Beard Envy

Over 50% of men have beards and over 50% of women love it! According to the Huffington Post, it takes 67 days to grow the perfect beard. After taking all that time to grow your awesome beard, you might wonder how to maintain it. Here are some great tips on how to keep your beard shaped and healthy!

First, make sure you are seeing a professional who can shape your beard for you. The most important part of beard shaping is making sure that the sides (on the cheeks) don't get too "poofy or bulky". You want the sides to lay close to the face and the bottom of the beard to grow as long as you want!

After your beard is shaped, you can focus on cleansing, moisturizing, and styling.

Cleansing

I recommend shampooing your beard 2-3 times a week. You don't want to over shampoo or you will dry out your beard hair and the skin underneath. Facial hair is usually very coarse, it is important to use a hydrating shampoo that will moisturize the beard so that the hair lays down and doesn't stick out. There are beard shampoos that you can use, otherwise just a regular hydrating shampoo is great too! We recommend the VIR Men’s Natural Daily Hydrating Shampoo.

Moisturizing

Beard oils are a great leave-in conditioning product for beards. The best beard oils penetrate and soften the beard hairs. Some beard oils just sit on top of the hair and add shine. These oils do not do as good of a job of moisturizing and softening. Apply your beard oil once a day, ideally right after you shower when your beard is damp, not wet. 

Styling

When looking for the perfect beard styling product, you're looking for one that is conditioning and has a low to medium amount of hold. Each balm, wax, and pomade are different. You'll have to read the label, touch the product, and ask a professional to help you figure out which product fits your specific beard needs. Here are some tips to help you find the best beard product for you.

If your beard is thick and coarse - you need a thicker product that can control your beard. You'll also need your product to be conditioning to smooth down your beard. If your beard is really unruly you might want to consider using two products. First, a flexible styling product that you can blow dry into your beard to create shape. Second, a low hold product with a natural to high amount of shine for a polished look. 

If your beard is finer and less coarse - you need a product that isn't as thick, something a little finer. You don't have as much hair to control so you don't need a thick, heavy product. You just need something to tame a few unruly hairs and add moisture and shine. If your beard lays well by itself, you might be able to get away with using a beard oil as your styling product. Some hair products are appropriate for beards so try using a little bit of the product you put in your hair on your beard and see if it works!

So you picked out the perfect shampoo, oil, and styling product. Now, how do you style your beard?

Whether your using a balm, wax, or pomade usually a dime to nickel size (depending on the thickness of your beard) is a good amount. Apply the product to your whole beard when the hair is dry. If you blow dry your beard, you can do that before you apply product or after you apply a flexible styling product. Some beard products are too thick to blow dry. A light to medium hold cream is perfect for blow drying. Whether your blow drying your beard or just combing it in place, I recommend using a Denman brush or a boars hair bristle brush. Be careful when using a brush on a short beard because it could irritate the skin. Aggressive brushing can also create split ends. Gentle, daily brushing is good! It softens your beard because it distributes your natural oils through the hair. Combs are another great tool for styling beards. Make sure you're using a comb that doesn't snag on your beard and cause breakage. The wide tooth part of the comb is great for your beard and the narrow teeth are good for your mustache. 

That's it!

You're all done! You've shampooed, oiled, and styled your beard like a pro!

Now you are the beard envy of all your friends!

Remember, there are a multitude of options when it comes to styling your beard. For more information and tips ask your stylist or visit YouTube for beard styling tutorials!