Beard Care Essentials
The beard care industry, and the larger cosmetic industry it is a part of, are full of products claiming all kinds of results. This is my attempt to make sense of it all. This is a no-nonsense, product-agnostic list of things you can do for a healthier beard. Since I’ve started blogging, I have adopted all of these into my routine, and my beard is much healthier as a result.
Don’t wash your beard with soap/shampoo every day.
Washing your beard with soap or shampoo every day can strip the natural oils in your beard and the skin underneath. This can make your beard dry and itchy.
Instead of washing every day, wash every other day or 3 to 5 times a week. I like to wash every other day, but different people have different types of skin and hair. You will need to experiment and find a schedule that is right for you.
Important: On days you don’t wash your beard, just rinse it with warm water instead. This removes any dirt and other particles that can build up in your beard between washes.
If you do still insist on washing your beard every day, use a beard-formulated soap or shampoo.
Don’t use soaps, shampoos and conditioners with harsh surfactants.
The simple recommendation: Do not use products formulated for scalp hair. Use soap, shampoo, and conditioner specifically formulated for beards. Many products designed for scalp hair contain ingredients that can strip natural oils from beards, causing the skin underneath your beard to become dry and itchy.
The deeper dive into specific items to avoid:
- Sulfates, like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
- Denatured Alcohol.
- Silicones.
- Parabens.
- Phthalates.
- Mineral Oil/Petroleum Jelly.
- Artificial Fragrances.
I’ve read some comments on forums from people saying using regular shampoo and conditioner doesn’t really matter and they are fine to use. This may even work fine for those individuals. However, based on my own personal experience, I recommend not using shampoo formulated for scalp hair and I strongly recommend not using conditioner formulated for scalp hair. One of the biggest improvements I saw in my own beard health was dropping scalp-formulated conditioner from my beard care routine.
Use a moisturizer.
One of the most important parts of beard health that is often overlooked is caring for the skin under your beard. A misconception many people have is that products like beard oil are for the beard hair itself. While beard oil does have some benefits for beard hair, such as locking in moisture, the real benefit it provides is moisturizing and nourishing the skin under the beard.
The moisturizer you choose to use can be beard oil, which is itself a type of leave-in conditioner, or another moisturizer, such as a beard-formulated leave-in conditioner. I have even read about men having good results just using regular lotion in their beards. The product type doesn’t matter as much as something needs to be used to care for the skin under the beard and the beard itself. Without healthy skin, you will never have a healthy beard. Just make sure you choose something free from harsh surfactants, as mentioned earlier.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but even people with oily skin benefit from a moisturizer. Not applying moisturizer can actually make skin more oily. Your natural oil production will overcompensate for dehydration. So, it’s important to hydrate your skin. First on the inside through adequate water intake, and then on the outside using a topical moisturizer.
Use a boar-bristle brush for light exfoliation.
This one is optional, but helpful. I have had great results using a boar-bristle brush. Brushing with a boar-bristle brush after applying moisturizer helps lightly exfoliate the skin underneath the beard. It also distributes whatever moisturizer you have chosen to use evenly throughout the beard and the skin underneath. If you have a longer beard a wide-toothed comb can be used after brushing to continue distribution of your chosen moisturizer.