Beard Care 101: How to maintain and care for your beard

Just like hair, beards need a bit of TLC to reach your #BeardGoals. Here are our top beard care tips to maintain and look after your beard and keep it looking its best.

Understanding your beard

You’ve probably noticed that your facial hair is different from the hair on your head. Beard and moustache hair is often much thicker, darker and more wiry than ‘head hair’.

Facial hair is also a lot drier than head hair and the reason for this is because facial hair is a different type of hair called androgenic hair.

Essentially, androgenic hair is a type of human hair that grows on the body during and after puberty when there is a natural increase in androgens hormones. This hair type can often appear darker, drier and have a completely different texture compared to the hair on your head.

Now that you understand why your beard is different to your hair, let’s unpack how you can care for your facial hair.

Essential beard care tips

Say YES to shampoo or co-wash

A face wash isn’t going to cut it when it comes to beard care. Your beard needs proper mild cleansing products that will help remove dirt from your beard while still hydrating it and the skin underneath.
If you’re concerned that normal shampoo could dry out your beard, try using a co-wash.

A softening and smoothing product like the TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Co-Wash will do wonders for your whiskers. Enriched with marula oil, this cleansing conditioner will gently cleanse the hair while also smoothing it out. This will not only help your beard look neater, but it will also reduce any scratchiness from rough and brittle strands.

To avoid over-washing, we advise co-washing your beard 2-3 times a week and shampooing it at least once a month.

Feed your beard

The hair in your beard is naturally much drier than the hair on top of your head. So when it comes to moisture and hydration, your beard really can’t get enough. That’s why, for optimal beard care, we don’t just recommend cleansing your beard with a moisturising product. We also advise regularly using a conditioner (or even a hair mask!) and oil to feed your bread.

Now, you do need to be careful when adding rich products to your facial area, as sensitive and oily skin types may react to the rich proteins and oils in the products. A good rule of thumb is to not use products you wouldn’t be comfortable using on your scalp.

For ultimate softness, try out the is the Dove Pure Care Dry Oil Conditioner. This product is super gentle and works to soften and nourish hair leaving it easy to manage.

Oils are crucial for proper beard care. When you use an oil, you’re adding moisture that will last until your next wash, as well as keeping your beard soft. This will help minimise any prickly feeling from rough hairs. A great oil to use is the TRESemmé Rich Oil Mist. This product’s ingredients contain rich fatty acids from coconut oil, corn oil and sunflower oil which coat and deeply hydrate your hair.

Editor’s tip: Keep the moisture locked in with a beard balm or leave-in conditioner. The Toni&Guy Leave-in Conditioner is not too heavy, so it will lock in hydration without weighing down the strands.

Time for a trim

We understand that a trim may seem counterproductive to your beard care routine, especially if you’re trying to grow your beard. But a trim won’t impact your growth. In fact, trimming your beard as it grows, helps to keep it healthy by removing dead ends. It also ensures your facial hair is always well-groomed and on-point.