EXCELLENT RESULTS! My take plus few tips…
To be clear, I am providing a review for the Grizzly Mountain “Brown” color which differs from dark brown in some ingredients. I am extremely happy with the Brown as I obtained the exact results I wanted. For the second half of this review I felt compelled to share the details of my application that I believe can be a big help for others.
First to describe my beard – Currently it relatively short, about 10mm. My natural born color is a medium brown, however in the last couple years I have scattered whitish gray mixed about and the front of my chin has faded to almost white. Since I had a reaction to JFM years ago which I used when I first noticed the grays, I stopped with color and once I went to white on my chin, killed the beard and never skipped shaving beyond a couple days of stubble.
Over the last couple of years I have kept an eye out for a natural dye that wouldn’t stain my skin or turn my beard red (tried regular “brown” henna cream and that was NOT a natural look). Then I came across Grizzly Mountain Brown Beard Dye and decided to take a shot. As of now, I have used the product twice over the last 3 weeks. And well – It looks perfectly natural as in “excellently” natural! The whitish gray on my chin turned a medium sandy blonde. The rest of my face matches up quite well to my original natural color. The best part – nobody, I mean absolutely NOBODY noticed I used any dye or color. The Grizzly Mt. takes the grays out of the equation and leaves a beautiful blend of brown and sandy blonde that looks great and restores my beard to a youthful and most importantly NATURAL appearance. Besides the reactions from chemical dyes, I think they can look absolutely ridiculous if the results are too dark or uniform in appearance.
I have read reviews from some guys that are disappointed with the results and I truly believe application method is crucial to get great results – so please read on if you want to give this product the best shot. One important thing to understand is that this product is natural and can’t break down hair to infuse color with harsh chemicals like JFM, etc. So to avoid stripping the color at the time of application I use a gentle cleanser that is free of alcohol or sodium laureth sulfate. Next, I pat my face dry and mix the dye with HOT tap water (as stated in the instructions) in a PLASTIC bowl and stir it with a PLASTIC spoon. Keep in mind that metal can and will interfere with many plant-based dyes. Finally I use the brush provided and gently “slather” (love that word) it on my face starting with my chin since it is the lightest and apply it to the whole beard except the mustache area for the first 10 minutes (my moustache is naturally darker than the rest of my beard). After 10 minutes, I finally add the mixture to my moustache area for to set for the last 5 minutes equalling a total of 15 minutes time. (You may wish to go 30 minutes depending on your needs). To remove the goop, I use the plastic spoon handle to gently rake downwards and push the excess goop from my face and into the sink. Then I hit the shower and use luke warm water and cleanser to gently, but thoroughly wash/rinse away the mixture from my skin. I do not “scrub”, but instead gently massage the skin below my beard with my fingers while running the shower over all areas to be sure it is completely rinsed from the hair and skin. (Please note that any left over dye will sit on your skin and in some cases may cause irritation if you apply strong skin products (i.e. acne gels, etc.). Finally, I pat my face dry and see immediate light brown results with a bit of greenish tint from the dye (completely normal). Within 2-3 hours the greenish tone is completely gone and it looks GREAT! Over the next 12-24 hours it goes a bit darker. Handy tip: Do this at bedtime and come morning no worries about green. Also just to note, the dye leaves a slightly “earthy” smell after application. I personally take no issue with it. Upon the morning shower I use a scented conditioner on the freshly colored beard and then all is well.
In closing I really hope this review and my two cents on application helps other men in getting great results and happiness. Again I can’t emphasize how important it is to try and avoid chemical-based or harsh cleansers around the application process. I imagine the color will also last much longer if a gentle cleanser or shampoo is used for daily washing as well. So gentlemen, those of you who try to go this natural route – have fun and best of luck!
Posted by “Kindle Customer” on Amazon.com, December 26, 2016.
Works great with nice color variation
I just tried this product last night and I’m pleased so far. I’ve been using Just For Men for about 10 years and I never liked the chemical aspects and the uniform (one color) coverage it provided. It was way easy to go too dark, especially after multiple applications. I put the Grizzly brown mix on for 20 minutes. It smelled very much like green tea – heavy vegetable and grass clippings smell. Anyway, I washed it off with gentle cleanser and did notice a light green tinge. It has improved and this picture is of me 20 hours later. There’s a very faint green color in this closeup picture under florescent light, but from a distance and in normal light you cannot see it. I love how it created varied tones of blond and brown. I’m about 75% gray on my chin and it covered it nicely. I did not want a uniform color and I like that it looks natural. I’ll be interested to see how it affects the color when I reapply – I’m planning to grow out my beard and will have to cover the roots. Overall I’m amazed it worked so well!
