©istockphoto/RyanJLane
The trend for fashionable beards is growing alongside those whiskers on your face, and the trend believes that an unkempt beard (Tom Hanks in Castaway) is worse than having no beard at all. It makes sense after all, and if you consider it your job as a man to grow a beard, then why not really man up and doing the job right?. And while some may say that beard maintenance is a full-time thing, just a few products can make being a man about your beard as easy as 1-2-3. To get that beard looking its best, are 5 Essential Products for Maintaining Your Beard:
Beard Brushes
If you’re not a fan of little birds making nests in the tangled hairs of your unkempt beard, than an occasional swipe through the face rug with a beard brush will do you right. With the thicker bristles of a brush (typically of boar bristles) compared to a comb, not only will you get your beard cooperating with the untangling efforts, but you might just satisfy that tricky spot on your chin that you can’t seem to itch just right. The type of beard brush you want depends on the type of beard you have. For the beginner beard less than 1” in length, the Jack Dean Military Brush will leave your face feeling smooth. If your beard is growing out a bit more, the Cadillac of beard brushes for 1-3” is Incredibeard’s The Boar. And for those toe-touching beards that need a serious detangling, the R.S. Stein’s Beard Brush Collection will do you right.
Beard Oil
Beard oil only requires a few drops to keep your face and beard hydrated and smelling good. A lot of beard oils are very similar in purpose and in their base ingredients including jojoba oil which serve as a platform for keeping a healthy beard. But where beard oils differ is the different aromatic oils added to each one. You name it and your beard can probably smell like it. Mint Eucalyptus, tobacco, lumberjack, and mahogany, if it can be considered a manly scent, it’s probably out there. The best way to find your oil is a good ole’ fashioned sniff test and a deep personal question asking yourself, what does my manliness smell like?
Beard Wax
Beard and mustache wax are on the opposite spectrum from beard oil, and can be compared to the hair gel you use for your upstairs hair. Great for handlebar mustaches and stylized beards, beard wax can also be used in smaller quantities to tame and style those ultra-rugged whiskers that can never seem to stay in place. A lot of beard wax contains either petroleum or beeswax to get that optimum stick, and there are a lot of beard waxes out there to choose from. Some of the few that have garnished a sticking reputation include the Loma Wax Company, Stache Bomb Stache Wax, and Honest Amish Beard Wax.
Beard Balm
Hitting those middle notes between wax and oil is beard balm. With some of the same oils and nutrients to exfoliate and hydrate your beard area, as well sticking properties to keep a shape, the beard balm is not a bad substitute for both wax and oil. While it is still recommended to use some oil if your beard is particularly dry, or some wax if you’re really sculpting something manly, but for beards less than 4” balms like Backwoods, Virtu, and the line from Grave Before Shave will be a perfect addition to your beard combing collection.
Beard Wash
After you have been putting your beard to the test with a variety of oils, waxes and bore bristles, be sure to give your beard a treat every now and then with a good rinsing. Often times a light lather from regular soap bars can get your beard surface clean and free of residue, but if you really want to do the job right, or you have a beard that can double as a scarf in cold weather, it is recommended to find a Pure Skin Pine Tar Soap bar or an equivalently natural product like Professor Fuzzworthy’s Beard Shampoo.