{"id":111754,"date":"2020-03-19T11:53:44","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T16:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=111754"},"modified":"2026-01-07T14:56:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T20:56:01","slug":"beard-grooming-products-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/style\/grooming\/beard-grooming-products-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"Beard Grooming 101: The Lowdown on Products and Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Poster<\/a><\/p>\n

Note: Make sure to read our article on how to grow a beard<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

While the hair on top of your head tends to get more grooming and maintenance attention, the hair on your face needs some TLC too. But the myriad beardly products, from special oils to specific combs, that have exploded onto the market in the last decade have created a confusing landscape. Does the average beard-wearer even need that stuff? And if not, what does an effective but minimal facial hair grooming routine look like? <\/span><\/p>\n

As with many of our hair styling and grooming pieces, Thad Forrester of <\/span>Hudson \/ Hawk Barber & Shop<\/span><\/a> provided some expertise on the topic. <\/span><\/p>\n

Why You Need to Care for Your Facial Hair<\/h3>\n

Taking time to tend to your facial hair has a couple important benefits. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, it makes your beard and\/or mustache look better. When you try to get away with no grooming whatsoever, the hair on your face will look scraggly and disheveled \u2014 just as when you don\u2019t shower or wash\/groom the hair on your head. Many gents will wake up in the morning with \u201cbed beard\u201d \u2014 the facial equivalent of bed head \u2014 where your beard hair is stuck in one place after sleeping on it all night. Even with a short-ish full beard like mine, it\u2019s noticeable when the hair is all slanting in one direction; it looks haphazard and unprofessional. You wouldn\u2019t leave the house with a mess of greasy hair going in five different directions; don\u2019t do the same with your facial hair. Your beard is part of the first impression you make<\/a>, so you want it to be on point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, grooming your facial hair is also about taking care of the skin <\/span>underneath<\/span><\/i> that hair. Men are notoriously bad at skin care anyway, so this facet of grooming tends to get rather overlooked. Which is unfortunate, as the skin under your beard is more sensitive and less resilient than that on your head. In tending to it, Thad says, \u201cThe main goal is to prevent dry, itchy skin and undue buildup of oils.\u201d By keeping your facial hair clean, and moisturizing the skin underneath it, you can keep your beard comfortable rather than scratchy. <\/span><\/p>\n

A Quick Rundown on Products<\/b><\/h3>\n

While the products for one\u2019s beard aren\u2019t as numerous as those for your hair<\/a>, it\u2019s still a big market with a lot of confusing options. Here\u2019s the lowdown: <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard oil.<\/b> The product you\u2019re likely most familiar with \u2014 at least in terms of what you see in stores and hipster social media channels. Beard oil is just that \u2014 an oil base which often has essential oils added in for scent (if you\u2019re not a fan of having a strong scent literally right under your nose all day, there are also fragrance-free options).<\/span><\/p>\n

