One of the many reasons we love the Better Man Beard brand has nothing to do with the products themselves, but rather the man behind the brand. Justin Thomas has a singular and powerful vision for the brand that is rooted in helping men with their grooming, beard care, and to just be a better version of themselves all around. Here is an interview with Justin about how he brought the Better Man Beard brand to life. 

What inspired you to start Better Man Beard and create the products you do?

My hands have always cracked and bothered me as an adult in the winter. It didn’t seem like any product I purchased helped much. My wife being an esthetician suggested I should just make a product that would heal my hands. Lotion was just not going to do it. I did a ton of research and came up with a really good product (Better Balm). My hands never crack now! 

That gave me the confidence to make a beard balm. I started growing my beard in 2013. I used various beard balms. I really liked how they tightened up my beard and how it made it look, but I noticed I didn’t use it on a daily basis because they were all too waxy. I just wouldn’t spend the time daily to warm it up to be able to apply it to my beard. 

My wife also got sick of the whiskey/tobacco type smells. Those types of uber manly scents are predominant in the beard care industry. I think the industry has it wrong. The scent should be more for the person kissing the beard owner than the person wearing the beard. Also, those uber manly scents are created by using fragrance oils and I don’t believe we should put those chemicals on our face.

What sets you apart from the others in the industry?

Our products are all natural and oil based. We do not use fragrance oils, chemicals, or alcohols to preserve or add scent to our beard care products. Our scents are gender neutral. Our balms are a little softer than most and our oils are a little thicker than most.

What drives you to create a quality product for your customer base?

Our products can make any beard better with regular use. Softer, stronger, thicker, better smelling. We offer a product that helps to reduce skin irritation and itchiness. We work hard to ensure that they bring out the color, and tame the fly away hairs.

How did you learn to create the various recipes for your first balms and oils?

Lots of research and trial and error. Our original beard balm Lavender/Rosemary took 14 months and 57 batches before we deemed it worthy to go to market. At the time it felt like overkill, but we are happy we took that time to make the product we did. We are very confident in what we have and are creating.

Were there any scents, recipes, or products that you had initially wanted to start with, but ended up being cut or put on pause?

Sandalwood. I love the way our sandalwood beard combs smell, but with high quality sandalwood essential oils I cannot replicate that scent. I tried! I would be able to create that scent with sandalwood fragrance oils, but we don’t feel people should put those chemicals on their face. So the sandalwood scent will have to just live in the comb for now.

What does being a “better man” mean to you?

“The right thing is always the right thing to do.” This is what Better Man Beard lives by and we share that type of thinking to our community by always trying to do the right thing.

By making a man’s beard more presentable we believe it will give him more confidence to take on life and ultimately be more successful! A well maintained and moisturized beard will set you apart in life.