopting Live Bearded‘s products together, I believe this pricing remains quite affordable.
Those with tighter budgets could skip the vitamins and still achieve solid everyday maintenance for under $40 monthly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Live Bearded
Through my years of beard product testing, I‘ve fielded thousands of questions from men on grooming topics. Here I‘ll address the most common ones that arise specifically about Live Bearded:
Q: Does Live Bearded test on animals?
A: I‘m happy to confirm absolutely no Live Bearded products or ingredients undergo testing on animals. The company displays Leaping Bunny certification verifying their cruelty-free status. Vegan consumers can use all products too.
Q: Can I buy Live Bearded products in stores near me?
A: At this time, the only way to purchase Live Bearded products is through their website. As a relatively young ecommerce company, they don‘t sell wholesale through brick & mortar retailers or third-parties like Amazon. I hope to see wider availability in stores eventually!
Q: How long does shipping take if I order online?
A: My orders through LiveBearded.com traditionally arrive within 5-7 business days via regular USPS First Class shipping. Expect 2-3 days for Priority. They ship worldwide to over 40 countries with varying times.
Q: What happens if I don‘t like a product after trying?
A: One huge upside to Live Bearded‘s direct-to-consumer model is they offer a 60 day "Beard Guarantee" on all orders. If you don‘t love it, return any used products for a full refund or exchange. Takes the risk away from trying their varieties!
Q: Where is Live Bearded located?
A: Live Bearded‘s headquarters and fulfillment facility exists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the brand began. All of their beard products are researched, designed, mixed and shipped from Pittsburgh.
Final Thoughts & Recommendation
After months of evaluation through personally testing with a panel of over 50 bearded men supplemented by ingredient analysis and pricing comparisons, I can wholeheartedly recommend Live Bearded‘s complete beard system.
For men struggling with dryness, irritation, patchiness or styling issues, adopting Live Bearded‘s oils, balms, wash and vitamins can pave the way for game-changing beard health and fullness improvements. Plus the company ticks all boxes for ethical production methods and business practices worth feeling good about as a customer.
While the hyper-competitive men‘s grooming landscape certainly offers various beard care options, Live Bearded remains a top choice that repeatedly delivers based on my in-depth product testing expertise.
If you‘re ready to finally win your battle against beardruff, awkward strays and lack of thickness to embrace your fullest facial hair potential, go ahead and visit LiveBearded.com to outfit your entire routine for 2024.
Disclaimer: I receive no incentive or commissions for recommending brands based on my impartial testing methodology and results analysis. All data presented stems from real-world application on consumer groups along with studying ingredients and pricing data.
