Why bearded men need to have a good morning routine!
Having a beard, you will know the pain you can have regarding keeping it looking healthy while having the least amount of irritation possible. We wish it was as easy as just not shaving but to make sure that your beard will do you justice; a solid morning routine needs to be in place to let the mane grow to its full potential and leave others in awe of your facial hair. Bedhead is a known thing that is often talked about, but bed beard is so much worse. Read on to figure out the perfect morning routine for your beard and why you should have one in play.
Keep it clean!
This may sound odd. Most people like to wake themselves up with a shower; it is just as essential to wash your face and beard. When washing your beard, you want to make sure that you have a decent beard wash – don't use the same shampoo you would use for your head! Using a beard shampoo will help give your beard the nutrients that it needs without stripping the hair of its natural oils. This will slow down the frizzy and unkempt look.
Having a washed beard will lessen the amount of irritation, meaning that you would itch it less, but also, it would help alleviate some of that beardruff that can end up on your T-shirts and collars! Not surprisingly, beards can build up an odd scent quite quickly with food, dust, liquids, and dirt getting into it, never mind all of the beard-stroking that goes on throughout the day, be it just after washing your hands or not. Washing the beard can help it smell great and natural, like wood or zest.
What are your conditions?
We have accepted conditioning hair in society and understand its benefits, but when it comes to facial hair, we tend to just wash it, and away we go. Beard conditioner is excellent for softening the hairs and nourishing the skin underneath to stop it from getting flaky. If you want to have a break from using beard oil or balm, using a beard conditioner is a great way to help lock in some moisture.
The Oil
Beard oil is one thing that we all know about, but what is the best way to use beard oil? Well, beard oil is best for those with a any and all beards. It is best to apply it just after washing, and it will act as a leave-in conditioner. Very much like beard conditioner, the oil will help moisturize your skin and prevent dryness and help lessen the itchiness you can experience. The hair itself will also soften, which is always a plus. If the beard oil you are using contains certain oils such as coconut, it can help protect against inflamed hair follicles; that alone is a good enough reason to oil up. Lastly, you want to smell good, and your beard is no small part of that. You can get many different fragrances when choosing your oil, take your time and find the right one for you and stick to it.
In the balm in your hand
If you have a pretty big, long beard, it could take a a good amount of beard oil to fully cover it. Instead of using beard oil, beard balm can be an excellent route to go down. Beard balm still contains all of the goodness that the oil has but is usually added to beeswax to make it go even further. Another benefit of use balm over oil is the styling factor; once you have applied the balm, your facial hair is a lot more malleable, allowing you to tame it with much more ease!
Combing through
Whether you use oil or balm, you should get an excellent wooden beard comb to help work all the good stuff to every part of your beard. Ideally, you want to have a comb with thinly spaced teeth and a set of widely spaced teeth. Use whatever side suits your beard's length and thickness; when you get to a certain length, the thin teeth will pull against the hair, which can cause some bald spots if done too vigorously, so be smart about it!
Trimming
This depends on what you want your beard to look like. To appear thicker with volume, you will need to trim certain parts often. By maintaining the cheeks and neckline on a near-daily basis, the rest of your facial hair will stand out. Make sure that from time to time, you trim your beard to get rid of any rogue hairs popping out all over the place. No one wants their beard to look gangly.
The Finale
Not shaving is one thing; having a beard that you can be proud of is something else entirely. Time, patience, and dedication are needed to keep your beard looking tip-top. Don't think that you need to spend an hour a day looking after your beard; it should never really take longer than 5 minutes, so there should be no excuse for not putting a routine in place!