Photo by Conor LaRocque With spring’s arrival, you may be looking to part ways with your winter beard. Or, maybe you’ve grown attached to it and want to let it bloom with the flowers. Perhaps it’s on the brink of meeting its full potential and just needs one last push to transform it from sparse and stubbly to full and firm. One of Grooming Lounge’s resident experts, Sophie LaBarge, offers some hands-on strategies to make sure your beard is up to scruff.
While your genetic makeup does play a major factor in the quality and appearance of your beard, there's no magical solution to fix up patchy spots or fast-track growth like Tim Allen in The Santa Clause. However, adopting a healthy lifestyle and grooming habits helps promote facial hair growth. Diet, exercise and proper hydration keeps your beard in good condition, kind of like building your hair’s “muscle.” Sophia also stresses the importance of proper skincare - Washing your face will unclog pores and prevent ingrown hairs.
One of the most direct ways you can boost your beard yourself is by stimulating growth through grooming and styling products. There’s a variety of beard-care products out there — wash, oil, balm— so it’s helpful to know the differences between them.
Beard Wash
Beard washes cleanse the face of dead skin cells, buildup from sweat and products, bits of greasy food and natural oils. They offer a good way to clean the slate, prepping skin for balm or oil. Sophia recommends the beard wash by Bluebeards, a nicely scented choice that isn’t overly aggressive.
Beard Balm
Balms help condition dry, scraggly beard hair and the oft-ignored underlying skin, alleviating that nagging beard itch and the associated beardruff. Beard balms are ideal for gents growing out their facial hair beyond the stubble faze when that itching starts to creep in. Sophia and pretty much everyone here at GL HQ recommends trying some Whisker Sauce.
Beard Oil
Anyone who has facial hair longer than about 1 inch can get in on the invigorating powers of beard oil. Beard oils condition condition the beard, adding shine and control to shape unruly hairs. Sophia is partial to the multi-tasking shave and beard oil from Lab Series. Use it to trim your cheek-lines and neck-lines. Apply it to your remaining sculpted beard. Experience the tingle and glow.
Brushes & Combs
Combs are especially useful for longer, thicker beards. A wide-tooth comb won’t pull the hair too much -- and will prepare it for possible trimming. Brushes work for any guy with facial hair to straighten and smooth the hair down. A boar bristle brush is a preferable choice due to its natural bristles distributing oils and softening the beard more effectively than synthetic bristles.
Got any beard products you're partial too? Please let us know in the comments.
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