Beard Care: The Essential Steps of a Solid Routine

Growing a beard seems deceptively easy.  After all, your five o’clock shadow sets in after you miss one or two morning shaves.  However, it takes more than skipping a shave to grow a full, healthy beard.  Guys with full beards may seem rustic and carefree, but there’s a lot of work involved in maintaining the look.

MOISTURIZE DAILY

This is the single most important step of your routine, regardless of whether you have stubble or a full Gandalf.  Your face is covered in sebaceous glands which produce sebum, your skin’s natural oil.  That same oil also moisturizes your facial hair.  In the early stages of growth, roughly 2-5 weeks in, your daily moisturizer will do the trick.  But as you reach intermediate stages of growth, your sebaceous glands can no longer moisturize your skin and your beard hair.

Without proper hydration, your skin will dry out and flakes will surface in your beard.  This is known as beard dandruff.  You’ll also notice some itching and irritation.  And if the lack of moisture is chronic, it could leave your hair dry and brittle, meaning excessive breakage.  The fix for this is just one dime-sized dab of beard oil every morning.  There’s enough moisture in that one drop to keep you protected for a full 24 hours.

DEEP CLEAN PERIODICALLY

You never want to wash your head hair too frequently; the same goes for your beard hair.  However, once a week or every other week, you need to deep clean your beard to stimulate new growth and clean out any bits you’re missing during your daily cleanse.  Stick to beard wash, which is specially formulated to clean your beard without stripping away the moisture.

STYLE WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS

The thicker your beard, the harder it is to spread beard oil evenly with just your hands.  A beard comb is the perfect tool to get moisture to every follicle.  It also helps detangle knots and aids in styling your beard without causing any breakage.  Just steer clear of the plastic combs you find at your local drugstore.  Instead, invest in rubber or horn beard combs, which are smooth and gentle.

If you want to maintain your place in the beard gang, you need a solid routine that includes beard oil, beard wash, and the right tools.  It takes a lot of work to appear effortlessly pulled together.