Alright guys, let's talk soft beards... because if there is one thing we know about beards, it's that the softer they are, the better.

When it comes to beard care and getting your beard soft as a baby's blanket, there is no better product than Beard Conditioner.

In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know and why you should use beard conditioner daily.

Why You Need Beard Conditioner

Beard Conditioner functions to help replace the loss of natural oils in your hair, strengthen the follicles to protect against breakage, and according to Captain Obvious, make your beard soft.

But does it have any other benefits? Can you use your regular hair conditioner instead? Does it help your beard grow?

Don't worry; we'll cover it all.

Beard Conditioner Benefits

I touched on a few of the benefits of an all-natural Beard Conditioner above, but let's get into the details.

Thanks to Beard Conditioner, say goodbye to the days of your beard being described as wiry or coarse. Even if your beard is thick, curly and coarse, by conditioning your beard daily it will be easy to comb or brush through and super soft to the touch.

If your beard is on the curly side, you'll greatly appreciate the detangling benefits conditioner brings to the table. Bed beard is a nightmare for most beards, but if your beard is curly it can be darn near impossible to pass a comb or brush through your beard. After conditioning your beard, you'll have no problem combing or brushing your beard pain-free!

They say you can tell the health of your hair by the shine. This comes from the moisture locked into the hair follicles which conditioner works to lock in.

And if it couldn't get any better, Beard Conditioner works to make your beard strong. When you wash your beard, the hair cuticle is opened up to be cleaned. You seal it back up by using conditioner to lock in nutrients and keep pollutants out. This will strengthen the hair to prevent breakage, split ends, and even hair loss. 

Beard Conditioner vs Regular Conditioner

You, like many, may be thinking the hair on your face can't possibly need to be taken care of differently than the hair on your head, right?

Wrong.

Facial hair is an androgenic hair, which sprouts at puberty when your body produces the hormone androgen. Your beard growth is linked closely to your testosterone which means the higher your testosterone levels, the more facial hair you'll grow. The downside to high testosterone levels is it increases your chance of male pattern baldness.

There's always a catch!

The biggest difference between androgenic hair (beard) and head hair, is that facial hair grows thicker and curlier and is much more coarse and dry than your head hair.

This is why beards of the past were referenced as being, coarse, dry, itchy, irritating, scruffy, and all sorts of not-so-nice adjectives. Thanks to products like Beard Conditioner, you can have a gloriously soft beard that smells just as great as it feels.

The equally important difference between your head hair and facial hair is in the skin. The skin on your scalp is typically much oilier than facial skin, which is why regular shampoos are much more harsh than a high quality beard wash. You don't want the oils on your head hair which is why regular shampoo is ok, not the same for your face and beard, though.

It's because of these key differences between your scalp vs. face, and beard hairs vs. head hair that you want a Beard Conditioner that is designed specifically for your beard hairs and face skin. 

Best Beard Conditioner Ingredients

When it comes to finding any high quality beard products, you want to stick with 100% all-natural for many reasons. As we stated above, it's critical you don't use anything that's too harsh or you can cause beard dandruff, itch and irritation, and an overall unhealthy scraggling looking beard.

So before you pick up a bottle of beard conditioner, make sure it's made in the USA and all-natural. From there, you want to keep an eye out for a few key ingredients that will help nourish and moisturize, strengthen and condition, and of course help your beard GROW!

Here's what we recommend as the best ingredients to look for:

Biotin - is a B vitamin that is most commonly recognized as being a great vitamin for hair and beard growth. It has been shown to thicken hair and stimulate hair growth! 

This is why it's so important for your body to get biotin through your diet or a beard growth vitamin, and it's even better when it's in products like beard conditioner so it can absorb into the hairs and skin and help you grow the best beard possible.

Keratin - Your hair cuticles absorb keratin which leave your hair looking full with a nice healthy shine to it. Keratin can also help make curly hair less frizzy which means your beard will look more manageable and less like you just rolled out of bed... plus it helps the hair follicles grow! 

