How to Use Beard Care Products Properly: A Guide for Men

Beard care products have become increasingly popular over the years as beard care becomes a higher priority. However, there are still quite a few misconceptions and myths about beard care products. Some men are using too many beard care products and some men aren’t using enough.

The good news is that the beard community is incredibly friendly and willing to give support and advice if you ask. In this article, we’re going to go over what beard care products are and how to use them properly.

Beard Care Products: What Are They?

It’s pretty self-explanatory: beard care products are products that you use to keep your beard in great shape.  Beard care products include beard shampoos, beard oils, beard balms, and tools such as razors, clippers, and combs.

You can either buy these items separately as you need them, or you can save time and money by purchasing a beard grooming kit.

Beard Oils

Beard oils are typically the first thing that people think about when it comes to beard care products. Why? Because it’s an essential product that you’ll need to have in your grooming kit to keep your beard healthy.

Beard oils are typically a blend of carrier oils like argan, essential, and jojoba oils. These oils help nourish the beard hair and can also moisturize your skin. Beard oils are not styling products, contrary to popular belief. Instead, beard oil is a conditioning product that you use to keep your skin and beard healthy.

However, you should avoid using any beard oils that are made with heavier carriers such as olive oil. While these oils tend to be more cost-effective, they sit on the surface of your beard hair rather than be absorbed, which isn’t good for your beard’s health and appearance.

You should also avoid beard oils that use anything other than essential oils as a fragrance.

Beard Balm

Much like beard oils, balms are conditioning beard care products. They are typically made from beeswax, although some brands have coconut butter or lanolin (wool wax) as a main ingredient.

Beeswax based beard balms tend to be firmer in consistency than butter and lanolin-based balms, which tend to be creamier and softer.

Beard balms shouldn’t be used as styling products, even though the balm can add firmness and hold to your beard.  Balms are typically used to tame any beard “flyaways”: a term used to describe stands of beard hair that have strayed wildly.

Mustache or Beard Waxes

Mustache and beard waxes are used to style your beard. Almost every modern wax is scented, but unlike beard balms and oils, they don’t condition your beard.

Beard waxes are important if you want to a beard that looks great all the time. They’re also great for men who have mustaches or beards that don’t like to stay in place.

A pro tip is to use beard waxes with beard balms and oils because then you’ll be getting the enhancing the properties of all three products for your beard.

Combs and Brushes

You don’t need to go and spend a ton of money on a beard comb or brush; any comb or brush will do. You can even use the old comb in your bathroom for your beard.

However, the tools that are designed specifically for beards will outperform the generic combs and brushes significantly. To get the most bang for your buck, go with a boar bristle brush – it’s the best brush for brushing out your beard.

Here’s the reason why.

Boar brushes feel firmer when they’re going through your beard. It brushes and holds the hair better than a general hair comb or brush. For better results, you should look for a brush that has a wide-tooth comb.

While finer combs feel nice as they go through your beard, they tend to get stuck in and pull the hair too easily. You may want to consider purchasing a higher quality comb with polished teeth.  The polished teeth will help the comb glide through your beard without getting stuck or pulling out hairs from your beard.

Beard Shampoos and Washes

You need to be careful when you’re looking for a beard wash. You don’t want your beard care products to have the same ingredients that your regular hair shampoo has, because the hair follicles and skin on your face aren’t the same as those found on your head.

Using the same products for your beard and hair can cause a reaction, especially if you deal with sensitive skin.

When choosing the best beard shampoo, try to avoid beard care products with sulfates, phthalates, and parabens. These chemicals are typically added to improve the cleansing and texture properties of the shampoo. However, they can dry out your skin and hair.

You don’t need to wash your beard every day and, in fact, you can wash it whenever you wash your hair. The only exception is if you’re working in a dirty environment. Otherwise, wash your beard sparingly because daily washing can lead to a dry beard.

Beard Care Products Are Important

You’re not alone – everyone with a beard hates beard itch too.

Beard itch can happen when the facial hair, pores, and skin aren’t taken care of properly.

Yes, you read that correctly; your beard can itch because you aren’t taking good enough care of it.

Beard oil works to keep your skin and beard healthy. You should keep your facial skin healthy regardless of whether you have a beard or not.

Your face produces natural oils but not enough to keep your face healthy as your beard grows. A lack of oil on your skin underneath your beard can lead to it drying out, causing your beard to get itchy, or worse – the maligned beard dandruff.

