Beards, Your Skin and You
With the ever-growing popularity of beards and ‘Movember’ soon drawing to a close, a whole new generation of men are becoming more and more interested in cultivating and maintaining their facial hair. With the increased interest, however, there are greater marketing opportunities for producers of men’s cosmetics and facial hair care goods, with the resulting marketing push leaving many would-be consumers cynical and unsure of the benefits of many of the available products, such as beard shampoo and moustache combs. Here is a look at some of the more useful beard care products available and what they can do for you.
Combs and Beard Combs
Though this may seem like an obvious consideration, many bearded men have no beard care regimen to speak of, let alone a beard comb. The benefits of a beard comb are not always readily apparent before using one, but they often have much wider teeth then their head hair counterparts, making them useful for getting rid of tangles in thicker or matted beard hair.
A fine-toothed comb or special moustache comb is also useful for moustache or upper-lip hair, as the hair that grows here is typically finer than other areas of your beard.
Shampoos
Though many opt for their regular shampoo when washing their beard, a specially formulated beard shampoo – such as those sold by Henry Tibbs and others – can often be far kinder to the skin. A mild shampoo such as this will strip away less moisture, which is doubly beneficial as excessive dryness can not only cause facial hair to become damaged and brittle in appearance, but also lead to dry, irritable skin and even beardruff!
You may also choose to use a beard conditioner afterwards. Though this has less of a tangible effect then regular conditioner on head hair, it can still leave your beard feeling and looking visibly smoother.
Beard Oil
Often overlooked by many budding beard aficionados, this can be a must for those with dry skin who need a little moisture. Along with their moisturising benefits, beard oils can help detangle hair when it comes to combing it and make a good edition to any complete beard care regimen.
Always remember to use your beard oil sparingly, though. Be careful, as excessive application of even the best beard oils can lead to greasy and wet-looking facial hair.
