There’s rarely anything as hot in this world as a beard on a man; long or short, scratchy or combed out – a beard is a beard is a beard. Handsomeness in its finest.
Back in the day (and we’re talking sometime in the ‘60s), facial hair wasn’t as common as it is these days; beards were worn mostly by creative types like writers, filmmakers and revolutionaries like Che Guevara, at least judging by archival photos. However, with the rise of hippie culture and disco in the ’70s, beards became the it thing on a man. Sure, there were some concerns about it after and some men even attempted to make a clean-shaven vibe a thing, but not for long. Faith wanted us to go back to beards full on.
With the winter just around the corner, men who’ve shortened their bushy prides (or haven’t given it too much of their attention) due to terrible heats out, may start growing them again. After all – they’ll need an extra cushion to warm themselves up, and the ladies, too. Oh and – let’s not forget – they’ll need that one natural accessory to look spectacular.
Let us go through the basics and necessities every bearded guy needs to be aware if he wants his bush to be… fierce and attractive.
The Wash
Unlike most shampoos that eliminate the natural oils from the beard, a beard wash is specifically designed for cleaning by keeping things healthy and natural. You use a beard wash no different than a regular shampoo, and just a few drops are enough to foam and lather well. Take it from the beard experts – leave the lather in your beard for a few minutes before rinsing it out to keep things smooth and smelling delightful. Also, after you’ve washed and dried the beard, you’ll notice that running a comb through it is now much smoother and easier… and we all know what that means – styling and shaping it will be a piece of cake!
The Comb
Assuming you’re not maintaining a 3-day beard but a rather bushy pride, you need to own a sturdy comb that will help brush out all the curls and locks. Don’t ever over-comb, though; rather, give the beard a quick one-two each day to make it look sharper and make it sure it doesn’t look scruffy. Wooden combs are way better than plastic ones as they’re much stronger and don’t leave your beard frizzy.
The Conditioner
Just as using the right products on your hair is essential to keeping it smooth, so is using the conditioning oil into your facial hair. The winter skincare for bearded men is the daddy of all beard-rules and applying it daily is a must.
You’ll want to start with rubbing product and skincare predominantly into the roots of the hair on your face and neck. Leave it in, as it will condition your beard over the course of the day.
Extra Tips
If your beard is much longer, you may use a beard balm instead of a beard oil to shape and hold it; browse through beard oil reviews when you are choosing beard oil; believe it or not – these hold water, unlike plenty of product reviews on the net as they are often written by beard growers and enthusiasts.
Use mustache wax to keep your ‘stache in place and stick to products (mostly) based on and filled with natural ingredients.
Take regular trims at a local barbershop or do it yourself (if you’re feeling brave). Trims will help get rid of any split ends and makes shaping easier… unless you are going for the vagabond look and are looking to grow your beard indefinitely.