This is a guest post courtesy of Paul Agelidis, the Founder and Owner at Revolucion, a cigar, tobacco and men’s gift shop in beautiful Vancouver, BC.
Keeping the skin under your facial hair healthy can be a real challenge. Facial hair is an ecosystem unto itself, and without the proper grooming tools and practices, it can experience all sorts of problems. When the skin beneath your facial hair isn’t getting the attention that it needs, it can become dry and itchy. It can also be susceptible to breakouts and appear unpleasantly red. Any of these problems can happen to you, but almost all of them can be avoided with the right tips.
Here are five tips you can follow to maintain a healthier environment for the skin under your beard:
Comb or brush daily to keep oils distributed
Like the hair on your head, your facial hair produces natural oils that are designed to protect the hairs and keep them from drying out. These oils can gather near the base of the hair and begin to bother the skin. If you are experiencing breakouts on your face near the areas of your beard, it may be because the oils are piling up and then clogging the pores on the surface of your skin.
All of this can be easily avoided if you brush or comb your facial hair every day. Use downward strokes to move the natural oils from the base to the endpoints of the hairs. This, alongside frequent washing, will keep the oils from causing problems.
Use a beard shampoo and conditioner to control natural oils
Of course, you may be one of the many people who tend to produce too much oil. If that’s the case, a beard shampoo and conditioner can compensate for genetics. Just like the shampoo that you use on your head, the shampoos designed for beards strip natural oils and wash them away. This can be a single step if your skin is irritated by oils, but adding a conditioner to your daily routine will reintroduce some moisture — this is another important step for keeping the skin under your facial hair healthy.
After all, dryness is one of the biggest irritants for skin. Shampoo alone or products that are not designed for facial hair can make the skin underneath dry out. Dry skin leads to constant itchiness and can encourage scratching that will cause further problems. Remember to follow the same rules with your facial hair that you do with the hair on your head. Shampoo should not be used daily, but instead a couple of times a week.
Use a daily moisturizer for your face
The skin around your facial hair needs protection just like the skin underneath it. When you begin growing out your facial hair, you should begin using a moisturizer specifically formulated for the skin on your face, if you have not started already. A daily moisturizer will help your skin compensate for the difference in environment between the covered and uncovered skin.
When applying the moisturizer, you should focus on the facial skin that isn’t covered by mustache or beard. The parts that are already covered will rely on the condition of the hairs to protect the skin. Trying to rub moisturizer into facial hair may interfere with natural oils, conditioning, or other products.
Use beard oil
One product that could work well to protect the skin underneath your facial hair is a good beard oil. Beard oils date back hundreds of years, but they’ve recently enjoyed a revival with the growing popularity of both beards and home businesses. Modern beard oils are often made from ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil and tea tree oil. They are designed to soften and hydrate both the beard hairs themselves and the skin underneath.
An advantage of beard oils is that they don’t just improve the health of facial hair and the skin underneath; they also improve the look and behavior of your beard. Regular use of effective beard oils can give a shine to your facial hair, and manage shagginess and stringiness. Also, they often smell great.
Remember to remain gentle with your facial skin
To protect the skin underneath your facial hair, there is a habit that is very important to remember: being gentler than you think you need to be. Facial hair heavily reduces the amount of sensation that’s kicked up by scratching, cold weather and other irritants. However, the damage to your skin is still the same even if you don’t get the same type of warning from your nerves that you did before.
Remember to be as gentle as possible when managing the skin underneath your facial hair. Don’t scratch deeply or ignore that the skin is exposed to the elements, regardless of how much hair is covering it. Take the same precautions you would if the hair were not there.
About the Author:
Paul Agelidis has been the founder and owner of Revolucion, a Canadian cigar, tobacco and men’s gift shop in Vancouver, since 2005. For the last decade Paul has worked very hard to become an expert in tobacco products, men’s care, travel & accessories, body & bath, and gifts & home. Prior to 2005, from 1997 – 2005 Paul worked in the wholesale cigar industry and travelled to the annual cigar trade show (Habanos Festival every February). He loves to share his tips with others who are looking to achieve a complete lifestyle with the finer things in life.