HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR BEARD

Behind every great beard is great skin… and maybe a few croissant crumbs 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 colour of beard hair compared to that on your head. Why is this the case? 

Firstly, the colour of your beard hair is decided by two types of pigment - eumelanin which colours the hair black or brown, and pheomelanin which colours the beard hair red or blonde. You may even find that you have different colours 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 beard dandruff using a beard wash and follow up with a beard conditioner. Our beard wash contains Pomegranate Enzyme which is a natural anti-dandruff extract, while our beard conditioner contains Watermelon Seed Oil, Shea Butter and Guar Gum for a truly soft and moisturised beard. 

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 minimising split ends. Our beard wash contains Pro-Vitamin B5 (Panthenol) which is known to protect and strengthen the beard hair. 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. 

Apply beard oil

Using beard wash and beard conditioner is only one part of a proper beard care and grooming routine. Applying a natural beard oil post beard wash is a great way to rehydrate the beard and skin, improving moisture levels, beard softness, reducing beard dandruff and beard itch. Our Australian made beard oils are 100% natural containing jojoba beard oil, argan beard oil and sweet almond beard oil bases. These ingredients are lightweight, fast absorbing and non-greasy making it ideal for thirsty beards.

WHY SHOULD I USE A BEARD CONDITIONER?

As stated above, using a beard conditioner restores the hair and skin by providing moisture and protection post beard wash. Many bearded men have shifted their beard grooming routines to focus mainly on beard conditioner more often than using a beard wash. Some men have completely ditched the beard wash and stick with a beard conditioner as it works best for them. This is known as co-washing.

WHAT IS CO-WASHING?

Co-washing is short for a conditioner only method. The intention of co-washing is to solely wash the hair and beard with conditioner and ditch shampoo completely, but is intended for those with long and wavy hair due to this type being dry and brittle.

A co-wash method doesn’t work for every person, however bearded men can take away some simple processes to incorporate it into their beard washing routine. No matter how you incorporate beard conditioner into your routine, following a co-wash system may be the best way to keep your beard looking and feeling its best, while stopping dryness. 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I USE A BEARD CONDITIONER?

You can use a beard conditioner up to 5 days, especially if you have very dry skin and thick beard hair. If you have oily skin, you may want to cut back to 3 days a week. See what works for you, but we advise giving your beard and skin a break a couple days a week and avoiding daily washing.

WHAT’S THE BEST BEARD WASH AND BEARD CONDITIONER FOR MEN?

With so many products on the market, it can be very confusing. However, there are a variety of great products out there made specifically for beards and using great ingredients. You want to ensure your beard wash uses mild surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine (derived from coconut oil) and a beard conditioner that doesn’t include any silicones which forms a thin, waterproof layer around the hair which eventually leads to build up and weakening of the hair. Look for beard conditioners that contain natural ingredients that restore and protect the hair, skin and follicles.

We hope that the above information has helped you decide the best way to use a beard wash, while considering a variety of external factors which play their part. Now that you know, why not shop our range of Australian made beard wash and beard conditioners!

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