Posted by “pthal” on Amazon.com, January 18, 2017
My go to choice
I have a pretty long beard, and I find this to work as well as any chemical dye. It does have to stay on significantly longer than more commercial dyes, but I’m okay with that because it’s hard to get the right shade with chemical dyes. My beard is more a dark blond or light brown, and ten minutes with this is just about a perfect match for my regular color without making the rest noticeably darker. I also don’t use the amount in the directions. My beard is about three inches long for the most part, and a heaping teaspoon mixed with water is plenty. It really does take a couple of applications before you get the full effect, but once every ten days or so maintains the color. I didn’t experience the green tint some others have mentioned.
Posted by “the mighty penon” on Amazon.com, November 28, 2016
It really, really works!
When I was a little boy, there used to be this commercial for something that ended with some obnoxious kid saying: “…and it really really works!”. It was one of those catch phrases, that you couldn’t get out of your mind, and became part of our cultural lexicon for a little while, sort of like: “Where’s the beef?”, and “I fell and I can’t get up!” (both of which, by the way have been trademarked!). Anyway, ever since then, in the rare moments when I purchase something and it really does what it says it’s going to do… I find myself repeating that line. And yes, when it came to this herbal beard dye, I found myself shouting it in my bathroom mirror more than once. I have always hated shaving but having fast growth on my face, it was a morning ritual. I also have sensitive skin so went through dozens of different creams, lotions, razors, etc., trying not to deal with an itchy face all day. So recently when I got an assignment that would take me “into the wilds” as they say, I finally was able to live a life-long dream of becoming, at least for a while, the mountain man, Jeremiah Johnson. And what’s a mountain man without a beard? I had one in my youth, ironically since I looked so young I wanted to age myself… and in those days, even though I have brown hair, the beard came out red. There’s lots of red hair folks in my family. It was really kind of cool. So, forgetting that many, many years have gone by since then, I started to let it grow again, and soon discovered that instead of red, I was growing a white Christmas. So, I was less Robert Redford and more Grizzly Adams! I never thought of using hair dye on a beard. There’s just too many horror stories about what those chemicals can do to you. And worse yet are the chemical over-the-counter dyes for beards.
Being that the chemicals are in much more contact with your skin, they do much more damage, including many cancer scares. But an old friend, who is a herpetologist and naturalist, told me that there were actually some natural herbs that mixed together can create a harmless oxidation of your hair follicles without any harm to skin or health. She recommend this product.
Of course I was dubious, but the price was right, and she assured me that the worst thing that could happen is that it will not work at all, or perhaps give my beard a green tinge, which I could easily shave off. Yes, as other reviewers have said, once you mix the green powder, it does smell a lot like day-old asparagus, or wet lawn clippings that you still have not raked up in your backyard, but hey, that’s a natural smell after all. Not like the toxic smell you get from the other hair dyes, that make you think that any moment a group of Hazmat workers in full helmeted white uniforms will be crashing through your door to “clean up” the “spill” then scrub you within an inch of your life like Karen Silkwood.
The instructions are well written, and very simple actually. As the instructions say, since this is a natural herb mixture and not a chemical dye, you don’t see results right away. You leave the stuff on your face to dry for about fifteen minutes, and then wash it off in the shower. No stinging, or any other side effects. The instructions say that it will slowly oxidize and in about a day or so, you will start to see a natural darkening. You can get either brown or black (I got brown). And yes, overnight, I did see that my beard went from “winter wonderland”, to “amber waves of grain”. And as the instructions said, it does continue to darken. But the best part is somehow it doesn’t come off as a Ronald Reagan dye job. It looks totally natural. The coloration is slightly shaded around the beard, and there’s even a slight hit of the natural gray, but it all works to make it look like this is the real beard, and yes, it does shed years off your appearance. You need to redo it every month or so, but again, you’re dealing with lawn shavings here, so what harm is there? Now, here is another bit of news. And again, this may not work for everyone, so be careful. I’m not recommending it, just letting you know my own personal experience… however, I wrote to the company with what I thought was a “silly” question. I have some gray on my head-hair as well, and wondered since this works on a beard, is there any way I could use it on my head-hair as well? I do see there are other “natural” products for that out there, but I just like this stuff, and feel safe with it. They wrote back right away and said, no, it wasn’t a silly question at all, and yes, it will work and is safe to use on your head-hair as well. So, I tried it. Now the mixture for the beard was done thicker, about the consistency of ketchup, but that is too thick to spread evenly and deeply on my head-hair, so I added more water, and made it more the consistence of whole milk. I then wet my hair, and rubbed it through my hair, and then combed it in with a brush as well, to get down to the roots. I kept that in for fifteen minutes, and washed it out in the shower. Again, you may want to test this on a little part of your hair before trying it, since everyone’s hair has different reactions to anything… but in my case, it worked beautifully. I have to admit that I have used the over-the-counter chemical stuff a few times, and I found that it was damaging my hair, but this worked like a conditioner.
