Today we are going to discuss two of the most important beard care products every bearded man should own.
Serious beardsmen know that the hair on top of your scalp, is very different from the hair on your cheeks.
The former is non-androgenic thin vellus type of hair, whereas the latter is androgenic-hair, where the growth is driven by two powerful male hormones; testosterone and DHT.
When it comes to washing your beard, the above is crucially important, as it is the deciding factor in choosing the right ingredients for your beard shampoo and conditioner.
But why should you use those? Aren't regular shampoo and conditioners enough?
The answer is, almost, but not really.
Regular shampoo is laden with estrogenic and antiandrogenic chemicals that can hurt the delicate hormone balance of your facial hair. These chemicals include parabens, phthlates, SLS, sulfates, and sometimes even BPA.
Conditioner is not much different, as regular conditioners also have those bad chemicals in them.
Another factor is the essential oils and base oils used in the products you see on grocery store shelves. They often use peppermint oil, mint oils, hemp oil, canola oil, sunflower seed oil, etc. All of which are high in polyunsaturated fats and possibly harmful to androgenic hormones.
And something that suppresses androgens, has no place in a man's beards (unless you want to get rid of yours).
The last part that differs between regular washes and conditioners, and beard washes (a good list of the best beard washes here) and specific beard conditioners (great list of the best beard conditioners here), has to do with the fact that they're much stronger, and tend to eliminate almost all of the natural oils of the scalp.
If you put those on your beard, then you are soon to be greeted by a really dry skin under the beard.
When it comes to the ingredients, this is what you want to find in a quality beard wash:
- No man-made chemicals (parabens, SLS, silicone, sulfates, phthlates).
- No polyunsaturated unstable vegetable oils (soy, canola, hemp, etc).
- No DHT-blocking essential oils (peppermint, spearmint, mint).
Instead what you want to look for are saturated fats (shea butter, coconut oil, cacao fat, etc) monounsaturated oils (olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, etc), and essential oils that have androgenic properties (spruce oil, balsam fir, etc).
Exactly the same rings true for beard softening conditioners.
So after you've found your desired facial hair care products like conditioner and shampoo, what else do you need to know about the process of washing your mane for best results in boosting growth and preventing beard patchiness.
Well, here's some of the most important tips:
- Don't wash your beard too often, it strips the natural oils and leaves your face dry as desert.
- Always use beard oil after washing the beard to replace some of the oils you inevitably lose.
- Do not use a beard brush immediately after shower, you'll risk breaking some of the hairs.
- Don't dry your beard up too much before applying the oil. Leave some to seal in the moisture.
Hope this helps you in getting that facial hair properly washed and softened, while leaving your mane perfectly moisturized and not dry.