So, you have decided to grow out a beard huh? Well, if this is your first time you may quickly realize it is not as easy as waiting for it to grow.

After you beard gets about a half inch long, your body will have a harder and harder time producing enough sebum to keep your beard and skin moisturized at the same time.

This is your skin’s natural oil that keeps everything nice and soft. When you shave on a daily basis you don’t need to worry about these issues.

However, as your beard grow, your skin may become itchy and your beard hair growth could become brittle if you don’t take care of it properly.

Beard Oil

Beard oils are one of the most common ways to soften your beard and help it grow into its full potential.

A beard oil is nothing fancy, it is simply a mix of certain plant oils that are sometimes scented with essential oils.

They usually contain oils like:

• Coconut
• Argan
• Jojoba
• Hempseed

If you like to take a more natural approach you can simply get yourself one of these oils and use it by itself on your beard.

They each have different fatty acids in them that will treat your beard nicely.

When applying a beard oil just start out with a couple drops, no more than 2-3. It is much harder to take oil out of your beard than to put more into it.

Put a few drops in your hands and rub them together briskly. This will heat the oil up and make it easier to spread.

Start at the base of your beard on your skin. Then work the oil down to the end of your beard.

After you have worked it through with your hands you can use a bread brush or comb to help it spread even more.

Beard Balm

As your beard gets longer, you may begin to prefer a beard balm. Balms will often contain the same ingredients a beard oil however, you will also find butters like Shea or cocoa along with beeswax.

These two ingredients give the balm more of a styling element. So, as you start seeing some stray or wiry hairs in your beard, you can use a balm to tame them down.

Just be sure to check the level of beeswax in the product you are looking at. In general, the more wax, the more hold it will have.

Some guys even use beard balms and oils togethers. Just make sure you put the oil on first.

You can apply the balm in the same way that you applied your beard oil. Even though it comes in a solid state, as you rub it between your hands it will warm and become more of an oil like state.

In general, applying a balm or oil once day is plenty. However, if you are in a particularly tough environment, you may need two applications a day.

You should apply after you have washed your beard and it is completely dry. Oil and water don’t mix!

Beard Shampoo

The sound of a beard shampoo might seem like a marketing gimmick but it can actually be helpful in keeping your beard soft.

Normal shampoos that you would use for your hair are actually too good at getting your hair clean. They are built to strip all of your body’s natural oils away from the hair.

As you can tell from this article, that is not what we are trying to achieve!

Beard shampoos contain more natural ingredients and usually water is the main one. They are less ‘effective’ so that they won’t completely wipe out the oil on your beard.

You should also only wash your beard every 2-3 days. This will also help prevent your beard and skin from drying out.

Many beard shampoos are lightly scented as well, which your lady will appreciate.

However, they usually don’t stick with you all day if you are not a fan of scented products or have sensitive skin.

Conclusion

As you can see there are several ways to keep your beard soft. Which one is the best for you will depend on your own personal preferences, wants and skin type.

However, if you begin to grow out a manly beard, you will want to treat it with some kind of beard care product.

If you let your hair follicles dry out, not only will you have dry, itchy skin, but your beard hair growth could become weak and brittle, causing them to break easier.

So, these items not only soften your beard, they also help you grow a healthier, fuller looking beard.

 

 

About the Author

Jeremy owns a men’s grooming blog where he is passionate about offering advice and products reviews to make your life easier. When he is not writing, he enjoys kite surfing, cooking and spending time with his family.