If you’ve noticed your prized patch of chin-fuzz isn’t behaving the way you’d like— or worse, you’ve developed an unfortunate case of Beardruff— it’s time to make some adjustments to your beard care regimen.
Let’s face it, beards are the new black! This simple fact has flooded the market with a dizzying array of products.
Options are great, but deciding on which combination of beard care products are right for you can be a challenge.
To best illustrate why top-tier companies like Bossman Brands are ahead of the curve, it’s important to first understand what’s happening on the surface of your skin.
At the root of every hair follicle is a sebaceous gland. These glands produce what is known as sebum oil. This oil helps to keep your skin and beard hair moisturized and supple. However, as your beard grows, the sebaceous glands can no longer produce enough oil to keep up. Take it from me, this lack of proper skin hydration is bad news!
If gone untreated, you could end up with flakes. This flakey phenomenon has become affectionately known as “Beardruff”.
Here Stephen Condon, Founder & CEO of Bossman Brands explains more:
So what can you do?
You should be washing your beard, but not with any old shampoo.
To start off your beard care regimen on the right foot, it is essential that you avoid using regular soap or shampoos. Most generic shampoos contain harsh chemicals which strip your face of its natural oils.
Without these oils, you are much more likely to experience dryness. More often than not, dry skin is the culprit causing you to itch— and subsequently flake.
Opt instead for a quality beard soap.
Bossman Brands Beard Soap has all the right stuff in it to be among the best beard washes on the market. Their signature blend of all natural oils and cleansing agents will get that facial fuzz as clean as can be.
Now that you’ve got your crumb catcher nice and crumb free, it’s time to stave off that incessant itch.
The best way to treat itchiness —or better yet avoid it all together — is to compliment the oil your skin produces naturally with a beard jelly, oil, or balm.
But before we get to the differences between these formulas, let’s go over what’s inside them.
Common Ingredients Found In Beard Care Products
When reaching for any quality beard moisturizer, it’s likely the ingredients will include a combination of carrier oils, essential oils, butter (usually shea or cocoa), and/or beeswax.
Carrier oils are going to give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to preventing and treating beardruff. These oils can be abundantly found in many skin care products currently on the market including natural shampoos, aftershave balms, and even shaving creams. Some of the most popular carrier oils are jojoba, argan, and sweet almond oil. More often than not, these guys will be doing most of the heavily lifting to lubricate your skin and hair follicles.
Essential Oils are often times just the icing on the cake. Usually extracted from plant matter, these oils are known for their natural healing and antiseptic properties. Not only do they leave you smelling sexy, but it’s not uncommon to experience accelerated hair growth due to an increase in blood flow.
Butter— although sadly not the kind you’ll find in the grocery aisle— is an ingredient derived from the shea or cocoa nut. This creamy substance provides most beard balms with their buttery consistency. It also seals the oils into the hair shaft for maximum efficacy.
Beeswax is usually thrown into the mix for styling purposes and it’s easy to see why! This stuff will keep those wiry-whiskers in check like nothing else.
Now that we know what’s inside, it’s time to hone in on the differences between all those formulations.
You’re probably thinking: “Jelly, oil, balm? Aren’t they all basically the same?”
The short answer is no! Although many of the ingredients overlap, there are a few key distinctions.
Beard Oil
Beard oil is one of the first products you can turn to if you notice things are dryer than they should be.
Comprised of various carrier and essential oils— oftentimes with a little vitamin E thrown in for good measure— this stuff provides an adequate line of defense against dryness.
Although this a great product to start with, it’s best to use it with a balm to seal in moisture.
Beard Balm
The main characteristic that differentiates beard balm from beard oil is the consistency; think of beard balm as the much heftier brother.