My hair actually looks and feels thicker, and like the beard, it gives it a very natural darkening, and the gray does disappear. So, okay, men… if you are not brave enough to walk into the outside world with a gray beard… and still want to try and capture a few more years of less-than-middle-age appearance, and also not use the chemical dyes that make you look like someone who wears socks with their sandals, and still carries a fanny-pack… try this. Yes, again: “it really, really works!”
Posted by “Julius Forte” on Amazon.com, April 5, 2017
After your first application, you’ll never want to change!
Alas, my stubble beard was totally grey now. Being vain, I had to find a solution that didn’t take too much time while not requiring the application of petroleum jelly too keep coloring stains off numerous spots that all other brands had caused. I’ve used most of the well known brands. It became so tedious, nearly gave-up, and thought about shaving.
My initial thoughts before using “Grizzly Mountain” was not overly optimistic,
I read a page of details regarding the application. No petroleum jelly was required, but if you feel hesitant using something new, smear it on. My statement, not theirs. It’s certainly a different experience than using any of the others I had used. No tubes of color and activators, only a bag of green powder and an application brush. The process from start to finish take longer than 5 minutes, but the results were worth the extra time the process takes. I’m not going to bore you with the details only that you must leave the mixture on ,if you’re beard is completely grey, for 20 to a max of 30 minutes. Do this in the evening; read a book, watch tv.
After 30 minutes ,I rinced it off thoroughly warm water and soap. I didn’t want to look while I towel dried. When I looked into the mirror, I actually smiled. My beard was exactly the color I wanted. And not even a minute amount of staining(I didn’t use any petroleum jelly. The only thing that got colored was my beard hair. I must tell you that a stubble beard requires 2 additional applications 2 or 3 days apart since the coloring works slightly below the pores. So as the stubble grows, the roots remain colored. I used my stubble electric razor, set it so it would only trim the grey stray ends. Perfect results. After that, I only need to repeat the coloring process just once every couple weeks; just the single coloring, not like the initial 3 times. Those with , some grey or salt and pepper , will probably see better results than I. But I am extremely satisfied.
Posted by Godgifu on Amazon.com, May 31, 2016
Excellent, non-irritating beard dye.
Excellent product. Works very well overnight and without irritation. Does not immediately change the color of your beard, but does slowly change it overtime. I’ve used it for many months and have had no adverse reactions nor irritation that commonly come with chemical dyes. The color looks very natural and his permanent once it sets.
Posted by Rhyval on Amazon.com, January 21, 2017
It works – gets the gray out of my goatee and no issues
My Ragnar viking goatee is a mix of blonde/brown/gray and while it may have looked pretty manly when landing in England to pillage, these days it just makes me look old. I figured I’d try putting this all natural goo on my face and see if I could get rid of the gray in my beard. This dye – like all natural dyes, uses a combo of Henna and other plant extracts. So I did two teaspoons in a plastic cup and mixed with some hot water. Stirred it until it looked like ketchup and then applied liberally. It does smell quite strong – a little like burnt herbal tea. Left on for 15 mins and then rinsed. No bad reactions or anything so that is a big plus. I could tell the color had changed already but decided to give it a closer look in the morning. It definitely darkened most of the hair however it didn’t do much for the gray so I decided to try again the next day and do a better job of coating the gray hairs (which are more coarse) and I also let it go the full 30 mins. After the second try I was quite impressed, it turned the gray to blonde, the blonde to brown, and the brown to dark brown. After a week I didn’t notice any fading. I didn’t really experience any of the green they describe – it’s slightly greenish at first but no one would have noticed. If you have darker hair maybe it’s more of an issue. I have plenty left in the package, I assume it would last me for 3-4 months easily.
Posted By “MarBee” on Amazon.com, November 6, 2017
Look 10 Years Younger & No Itching!
