Behind every great beard is great skin… and maybe a few dandruff flakes if you haven’t given it a good wash. If you’ve been thinking about adding a beard wash to your routine, you’ve likely wondered why you should be using a beard wash and how to incorporate it into your weekly beard care routine correctly.
So how often should you be washing your beard? The answer isn’t a simple one and changes depending on a variety of factors such as skin type, beard length, hair type and lifestyle factors such as level of activity and diet. However, there are some general guidelines you should follow when using a beard wash (beard shampoo) to ensure you’re giving your beard the best possible chance to continue growing in a healthy way.
YOUR SKIN TYPE AND BEARD WASH
Depending on your skin type, you can adjust your beard washing routine to get the best results. The general rule of thumb is to wash your beard with a beard wash 1-3 times a week. If you have dry skin, you would want to be more cautious washing only 1-2 times a week. If you have oily or combination skin, you may want to wash more along the lines of 3 times a week. It’s important to try out a routine and see what works best for you.
YOUR HAIR TYPE AND BEARD WASH
If your beard type tends to be along the lines of coarse and thick, you’re more likely to have a drier beard. For this reason we would recommend you wash your beard less to avoid further dehydration. If you have thin beard hair, you’ll notice it may sit along the lines of oily to combination, and can afford to be washed more often. As always, adjust your routine to see what works best for you.
LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE BEARD WASHING
Depending on where you live, the climate plays a large role in the quality of your beard and the type of care it requires. A dry climate is going to lead to moisture being drawn out of the skin and beard, so you want to allow the natural production of sebum to balance out the impact from environmental factors. You could stick to washing your beard 1-2 days a week and always follow up with a beard conditioner.
In a wet or humid climate, you’ll experience the opposite. Although it’s great to not have a dry, brittle beard, in this particular environment you’ll notice the beard needs to be washed more often due to dirt, debris and excess oil production. By using a beard wash more often, you’ll keep inflammation, ingrown hairs and acne at bay.
Lastly is lifestyle factors, such as exercise, workplace and nutritional intake. If you’re training a lot or working in a job that requires more physical activity, you’ll need to use beard wash more often as opposed to someone with a more sedentary lifestyle. The same goes with nutritional choices and hydration. A healthy diet and sufficient water intake will maintain the overall health of the skin and beard, meaning a more balanced approach to beard care.
Now that we’ve covered the basic guidelines, let’s take a look at why you should be using beard wash, how often you should use beard wash, how to use a beard wash and beard conditioner, switching to a co-wash and what ingredients to look for and avoid in a beard wash and beard conditioner.
WHAT IS BEARD WASH?
A beard wash is specifically designed to cleanse the beard and skin thoroughly without stripping it of its natural oils or drying it out. As a consumer it can be extremely confusing to tell the difference between beard wash (beard shampoo) and regular shampoo. You may be thinking any shampoo will do, however most regular shampoos contain strong surfactants/detergents and unnecessary chemicals which are too strong for the beard. This can cause the hair to become brittle, increase beard dandruff and strip the skin of its natural oils which isn’t great when trying to enhance healthy beard growth.
A good beard wash should be as close to natural as possible, and include a range of beneficial ingredients that give back to the hair and skin in the form of vitamins and extracts that target specific beard and skin issues.
WHY SHOULD I BE USING BEARD WASH?
You should be using a natural beard wash specially made for beard hair to ensure you’re not stripping it of its natural oils, and to avoid damaging the hair leaving it brittle and dry. Typical shampoos contain a range of harsh detergents/surfactants and other cleaning agents which are too strong for the beard. It’s also great to use a beard wash which doesn’t contain parabens, phthalates, PEG’s, sulphates, silcions, DEA, TEA, mineral oils and synthetic fragrance since you’ll likely be breathing it in as it sits under your nose. Our beard wash contains none of the mentioned ingredients and leaves your beard feeling soft, clean and smelling great.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEARD HAIR AND THE HAIR ON YOUR HEAD?
You’ve likely noticed the different texture and color of beard hair compared to that on your head. Why is this the case?
