Grizzly Mountain Beard Dye - Organic & Natural Dark Brown Beard Dye

After using JFM for 20+ years, something in their formula either changed or something in my skin changed because I went from just a light tingling that went away in an hour, to having blisters, oozy seepage, and crusty scabs. So looked for something different. I first tried another rapid product that came in a can with 2 spouts, and although it wasn't quite as bad as JFM it still left me irritated, so I thought I would give this product a try. I must say, there are no rashes or skin side effects at all for me, only some trial and error and trying different shades to get it right. My first purchase was the regular brown shade, which like others have mentioned, at first leave you nice and green like the green giant. However by the next morning in my experience all the green is gone and a very nice shade of brown is left. Over a few days as you wash your face and shampoo your hair and beard, the regular brown will start to fade into a strawberry reddish hue when you are in the sun. I have found bar soap seems to make this occur faster than using a shampoo for your whole head, although regular shampoos will also start to strip away the color too. I wanted just a darker color than the medium brown color so my next purchase I went with the Dark Brown. I really like that color and it really looks great and totally natural, however like the regular Brown, using soap or shampoo will begin to reveal the underlying natural plant dyes and in the case of the Dark Brown, it actually turns a shade of purple - I guess because of the Indigo leaves as well as whatever the red leaves are in the regular Brown. Again this takes a few days to show up and I actually kind of like the faint shade of purple in the bright sun. I have begun using a color-preserving hair shampoo this week just to see if that makes a difference. A friend who has used some other natural black organic hair dye product says after the black starts to strip away he is left with a royal "Indigo blue" so it makes sense that purple happens with the dark brown which has both indigo as well as whatever the red plant is. It does take a few days for this to happen though so I can definitely live with it, and Ive gotten to where I just slather it not only on my beard but over my crew cut hair and eyebrows as well so that as everything fades everything turns the same shade. I can say prep time is something you should consider. I set aside a full hour on Sunday nights to get ready for the week. I have found much better results using the organic base first as it does strip out the leftover red or purple, and does make the actual dye perform much better and very even. Here is my routine. I find that making the product, whether the organic base first step or the beard dye itself, is to make it kind of thick like ketchup using really hot water. Then I smear it on my beard and moustache like mud - using an old JFM tray and brush, then I cover my entire beard and moustache with a sheet of saran wrap. The mud-like consistency makes the plastic wrap cling on easily, and keeps it from drying out. Next I use the leftover to dab my eyebrows - I don't cover them with plastic - and then what's left after that I just brush on and use my bare hands to smear it all over the rest of my head. I don't put that on very thick and also do not use plastic wrap there either as the thinner hair seems to take the dye easier than the beard. Next I go sit in my chair and play candy crush or watch tv for 30 minutes. Next, I get in the shower and use regular shampoo to wash my whole head and beard then finish the shower normally as well as shave my neck and do any beard shaping with the razor at that time. Next, I dry off including my beard and hair with just a towel, then go back and mix up the actual dark brown dye and repeat the exact same process with the hot water, ketchup like consistency, etc...plaster it on well, cover the beard again with plastic wrap, smear the rest on eyebrows and head, then go sit down again for more tv or games. I have found that the actual dye turns out about the same whether I leave it on a full 30 minutes or as short as 20, but usually by the time I get the beard done and covered, then the eyebrows then my regular hair, if I wait 20 from that time, the beard itself has gotten 25-30 minutes. After 20-30 minutes I hop back in the shower and simply wash it all off and try to only use just a tiny dab of shampoo since everything is clean and you're just wanting to wash it out. Then just rinse the rest of me off and hop out and dry off. My beard, hair, and eyebrows will be a nice shade of dark greenish brown, but by morning its all nice and dark brown and I'm good for the week. I can say the smell reminds me of when you flip the lawnmower over once a year and scrap off all the dead clumps of grass mulch - that earthy mulchy grassy smell - also kind of like a green tea bag - and every night when you take a shower during the week you will smell a hint of it again but not like when you are doing the treatment. I just got the color-saver shampoo this week so I can't say yet if that will have any effect in the color fade, but so far I really like this product and can live with the prep time and slight red or purple color that appears as it fades - just don't use bar soap on your beard as that will make the fade happen faster. Hope this helps!

