Growing your beard is one thing. Most guys can do that. But how to take care of a beard... that's a whole different matter.
It takes consistent, proper beard maintenance to keep your facial hair healthy, manageable, and looking its best.
Beard care is important - but it doesn't have to be complicated. We'll make it easy for you by drilling down to just 5 key steps you need to maintain an enviable beard - including how to groom a beard and how to clean up a beard if it's a little out of hand.
Follow these beard maintenance tips and you’ll have a healthy, awesome looking beard for life (or however long you decide to keep it).
Wash Your Beard Regularly
Let's be honest - you'll have a downright gross beard if you don't make an effort to keep a clean beard. Dirt, sweat, crumbs, and other life detritus is going to get stuck in there, especially if you've got a long, thick beard.
You don't need a separate cleansing product just for your facial hair. Your shampoo is just fine for cleansing, hydrating, and strengthening your beard.
Our Daily Strengthening Shampoo is made with gentle cleansers, contains zero sulphates or phthalates, and will keep your beard clean and smelling great. And with amino acids and hydrolyzed wheat protein, it will also thicken and enhance your facial hairs. Another benefit of using a top quality shampoo is that it prevents split ends on beard from tarnishing your look.
How Often Should You Wash Your Beard?
In general, wash your beard 2-3 times each week. That should be often enough to remove any dirt, bacteria, and debris.
Should You Wash Your Beard Everyday?
You can keep your beard clean and healthy without washing it with a cleansing product every single day. If you wash your beard 2-3 times each week, a thorough rinsing on the off days should be enough to keep it fresh and clean.
Keep Your Beard Soft and Hydrated
Wondering how to maintain your beard and how to keep beard soft and shiny? These beard grooming tips and techniques will help!
Keep your beard soft and healthy by conditioning it regularly with beard oil. This lightweight product moisturizes the skin underneath your facial hair to prevent itchiness, control flakes, and maintain follicle health.
How to Use Beard Oil
1. Pour a few drops (less is more) into the palm of your hand and spread it evenly between both hands.
2. Massage the oil into the base of your beard (it can be dry or damp for this step, but should not be wet).
3. Work your hands through your beard until you’ve reached the hair tips. Spread the oil evenly over your entire beard and the underlying skin.
How Often Should I Oil My Beard?
A well groomed beard needs to be oiled regularly, but exactly how often depends on a number of factors. Consider the climate in your area, your skin type, and your hair type to enjoy a well groomed beard.
- If you live in a dry climate or have dry skin/hair, apply beard oil daily or every other day.
- If you have oily skin/hair or live in a humid climate, apply beard oil 2-3 times per week.
- If you notice oily buildup or your beard gets greasy, oil your beard less often.
How to Keep Beard Hair Down
Many guys notice their facial hair gets unruly as it starts to grow out. Your beard hair may not want to lay flat but instead juts out in all directions, giving you a messy look. How can you keep beard hair down and maintain a neat beard?
In addition to applying beard oil regularly, it's important to brush your beard regularly. Brushing at the time you put on beard oil helps spread the product all through your facial hair and ensure complete coverage. But even on days when you aren't applying any oil, it's still important to brush out your beard in order to keep the hair down and neat. Remember, a well brushed beard is a well groomed beard!
Trim Your Beard
Trimming a beard is an essential part of proper grooming. A trim beard is neat, attractive, and enhances your appearance. On the other hand, a messy beard gives you a decidedly unprofessional, unkempt look.
When to Trim Beard
How often to trim your beard depends on its length, the way your hair grows, and what style you're going for. In most cases, a quick trim every 2-3 weeks will keep your beard looking neat and well groomed.
How to Trim a Beard While Growing It Out
You'll want to wait 1-2 months before trimming your beard for the first time. This allows it to grow in fully and gives you a better idea of how to trim it for the best shape. If you trim your beard earlier than that, it could look uneven and grow in wrong. After your beard has grown in, trimming a beard becomes a regular part of your grooming routine.