Firstly, the color of your beard hair is decided by two types of pigment - eumelanin which colors the hair black or brown, and pheomelanin which colors the beard hair red or blonde. You may even find that you have different colors in your beard which is completely normal as most people have pheomelanin naturally which can generally be masked by black and brown hues.
As for texture, beard hair is known to be androgenic. This is because beard hair is grown during puberty due to a change in hormones known as androgens.
THE BENEFITS OF USING BEARD WASH
KEEPS THE BEARD CLEAN
Imagine this, you’ve just gone out to lunch with friends and my god that taco was delicious, but what about when you arrive home and go in to give your significant other a kiss. Your beard bristles hold onto a lot of things, including food particles. Regularly using a beard wash and beard conditioner keeps it smelling and feeling clean, and your partner happy.
REDUCES BEARD DANDRUFF
The dreaded beard dandruff. Get rid of facial dandruff using a beard wash and follow up with a beard oil. Our Premium Beard Wash contains added argan oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil to help leave your beard feeling healthy and soft. It will attack dandruff at its core and leave your hairs soft and with a subtle shine.
ELIMINATES BEARD ITCH
Good beard washing and grooming processes ensure you’re removing any dirt and bacteria from the hair and skin, and eliminating the chance of dry skin which causes beard itch. Follow up each beard wash with beard oil in order to get rid of beard itch.
PROMOTES HEALTHIER GROWING CONDITIONS
Regular beard care using beard wash, beard conditioner, beard oil and beard balm means you’re giving your beard the best possible chance to grow. The house is only as strong as the foundations they sit on, so keep that skin and those follicles primed and ready to grow.
MAINTAINS BEARD HAIR STRENGTH
You’ll notice when growing a beard that it can easily fall out. There are a few reasons why this happens such as being too rough when drying, not following a decent beard care and grooming routine, diet and other lifestyle factors. Using a beard wash and beard conditioner regularly along with beard oil and beard balm, will ensure you’re keeping the hair strong and healthy, while minimizing split ends. Naturally, over time hairs will fall out as they weaken, allowing fresh regrowth to take its place. Survival of the fittest.
HOW DO I USE BEARD WASH?
For the most part, using a beard wash is very straightforward. However, there are some simple tips and guidelines you should follow to make sure you’re getting the most out of your grooming routine and improving beard growth.
WET THE BEARD WITH LUKEWARM WATER
Whether you wish to wash your beard in the shower or in the basin, the first step is to wet the beard thoroughly with lukewarm water. We know how enjoyable a steaming hot shower is, but you want to ensure you’re not stripping away the natural oils and drying the skin out.
APPLY BEARD WASH TO BEARD
Apply half to one pump of beard wash into your hand, depending on your beard type and also how concentrated the product you use is. Then apply to the beard from the chin area.
GENTLY MASSAGE INTO BEARD TO CREATE LATHER
Now that you’ve got the wash in the beard, very gently massage it from the chin area with your fingertips focusing on an upwards motion. Work the lather into the skin and then outwards through the beard hair. Do this for a good 30 seconds while you think about what’s for lunch, allowing the active ingredients to work their magic.
RINSE BEARD WASH THOROUGHLY
Thoroughly rinse the beard wash out of your beard with lukewarm water, ensuring there is nothing left.
APPLY BEARD CONDITIONER
If you suffer from having a dry and itchy beard, along with sensitive or dry skin, following up with a beard conditioner is essential to maintain moisture levels in the skin. Apply one to two pumps of beard conditioner, gently massaging from the chin up and allowing it to sit for a minute or two to fully soak into the hair and skin.
RINSE BEARD CONDITIONER THOROUGHLY
Thoroughly rinse the beard conditioner out of your beard with lukewarm water, ensuring there is nothing left.
PAT DRY THE BEARD UNTIL DRY
Now that you’ve washed your beard, it’s imperative that you pat dry it completely with a towel. Yes, we said pat and not roughly scourer. Be gentle to avoid ripping out or damaging the beard hair. This is to ensure none of the hard water minerals are left on your skin. When water is left to dry on the skin naturally, it pulls moisture away from the skin leaving the barrier dry, irritated and flaky.