How to Wash, Condition & Soften Your Beard

A clean beard is a happy beard. This is the ideal foundation for a healthy and beautiful growth of facial hair. Knowing how to wash a beard is one of those vital facts that can help you achieve success on your beard-growing journey.

Keeping your beard clean is super important for your skin. Imagine your whiskers like a giant magnet that attracts dust, dirt, food or drink particles, and all sorts of other debris. More than that, your beard creates a barrier over your face, keeping grime close to your face and preventing your dead skin cells from exfoliating.

All these factors can lead to skin irritation, itchiness, and beard dandruff. Your beard might end up looking unkempt and feeling uncomfortable, and the natural reaction is to cave in and shave away all your hard work.

Read on to find out the ins and outs of keeping your beard clean, conditioned, silky soft, and looking like a million bucks.

What Are the Benefits of Washing Your Beard? --------------------------------------------

• Gets rid of dust and other environmental debris: Few things in life can beat the feeling of being clean. Your beard can store a lot of unpleasant particles, and the last thing you want is to let them linger on your face.
• Helps exfoliate the skin: Cleaning your beard can help shed the skin cells that are trapped between your hair follicles. This can help with related issues, such as clogged pores, itchiness, and local irritation.
• Gets rid of product buildup: Reapplying heavier beard care products like beard wax or beard balm without a proper wash in between can make your facial hair feel gunky or even dry and unruly. 
• Boosts the efficiency of active ingredients: Your beard care products can contain some valuable active ingredients like natural oils and vitamins. Clean skin and hair will soak up these molecules much more efficiently.
• Gets rid of unpleasant smells: Your hair is a magnet for many types of odour. Without a good cleaning schedule, your beard can accumulate an impressive amount of bacteria, sweat, and oils, which can lead to a very unpleasant smell. 
• Makes your beard easier to groom: Washing your beard makes it easier to detangle, comb, and style. Clean facial hair looks better, feels better, and is way easier to whip into shape in the morning.  

Why Use Beard-Specific Wash and Conditioner?

Your beard has a different structure compared to your scalp or body hair. Facial hair tends to be thicker but more porous. This makes it susceptible to moisture loss, frizziness, and breakage.

The skin underneath your beard is also more delicate than your scalp. This means that you will have to use dedicated products that are created specifically for your beard.

Beard-specific shampoos and conditioners tend to have gentler formulations. They are meant to be nourishing and hydrating, so they help you avoid skin irritations or dryness that might damage your facial hair’s texture.

Beard care products also use mild surfactants that clean your hair and skin without washing away all the healthy natural oils your body produces.

How to Wash and Condition Your Beard ------------------------------------

Step 1: Get It Wet

You can totally wash your beard at the sink, during your morning routine. But the easiest way to do this is while you’re taking a shower. Use warm water, but don’t go overboard with the temperature. Scalding hot water will strip away your skin and hair’s natural oils. This can lead to extreme moisture loss and you might end up with a dry and frizzy beard.

Step 2: Apply Your Favourite Beard Wash

Use a small quantity that’s appropriate for the size of your beard. Apply your beard shampoo evenly towards the deepest layers of your facial hair.

You can use the tips of your fingers to massage your face. It feels nice and it will also help stimulate local blood flow and help create a gentle exfoliating effect.

Step 3: First Rinse

Use warm water to rinse out the suds. You will need a clean canvas before applying your next beard care product.

Step 4: Apply Your Beard Conditioner

Squeeze out a small amount of conditioner and use your fingers to evenly distribute the product on the whole length of your hair fibres.  Leave the product on for a minute or two to give your hair some time to absorb the active ingredients.

Step 5: Second Rinse

Most beard conditioners have to be rinsed off just like a beard wash. Make sure to read the label of your products to make sure that you’re not actually washing away a leave-in conditioner.

Step 6: Dry Your Beard

Use a soft towel to pat your beard dry. Don’t use too much pressure or friction. Wet beard hair is extremely fragile and pulling it too much can cause damage, frizz and even breakage.

Step 7: Use a Hydrating Beard Oil

Beard oil will provide your facial hair with hydrating and nourishing ingredients. Your beard will feel softer, easier to detangle and style and it will maintain a gorgeous natural shine.

How Often Should You Wash Your Beard?

The simple answer is ‘not too often’. The general rule is that you should only wash your whiskers 2 to 3 times a week. More than that and there’s a risk of causing an imbalance in your natural oil production, causing you to end up with a dry and unruly beard.

That being said, there are a lot of exceptions to this beard grooming schedule. You will have to experiment and find a routine that fits your personal needs. Here are some examples of factors that might influence your beard-washing habits:

Your Skin Type

Oily skin tends to produce more sebum. This natural secretion keeps your skin and hair healthy but it can also cause problems like local irritation if there’s too much of it. You might feel the need to wash your beard more often, just to get rid of that greasy, heavy feeling.

Your Beard Type

Thin and fragile beard hair is generally more sensitive to moisture loss. You might benefit more if you go longer between washes.

Your Environment

The weather plays an important role in the well-being of your hair. Extreme temperatures or significant changes in humidity can change the way your beard reacts to your daily care routine. For example, a hot and humid climate might make your skin feel oily and you’ll probably want to wash your beard more often.

Your Lifestyle

Some jobs will expose you to various factors that can make a mess of your beard. Men who work in woodwork, construction, and food service - to name just a few - are more likely to have itchy or flaky beards, so they should be more mindful of their beard care habits.

Which Products Can be Used to Wash & Soften Your Beard?

Beard Wash

A gentle cleanser designed to wash out all the dust, debris and pollutants that your beard accumulates throughout the day.

You can try our Radiance beard wash, a great product made with ingredients like aloe vera and silk amino acids. It comes in a large variety of fragrances and it provides a deep cleanse while keeping your facial hair nourished and protected.

Beard Conditioner

Conditioners are a great addition to any beard care routine. These products coat your hair fibres and protect them from moisture loss.

TBS Radiance beard conditioner can help you keep your facial hair soft and healthy. Your beard will be smoother to the touch, less frizzy and easier to detangle. Our conditioner contains science-backed ingredients like apricot kernel oil, silk amino acids and vitamins that will help hydrate and nourish your beard.

Beard Oil

Beard oil helps keep your facial hair moisturized and protected. From stubble beards to legendary wizard-worthy beards, this product is the foundation of any beard care routine.

Our Day liquid tonic beard oil is made from natural ingredients that provide a deep moisturizing effect while keeping your facial hair nourished and soft while helping it maintain a natural shine.

Clean Your Beard Like A True Viking Warrior

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