Washing your beard may seem like the easiest part of beard maintenance, but there’s a right and wrong way to do it. And trust me, you don’t want to do it the wrong way.
Keeping your beard clean is not just applying shampoo to it at every chance you get. If you don’t understand the proper way to shampoo your beard, you could harm your beard and facial skin in your sincere bid to maintain a clean beard.
Here is how to shampoo your beard correctly:
- Choose the correct water temperature.
- Work your shampoo into a lather.
- Gently, but firmly, massage the shampoo into your beard.
- Rinse out your beard using warm water.
- Dry your beard and apply beard conditioner and oil.
Follow these five simple steps each time you need to wash your beard to ensure that it remains healthy and well-stimulated for proper growth.
But how often do you need to wash your beard? Should you use conditioner, oil, or both? Is it okay to use hair shampoo for your beard?
I’ll answer these and a couple other questions in the sections that follow. Let’s start by delving into the detail of all the steps mentioned above. There’s nothing complicated about the process, as you’ll see, but you need to follow it properly to achieve the desired result.
Step 1: Choose the Correct Water Temperature
The right water temperature for washing your beard is lukewarm water. Do not use hot water on your beard, even during cold weather. Hot water may feel good on your body, especially during the cold months, but keep it away from your beard. Here’s why.
Hot water can, and will, increase circulation to your skin, which is not something you want when you’re washing your beard. It can cause dryness, itchiness, and inflammation.
Always wash your beard with moderately warm water and finish off with cold water. Why cold water? Cold water will close the pores on your skin and lock in the moisture.
Step 2: Work Your Shampoo Into Lather
Start by pouring a quarter-sized amount of your shampoo in your hand and work it into a lather. You can add more beard cleanser as you go.
A mild cleaning agent will do for your beard, which is why I recommend the Viking Revolution beard wash. Its natural ingredients provide deep moisture.
Step 3: Gently, but Firmly, Massage the Shampoo into Your Beard
Ensure that you are not just cleaning your top beards only. Let your fingers act as your scrub and use them to massage the shampoo deep into all directions of your beard. Doing so not only cleans your skin better, but it also hydrates your face and stimulates your beard follicles for better beard growth.
Step 4: Rinse Out Your Beard Using Warm Water
Rinse your beard with warm water while running your fingers through it. Rinse twice to remove any soap residue completely. Use cold water on the second rinse to seal in moisture. It is important to always use a beard cleanser that can moisturize your beard adequately, along with the skin underneath.
Step 5: Dry Your Beard and Apply Beard Conditioner and Oil.
Lastly, towel-dry your beard or use a beard dryer. However, just before you rush off to your next activity, take some time to give your beard some TLC, or tender loving care.
Apply beard conditioner followed by good quality beard oil. Beard conditioner and beard oil; what’s the difference anyway? Check out this post to learn more.
If you’re asking what beard conditioner and oil I recommend, here are two solid choices.
For a high-quality, all-natural, leave-in beard conditioner, you can consider The Scotch Porter. It is paraben-free and contains no mineral oil or SLS. One good thing about this conditioner is that it has restorative properties. Besides that, it also leaves your beard soft, shiny, and frizzle-free.
An excellent choice of beard oil would be the Honest Amish Classic Beard Oil. It is rated as one of the most trusted brands in the world.
How Often Should You Shampoo Your Beard?
Shampooing your beard is pretty straightforward, as you’ve seen in the five steps above. However, if you overdo it, you’ll cause more harm than good.
Here’s a piece of solid advice for you if you have just started growing your beard: put a leash on your passion for grooming and caring for your beard. If you don’t, you may find out the hard way that the tail is wagging the dog!
It’s okay to wash your face every day, but doing so with beards is a no-no. There’s a possibility of over-cleaning, and that’s not the situation you want for your beard.
Your skin produces oil, which is a good thing because the natural skin oil helps your beard remain healthy and soft. If you shampoo your beard every day, you will wash off the natural oils, exposing your facial skin to irritation, inflammation, and itchiness. Washing your beard too often can also make your beard become dry, leading to beardruff and split ends.
I recommend washing your beard once to twice a week. If you’ve just started growing and taking care of your beard, shampooing one to two times weekly may seem too inadequate, but trust me, that is more than enough. However, as with everything, there are some exceptions to this recommendation.
If you play sports, spend a large chunk of your day outdoors, or are exposed to harsh elements more than usual—perhaps because of the type of job you do—you may need to wash your beard more frequently to prevent oil grime from choking your skin pores. Likewise, if your skin produces too much sebum (skin oil), you may need to wash your beard more frequently, especially if your daily activity level is high. You don’t want a buildup of oil in your pores that can lead to painful acne and the ever-pesky beardruff.
In general, if your daily activity makes you sweat a lot, you will need to wash your beard more often to prevent it from reeking to high heavens.
In any of these cases, it is okay to wash your beard about three or more times a week. However, I strongly recommend using an all-natural beard shampoo to replace lost nutrients and moisture quickly. This beard wash and conditioner can do an excellent job of moisturizing and restoring nutrients to your beard.
I know it may sound a little counterintuitive, but the less frequent you wash your beard, the healthier and softer your beard will be, and your facial skin will also thank you for it. So, if you can help it, stick to shampooing twice weekly and resist the temptation to wash your beard each time you step into the shower.
Create a proper beard care routine using the suggestions and recommendations here, and make sure you follow it to achieve results that you can be proud of. Wash your face in the mornings and evenings, but only use warm water to rinse your beard. You’ll be doing your beard a world of good if you follow this recommendation.
Should I Use Hair Shampoo for My Beard?
No! You should never use hair shampoo for your beard.
Your scalp is very different from your facial skin, and so are the hairs and care products for each. Hair shampoos are formulated with harsher chemicals, such as potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. These compounds serve as strong detergents designed for your scalp hair and are usually safe. However, they are unsafe for facial skin and beards.
If washing your beard too often with a safe shampoo will strip it of its natural oil, imagine what a strong detergent would do! Keep scalp-hair shampoos out of your beard.
Important Tips
- Always use a mild beard wash. Avoid regular soap, body wash, and, in fact, any other cleanser that is not explicitly formulated for beards.
- Face washes are designed to clean your face and not your beard. However, some cleansers can perform both functions. If you prefer to use a dual-purpose cleanser, here’s a good quality Face and Beard Wash that I recommend. It comes with mild conditioners that not only soften your beard, but also leave your face feeling refreshed, clean, and energized.
- Never use a beard shampoo to clean your face. Beard, face, and scalp products are not the same. One of the important lessons to keep in mind in your bearded journey at all times is to use care products for their intended purposes. Do not use them interchangeably, even if they appear similar or have the same name. Each product is formulated with different concentrations of ingredients specifically meant for a purpose. Stick to that purpose!
Conclusion
Many people think that all they need to shampoo their beards is to apply water, rub over the beards, and rinse. This strategy, however, is not that simple, as there are other factors that will come to play.
To shampoo your beard properly, follow the five steps that have been outlined in this article. Use lukewarm water and lather your beard with your preferred beard cleanser. Rinse thoroughly and apply a good quality beard conditioner and oil.
Unless it is absolutely necessary, limit the use of shampoos to once or twice every week. If you follow this simple five-step procedure and the included tips for washing your beard, your manly mane will thank you!