Bottom line: This product works! The story: I had to color my beard for a photo shoot for work. My beard is not long, about 2.5 weeks' worth of growth over established sideburns and a soul patch -- so enough to be able to pull on it but not much hanging down off my face. It had some brown, black and red in it, but mostly had turned white, especially around my chin. I originally bought some JFM but got a bit scared after reading the warning label and about the possible reactions -- swollen eyes? Blisters? I have sensitive skin and started to have second thoughts about using the JFM. I came to Amazon and started reading about this product and figured I'd give it a shot first, and I'm glad I did. How it worked: I followed the directions and used the base first, then the dye. As other reviewers said, pay attention to the amount you use, a little goes a long way. If you have a long beard you'll need the full "dose"; for me, I probably used 3/4 of what I mixed. But the price is good enough that you shouldn't be scared about having too much mix, you can just slather it on, since it's natural! Pay attention to the consistency, mix it like a good thick ketchup or else it'll drip, and while it doesn't stain the sink or anything, it can be messy. I left the base on for 30 minutes, washed my face well and then did the dye, and I let that sit for 45 minutes (the instructions say 30 but I read some reviews that said longer is fine, so I left it in a little extra). I found washing off the base to be messy, so I washed off the dye in the shower, much easier not having to worry about splashing green water everywhere. Right after I washed off the dye I saw color! There was a greenish-brown tint on parts of it, mostly around where the most white had been. (I used the dark brown formula.) But within an hour that started to fade and it became more brown. Within a few hours the green was gone, and by morning, there was no green at all and some of my natural highlights actually came back through, making it look much more natural, at least for me. Smell: Not bad at all. Smells like cut grass while it's on your face. Cleanup: Washes right off the sink and your skin. I could have been more careful putting it on, but the instructions said to put it on quickly before the mix gets cold (you use warm/hot water) so I was a bit messy. I have yet to see if it washes out of the towel I used when cleaning off the base, but I'm not too worried as it's organic. Final thoughts: The only "negative" thing I can think to say is that I'm under the impression that this color will not last as long as a JFM or chemical dye, but that's fine by me. Now that I know how to use it, even if I do this every couple of weeks, it's a much better option in my opinion, for the peace of mind of using a natural product. I also like how the instructions mention that you can mix and match the colors to get various shades. I may get some light brown and mix that, just to see how it looks. To be honest, it's such a difference that I'm still not used to how I look with the same beard color I had 15 years ago, I got so used to all the gray that I feel like I look "different" ... but my wife likes it, and we all know that's a good thing. Plus, she got to take a bunch of cellphone pics of me with a green mud beard while I was doing it, so she had some fun with it, too. Honestly, you can't go wrong with this product, given the huge benefit of there being no harsh chemicals, that's well worth the price. It cost me about the same as JFM, anyway, because I know I'll get at least one if not two more uses out of this pouch. And, if you do experience problems with the color, if you turn green and it won't go away, or whatever: Honestly, it's hair. Shave it off and it will grow back and then you can try something else. But for someone like me who doesn't like the idea of chemicals on my skin, this stuff is great!

I was generally very satisfied with this product. Like many of the other reviewers, I had problems with JFM - it produced an unnaturally dark beard, but more importantly, it resulted in an irritating itchy rash which persisted weeks after I had shaved off my beard. So I was looking for something that would not produce such a reaction, and this product filled the bill - I have had no negative skin reactions of any sort. Even better, the color is very natural. I have gray hair, but my eyebrows are still their original dark brown color, and the natural color of my beard tends to be "salt and pepper" with much more "salt" than "pepper". I wanted something darker than my hair but lighter than my eyebrows, and this product performed beautifully - it produced a beard with more "pepper" than "salt". I only had to use half the recommended dosage, and didn't have to re-apply it more than once a week. I did knock off one star in my rating because I encountered both of the color problems described in the product instructions and the reviews: green right after application and the appearance of a purplish tint in some areas before it was time for the next application. The green didn't bother me - I apply the product in the evening, and the green is generally gone by the next morning, but I always put it on Friday evening or Saturday evening - at least a day before the workweek begins - just for good measure. But the purplish tint, though not too conspicuous, was an annoyance: the instructions suggested that this mainly happens due to the applications of cologne or aftershave on the face, but I don't use either of these. Still, I would highly recommend trying this product - particularly if you had the problems that I had with JFM. It produces a natural-looking color, and it is very easy to apply.

