Your Ultimate Guide to Beard Care: Tips for Voluptuous Face Fuzz

The beard ain’t going nowhere. Cherub-faced naysayers have been predicting that facial hair will go out of style for decades, but we lumberjacks know better. So how do you care for your massive chin wig?

Read on for more beard FAQs.

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Caring for your facial hair doesn’t have to be a chore. It’s a question of routine, patience, and knowing a few tricks:

• Be patient! Give your beard time to grow past its patchy stage. Shaving does not make hair grow any thicker or faster the next time around.
• Experiment with products. Does your beard oil complement your mustache wax? Fine-tune the mix that works best for you. Don’t be afraid to switch it up: There are so many products out there.
• Consider whether your beard matches your haircut. If your new beard is here to stay, it might be time for an on-top trim-up. In the timeless words of Ryan and Sharpay from “High School Musical,” sometimes, you have to bop to the top.
• Develop a solid grooming routine. And yes, this includes proper washing, skin care, and beard care.

Wash your beard twice each week while you bathe or shower, following these simple beard grooming tips:

1. Comb your beard out to remove any knots.
2. Rinse it and apply a small amount of specialist beard shampoo.
3. Rinse again and apply beard conditioner. Leave it to absorb into your hair for a minute or two.
4. Rinse for a third and final time.
5. Dry the beard with a soft towel in a gentle circular motion.
6. Comb again and apply a few drops of beard oil.
7. Style into your desired shape.

A DIY beard conditioner recipe

Beard conditioner can make all the difference between an angry raccoon being strapped to your chin and a soft, floofy, Zeus-like hair appendage.

If you don’t have any conditioner or don’t feel like dropping the dollars, you can make your own! It’s way easier than you might think, and there are a bunch of recipes out there to try. We like this one from Mama Instincts, which calls for:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup shea butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax pellets
• 1 dropper (about 25 drops) red raspberry seed oil or argan oil
• 8–10 drops tea tree essential oil
• 8–10 drops lavender essential oil

To create your conditioner:

1. Melt the olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax pellets together.
2. Add the raspberry seed or argan oil, tea tree, and lavender essential oils.
3. Beat the mixture for a couple of minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
4. Transfer to a glass jar to store. The conditioner will keep for up to 6 months.

While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It’s important to talk with your healthcare provider before you begin using essential oils and be sure to research the quality of a brand’s products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil.

Great beards don’t happen on their own. They take effort to curate and call for the right tools. Yes, Thor had a great beard, but he also had Mjolnir. These essential items will make your life easier and your beard sexier.

• A hard brush. Soft bristles? Naaaaah. A hard brush is good for training your beard to grow in the right direction. That makes it way easier to style later on. You might use a plastic brush with tough bristles, but a boar’s hair brush is the deluxe option if you feel like splashing some cash.
• A large comb. This is handy for the fine details of styling, shaping, and trimming. Particularly for longer or fuller beards, it picks up where the brush leaves off. Get a comb with varying tooth fineness: thinly spaced for getting knots out, then tightly spaced for smoothing out your face floof.
• Specialist scissors. Chop chop! For trimming facial hair, these are a must. They need to be small, agile, and comfortable enough to use with precision. For heaven’s sake, don’t go raiding your kitchen drawer for an old blunt pair unless it’s an absolute emergency.
• Clippers. There are clippers and clippers. Larger styling clippers are good for keeping bigger or bushier beards at a consistent length. Smaller trimmers are better for fine details on neater beards. Pick your weapon!
• Beard oil and mustache wax. Obviously, these smell great. But that’s not their only job! They’re specially formulated to be good for your hair and skin. Choosing your favorite scents and mixes is as personal as picking what aftershave you wear. So, take your time.

The best male grooming products

There are several products that we love for keeping your beard in tip-top shape:

• Our fave beard brush. The Grizzly Jack Beard Brush has firm but flexible bristles that make your beard behave, spread your wax and oils around, and give your skin a little exfoliation to boot.
• The handiest beard comb. You know how you need coarse teeth for smoothing out your beard, and fine teeth for dealing with knots? This bad boy by didforu puts the comb into combo. With different teeth on each side and a stylish pouch for taking your comb places, this sandalwood comb will take your beard places.
• The specialest specialist beard snippers. These 5.5-inch beard scissors from BRV do the damn job. If you beard needs a trim, these are small, precise, and comfortable to use.
• The coolest beard clippers. This beard trimmer pack from CEENWES actually comes with a beard comb in case you need to save a few bucks. The trimmer itself has a bunch of different heads to give you beard-shaping variety.