Initially I was somewhat sceptical and hesitant to order due to many claims of off color and the like. Had been using ***, and like many others experienced negative side affects that began with light itching and then over time progressed to swelling, redness, and extreme itching that was nothing short of torture. My beard is coarse and completely gray on chin area, and shades of gray everywhere else. Ordered the Natural Brown and must say I am quite happy with results. After first application, I have a nice light brown tint that according to my wife and daughter looks quite natural. Kind of nice to take 10 years off my looks with one application.
Posted by “James G.” on Amazon.com, July 1, 2016
Natural Look
I wanted to tone down the gray a bit. This product was easy to use, First application came out too light, but it was quick and easy to to darken. The result I got was a partial elimination of the gray with a subtle mottling of brown, which is what I wanted. The look is natural and easy to customize.
Posted by Randy on Amazon.com, September 11, 2017
Great product and I’ll continue to use it.
Great product and I’ll continue to use it. Follow the directions, all of them, and pay attention to the time frame. Don’t expect to put on one application and go out on a date that night or into a meeting the next day. Well, maybe if the next day is St. Patrick’s Day and your date or colleagues have a good sense of humor. The dye needs a few days and a couple of applications to set in properly. Once the dye set, future applications have been just fine.
Posted by Eugene McGloin on Amazon.com, January 17, 2016
No pain, Great color!
I love it. I was tired of a painful experience when trying to add just a little color to my beard. I have a trim beard and light brown / blonde hair. This works perfect. I trim my beard to the length I like, paste on about half of what the directions call for, let it sit 15 minutes and then shower. the next day it looks great.
Posted by Brian McGinty on Amazon.com, March 8, 2016
Excellent Product
I find this to be an excellent product, I have been using it for about four months, I have experimented with it and found the flexibility (blending dark brown, brown and the organic base) in creating different tones in my beard color. I highly recommend it.
Posted by Rebecca D. on Amazon.com, September 10, 2017
This is the BEST product yet!
I like the product. It doesn’t irritate my skin. It is best to mix it with hot water and do follow the direction; mix to a toothpaste like consistency and brush it generously on your beard. I use vasoline to protect the exposed skin areas from being colored especially if you have light or olive skin. It will take about 2 or 3 applications (for me it did) and about 48 hours to notice the difference. This product does work!!!..and it does NOT burn your skin nor is it toxic because it is made up of plant based ingredients. Hope this helps!
Posted By “Amazon Customer” on Amazon.com, February 3, 2016
THE BEST Beard Dye – TRY IT!
WOW! This is the answer to that other chemical product that leaves everyone itching. I can’t believe this isn’t sold in stores everywhere, it really works. The formulation is perfect for me, It’s really brown and not diluted black! I went with the lightest of the three available and it’s perfectly natural looking brown. My beard is medium in length and naturally has a lot of white in the chin. The other men’s beard stuff made it look charcoal grey and the burning for up to two weeks after was ridiculous. You have to give this a try, it really works, looks natural, not monochromatic, and no irritation.
Posted by “Drinkster” on Amazon.com, January 17, 2016
Excellent Product I’ll be sticking with……
I’ve now used Medium Brown and Dark Brown. Both are good, so I’ll probably just mix them together.
This stuff is great! It doesn’t burn my skin at all like JFM had started to do. Also, the color is very natural-looking with highlights. I did the 15-minute recommended first application, followed by a 30 minute a few days later and another 30 with the darker color a few days after that. The first time left it a little light, but it’s clear that a weekly application will be just fine. Using at night is ideal as the color is a little yellow-greenish at first, but rich brown by morning.
It has a very, very strong “wet grass” smell and you will look like a Chia Pet while it’s on, but the results are worth it. And, it doesn’t hurt!
Posted By “David” on Amazon.com, June 5, 2017
It worked for me, will use forever
It works…. I have tried all the name brand hair products and they all made my skin so itchy I would have to shave.
I received a package of powder that looks and smells like powered grass shavings. Then took a couple teaspoons , mixed with and equal amount of hot sink water. Once I mixed it, it has the consistency of ketchup.
Applied to my beard with a brush that comes with the order. I let it dry on my face for 30 minutes.
When I first washed it off in the shower, it was still mostly white until the next morning about half the hairs turned brown.
The second time I used it 4 days later, after I washed it off most of the hairs were brown and the next day all of my beard turned brown.
My face no longer itches and it actually seemed to have soothing feeling.
