Did you know that keeping your beard neat and well-maintained can help prevent certain health issues? Or that a dirty, unkempt beard is the exact opposite of what you want to project? If you’ve started growing your beard or just haven’t had much success with others, then you’re going to need some new tips. Keep reading to discover 5 simple ways to care for your beard that will help keep it clean, soft, and itch-free.
Shaving Before Care
Before you start shaving, do your best to remove any excess hair and oils from your facial hair. Wash your beard with a gentle cleanser, then gently squeeze and massage it until any excess oils are washed away. Condition your beard using beard oil or balm. Using a different product for your face is a good idea so that your face doesn’t become greasy. You can also use a natural oil, lemon, or vinegar to clean your face and remove any extra oils. Shaving before you condition your beard makes it extremely difficult to clean up the fuzz you’ve just created. Not only will you have a harder time removing the extra junk, but the beard itself will be more difficult to clean. Additionally, you’re introducing a lot more bacteria into your face than you need to. If you’re planning on going out for a few days or even a few hours without cleaning your face, you’re asking for a serious skin infection.
Be sure to condition after washing
Condition your beard after you’ve washed it to get rid of any residual soap or shampoo. Beard oils and balms are designed to be applied to damp hair, so be sure to rinse them out before applying them again. Using a conditioning product will help keep your face soft, as well as prevent it from becoming too oily. This can help prevent breakouts and make your beard easier to maintain. It’s also important to note that you might want to condition your beard even if you’ve only washed it with soap. Excess sebum can make your facial hair appear greasy, which is something you’re not trying to accomplish.
Only use beard oil or soap when necessary
Just as you need to clean your face with a gentle cleanser or use a conditioner after washing it, you need to remove excess oils from your beard. Some men prefer to use a beard shampoo because it’s designed specifically for beards and can get rid of extra oil and product build-up, but it’s not as necessary as you might think. If your beard is exceptionally dirty or covered in excess product, you should wash it just like you would your face. Follow the steps above to get rid of the excess oils and then use a beard shampoo designed for beards. Many products are formulated specifically for men’s facial hair, so they’re designed to get rid of excess oil, product, and another icky buildup in your beard. If you’re a daily beard wash kind of guy, though, you can skip the shampoo and save yourself some money. A daily beard wash is designed to get rid of excess oil, but it also has moisturizing agents and might leave your face feeling a little too hydrated.
Keep your diet in mind while caring for your beard
Beard oil and balm are crafted with various ingredients that are meant to provide your face with some much-needed nourishment. Some products have vitamins and minerals in them, while others might have moisturizing agents. The thing is, though, they don’t have any real nutritional value. If you’re eating a healthy diet, you should have everything you need to thrive in your system. That being said, you can certainly add some extra vitamins to your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while growing a beard. You can also add some extra protein by eating more protein-rich foods like chicken and fish. Some beard oils and balms are formulated to provide special benefits, like promoting growth or treating common beard issues like itchiness or dandruff.
Wrapping up
Caring for your beard is essential if you want it to look and feel its best. When you follow these 5 tips, you’ll prevent your beard from becoming dirty and unkempt, and you’ll be able to style your beard with ease. You should also keep in mind that your beard will grow at different rates, especially if you’ve never grown one before. This means you’ll need to clean your beard sooner, which can be a challenge. If you follow the tips above, you should have no problem keeping your beard clean and healthy. And the best part is, you can do it on your own and don’t even need a beard shampoo or product.