Dodging these fuzzy fallacies will save you time and hassle.

Washing too often

Just like washing your face too often can dry it out, going overboard can rob your beard of its natural protective oils. A good wash once or twice each week is enough, unless you get extra dirty.

Using the wrong water temperature

Water that’s too hot will strip your skin’s natural protection. Too cold, and your pores won’t open enough for cleaning. Goldilocks that sh*t! You want to use lukewarm water to wash your beard.

Sticking with soap

A lot of standard old bath soaps are packed with chemicals that play havoc with your skin’s pH balance. If your face feels itchy or tight after a shower, try using specialist face and beard products.

Trusting that old washcloth

Unless you change them regularly (ideally every day), washcloths are like a nightclub for bacteria. Use your hands to scrub your face. It’s an easier, cleaner bet.

Rubbing the wrong way

When you wash your beard, rub gently in outward circles. No need to go too hard on yourself, it can damage your skin. If you’re using the right products, a nice tender massage action is all you need.

Stripping your skin

Some people go crazy with the towel when it’s time to dry. That risks irritating their skin and stripping its natural protection. Pat drying is way better.

Moisturising at the wrong time

If you’re using moisturizers and beard oils, do so right after you wash. Your pores will be open, meaning you can lock in hydration when your skin is cleanest.

Everything that’s true about how to take care of a beard holds true for your mustache. But these sexy little lip-warmers come with their own set of challenges to master.

Find your mustache

First, you’ve got to learn to love the shape of your face. A beard can cover for a weak chin, but a mismatched ‘stache sends you back to square one:

• If yours is a squarer face, try a heavier mustache that extends beyond your mouth on either side.
• Oval faces benefit more from a triangle-shaped, medium-width set of whiskers.

Nurture your mustache

Experiment to find what’s best for you. Having nailed the shape you want, you’ve then got to maintain it. It’s likely your mustache will need trimming more regularly than the rest of your beard, so follow these steps:

1. Comb your mustache straight downward with a small comb that has tight-spaced teeth.
2. Using specialist trimming scissors, trim parallel to your top lip along your mouth line.
3. Cut until your mustache touches the top of your lip without poking into your mouth.
4. Once you’ve trimmed, comb a second time to make sure the mustache sits nicely.

Maybe a full beard isn’t your style, or you feel like a change without going full babyface. Designer stubble might be the answer, and the best way to care for stubble is to cultivate that natural ruggedness.

Use a wet razor to clear up hairs that stray too high up your cheeks or too far beneath your Adam’s apple. Other than that, it’s best to let the stubble grow into its natural shape and use an electric trimmer to keep it at a manageable length.

Your regular skin care routine is likely to be enough to keep your stubble healthy. However, if your loved ones are complaining about scratchiness when they get too close, there are a range of stubble softeners on the market to investigate.

A 2007 research review suggested that vitamin D might help wake up dormant hair follicles, including those in your face. Vitamin A boosts your skin’s production of its natural oils, which then keep hair healthy.

Meanwhile, a deficiency of vitamin B, particularly biotin, has been linked to hair loss, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Deficiencies of common minerals like iron are linked to hair loss. According to a research review, vitamins A, B12, and D had links to hair strength and growth, as well as zinc and selenium.

We have to stress that the studies above largely focus on head hair. You can have a full, flowing bouquet of head hair without being able to develop much of a beard. However, maintaining a diet with a balanced nutritional profile may help you keep your beard hair luscious. Combine that with a dedicated beard care regimen, and you’re onto a chin win.

Get professional medical advice before you start taking supplements for beard growth.

There are plenty of tools and products to help you grow a healthy, good-looking beard. Don’t neglect your facial rug in your hair care routine.

Make sure you have a dedicated beard comb, beard oils, and clippers.