Where do I start? I wanted to try something new since the reformulated Just for men beard isn't great anymore. So here we go, I got the dark brown: 1. The packaging. You get a lot for your money but you'll never want to use it unfortunately. The packaging is way, way too big, is not convenient to store, and the pouches - one is kinda of resealable, and the other is totally not so you'll have to find your own container for the "activator". This powder gets EVERYWHERE and you'll be better off getting some jars to put these in. 2. The product. It turned my beard green. Followed the directions to a tee. Instructions even say something like "if your beard stays green, apply the activator" yada yada yada. So just the dye alone is what you try first. Green, smells, huge ass application brush which is good, but you have to use your own container to mix. I waited a day and tried again with the activator. Followed ALL the instructions. Stains your skin green, kind of stays in your beard hair as green but ultimately DOES NOT WORK. I left it on for the suggested amount of time now and I do NOT have the "super coarse" hair it says you need to use the activator with if your hair turns green. And MOST importantly, it DID NOT change by white beard hairs to any other color... they stayed white as could be while my skin was a nice alien green, and the darker hairs had some green tint. 3. Unless they reformulate this AND give their packaging a COMPLETE overhaul, this is my one and only purchase. I'd like to get a refund, but much of the activator powder exploded onto my floor, and the junky packaging has no way to seal the main powder. Junk.

As many other's have stated, I used Just For Men intermittently for a few years but the burning was unbearable. I've read articles stating that doctors have seen a lot of patients with blistered skin. And JFM looked like a bad dye job, all one consistent color, unlike natural hair color. This product resulted in NO burning or irritation for me. And it looks natural. There are variations in color in my beard giving it a look like normal human hair. I have a coarse beard and I do use the base for 15 minutes, wash it out and then use the coloring for 15-30 minutes. It is a process but it lasts for a long time and I can easily touch up spots if needed since I keep my beard short and the new growth needs coloring. While I did look for it, I didn't see anybody discussing color choice. My hair is dark brown, almost black but I've always used the blonde color in JFM as the darker choices really looked like a fake Halloween beard. So I chose lt brown with this product (I don't see lt brown on their website so I'm not sure if they even make it now? But I got it on Amazon recently) It looked great but it gave my beard a slight reddish tint so I bought the dark brown, skipping over the "just" brown. My thought was that I would leave it on a little less time initially to test the color. So this worked perfectly for me. I realized that I needed a lighter color with JFM because of the way it works coloring every hair the same color. A darker color in Grizzly won't make a 'fake beard' look because it allows the natural color variations in individual hairs to show through. And yes, even the gray hairs are also colored. As for the "green" tint that is initially noted by some users, yes, that can happen. My very first coloring did initially have a slight greenish tint but by morning it had mostly faded. And by the end of the next day it was fine. Subsequent uses had no greening although I do believe it took overnight for the beard to seem to darken up to its final color. I am very impressed and happy with this product. Each order does come with a small pouch of Base so you don't have to order any additional base to start with. Allow some time to do the process, especially if you are also using the base. Mixing the product, working it into the beard, washing it out can take 30 minutes or so and another 15-30 if you are also using a base. But it is worth it and far superior to living with the pain of using JFM.

Latest Update 09/2021 - Best results so far - bought a pack of black and mixed dark brown and black (3 parts brown to 1 part black). Started with the base for 45 min. Then rinse with hot water and apply color - as instructed (no coffee, etc). Results are best so far. Still some stubborn grays that won't take the dye, but mixing brown and black seems to be best to date. (Update - longer hairs off the chin turned reddish a few days later...) Update 08/16/2021 - So after trying several more products - all PPD free -- still having allergic reactions. I am now learning many have other ingredients similar too PPD, like PPDA, diamino..., toluene, etc. So my facial skin is very sensitive. I had no skin issues with Grizzly and my beard was actually softer after application, so I was determined to make this product work. What is finally getting me results is: I brew very dark coffee - 3 to 4 times normal strength and use that instead of water. I apply the base for about 45 minutes, and then the the Grizzly mix - thick for about 90 minutes. I haven't gotten the full dark coverage I did with jfm -- yet, but I will keep trying. And if the color gets better I will upgrade my score again. My main advice for you is, if you have sensitive skin and your only options are go white, shave or keep trying. This is the product I recommend - it won't burn your skin and with some patience you will get results - I finally am. Also there is a lot of product for the money, so you will get many uses per pack to try an perfect your mix. Original Post 7/03/2021: Like many others I used jfm for a long time until they changed their formula - and now severe skin reactions. So in my search for an alternative, this seemed a great possibility. However for me, it doesn't cover my gray. My beard is salt and pepper, not white, and not coarse. I have tried multiple applications, and all the tricks listed in the comments - mixed with base, longer times, mixed with coffee, etc. Just not for me. What I liked is - easy to mix, easy to apply, doesn't stain my skin or sink, and no skin irritation at all. Some people complain about the smell - but smelled like spinach to me, no big deal, and was gone once washed. Wish it had worked for me. Still on the hunt.