Hemp Seed Oil - No, we aren't talking about marijuana here! Hemp seed oil is an amazing lubricant and does wonders to strengthen your beard hairs. This will help from breakage and because it's rich in omega 3, 6 and 9, help oil is loaded with the fatty acids needed for better beard growth. It is also said to bring circulation to the skin which delivers oxygen and nutrients to help with growth!

Vitamin E - Similarly to Hemp Seed, Vitamin E brings circulation to the skin and will help with beard growth. This is also why we put it in our all-natural Beard Oil!

Coconut Oil - Bye bye, beardruff! Coconut oil helps fight agains dandruff and does a great job at creating luster, shine, and softness to your beard.

Argan Oil - As you'll start to see, many of these ingredients are packed with essential fatty acids to help condition, increase shine, and growth. Argan oil is no exception and it's loaded with vitamin E and is one of the best ingredients out there when it comes to beard products.

Jojoba Oil - is loaded in vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, copper, and zinc. These all work to strengthen hair and help promote hair thickness. This is why we include it in our beard product line!

Aloe Vera - Not only is it good for sunburns, but it's great for your beard! Similar to how it cools and conditions your skin after too much sun, Aloe Vera will leave your hair soft and shiny, and will prevent dandruff while promoting hair growth.

Caffeine - when most people think of caffeine they think of their much needed cup of coffee to start the day. But caffeine can help promote hair growth by targeting the hormone called DHT which causes hair loss.

Different Between Beard Conditioner and Beard Butter

If you're not aware, Beard Butter is another type of conditioner, but there are some very important differences that once you use the products will be very clear to see. 

Beard Conditioner is a wash-out product that is best used in the shower after you wash your beard. As we explained above, it will seal the hair follicles and pack them with all the nourishment they need to grow strong, healthy, and of course, soft. What's so important about conditioner is it allows you to jam all those nutrients into the hair shaft before it closes (when you dry your beard).

What conditioner doesn't do, though, is give you any sort of hold to keep your beard in shape. That's where Beard Butter comes to play.

Beard Butter is a shea butter based formula that also has coconut oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E, and other key ingredients mentioned above that offer an insane amount of conditioning elements to your beard.

But what it does best is give you the perfect amount of hold to tame flyaway hairs, control waves and curls in your beard, and leave your beard looking (and smelling) fantastic all day long. 

Because of these key conditioning ingredients, it will give you the shape and style you want, without leaving your beard tacky or hard to run your hands (or someone else's) through it.

So these products really work together to allow you to have the best beard possible. same is true about Beard Oil and Beard Wash. All of our all-natural beard products are custom formulated and designed to work together.

How to Use Beard Conditioner and How Often

Beard Conditioner is a wash out product that should be used after you wash your beard, but can be used on it's own as well on days you aren't getting sweaty or dirty. This is what we call a co-wash (conditioner wash). We recommend you apply an amount suitable to the size of your beard so start small to gauge how much you need. 

Massage the conditioner into your beard and let it sit and soak in for 2-3 minutes. Simply rinse thoroughly when finished with cool to warm water. 

As for how often you should condition your beard, it can depend on a few things.

The climate and weather in your area can impact how dry your skin and beard get. The dryer the climate, the more you should condition. Also, your skin and hair conditions are much different than mine, your buddies, and everyone else. So use some discretion.

The most important factor though, is how dirty you get. If you spend a lazy day on the couch indoors all day long, you can probably go without washing or conditioning your beard. 

But if you sweat or get dirty, we always recommend washing with beard wash, and following with conditioner to get the moisture back in. Most beards need all the condition they can get.

Plus, who ever said, "Wow, that beard is too soft!"

NOBODY. That's who. 

Final Thoughts

Beard grooming doesn't need to be difficult and it really just comes down to proper hygiene. Put a little work into your beard and you'll be shocked at how much better it can look, feel, smell, and grow!

Here at Live Bearded, all of our beard products are 100% natural and proudly made in the USA. If you have any questions, or need anything at all, don't hesitate to contact us anytime.

And as always,

Live Bearded, Brother!