Beard Wash/Shampoo Review

Maestro Classic Beard Wash Review – Light and Refreshing

Last Updated on December 29, 2023

Another day and another beard wash! Have I mentioned I enjoy this job? Getting to demo new things for you, dear readers, gives me a chance to try some pretty awesome stuff.

Today, we are taking a look at the Maestro Classic Beard Wash from none other than Maestro Classic.

Maestro Classic is a men’s grooming company that seems to focus a great deal of its efforts on building up men and holding them accountable. They run work with mental health charities and entertainment companies like the WWE.

They also sell a nice collection of apparel and barber merch like towels and capes.

The previous beard washes/shampoos I reviewed were the Grave Before Shave, Scotch Porter Moisturizing Beard Wash, Best Damn Beard Wash, and Billy Jealousy, so I was looking forward to seeing what the beard wash from Maestro was like.

So, how does the Maestro hold up under scrutiny?

Description and Features

Maestro comes in what I would consider to be the smallest bottle of wash I have ever used. Most of them seem to come in larger tubes and containers, but this one is like a travel-sized shampoo bottle.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means you can take this with you everywhere you need. So if you are a guy who is married to using a beard wash every day rather than just making do with soap, you don’t need to make that difficult choice.

I also like how clean the label looks. While the font is small, the colors and logo are easy to identify. That makes it easier for me to figure out what I am about to use before I put it on my face.

The pop top design also makes this very easy to open with one hand, which is perfect for lathering everything up.

Scent

For this review I purchased the “Mark of a Man,” scent –it just looked right up my street when it comes to choosing a wash that smells fresh.

There are 4 other aromas available (6 types/scents in total):

—Modest: An unscented variety labeled as unaromatic. It uses a special formula to make sure it has no fragrance at all.

—Speakeasy: A combination of Tobacco and Vanilla for the old-style bourbon and cigar set.

—Spirited: A combination of natural aromas from eucalyptus, rosemary, and juniper for a real kick.

—Wisemen: Intense mix of Rose Wood, Cypress, and Frankinsense. They are mixed for aroma therapy and relaxation.

There is also another unscented type on the Maestro Website rather than Amazon. This one specifically smells like nothing but the soap itself.

Maestro describes the aroma on the bottle I bought as “Mark of a Man,” but I don’t see a manly aspect. Granted Manly is in the eye (nose?) of the beholder.

The Mark of a Man combines Bergamot flower, Black Pepper, and Grapefruit.

It is a very clean aroma that starts with the heat of pepper but quickly moves into the floral bergamot scent. Throughout there is a soft aroma of citrus from the Grapefruit musk. It doesn’t hang around long though and quickly disappears. That keeps it from clashing with any other products you want to use.

Ingredients

So who decided I needed a chemistry degree to read the ingredient list?

The list is very long with multi-syllabic words that roll off the tongue like concrete combined with numbers. I don’t believe any of them are dangerous, and most likely most are used for preservatives. However, it doesn’t make one very confident in their formula off the cuff.

The only things I can identify are Grapefruit rind and Pepper, and they are there just for the fragrance.

User Experience

For this review, I used this beard wash every few days for a week and a half. Each time I used it in the shower as part of my regular bathing routine.

The only way I differed from the directions was by lathering it up with a washcloth rather than just using my hands. My skin can be extra oily at times so exfoliating with a washcloth makes the difference between healthy skin and some serious acne.

I would recommend the same for everyone else. Getting your face clean is an important step before you do anything with any kind of beard product.

How is the Texture?

More than almost any other beard wash I have used, this one has the lightest and most soapy of them all. It feels less like a shampoo and more like a body wash.

It does take some time to fully lather it up, and you will need to make sure your face and washcloth are nice and damp first. However, the lather goes a long way to making this product last.

The light texture helps to get into all the nooks and crannies of your beard. It also rinses very clean, without leaving any kind of oily film. This lets your skin and whiskers feel moisturized and clean, without feeling greasy.

How Easy is it to Use?

It was fairly easy to incorporate this into my normal morning washing ritual. The only extra step I would take is the addition of lathering it up with a washcloth rather than your hands. I found it lacked the cleaning power without the washcloth.

The directions themselves call for a nickel-sized portion, but I think you will need slightly more. Then again, I have a fat face and always need more to get a good scrub.

Value for Money

As of the time of writing, you can get this Beard Wash for about 13 USD for the 4 oz version, and 7 USD for the 2 oz version.

Is this a fair price?

I don’t have a good term for it. More like a sound. “Eeeeeeegggggghhhhh?” 

Somewhere between Maybe and in theory. It is a good product overall, but it feels kind of expensive for something that is going to be gone in a month. Especially when there are some better-priced beard washes on the market. King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash comes to mind immediately.

Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and Positive Reviews

Maestro Classic Beard Wash has some seriously lop-sided reviews toward the positive. Consumers seem to like this product and it is easy to see why.

Positive Reviews

One of the largest positive points that comes up over and over is the love of the aroma. People enjoy all of the smells available. They compliment its subtlety and the fact that it doesn’t clash with other scents. That is very important if you are adding other beard supplies to your beard care mix.

Others love how the lather rinses clean off the face. It doesn’t leave any kind of residue on your face or beard hair. Many other products say they condition or moisturize your beard, but do that by leaving chemicals in your hair. I have noticed nothing of the like myself.

Finally, many reviewers compliment the product on its ability to soften and condition the beard hair itself. It leaves the beard feeling both clean and healthy and keeps the strength in your beard as well. The shine in your beard hair is impeccable after a few washes with this beard soap.

Consumer Complaints

The majority of the complaints I see about Maestro Classic Beard Wash is the fact that many times it seems that the bottle is arriving opened or broken. That really isn’t a fault of the product, but that could definitely turn off some consumers who are wanting to use this for travel. It can pop open easily if it is jostled around too much.

I’ve seen a few complaints about the price, and I would have to agree. It feels like this is overpriced for the amount of beard wash you are getting. I like it a great deal, but it is on the expensive side of things.

Some people just don’t really enjoy the aroma. That is a pretty subjective complaint overall, because we can see that there are plenty of people who really like scent. However, I would never tell someone to use a product they honestly really dislike to smell.

Finally, a few people here have complained that they broke out in a rash or dry skin when they used the product. While it is easy to assume that someone just didn’t know if they had an allergy, the actual ingredient list is not helping for finding possible allergens in the product before you buy it.

Final Thoughts – Who is Maestro Classic Beard Wash really for?

Overall, while I did enjoy using this product on my face and beard, it would be very hard to recommend this product for everyone.

Often I ask myself “if I was not doing a review, would I have bought this product with my own money?”

In this case, I don’t feel like I would. It works well but is somewhat overpriced and doesn’t have a decipherable ingredient list.

If you want to try something new, then give this a go. Otherwise, give Maestro a pass.