Like many here, I'm also a refugee from Just For Men, which I had used for 15 years, without incident. Until recently when I began noticing the itchy scabs on my skin and felt a much stronger burning sensation than it had ever had previously. Whatever they did to the stuff is a nightmare. That said, Grizzly Mountain is a positive alternative, but it does take some effort and learning curve to get it to work well. I just have a closely trimmed goatee, so it's not a giant job. On my first attempt, I only used the color and not the base and it barely did anything. The next night I used the base first for 25 minutes, followed by the color for 25, and mixed them to have a thicker consistency than the recommended "ketchup." More like a paste. After washing it off, I could see it was working much better, but was not quite there. The instructions say you need three consecutive days to "train" your beard at first, so I repeated the following evening. When I finished it looked quite good and by morning even better. The dark brown is a good color and is very close to my eyebrow shade. It DOES look more natural with a bit of color variation and it is superior to JFM in chlorinated pools. I swim laps several days a week and it holds its own quite well. I've found it lasts about three days before a retouch. Four if you push it, but just from beard growth it is starting to go by that point. With the size of the bag and the small amount I use, it will last a surprisingly long time. I use an old JFM tray and brush, as the provided brush is too big for my small beard, and hot tap water, gradually added. I'm about to take my first trip with it, and will see how feasible this process is during travel. You DO look ridiculous during the application, sitting with what looks and smells like steamed spinach on your face, and I wish it was a faster process than the nearly an hour it takes. However, there are worse things than sitting with a book during the treatment before bed. Though laborious, the appearance is quite good and all my scabs and irritation have cleared up from the JFM horror show, so I would recommend it as an effective alternative.

I have also been burned by just for men products. Used and loved for a year or so until one day it started burning me and it was so itchy it would wake me up for nights in a row. So the idea of this product saving the day got me very excited. However, it did not work for me at all. I followed the instructions as well as some suggestions found in the comments here, but the best I could get from the dark brown dye was more of a dirty blonde. My beard is not course, but I did use the conditioner, per the instructions for course beards after the first application of dye did not work, and it did not help. I tried leaving the dye in for a longer period of time, tried using the conditioner first and then the dye, also tried combining the conditioner and the die at the same time, and tried wrapping my beard and plastic wrap to keep the mixture wet while it set, but none of this made any difference. I considered buying a black dye to try to get the color to match, but due to the relatively high cost, lack of success with dark brown, and especially the smell, I have decided against this. I would describe the smell as similar to a cow pasture. It’s natural, grassy, and in my opinion not pleasing at all. The scent comes out anytime you get your beard wet, not just when applying the dye. So every time you wash your face, take a shower, or in the summertime get wet in a pool, your beard starts to smell. I really did not like this smell, so I actually had some reluctance at times to wash my face when otherwise I would have. The smell transfers to your towels which makes an entire bathroom smell like cut wet grass. I have decided to go back to just for men. I slide a thin comb along my skin at the base of the hair follicles, protecting my skin from the product and just die the top of the hair. This leaves about an eighth of an inch of silver at the base of my beard, but if my beard is long enough it lies down on itself and you cannot see the silver underneath. I am much happier doing this, and it does look much better. Best of all I don’t have to smell the henna anymore. Good luck!