However, when beard oil is applied correctly, it gives you a nice and shiny look with a pleasant smell. You’ll even find that your beard will become softer to the touch and more cooperative when you groom it. Your beard hair will become more flexible and easier to shape.

This advice applies to most of the beard care products in a beard grooming kit.  Every beard care product has a specific purpose but all will be great for your beard.

How to Properly Use Beard Products

A commonly made mistake is that men will spend their money on beard oil, but then they don’t learn how to apply it correctly.

The good news is that we’re going to give you some tips and tricks that will help you get the most of your beard oil. Plus, you’ll get great results and save money along the way.

Apply Beard Oil After a Shower

After taking a hot shower, the pores on your face open up. So, after taking a hot shower is a good time to apply your beard oil, so that the organic ingredients and moisturizers from the beard oil can be easily absorbed into your skin.

It’s simple: The more oil that’s absorbed means more nourishment for your beard, which means that you’ll have a great beard in the long run.

Remember to dry your skin before applying beard oil. You don’t want to apply the oil when your skin is wet because water and oil don’t mix well together.

Use the Right Amount of Beard Care Products

A long beard and a stubble beard will take different amounts of beard care products. For example, a stubble beard will only require a drop of beard oil, whereas longer beards will need more than a drop.

If you use too much oil, it will drip all over the place because oil doesn’t evaporate like water. So, a good rule of thumb is to use a small amount to start, about a dime size, and slowly work your way up until your beard is well-oiled.

This advice can be used for other beard care products as well – start with a small amount of product and work your way up slowly. You don’t want to waste your beard care products, especially if it’s the first time you’re using them.

For beard balm, the right amount for you is typically a quarter of the amount that you use of your beard oil.

Apply Beard Care Products Properly

There’s an easy and efficient way to apply beard oil and balm:

• Whether you’re using beard creams, oils, or balms, the first step will always be the same. Place a few drops of the beard care products into your palms and gently rub your hands together to distribute the product across your hands evenly.
• Then, massage and rub your beard stating at your neck and moving your way up and through the rest of your beard. Make sure that you’re massaging the beard care products deep into your beard to get down to your skin.
• Use a beard comb or brush to spread the product evenly throughout your beard. Using a brush can add more volume to your beard, but beard combs work just as well.

After following these steps, you’re done.

For beard shampoos and conditioners, the steps are the same as listed above. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that you should leave the conditioner for a few minutes so that your skin and beard can absorb the nutrients.

Then, rinse your skin and beard thoroughly; this will help to keep your hair follicles from becoming blocked.

Know When to Use Beard Care Products

Beard balms and oils are the only beard care products that can be used every day. Beard care products such as waxes or shampoos should be used only two to three times a week to keep your beard healthy. If you wash your beard too often, you can strip it of its natural oils, which can lead to a flaky and dry beard.

You should also trim your cheek and necklines every few days; this will help keep your beard in the shape that you want and will make it look neater. You can take this a couple of steps farther and trim any strays that you find when you’re trimming your neck and cheek lines. Again, this is meant to keep your beard in shape and looking neat.

Every month, you should shape and trim your beard. You don’t have to cut your beard length down every month. Instead, you can trim strays and then let your beard continue to grow. But if you’re unhappy with how long it’s getting, go ahead and trim your beard to the length you want.

The amount of beard care products that you use will also depend on your living conditions and surroundings. Living in cold regions is going to dry out your beard faster, so you’ll need more oil and vice versa.

Know What Beard Care Products Are Right for Your Beard

Different beards are going to have different styling needs. For example, if you have a short beard, all you need is a bit of beard oil. If you have a long beard, you might need some serious wax to keep things in place and tame.

In general, beard oil works in every beard type. However, the longer and coarser your beard hair is, the more you’ll need some kind of wax to tame the beard hairs.

Conclusion

Having a great beard comes from taking proper care of it and using the right beard care products. While the amount and type of product that you use will depend on several things, including the length of your beard, the steps that you’ll take will be the same.

While all of this might sound like a lot of work and maintenance, but as you continue to do it, the easier and more efficient it will become. On average, you should only spend about five minutes a day on beard care. Of course, this will vary when you’re doing monthly touch-ups and trims.

By understanding how to properly use beard care products, such as beard oils, balms, and waxes, you can have an amazing beard that rivals the ones around you.