Beard Grooming can be a little overwhelming. With endless beard grooming products to choose from, different beard styles and trimming techniques, it can be a LOT to take in.

To make this easy on you, we compiled EVERYTHING you'll need to know to grow and maintain your beard, AND explain which products, styles and trimming techniques are best for YOU.

If you follow these guidelines, you and your beard will look, feel and be better than ever!

Beard Grooming Products

1. Beard Wash

This isn't rocket science...just like you wash everything else on your body, you need to wash your beard. 

However, the skin on your face is much different than the skin on your body, and what you wash your beard with will make a huge difference in how fast, full and healthy your beard grows.

AVOID: 

• Bar soap
• Body wash
• Traditional shampoo

They are not designed for your face and beard and will strip away an excessive amount of oil, drying out your skin causing itch, irritation and unhealthy, slower beard growth. 

We recommend you use an all natural Beard Wash that is designed specifically for your beard and face. Its gentle lather will give you the deep cleanse you need without causing damage. 

Because it’s designed for your face skin and beard, you can use it daily without causing damage, leaving your beard looking and feeling better.

We offer a full line of all natural beard wash if you’re interested in learning more. 

2. Beard Oil

You have probably heard about beard oil by now as it's used by the majority of Beardsmen around the world. Beard oil is the foundation of a healthy beard, but one major misconception is that it is designed to be used on your beard hairs directly...

And that just isn't true...

The real benefits of beard oil come when you apply the oil to the SKIN underneath your beard (not just on your beard!).

Your body produces “sebum” oil naturally to keep your skin moisturized and healthy. As you grow your beard out, it draws away the sebum oil and your body can’t produce enough to keep your skin moisturized. 

Beard dandruff, itchy irritated skin and unhealthy growth are all usually caused by dry skin. Applying beard oil to the beard hairs alone will NOT correct any of these issues. It will simply make your beard shiny (and smell good).

We recommend daily application of an all natural beard oil under the beard, and directly onto the skin. This will keep your skin healthy and moisturized, which leads to healthier, better beard growth! 

Ingredients:

Beard Oil is generally comprised of two types of oils.

Type 1 – Carrier Oils

Carrier oils such as Argan, Jojoba, and Grape Seed help hydrate and moisturize your skin and beard, reducing beard itch, dandruff and helping you grow an overall healthier, better beard.

Type 2 – Essential Oils

Essential oils are added to carrier oils to create fragrances like pine, cedar, sandalwood, citrus, and vanilla. 

Moisturize your skin and grow to your full potential with an All Natural Beard Oil.

3. Beard Butter

Beard Butter is one of the greatest products for your beard and it may be the best-kept secret when it comes to beard care. In the past, beards were commonly described as coarse, wirey, and itchy. This is because the beard hairs become very dry as they grow out.

This is where beard butter comes into play. As a deep conditioner, beard butter will moisturize, soften and significantly improve the way your beard looks and feels while promoting fuller, healthier growth. 

The shea butter formula will absorb into your hair follicles instantly giving your beard hairs a fuller appearance. It also offers a light to medium hold to tame flyaway hairs and shape your beard all day long without leaving it stiff to the touch. 

Beard Butter works great for beards of any length and should be applied daily after your beard oil for best results.

Beard Butter VS Beard Balm?

The primary difference in the ingredients is beeswax. A typical balm offers a stiffer hold and usually comes in a smaller 2oz tub.

Learn more about Beard Butter or Bundle and Save.

4. Beard Comb

You may be thinking all combs are created equally…But that's just not the case...

Plastic combs may be the cheapest alternative for your beard grooming solution, but cheap plastic combs cause more harm than good! They are made in giant molds and snapped out, leaving small imperfections which snag, pull and breakdown the integrity of your beard.

This can cause serious loss of beard hairs and split ends. In addition, the plastic actually creates static and can frizz your beard out making it more unruly than before. 

We recommend a wood beard comb as it is anti-static and will comb through your beard like butter, without snagging and causing damage.

After you apply your oil and butter, comb your beard into place and throw it in your pocket so you comb throughout the day as need be. 

How to Find the Right Beard Style

Now that we've covered proper beard grooming products and which are best for your beard, it's time to find the right beard style to compliment your face shape.

As a general rule of thumb, the following points will give you suggestions to have a balanced overall look between your head shape/size and beard shape/size.

However, we encourage you to grow whatever beard YOU choose, regardless of the following guidelines.

Beard Styles

Follow these "guidelines" to find a style that will compliment your face shape.

Face Type: ROUND

If you have a round face, a beard can magnify the appearance of chubby cheeks in a negative way if you're not careful.

When shaping your beard, we recommend you keep the sideburns and cheeks shorter and fade into longer length as you work down towards your chin. This will stretch the appearance of the face to appear less round. 

Face Type: SQUARE

Similar to the round, if you have a square or box shaped face you should opt for a beard style that make your face appear to be more slender and longer.