It's really, really good. I like the fact that it can leave some of the thicker hair a lighter colour, so that you end up with a very natural blend, (and as no one's beard is really uniform, its a very realistic look). Best bit is that its very non-toxic, and does not stain your skin, (For God's sake, don't use just-for-men, that stuff has a moderately high probability of burning your face). (BTW, the skin stain of those other chemical dyes should lift with baby oil or moisturizer on a cotton wool ball). But, like most things, you do *need* to read the instructions. The few who complain here maybe didnt give it overnight to work, or didn't follow the process. If it doesnt seem to do much the first time or two, use the oxidiser, (the 2nd smaller packet) which kind of prepares the beard, *then* use the standard stuff. You'll get the results you want! Tips: I found I had to use the oxidising agent pack once to start off the process, (slightly different mix of the dye in a smaller pack, works really well), and leave the dye (either the oxerdiser or the main dye) in for 30 mins. (They recomend 15-30). Doing that, I got really good results. It can fade after a few days and the colour then looks like a really natural blend of light and dark. Be aware that the dye makes your beard get darker over the first 12 hours, (or overnight), so it's often best to do it before you go to bed or a friday afternoon or similar. Dont be put off if you've followed the instructions and it doesnt seem very different the first few times. You do need to give it a few (6?) hours to work at least, and you'll then likely be pleased and surprised! All of this is covered in the instructions, follow them and it should work really well! Do not mix with an alcohol/ethanol based after shave. That will change the tint of the dye. Moisturizer will generally remove colour from any dyed hair. Keep it away from the edge of your beard, or hair. Edit: I recently started leaving it in 45 mins, (while I checked my email), and generally a little longer gives you a darker shade, (that lasts a few more days (I get close to 1-2 weeks before they gray grows out underneath). The more you use it, the better it gets, and the more effective at colouring your facial hair.

Definitely recommend. I’ve tried a few other dyes before and always had allergic reactions, but this one worked great with no issues at all. I used the dark brown shade and it looks natural. Just make sure to read the instruction (it should be paste like when you apply), it takes a few hours before you see the colour change.

This is my first time growing a beard. So keep that in mind. Most of the hairs around my chin are completely grey. And the rest is dark THICK hair. I’ve seen a lot of guys dye there beards with chemical products and it looks so fake! My wife argued with me that she didn’t want to look at a fake dyed beard cuz it look tacky. So I was hesitant to purchase this, even though it said “natural” dye. But what the heck, we’re in quarantine, and I’m not going anywhere, so worst case scenario, I shave it off. No big deal. So I gave it a try. The first time, I just used the dye without using the base. It did absolutely nothing. So I try with the base, then did it again. Small improvement, but tinted the grey’s green. Left it 24hrs and it darkened up a bit. So I repeated the process, base then dye. And it got slightly darker. My greys were hardly noticeable, look VERY natural. Was gonna just leave it as I was happy how it was looking, but as I’m typing this, I have another coat on the beard. Hey took about a week and a halve to get the look I was looking for, you cannot tell there is any dye in my beard whatsoever. And they give you a lot of product. I could probably dye it like 10 times at least! Mind you I only have a month on this beard. So it’s not that long. But great product and highly recommend if you have the time to do it over and over again till you get the look your looking for. ALSO it smells pretty bad for a long time. When you apply it, it smells decent, like grass clippings. But the smell lingers for a week. Especially when you get it wet... my wife thinks it smells like smoked meat lol.

So happy after long long long time I found the correct one. Exactly does what it says. No burning no sensation. Worth every penny 🫶

Like many of you looking at this Grizzly Mountain product, I had a grisly skin reaction to JFM. I wasn't expecting much from an 'all natural' treatment -- and after the first application it indeed had zero effect. My beard remained almost white. I figured that since there was so much stuff in the parcel I'd give it another go a couple of days later -- again setting aside half an hour to leave the mud on like a facepack, plus ten minutes to wash it off. It's actually quite a soothing thing to do, and you get to realise why women enjoy facials so much. This time there was a very slight difference. A third application saw a rather more noticeable improvement -- but still it hardly seemed worth the faff. Then I used the other stuff you get sent -- the 'base' compound. Holy smoke! Suddenly I had decent colour in my beard again! If you check out the Grizzly Mountain web tutorials they explain how you do need to use the 'base' -- to kind of 'break in' your whiskers to accept the colour. I must have been one of their most dubious customers -- but I'm bowled over by how well the system works while being kind to skin. It really is nothing short of miraculous. Top tip -- just use water and an ordinary bar of soap to wash the gunk off your face -- nothing with any chemicals, especially alcohol or anti-bacterial agents (which is probably why my first attempt flopped).