If you thought split ends, matted messes, and tangles were the problem for women's long hair, then think again! When growing a beard, if you don't take some basic care of it, then these could become issues.
If you're like most guys, you probably don't put a lot of thought into your facial hair. But if you're looking to step up your grooming game, using beard oil is a great place to start. Beard oil can help hydrate and nourish your skin and hair, reducing itchiness and keeping your beard looking its best.
Not sure how to use beard oil? Don't worry - it's easy once you get the hang of it. Here's a quick guide on how to use beard oil for the best results.
Start with a clean face. Beard oil works best when applied to a clean, dry face. If you have just showered, pat your face dry with a towel before applying the oil.
Pour a few drops of oil into your palm. Beard oil comes in small bottles, and a little goes a long way. Start by pouring a few drops into the palm of your hand.
Rub the oil into your beard. Once the oil is in your palm, use your fingers to massage it into your beard, working from the roots to the tips of your hair. Be sure to also work the oil into your skin beneath your beard.
Style as usual. After you've evenly distributed the oil throughout your beard, you can style it as usual. Use a comb or brush to tame any flyaways and create the look you want.
You're here because you want more information on beard oil and how to use, so here you are, the nitty gritty;
Washing your beard; How to wash your beard.
Quite simple but often done wrong; to care for your beard, you need to use a decent beard shampoo, either a liquid or bar shampoo; this is because standard soap, body wash and hair shampoo may strip your beard of the good oils and dry out your skin, leaving a dull beard and dry skin, we have carried out a review of our most highly rated beard shampoo here; beard shampoo review.
So, as you would with your hair, get it wet, pop the recommended amount of beard shampoo in your hand and then fully massage through your beard, paying careful attention to properly massage down to your roots and the full length of your beard.
Fully rinse out with clean water and ensure all shampoo residue is removed.
Drying your beard; How to dry your beard.
Before applying your beard oil, you do need to ensure your beard is fully dry; the best way to do this is to towel dry your beard and then allow it to fully dry naturally; however, this takes time, and like most people, time is short.
Using a hairdryer on your beard; using a hairdryer will help you get your beard dryer faster. However, this comes with a caveat, don't make this a regular occurrence; using a hair dryer on your beard will damage your beard (just like using it on hair), so keep the heat low and brush carefully as you dry.
Brushing a beard; How to brush your beard.
You will have heard of a beard comb, but did you know there is such a thing as a beard brush? Who knew it!
A beard brush will help with your daily beard care, leaving it looking shiny and healthy and will even help promote beard growth on stubble and shorter beards.
To start with, you want to brush your beard upwards; this will feel strange, but it will help straighten all your beard hair and get it all pointing in the same direction; work slowly from the bottom of your beard to the top.
Now you've evened out your beard and got all the strands straight, you'll want to brush it in the direction of growth; start from the top of your beard and brush downwards, in the direction of growth, down to the bottom of your neck - don't be too fussy as we now need to oil your beard - you'll get it messy again!
Beard Oil How To Use; How to use Beard Oils.
To properly and quickly apply beard oil, you'll need two things (4 things if you include your hands), a bottle of beard oil and a good quality wooden beard comb - you can do without a comb if you have a very short beard.
Starting with a dry beard and dry hands (remember, oil and water don't work well together), drop a few drops of beard oil into the palm of your hand; you may want to increase this for longer beards - you will get to know how much your beard needs as you get used to applying oil.
Rub your hands together to fully coat your palms and fingers with oil, you will need to fully cover your beard, so you are better to spread it well on your hands before touching your beard.
Now you need to systematically work the oil through your beard from root to tip; you can do this in a few strokes for shorter beards and more for longer beards.
Ensure you work it well into the skin beneath your beard as this will help with itchiness, dryness, and Beard dandruff - Beardruff! - yes, it is a real thing - this will also help stimulate growth.
Start at the base of your neck and work up through to the sides and front and then finish with the chin area; you can use a downward motion here if you prefer.
If you have a longer beard, you will want to ensure each stroke goes right to the tips - this will help prevent tangles and keep your beard in good condition.
If you have a separate moustache you are growing, then spend a little time working the beard oil into your moustache.
To evenly distribute the beard oil throughout your beard, you can use your beard comb to do this; working with the growth of your beard (not against it like you would with a brush), you want to carefully comb the length of your beard; this will not only evenly distribute the oil but will also tidy and style your beard.
If you feel your beard is not adequately covered, then add a few drops more and rub in, then comb - remember; less is more as you don't want your beard and face to be greasy feeling, but you want to make sure you have treated your entire beard.
Finish your beard by snipping off any extra long or stray hairs and then a final comb to shape and style - your beard oil will go a long way to helping style your beard's messy or scraggly looking areas.
How much beard oil to use
We've touched on this above, but the simple answer is that you use as much as you need to.
When growing my own beard, I like to grow and regrow a few times a year; it gives me variety and an ever-changing face, so, during the different stages of growth, I use different amounts of oil - If you are just getting started with beard oil then here is a helpful guide based on my own experiences;
Stubble; 2 - 3 drops
I know a lot of people don't bother much with oil when they are at the stubble stage, this is ok, but if your skin is used to oil, I find that it greatly benefits my skin and growth if I continue to use beard oil, then when I'm actively keeping my stubble short - I use 2 - 3 drops daily to keep my face hydrated and smelling great (I never use aftershave as it drys my skin, opting for our natural essential oil infused oils)
Short; 3 to 5 drops
If you keep a short beard, kind of between a full covered beard and stubble, then I find the same as above, daily massaging in beard oil keeps it fresh, hydrated and healthy looking.
Medium; 4 to 8 drops
This is when you have a full beard; it's thick and full but not too long - again, it really depends on the thickness of your beard, but I find around 4 to 8 drops will do (more if really thick)
Long; 8 or more drops
From experience, when you get to this length, you will have been caring for it for a while, and you won't even need to count drops of oil - you will just be able to take the pipette and apply what you need, some days you will find you need more than others, but that's ok, use what you feel your beard needs - you will get to know your beard like a faithful friend and know just what he needs to thrive.
Stages of beard growth
There are 4 stages of beard growth;
Beard Growth Stage 1: The Itchy Beard Phase
This is the beginning of your beard journey when your facial hair is just starting to grow in. This can be an itchy time, but don't worry - that's normal! You may also find your skin is a little dry and flakey at this stage.
Beard Growth Stage 2: The Awkward Beard Phase
This is when your beard is starting to fill in, but it's still patchy and uneven. You may be tempted to trim or shave at this point, but trust us - don't! Just let it grow!
Beard Growth Stage 3: The Beard Thickening Phase
This is when your beard starts to thicken and fill in. You may still have some patchy areas, but it's well on its way to becoming the beard you've always wanted.
Beard Growth Stage 4: The Beard Maintenance Phase
This is the final stage of beard growth when your beard is fully grown in and you just need to take care of it. This is when you'll start using products like beard oil to keep it healthy and hydrated.
Conclusion
So, there you have it - everything you need to know about how to use beard oil. Remember, clean your beard daily with a quality beard shampoo, when maintaining use a beard brush and comb and trim straggly bits as needed, when applying beard oils start with a small amount and work your way up as needed - you will find your perfect oil amount. And most importantly, enjoy the journey!
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