You can use scissors for a more precise trim beard that is less likely to damage your facial hair. Beard trimmers are easy to use and make the process quick with their measured length guards, but they can also cause split ends and may damage your hair. (Another reason why using beard oil is part of good beard maintenance.)
Trimming a Beard and How to Shape Beard
Start trimming a beard by taking a close look at it in the mirror. Are there uneven patches, long spots, or split ends? If so, even things out and remove the damaged hair - that's how to clean up a beard and stay looking your best.
Use a scissors or a beard trimmer to reduce length and volume as desired. As you're trimming your beard, make sure you’re following the natural contour of your face. Keep a rounded shape with all the hairs at a uniform length for the best look.
Less is more when it comes to trimming a beard. If you get too overzealous with your trimming you might end up having to take the length down everywhere just to maintain a balanced look. Easy does it.
Beard Trimming Tips
These general beard trimming tips can be used to help you achieve your ideal facial hair style, whether your beard is short or long.
Maintain Even Length
It's important to avoid an uneven look or to over-trim. Avoid this by brushing your beard with a small comb as you trim. That will show you which hairs are loose, which are uniform, and which still need to be trimmed. Comb down your beard after each cut so you can see the length and trim in the all the right spots without overdoing it.
How to Trim Your Mustache
Trimming a mustache may be a minor part of your overall beard maintenance, but it’s a major part of how good your beard looks. Nail the trim of your mustache and you’ll always look great. But get it wrong, and it will throw off your facial expressions and give you an unbalanced, unflattering look.
To give your mustache a little extra TLC, invest in facial hair scissors that give you a natural result each time you're trimming a mustache. A small comb is another critical tool. Use it to brush all your mustache hairs straight down to properly assess its length and bulk.
Gray Hairs in Beard
Yes, you’re getting older. Yes, your beard may be getting a bit more salt and pepper than you like. But no, the answer is not plucking out individual gray hairs.
Many experts say that plucking out grays will only make more come back. But it’s a fool’s errand - you can’t stop the aging process. Embrace the salt and pepper beard - it’s masculine, distinguished, and attractive. Using our science-backed anti-aging products is a much smarter way to fight the aging process while looking your best.
Clean Up Your Neckline
Your trimmer is an essential beard maintenance tool - it's critical to cleaning up your neck line. For most guys doing this every two weeks is plenty. Here's how to do it:
- Stack your index and middle fingers just above your Adam’s apple.
- Trim your beard to where your top finger is.
- Trim a U-shape from your side burns down to meet this point.
- Do not just follow your jaw line. That will result in an awkwardly shaped beard.
Your mirror is your friend when learning to trim your neckline. It can be scary - you don't want to go too far and mess up your beard. So take it slow and easy, especially when you're first gaining experience with your trimmer.
Healthy You, Healthy Beard
Your beard is an outer reflection of your inner health. If you want a thick, healthy beard, make it a part of your overall healthy lifestyle. That includes eating a balanced diet that includes these vitamins, all of which contribute to having a healthy beard:
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin) - This nutrient keeps your skin healthy, promotes healthy blood circulation, and contributes to proper hair growth. Get it from legumes, salmon, and chicken breast.
- Vitamin B7 (Biotin) - Biotin helps increase your body’s production of keratin, the protein that makes up the structure of your skin, hair, and nails. That ensures your hair stays healthy, strong, and undamaged. You can get vitamin B7 from eggs, salmon, avocado, sweet potato, and other natural sources.
- Vitamin D - Vitamin D balances hormones, supports testosterone production, and contributes to healthy hair follicles. Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, but you can also get it from nuts, dairy, and supplements.
- Vitamin E - A powerful antioxidant and moisturizer, vitamin E strengthens and hydrates your hair to protect it from damage and ensure healthy growth. You can get vitamin E in your diet through spinach and other leafy greens, beans, avocados, and soybeans.
Apart from a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrients, getting plenty of sleep each night and quitting smoking will also help you take care of your beard.
Remember, the way your beard grows is mostly dictated by genetics. So while you can’t control some aspects of your facial hair, you can maintain your beard well and ensure that it looks great everyday.
