How to wash beard without beard shampoo

The Best Way to Wash Your Beard

Life is good. Your beard is growing in great, and your boss is being unusually cool. As you stroll through the office in route to recharge your coffee; it hits you…a combination of stale beer, that steak you ate on Saturday, and a splash of old perfume. What.The.Hell. It’s Tuesday, but your beard smells like the weekend. As a well-groomed gentleman, this is clearly not okay.

We receive a lot of questions about beard care and maintenance. One of the most popular questions relates to cleaning the beard. What is the best beard shampoo? Is there a great natural beard wash? How do I properly wash my beard?

Beard Washing Basics

Washing your beard is easy, but if not done properly, it will dry your beard out and make it more abrasive.

Wash your face every day, but not your beard. As men, we have naturally oily skin. To keep things clear and healthy, you should wash your face twice a day. Once in the morning and once before bed. Your beard is a different story.

Our bodies naturally produce oils that help keep our beards happy and healthy. If you wash your beard every day, you strip those oils from your beard leading to a dry and potentially damaged beard. On average we recommend washing your beard twice a week. If you spend a lot of time working outside or play sports, you might need to wash your beard every day. That’s fine, but you need to ensure you do it properly.

The Best Beard Wash to Use?

Use a mild beard wash. Body washes and regular soap tend to be stronger cleansers and will strip your beard of its natural oils. Normal face washes are not designed with hair in mind, so they too can over dry your beard, leaving it void of its natural oils.

Utilize a natural cleanser designed for both your face and beard. These are formulated to gently clean your face and man fur without completely stripping your beard’s natural oils. Some also contain mild conditioners that help soften your beard while leaving your face refreshed, energized and clean. Our award-winning Face & Beard Wash is designed to do just that. Learn more here.

Shampoo is an option if you do not have a beard wash available. Shampoo is meant to clean your hair, but not your face. So if you go the shampoo route you will need to wash your face with a separate face wash. If you wash with a shampoo, your beard will likely feel dyer than usual. Since the skin on your scalp is thicker than the skin on your face and the hair follicles are different, shampoos more aggressive than face + beard washes hence the dryness.

Once the shower fun is done, gently pat dry your beard and apply a dual purpose Face Moisturizer & Beard Conditioner. This product does the work of your daily moisturizer and beard oil…locking in moisturizer, reducing itch, and making your face and beard happy, healthy and well hydrated.

 Have a question? Shoot us an email!

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stubble + ‘stache is a Certified B-Corp™ and service disabled veteran owned small business. All of our packaging is made from recycled plastic and with each order, we remove five plastic bottles from the ocean. While our products are formulated with facial hair in mind, all of our products can be used by all, regardless of gender or beard status. Proudly made in the USA with ingredients responsibly sourced from some of the most exotic places on earth.

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How do you keep your beard looking clean and suave? While many people have beards, not all people know how to properly clean up their facial hair. A beard care routine can be remarkably easy, though! It just involves a bit of grooming, washing, and adding a small amount of product. We'll walk you through everything you need to know about proper beard care to keep your beard healthy and clean.

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   Shampoo your beard. Shampooing is one of the most important parts of cleaning your beard. Shampoo helps to loosen oil and grime, and generally clean your beard hair. As a result, you should commit yourself to a regular beard shampoo schedule.

   • Shampoo your beard several times a week. The frequency depends on how dirty and oily your beard is. If you work outdoors, sweat a lot, and come into contact with dirt, you may need to shampoo every other day.
   • Rinse your beard until all the shampoo is out.
   • Purchase a shampoo formulated for beards.
   • Don’t use regular hair shampoo, as this may dry the skin under your beard.

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   Use conditioner. After shampooing your beard, you should use a special beard conditioner.[1] Beard conditioners are formulated specifically for coarse beard hair. Conditioning your beard will soften your hair and moisturize the skin underneath. When conditioning, remember to:

   • Shampoo first.
   • Rub in the conditioner.
   • Let it sit.
   • Rinse it out.

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   Avoid over washing. While you may think that washing or cleaning your beard every day is a good thing, over washing could cause a variety of problems. When determining how much to wash, remember that:

   • Over washing could dry your skin and hair out.[2]
   • Everyone’s hair and skin is different. What might be too much washing for one person, might not be enough washing for someone else. Make sure to experiment and try to find the perfect balance for you.[3]

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   Use baking soda to remove stains. Smokers or foodies might at some point develop nasty beard stains. Thankfully, you'll be able to remove those stains with a baking soda paste.

   • Mix a 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 4 tablespoons of warm water.
   • Apply the mixture -- now a paste -- to your beard.
   • Allow the paste to sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
   • Rinse the mixture.
   • Repeat as needed.[4]

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   Moisturize your face. Follow the directions of the moisturizing product. Make sure to rub or massage enough of the product into your beard. Ultimately, you’ll find that your face feels better and your beard is softer.

   • There are a variety of products you can use to moisturize your facial skin and hair.
   • Moisturizing will reduce itching and prevent flaky skin.
   • Don't over moisturize. Your skin or hair could become very oily and you may develop acne or other skin problems.

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   Use a beard oil. Beard oil is intended to soften coarse, long beard hair. Without beard oil, your beard may feel rough and gritty. As a result, find a beard oil that suits your taste and budget.

   • Some beard oils can be applied daily.
   • Depending on the product, you will typically apply a beard oil after you’ve showered and washed your beard.
   • Wash out your beard oil each day instead of letting it sit.[5]

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   Locate an anti-flake beard shampoo, if you need one. Some people may need a product specially formulated to help prevent skin flaking. If you’re one of these people, you should get a special shampoo. Without it, your beard will not only appear dirty, but could harbor a lot of dead skin cells and bacteria.

   • There are a variety of anti-flake beard shampoos commercially available. However, you may need to visit a specialty store or barber to find one you like.
   • You may need to experiment with several shampoos until you find one that works for your skin type.[6]

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   Shape your beard. Perhaps the most important part of managing and cleaning your beard is to make sure it is shaped. To do this, you’ll have to use a razor to maintain the lines, style, and design of your beard.

   • Use a clean and sharp razor when shaping your beard.
   • Wash your face and beard before shaping it.
   • Make shaping a daily priority. For instance, use your razor to shave hair as it grows in. This way, you won’t need to deal with the task of creating a balanced and symmetrical beard every week.

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   Trim your beard. Use scissors or a beard trimmer to trim your beard to a desired length. Ultimately, cleaning your beard will be much harder if it is untrimmed and unkempt. When trimming your beard, remember:

   • If you decide to use a trimmer, try to get a cordless model so you can move it around better.
   • Don’t trim your beard when it’s wet.[7]

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   Comb your beard. After trimming, combing is essential to cleaning your beard. Not only does brushing beard hair improve its appearance, it also helps you to remove dead and loose hair. By removing dead and loose hair, you’ll make sure your beard is cleaner and healthier.

   • Use comb intended for beards. You can purchase this at just about any retailer.
   • Comb your hair in the same direction.[8]

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• Question

  How long should I leave the beard oil on?

  

  10 to 15 minutes is ideal, but it depends on your particular beard.

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