The cost will be much lower as you only use a couple teaspoons, it may last 6 months for only $14…
Posted By “Amazon Customer” on Amazon.com, July 27, 2017
Arghhhhh….I be green beard……..for 12 hours
This weird green powder is like a fountain of youth for my beard. AND my skin feels great when done, instead of red, inflamed and slowly dripping on the floor. I only wish this was deliver to me in a pill form so I could feel like my beard looks. Read the directions. By the 3rd application, you’ll be a believer. First application. ….slight, and I mean very slight, green tint for 12 hours.
Posted by Joshua M. Ward on Amazon.com, April 18, 2016
Exceeded my expectations
This product is amazing! This is the first time I’ve ever written a review about a product but I feel it’s worth it. I have vitaligo so it makes my facial hair grow white patches. I have tried JFM and after a few uses it severely burnt my skin. I have been using the “mascara” type dye but it washes off and needs to be re-applied daily. This product covers better for me than either of those and last at least 4-7 days. When I first apply the product it turns my hair kinda green, but after an hour or so it turns colors and looks perfect. Best advice is to apply before bed. Thanks for a great product!
Posted by “rstewart” on Amazon.com, October 14, 2015
Best I have ever used
Hands down, the best beard dye I have ever used. I have tried everything and all have broken me out in horrible blisters or didn’t work at all. This stuff works! The color is perfect, no irritation! The only downside is the smell but it’s nothing unbearable. I highly recommend this product!!! I will be using for years to come.
Posted by DKnGA on Amazon.com, December 4, 2016
A good, natural, non-irritating beard dye.
I had previously used chemical dyes on my beard and they always stung or irritated my face. Grizzly does not sting and smells good, a bit earthy. It does not dye your beard immediately like the chemical dies do. You have to wait until the next morning to see real change. However, it does work and it works well for me. By the second or third day my beard is significantly darker brown. And the color seems to be permanent. At least, it lasts until I trim it off. I plan to continue using Grizzly Mountain Beard products.
Posted by “Rhyval” on Amazon.com, September 12, 2016
Just buy it!
So much better than the stuff you buy in local stores for nearly the same price. This bag will last for years, and does a great job, very natural looking!
Posted by “Matthew Korth” on Amazon.com, January 6, 2016
Great look, easy to use
Very impressed with this product. I tried using the leading national brand of beard dye, only to find that the chemicals badly irritated my face. I initially purchased the brown dye of this brand, and while it worked well, I found it was too light for me. I then purchased the dark brown and used half of the regular brown and half of the dark brown. The results were fantastic! The look is very natural and I’ve had zero skin irritation. I’d recommend this for sure.
Posted by “Honey Badger” on Amazon.com, November 23, 2016
Surprised!
Myself being a Blackman with course hair on my face. I expected this product not to be that effective. Boy was I wrong! This product covered my gray beard in no time. I recommend Grizzly Mountain (Black) to anyone reading this.
Posted by “Amazon Customer” on Amazon.com, December 29, 2016
Give it a try
Okay, at first I was really skeptical. This really does work. It takes time and patience and I apply it about every four to five days and just a little of it goes a long way. I’ve been using it for about a month. And I’ll definitely use it from now on. The bag will last me about two months I used way too much in the beginning. Now, I use about half or less than what is recommended and you do have to experiment to get the right mixture and consistency correct. The smell isn’t bad more like fresh soil, I usually just wash my beard with a mild soap. I think using shampoo washes it off. I didn’t think it would work but it does apply green and comes off with a good scrubbing. I’m definitely going to be using this instead of all others.
Posted by “Jason G.” on Amazon.com, March 2, 2017
Great Product for Sentitive Skin
I don’t write reviews often, but wanted to share what a great experience I’ve had with this product. I had used the JFM brand last year (light brown and blond) for about 6 month with no real issues, then all of a sudden I started getting a bad reaction with hives and red, slightly sore spots appearing under my beard within 24 hrs. Not sure if they changed the formula, but in either case I could no longer use it so I shaved my beard for the whole summer. I recently re-grew and tried JFM one more time – with the exact same (bad) reaction.
I did a search and found Grizzly Mountain, and was happy to see they had just released a “light brown” version which I ordered (I have dirty blond hair). Used the product at night as directed and noticed (as other reviews note) that is had a slight green tinge at first that completely resolved by morning. The color is awesome, it gives all the gray in my beard a dark gold/light brown color and looks totally natural with my hair. I have used it every 5 days or so for the past 3 weeks and don’t notice any green tinge at all now.
Great product, great color and, most importantly – zero skin reaction!
Posted by bd_2018 on Amazon.com, October 26, 2017