Beards have been around for centuries, while beard products have only been around for a handful of years. Because of this, some guys wonder if beard products really make a difference.

For years, beards have been perceived to be coarse, wiry, itchy, irritating things on your face. But thanks to beard products, that is no longer the case.

Where did beard products come from?

Beard products became a "thing" as beards became more popular in recent years, and they exist similarly to how hair products exist to help your bed head. It's really an evolution of proper hygiene and grooming.

With a surge of men growing beards, the beards of today are held to a bit of a higher standard. Men and women alike prefer beards to be groomed and smelling nice.

Because of better beard grooming, many more strict work environments have actually lifted their grooming restrictions and allowed beards in the workplace. This wouldn't be the case if guys weren't taking proper care of their beards!

What do beard products do?

If you aren't familiar with beard products, how they work and what they do, we'll break down everything you need to know in detail below.

At a high level, beard products moisturize and condition your skin and beard hairs, give you hold to keep your beard from spraying all over the place, and of course, make your beard smell great. They also help you grow your beard faster, fuller and healthier.

Not All Beard Products Are Created Equal

Before we dig into the weeds and break down each specific type of beard product, it's important to note that not all beard products are created equal. 

We STRONGLY believe you should use all-natural products on your beard, especially because this is your beard we're talking about here! And your face...your face is important too. 

Many beard products out there use synthetic fillers, parabens, and all sorts of unhealthy ingredients to cheapen the cost (and quality) of the products. This also cheapens the effectiveness of the products as well.

YES, we sell beard products and YES, they are 100% all-natural. But even if you don't want to try ours, at least make sure what you're using is natural.

That said, here are our recommended beard products that you should be working into your daily grooming routine when you get ready for the day.

Beard Wash

The first step in our recommended beard grooming routine is to keep your beard clean. Just like you wash your head hair, you want to wash your beard. Where it differs is what soap you want to use. 

Regular bar soap, body wash, and traditional shampoos are NOT designed for your face and beard. Most of these products use a harsh soap formula that will dry your face and beard causing damage.

The reason beard wash exists is to give your beard a good cleaning, without stripping away all the oils. As you'll learn later, oil is essential for beard health, and our all-natural beard wash is designed to have a gentle lather that will clean your beard while nourishing the hairs.

How often should you wash your beard?

When it comes to frequency, it really just depends on how dirty you get. There is no one size fits all rule when it comes to keeping clean. 

If you sweat a lot, work outside or in a dirty environment, you will want to wash your beard daily and being our beard wash is all-natural, it's perfectly safe to do so. If you work in an office setting or don't get very dirty, you can go every other day or every few days between washes. (The same is true for your head hair).

Just like you wash your hair, grab about a quarter-sized amount of beard wash and really make sure to lather your beard nicely. Once you scrub away your hard day's work, rinse thoroughly and you're onto step two.

Beard Oil

Beard oil is the next step in our recommended beard grooming routine, and it exists to moisturize the skin under your beard. This is actually a pretty big misunderstanding amongst bearded men all around the world as it's not really designed for your beard hairs specifically.

Your body produces oil naturally from the face called sebum oil. This natural oil serves to keep your face moisturized and healthy. As you grow a beard, the beard hairs demand moisture and the result is they draw the natural oils away from your face.

No natural oil means you'll have an extremely dry face. I'd be willing to bet every bearded man has experienced beard itch at some point and let me tell you, it hurts. The reason your beard itches so bad is because your skin is dry. Very Dry.

This is why we recommend applying beard oil daily, and when you do, make sure you are applying the beard oil to your skin and not just on your beard hairs. It serves to mimic your natural oil to keep your skin moisturized.

Beard oil doesn't only eliminate beard itch. Keeping your skin moisturized gives your beard a much healthier environment to grow in. Beard oil will help your beard grow faster and healthier than not using it. Plus, it'll leave your beard smelling absolutely fantastic! Win, win.

