This is How Often You Should Moisturize Your Beard

You’ve made it through the awkward growing stage, then the treacherous itchy phase, and now you want to keep it.  This means committing to a daily beard care regimen.

Most men should moisturize their beard daily.  Men with drier skin should consider applying beard oil twice daily, while men with oilier skin can afford to skip a day.  Beard moisturization should be part of a man’s daily face care routine.

Want your face to stop itching? Want to stop abrading your lover’s face every time you go in for a kiss? Read on and learn how to add that sought-after soft side to your manly physique.

Daily Moisturization Is the Way

At a bare minimum, you should be applying beard oil once a day.  

While all men may be created equal, not all skin types were created identical.  Your skin is going to fall somewhere on the spectrum of

• Dry skin - consider even twice daily
• Normal skin - moisturize daily
• Oily skin - still moisturize daily, but maybe go with a less aggressive product

You can tell this by how shiny your skin is at the end of the day.  The shinier the oilier.  I’m on the oily end of the spectrum and my forehead is basically a mirror by 5pm.

Wait, I thought we were moisturizing beards? What’s all this talk about skin type?

Great question.  Your skin type indicates how much natural moisturization your beard will get.  So, ipso-facto, skin type will provide guidance for how much you’ll need to moisturize the mane.

A properly moisturized beard will benefit your skin, as well.  Softer beard hair will not wreak as much havoc on your cheeks.  This will help with itchy beards.

If You Have Skin on The Drier Side

You’ll probably benefit from applying beard oil twice daily.

• Once in the morning
• And once before bed

Another tip for dudes with dry skin is to make sure they fully dry their beard after washing it and before moisturizing it.

Dry it out? I already have dry skin!

Yes. Your beard hair tends to be much thicker than the hair on your head.  Especially if you’re like me… bald.  Spongey beard hair retains more moisture from the environment, which may sound like a good thing because in most cases it is.

However, most shower water contains minerals that can irritate the skin under your beard.  So, it may be worth passing a hair dryer over your beard before applying the good kind of moisture from your beard oil.

Then be sure to apply oil again before bed.  Even if you don’t have dry skin, there are some benefits to this.

If You Have Skin with Average Levels Of “Oilyness”

If your face is not as shiny as mine by the end of the day, then applying beard oil once a day should do the trick.  If you apply it before bed, you’ll save yourself some time in the morning.

However, if you like taking your shower in the morning, that may not work for you.  The key here is that you should definitely be washing your beard before moisturizing it.  Be sure to use a moisturizing beard shampoo, too.  Regular face wash or bar soap will just make more work for you.

Whichever you choose, morning or night, is up to you.  Just add beard oil to your daily face care routine and you’ll be set.

If You Have Oily Skin

Oily skin is not a bad thing, especially for men with beards.  This just means that your skin is naturally producing more of the oil it needs to keep from drying out.  This surplus oil can help keep your beard moisturized since it’s no longer needed for your skin.

Oily skinned men who keep their beards short might even be able to get away without beard oil, so long as they are caring properly for the skin underneath.

It is still a good idea to moisturize your beard daily, though.  Just because your skin is producing higher than average oil amounts, it’s not likely producing enough to keep an entire beard in check.  Keep applying beard oil as part of your daily face care routine, just keep in mind you may not need as much.

If You Have Dark Skin

Black men should consider something like a beard balm instead of, or in addition to beard oil.  Beard balm with ingredients like shea butter will help lock in moisture for longer, allowing your daily moisturizing efforts to go a little farther.

If you prefer beard oil over balm, then consider applying it at least twice daily.  It will also help to keep your skin moisturized by using a moisturizing face wash & cream.  That actually goes for men of all skin types...

Don’t Forget About Your Skin, Too

Your beard and your skin work together as a team to make you the handsome man you are.  So in your efforts to moisturize your beard, don’t neglect the skin underneath it.

I mentioned beard wash earlier.  This isn’t only for washing and conditioning your beard.  Just as many shampoos advertise scalp cleaning abilities, a good beard wash will also keep the skin under your beard clean and moisturized.

Your normal face wash can certainly scrub the skin beneath your beard and keep it clean, but it will likely have stronger cleaning agents that will strip your beard of its natural oils.

Remember, we want to add oil for moisturization, not remove it.  So while beard wash is called “beard” wash, keep in mind that it is designed to wash the skin underneath said beard as well.

In most cases, it’s also perfectly fine to rub your normal facial moisturizing cream right into your beard.  It will definitely help your skin underneath, and will certainly moisturize your beard to an extent.

The reason beard oil is a more popular moisturizer is its ability to penetrate the hair follicles of your beard.  This means your beard will more readily absorb a purpose-made beard oil product than a skin cream… makes a little sense. 

Amplify Your Moisturization Efforts with A Beard Brush

I reached a level of softness I did not know was even possible after using a high-quality beard brush.

I’d recommend a boar bristle brush over anything with synthetic bristles.  When used in conjunction with a daily moisturization routine, you can reap some of these benefits:

• Stimulate natural oil production, meaning more moisturization bang for your beard oil buck
• Evenly distribute beard oil, leave no hair un-oiled
• Reduce split-ends and itchiness
• Reduce patchiness

If daily moisturization has been working for you and you’re ready to take your beard care to the next level, invest in a high-quality beard brush and use it daily.  Your best bet is to brush your beard immediately after applying oil to evenly distribute the product.  Kills two birds with one stone.

The Verdict: Moisturize Daily for Best Results

At first, a daily moisturizing routine can sound like a chore.  But once you get into the groove, you’ll fall in love with your beard all over again after feeling how soft it is.  You won’t miss the itchy face underneath either.

With a great beard comes great responsibility.  I have no doubt that you are man enough to rise to the responsibility of daily beard moisturization.