Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First, the scent. What about the scent? There is much to-do about the scent in the reviews and you may be afraid that the scent is "strong" or that you'll smell like licorice all the time. Don't be concerned. I have no idea what these people are on about. There is a hint of anise (black licorice) but I think the scent is a mix of spice notes and woodsy scents with maybe a tiny bit of anise. I think, personally, the top note is clove. Is it a strong scent? No, absolutely not. One single spritz of cologne is way stronger than this stuff. Will you smell it? Yes, faintly, and for a little bit until you either adjust or the scent fades away--it's hard to measure what is actually happening under one's nose. Having used it for a few days, my wife did not even notice the scent of it on me. In fact, for the sake of science, I put a lot on one morning, waited a few minutes, and had my wife give me a sniff from about 5 inches away. She said that she couldn't really smell anything at all. In any event, I think it smells quite good. (NOTE: If you cringe at the thought of wearing even the weakest scent, as some men do, Honest Amish makes an unscented version of this balm.) Does it work? Yes. My beard is softer and it looks nicer too. I'd recommend the product to anyone who uses a stronger soap for face cleaning as a strong soap turns your beard hair into steel wool. This, along with some good conditioner, helps put things back into shape. Does it help with the dreaded beard itch? Yes, and boy was I glad that it did. Does it help with the dreaded beardruff? Yes, my skin is regularly flaky with beards and this took care of that too. Is it greasy? Well, at first it is a little moist. After you put it on, it does seem to soak up very well such that you don't have any meaningful residue on your beard. If you use a lot, it'll be a bit greasy, but if you've used a beard oil before you should know what you're in for. Does it help with holding or shaping? Basically, no. It does contain wax, but this stuff is for conditioning. If you want a bit more hold, buy the heavy duty balm (and see my review on that.) I used this stuff in the early stages of my beard and switched to the heavy duty balm when my beard got longer and more unruly. Does a little go a long way? Yes, so don't be put off by what seems to be a small tin. You're supposed to apply this to a damp beard and the dampness helps the small amount of the product go even further. There's no "set" amount to use here, naturally. You can tailor it to your liking or your need for conditioning. I tend to use a good-sized portion, particularly as my beard gets longer and before I transition over to the Heavy Duty Beard Balm. Still, I'm not burning through tins. I've had the same tin for more than a year. Get it. Try it. A "For The Ladies" Edit, 11/29/15: My wife, for whatever reason, started using this on the ends of her hair. She's been doing it for months now and swears by it. So, I asked her why she likes it so much. She said that it keeps her ends moisturized and it has helped to eliminate split ends. She said she also thinks it would have useful application in controlling fly-aways while braiding. I'm pretty sure I have very little idea what that means.