After you shower and wash your beard, towel dry about 90% or so of the water out and apply a dime-sized amount of oil to the palms of your hands, rub them together and apply under your beard to your skin.

After you apply your beard oil it's time for step three...

Beard Butter

The most versatile beard product on the market. Beard Butter is one part deep conditioner to soften your beard hairs, and one part hold to give you just amount of control to style your beard to perfection and keep it there all day long.

No longer are the days of beards being described as wiry or itchy. These painful words were used because it was true. If you don't condition hair it will become brittle and dry. Not only will this cause breaking and a mess of a beard, but it'll massively impact how it grows.

Applying beard butter daily will keep the hairs conditioned and healthy which in turn will help your beard grow better, AND it'll give you hold to keep it styled and looking great.

We recommend using beard butter daily, just as you would style your head hair before you leave your house. Scoop out a finger full of butter (depends on beard length) and rub your hands together to get it to melt, then apply to your beard hairs. 

These couple minutes (at most) will make such a big difference on your beard.

But what about Beard Balm?

A lot of guys write in and ask about beard balm and how it compares to beard butter, so we wanted to cover the difference for you. 

The best way I can describe it is Beard Balm is meant to give you more hold and less condition than Beard Butter. Beard balm typically has beeswax in the ingredient list which is a very tacky substance so it will get your beard into place but can leave it sticky to the touch. 

This is why guys love Beard Butter so much, it gives you the style and hold you need and want, but also gives you much more conditioning benefits without leaving your beard tacky or sticky. It's the best of both worlds.

Mustache Wax

Now, this step isn't necessarily for everyone, but I personally think a handlebar mustache is a great compliment to a beard of any size. In order to control the hairs, you need to get a mustache wax which will give you the tackiness you need to pull your mustache hairs to the side and train them to flip up.

When it comes to applying, you want to start on the middle of your lip and work towards the outside. As you do, twist your finger and thumb as if you're snapping and it will train the hairs to curl up. Keep your mustache wax on you at ALL times, trust me on this one. The last thing you want is to have a handlebar mustache and not have wax close by. Eating, drinking, and kissing can be a bit more difficult with a big stache, but trust me it's all worth it.

Beard Combs & Brushes

You wouldn't leave your house without combing your hair or putting a hat on, and the same is true for your beard. Since you can't put a hat on your beard, you really need to comb it into place to get the hairs to lay in the same direction and not look like you just rolled out of bed. 

Your beard comb or brush will also help you evenly distribute your beard products throughout your beard. You'll want to style your beard into place and then I always recommend keeping a comb close by and give it a quick comb throughout the day or as need be.

Depending on the size and hair texture you have, you'll want to pick a beard comb or brush that fits your needs. 

Boar Hair Brush

The boar hair brush has thousands of bristles which make it exceptionally good at moving your beard to really shape it tighter to your cheeks. It's very helpful for shorter beards, but it is also helpful to get the cheek hairs to be more manageable for longer beards as well.

Large Wide Tooth Beard Comb

For beards that are long, curly or extra thick, the wide tooth beard comb is a great tool to allow you to shape your beard with minimal snagging. This wooden comb is designed to glide through even the gnarliest of beards and will help keep your big beard organized and looking good.

Beard Comb

Our standard beard comb is a great comb for beards of all lengths and styles. The teeth are medium width and because it's wood it is anti-static and will have minimal snagging. Throw it in your pocket or leave it in your truck and comb your beard as need be.

Beard Grooming is Easy

Guys, this may seem like a lot if you are new to all of this but trust me, this entire process really only takes a few minutes every morning.

If you haven't given us a shot yet I ask you to do so. If you aren't absolutely blown away with our products and service, it's FREE. We stand behind we do with a LIFETIME guarantee and are here to help you however we can. 

If you have any questions about this or anything at all, don't hesitate to contact us anytime. 

And as always, Live Bearded!