How To Take Better Care of Your Beard & Your Skin Underneath

Thanks to the pandemic and working from home, lots of men seized the opportunity to skip their morning shave and cultivate some facial hair. If you’re one them, are you taking care of your beard AND the skin underneath? You put thought into your hair care (if not, I see hair care blog in your future) and the same care should be going into your facial hair – including your eyebrows (you might want to check out that post).

Personally, I like my man with a little scruff; I think it’s sexy. If you’ve got healthy facial hair growth, you’re among the lucky. Turns out not all men can get a solid beard in place. I did some research and there are lots of factors contributing to the thickness of your beard.

The primary determinant in beard growth is genetics (no surprise there). So if your father and grandfathers have/had thick beards, you should be able to grow one too. Other factors contributing to beard growth are age, ethnicity, alopecia, and low testosterone levels. To learn more about the science behind your beard, this is one of several articles I read on the subject: Healthline.com.

For first-timers and those well acquainted with facial hair, below are some beard care tips and highly rated beard care products to be sure you’re properly caring for your beard as well as the skin underneath.

Basics for Better Beard Care

Exfoliate

Guys, you don’t want anyone seeing dandruff on your head and especially not in your beard, aka, beardruff. To avoid it, use facial scrub under your entire beard area and neck twice a week. Exfoliating will remove dead skin cells and flakes as well as release ingrown hairs. While you’re at it, exfoliate the rest of your face as well to maintain a clear completion. If your beard is thick and you have trouble getting the exfoliating scrub through your beard to your skin, use an exfoliating brush (below) with your exfoliant or beard wash.

Wash

You wouldn’t use face soap to wash your hair so why would you use it to wash your beard? And you might think washing your beard with shampoo is a good idea but it’s not. Most shampoos contain chemicals that will strip your beard of important vitamins and nutrients produced by your sebaceous glands. Those are the tiny glands at the base of the hair follicles around each of your whiskers. Instead, opt for an all-natural beard shampoo. My husband loves the Cremo All-In-One Beard & Face Wash. He keeps one in the shower and one by his sink.

Condition & Moisturize

This is where you have a few of choices. You can use a beard conditioner in the shower and then, when your beard is mostly dry, you can apply an all natural beard moisturizer, oil or balm. These can be used in place of or in addition to a beard conditioner. It depends on how thick and course your beard is. Whichever you choose, be sure to massage the product/s evenly into your beard and underlying skin.

• Beard Moisturizer is a leave-in conditioner that softens, detangles and moisturizes your beard and face.
• Beard Oil is a leave-in conditioner that moisturizes your beard and your face. It absorbs quickly without any stickiness and promotes beard growth.
• Beard Balm is a leave-in conditioner, moisturizer and styling aid. It’s heavier than beard oil, more like a pomade, and can be used for shaping. Because beard balm is thicker than a lotion or oil, it may require more massaging for even application. If you find the balm too heavy on the skin under your beard – if you have oily skin, for instance – but you need it for shaping, I recommend applying a beard moisturizer or oil first, and then evenly distribute the balm into your beard only.

Brush/Comb

Depending on the length and style of beard you’re sporting, anything longer than scruff should get brushed and/or combed to keep it neat and tangle-free. It’s recommended that you use a natural boar bristle brush because it’s gentle and brings the natural oils from the roots to the ends. Choose soft bristles for short to medium beards and stiff bristles for medium to long, thick beards. Since you’ll be using it on your face every day, it makes sense to invest in a good set. I recommend buying one that comes with a comb and small cutting shears for fine tuning your style and stray hairs. 

Shape

Before you start trimming and shaving freestyle, you might find a beard shaper handy. This useful beard shaping tool will help you get your angles and lines just right, and make sure your beard is even on both sides of your face.

Trim

Long or short, you’re going to need a good beard trimmer to achieve and maintain your desired style. Look for a sturdy, fully washable, easy to use model with titanium or stainless steel blades, a long battery life, and consider one that has a travel lock (to prevent the trimmer from turning on while in transit). I also advise getting a set that comes with attachments for your ears and nose, because no one, I repeat, no one, wants to see hair coming out of either of those places.

Below are my top picks, plucked from editorial reviews and my own personal research. I’ve listed them by price at time of publication: 

Gentlemen, I hope this was as informative for you as it was for me. If you’re looking for some styling inspiration, check out these style guides from Gillette and Men’s Health. 

Wishing you all a bounty of beautiful beards!

Got Hair Everywhere?

All prices are accurate and items in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.