The most practical for elongating the face is to keep the sides tighter and again fade into longer length as you work to your chin.

Face Type: LONG AND NARROW

If your face is already long and narrow, you’ll want to do the exact opposite from the round. Your beard style should be fuller on the sides to fill our your face and work length as your beard fills out on the sides.

Face Type: LARGE

If you have a larger face, you’ll want your beard to match. Any small amount of facial hair will only make your face appear larger and out of proportion. This gives you the right to grow it BIG! 

Face Type: SMALL

If you have a small face, you’ll want to consider a slightly smaller beard. You don’t want to completely lose your face in your beard so keep the proportions appropriate.

Keep in mind, these are merely recommendations. If you have a smaller face and want a wizard beard, we encourage you to grow it BIG!

Face Type: OVAL

The oval face is considered to be the ideal shape for nearly any beard style and requires minimal shaping to balance your facial features. Consider it your duty to grow a beard.

Beard Trimming

Beard trimming is the #1 mistake made by Beardsmen all around the world and often times a trimming mistake is what leads to many men shaving entirely and starting over.

We put together these guidelines to help you have the beard you desire and avoid costly mistakes that could cost you months of growth.

How To Trim A Beard Like A Master Barber

1. Slow Down

When you're going to trim your beard, whether it is the first time or not, NEVER attempt to trim any part of your beard if you are in a rush.

Set aside a block of time dedicated to your trim and take it slow. One quick slip and you can be set back months.

We recommend setting 30 minutes of dedicated time if you’re just getting started.

2. Don’t Trim Wet

When your beard hairs are wet they straighten out significantly and will appear longer than they are when they’re dry. If you trim wet, when it dries it will shrink up and your beard will be uneven.

3. Clippers vs Scissors

Both of these tools will get the job done, so it really comes down to personal preference and what YOU are most comfortable with.

Often times we recommend using both. The clippers can be great to line up the edges as well as fading your beard where as the scissors typically allow for more precise cutting. 

4. Start Small

If you are looking to take 1/2” off your beard, start by taking 1/8” off and make a couple passes. This will allow you some room for error. You can always take more off, you can’t add it back!

5. Style You Beard Before You Trim

Before you trim, style your beard as if you would any other day. Going through the same routine you normally do will ensure your beard is laying the way it does on a daily basis. 

6. A Proper Neckline

***ATTENTION*** This is the single most common beard trimming mistake. Too many guys ruin their beards by trimming too high.

Your jawline is NOT your neckline

If you trim your beard on your jawline it will make it look like your beard shrunk and is entirely too small for your face. You want to trim your beard where your neck meets your head.

Very bad neckline. His bottom line is much to high and his cheek line is much too low causing his beard to look more like a chin strap than a beard. This will only look worse as it grows out.

Much better neckline here. Notice how it is trimmed where his neck meets his head and his cheek line is in a much more natural, higher position. His beard is much more proportionate and full.

7. The Stache

Our general rule is: The bigger the beard, the bigger the stache, however that is very subjective!

Choose what YOU like.

The easiest way to to trim a shorter stache is to use a pair of clippers and run it across your upper lip. This will give you clearance when eating and give you an even line across your mustache.

If you want a full handlebar mustache and are in the growth stages, we recommend using mustache wax early to start training the hairs to grow out and away from your mouth. 

8. The Cheeks

Depending on how high your cheeks grow in, you may want to clean up your cheek line to create a little more of a defined beard.

You want to create a line connecting your inner sideburns across to your mustache, but keep this line as high as naturally possible.

A very common mistake is taking this line too low. I do not want you shrinking that beard into a chin strap so again take your time!

9. How Often?

Once you have your desired shape, regular maintenance will be much easier and the required beard trimming will be minimal. Keep an eye on it and trim the strays that take away from the shape. Just remember not to overdue it. If you continually trim you’ll never add any length!

Every beard grows at different rates, however every 2-4 weeks is typically often enough to keep it shaped. If you’re looking to grow it out, we recommend 90 days without a trim to allow time for growth.

10. Made a Mistake?

Step away from the scissors! If you’ve made a mistake, our advice is to step away. DO NOT try to fix it on the spot if you are upset.

Trust me, you'll likely make it worse. Simply step away for a bit and come back once you’ve settled down.

Don’t shave your entire beard because of a small mistake.

Remember, you are your own worst critic and chances are most people won’t even notice.

See a Professional

If you don’t feel confident attempting this on your own, we suggest you see a professional barber for your first big trim. This will require you to do some research.

You will want to find pictures of examples of the look you are going for and be very specific with what you want them to do. Lack of clear communication can lead to one of the mistakes we mentioned here even when you’re dealing with a professional. 

We wrote a detailed article to give you advice on how to find a great Beard Barber in your local area. Click here to learn more.

CONCLUSION

We truly hope this helped answer some questions and prevent some mistakes from happening. If there is something we didn't cover, or if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to Contact Us!

Live Bearded, Brother!