Beard oil<\/a> is great for conditioning and moisturizing both the skin and the hair itself (which is often drier than the hair on your head), and adds some shine to your beard as well. As it doesn\u2019t offer any styling control, beard oil is best for guys who have beards that naturally grow in a pleasing shape and lay nicely on the face. But if you\u2019re not in that category, it can still come in handy as a secondary conditioning option. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard balm.<\/b> Balm is often going to be found in a tin, and whether it\u2019s called \u201cconditioning\u201d or \u201cstyling\u201d balm, the effect is similar: it will moisturize while also providing some shaping ability. If your beard is a bit scraggly, you can tamp down the flyaways \u2014 the individual hairs that seem to stick straight out for no reason \u2014 with balm. It tends to have a butter base, generally mango or shea. Other oils and scents are mixed in as well. Thad prefers balm even though beard oil gets more attention, as it\u2019s easier to transport (since it\u2019s not a liquid) and far less messy (since it\u2019s not an oil). <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to \u201cconditioning\u201d versus \u201cstyling,\u201d which is how some beard balms will be categorized, it\u2019s generally just a matter of thickness. Conditioning balms are slightly less thick and offer less shaping control; styling balms are slightly thicker and offer more control. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard\/mustache wax. <\/b>Waxes are a step up from even balms in terms of thickness and shaping control. Unless you\u2019re a very serious beardsman who deliberately shapes his facial hair into a specific style on a regular basis, you don\u2019t really need wax. If that\u2019s you, however, wax will be your best friend; the stuff is like glue. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard shampoo\/conditioner.<\/b> Are beard-specific shampoos really any different from the stuff that\u2019s made for the top of your head? It depends on the quality of the product. Cheap shampoos and conditioners are often rife with chemicals. But, you may not always notice depending on how sensitive your scalp is. On your face, however, you may indeed notice that your beard gets especially itchy or irritated.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the shampoo\/conditioner you use for your head hair is a high-quality product with fewer chemicals, it\u2019s fine to use on your facial hair too. \u201cAlways look at the ingredient list!\u201d advises Thad; in general, you want to avoid any type of \u201csulfate,\u201d which is harmful for both hair and scalp. As with a lot of things you ingest and\/or use on your body, the more pronounceable, recognizable the ingredients, the better. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard shampoos and conditioners are generally made with higher quality ingredients; that\u2019s why they ain\u2019t cheap. You won\u2019t find \u201cFructis Beard\u201d on any store shelves. If you don\u2019t mind the cheap stuff for your head, it\u2019s best to get a beard-specific shampoo and conditioner; you don\u2019t use as much product as you do on your head, so it may be worth it.   <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard combs and brushes.<\/b> The concept of a beard brush or comb felt ridiculous to me before I started researching for this article. Now, I\u2019m convinced that everyone with a beard should have one. With regular use, it will straighten the hair and keep it more organized, giving you a more polished look all around. You may not think you need that, and that your beard looks fine as is; I was in that camp until I used a comb for the first time myself and asked my wife what she thought. \u201cWay better!\u201d was the immediate response. That\u2019s all it took to convince me; my guess is that you won\u2019t realize how disorganized your beard hair is until you give it a good combing or brushing. <\/span><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the difference between brushes and combs? A brush is easier on shorter beards, but when the hair gets longer, a brush can get harder to use. That\u2019s when a comb comes in handy. Brushes are better at distributing your facial oils and pulling them away from the skin, but if they become a pain to use, go for the comb. Again, while it feels a little silly to brush and comb your face, it\u2019s worth it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just be sure to get quality products. Real animal hair brushes are better for your hair\/face, as are wooden combs; plastic can create some static frizz. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard trimmers\/scissors.<\/b> A quality trimmer is a must for any aspiring beardsman. For years and years I rocked a cheap Norelco that felt a little bit like a rat gnawing on my face (much like Brett\u2019s experience with electric razors<\/a>). Once I dug into this topic though, I got an $80 Brio Beardscape<\/a> and it\u2019s been a game-changer. Not only do I know exactly how many minutes of trimming I have left in the battery (an incredibly useful bit of knowledge!), I can vary the blade speed and easily change size guards. Cheap versions don\u2019t offer any of those benefits. My low-end Norelco lasted about 5 years; there\u2019s no reason to think the Brio won\u2019t last even longer. Well worth it in my book.  <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also want a pair of sharp scissors to trim errant hairs or your mustache when it gets so long that it interferes with your eating. You could get a normal pair of barber\u2019s scissors, but I prefer the smaller versions made for facial hair \u2014 they\u2019re usually under 5\u201d long and just easier to handle. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beard growth oils\/supplements.<\/b> Don\u2019t buy these \u2014 whatever they claim, it\u2019s malarkey. If anything about them works, it\u2019s that they simply provide your skin the right environment for hair growth to flourish. If you\u2019re trying to grow a beard, just eat a balanced diet to make sure you\u2019re getting healthy doses of essential vitamins and minerals, and keep your skin happy by regularly washing and moisturizing. <\/span><\/p>\n

Determining Your Best Beard Care Routine  <\/span><\/h3>\n

Every beard is different, as is the skin underneath every beard. If you have a scraggly beard and dry skin, your routine will look different than someone with a greasy beard in a humid environment. The key is to pay attention to how your face feels. If it\u2019s often itchy, use more balm\/oil. If the hair is really scraggly, give it more balm and comb action. Below are some tips on the specifics: <\/span><\/p>\n

Washing.<\/b> The first thing to think about is how often to wash your beard. Even though you\u2019re likely showering every day (or at least more days than not), you don\u2019t want to be washing your beard with shampoo\/conditioner every day (nor the hair on your head, for that matter). Folks with dry skin or who live in especially dry environments shouldn\u2019t be washing more than 1-2 times per week. Otherwise 2-3 times per week is good. <\/span><\/p>\n

Moisturizing.<\/b> Thad likes to apply some oil or balm right out of the shower and let it soak for a few minutes. If you don\u2019t need any shaping, you might be good with just that step. Can be re-applied throughout the day \u2014 doing it in the morning and evening is a great routine to get into to keep your beard hair and skin happy. <\/span><\/p>\n

Shaping.<\/b> If you shower in the morning, your beard will likely need a little less help in the shaping department. Still give it a brushing or combing, though, to get tangles out. Then apply balm to keep the flyaways down; you don\u2019t want to have a fuzzball face while going about your day. Brush\/comb again after applying the balm to make sure it gets evenly distributed and to shape the beard as desired. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you shower later in the day and need a presentable beard before then, it may take a little more work, including some wetting down and\/or utilizing a stronger styling balm.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trimming.<\/b> You\u2019ll likely trim with the small scissors 1-3 times per week \u2014 chipping away at long hairs or loners growing in weird places. Your routine will vary according to what your beard does.  <\/span><\/p>\n

How often you need to give your whole beard a trim really depends on how fast your hair grows and how long a beard you\u2019re going for. It\u2019s best to trim your beard dry; water or oil will do funny things and your beard may not look how you intended it to once it dries. That way, you can also hop in the shower right afterwards and wash away the little hairs that inevitably get stuck all over. <\/span><\/p>\n

When using an electric trimmer, you want to start with the largest size guard and work your way down. You don\u2019t want to accidentally trim off way more than you meant to and put weeks or months of growing down the drain. Those size guards only go so big, though \u2014 depending on the length of your beard, you may need to use scissors for the whole thing.  <\/span><\/p>\n

You can, of course, also head to your local barbershop for a beard trim. It\u2019s a delightful experience. <\/span><\/p>\n

Wrapping It Up <\/span><\/h3>\n

That\u2019s really all it takes. A couple products, a simple routine, and your beard will be happier for it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Use what your beard and the skin underneath it needs, and know that figuring that out will probably take some experimenting. Your skin and hair will react differently to different products. Be willing to try things out and buy small sizes at first. Once you find something you like and that keeps things looking and feeling good, get into the habit of regular maintenance and you\u2019ll be set. <\/span><\/p>\n

___________________<\/p>\n

Thanks to Thad from<\/i> Hudson \/ Hawk Barber & Shop<\/a> <\/em>(locations in Springfield, Columbia, and Kansas City, MO, and Bentonville, AR) for his tips.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note: Make sure to read our article on how to grow a beard. While the hair on top of your head tends to get more grooming and maintenance attention, the hair on your face needs some TLC too. But the myriad beardly products, from special oils to specific combs, that have exploded onto the market […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":111761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42303,227],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-111754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grooming","category-style"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beard-538x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beard-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beard-320x202.jpg","reactor-640":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2020\/03\/beard-640x403.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111754"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":192189,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111754\/revisions\/192189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111754"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=111754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}