"I swear by my beard..."

How often should I wash my beard or moustache?

Photo: jenny downing

Overview

If you ask four people how often you should wash your beard, you will get five answers. The following is my take, but I trust you'll experiment and find what works for you. But before I offer my $.02, I know guys with amazing beards that swear by weekly shampooing and others that go daily. So, it is not like one or other other is a guaranteed terrible idea. I shampoo every day or two and I always use conditioner. I shampoo more or less often depending how messy of an eater I have been more than anything, (or if I have been around smoking or other things that stick to hair). More important that HOW OFTEN is HOW you condition.

Things to consider as part of your beard hygiene regimen:

Soaps and Shampoos

If you use a soap or shampoo that is not too harsh and you scrub the skin under your beard well, you will clear out the microorganisms that cause a lot of itchiness and flaking. (This is the same reason we scrub our underarms with soap). You know I sell some great beard soap. Try it, if you haven't yet. It does a good job of getting you clean without being too harsh, without pulling hairs our prematurely, and it smells great in the morning. No matter what you will lose a few hairs per day. This is normal.

Use a good beard oil

Use a good beard oil every day or every other. You don't need a ton. Just a nickel sized pool in your hand. Start at the ends and work your way toward your face. Contrary to what you may have heard, the goal isn't to coat your chin skin with oil like putting maple syrup on pancakes. Your skin already produces oils. You are getting the parts of the hair that your sweat doesn't reach. If you have flakes--skin conditions notwithstanding--it is your cleaning regimen NOT a lack of beard oil that is to blame.

What I have learned from the experts

Like I said above, there are LOTS of strong opinions. Mine come from experience and from conversations with barbers, Title Beard and trainers at the Aveda institute so I tend to take them at their word as experts. The good news is, it is relatively inexpensive to experiment and find out what works for you! Be sure to check out the TitleBeard Facebook page again for tons of reviews and tips!

Here are some thoughts from Brian at TitleBeard that are along the same line:

"...I wash my beard everyday. Many beardsman advocate only washing once or twice a week, but I have always said that with proper cleansing and conditioning products, daily washing is fine. But if you don’t like washing your everyday, don’t! Also, on average, I condition my beard in the morning after I get out of the shower, and again before I go to bed, and if I decide to use a beard wax to achieve a particular look that day, I may end up using anywhere from 3-4 different beard products throughout the day. Do you have to do this? Absolutely not, it is simply what works for me."

CanYouHandlebar Kent Moustache and Beard Combs

About our Kent combs

Pedigree

Legitimately better than the rest

Introducing Beard Oils: Wisdom and Initiative

About Beard Oil:

Throughout the ages, across all peoples and religions, oil has been used in ceremonies to provide a physical symbol of what was happening at a deeper spiritual or relational level. The ritual of oiling one's beard is a great time to think about the deeper topics of life. The day is young and we are looking at ourselves in the eyes as we stand in front of the mirror. The CanYouHandlebar oils are meant to provide you some good thoughts to consider during these few moments while the day is still in front of you.

About Wisdom Beard Oil:

This oil is built around the warm scent of fresh cut spruce. It is warm and fresh but definitely masculine. The mental image I had in mind when I was mixing this oil was that of spending time with a patriarch on a porch, watching the sun come up and the dew evaporate off the ground as the day warms up.

About Initiative Oil:

This is a beard oil that inspires me to put in the hard work and the hours to build something worth having. This is a more brisk scent and is made from a stack of brisk citrus tones. It is a mature take on citrus. It was important to get the freshness of lime and bergamot without creating something cloying. I think I nailed it.

How do I apply this stuff?

Depending on the size of your beard, pour between a dime and quarter sized puddle into your hand and massage it into your beard. Wash hands or rub them on the dog. You can also use the beard brush, just try to keep the oil on the surface by holding the brush in an angle in your hand so all of the oil doesn't run down into the brush as much. If you go this route, go right side, left side, underside and then top so that you don't get oil on only part of your beard. Repeat if necessary.

Thoughtfully designed

The base oil was designed to help your beard look great and maintain its health. The aroma is made of high quality essential with no cheap fillers. The attention to detail extends to the labeling. Knowing that your beard oil will likely be stored in your bathroom where water and small amounts of oil will get onto the label, we spent a little extra and used water- and oil-proof labels! Your oil will look as good from the day it arrives until you've used the last drop!

How to apply beard oil

Instructions:

As with most things, there is more than one way to apply Beard Dry Oil and Traditional Beard Oil. Master beardsman, Andy Pokorski shows us his method for applying beard oils to his award winning beard. Included below are written instructions and videos to help you on your bearded journey! First things first, in order to apply beard oil and use your Beard Care Kit, you will need to own one! Here is where you can pick the best Beard Care Kit for your needs. Here is where you can pick up a world class Kent beard comb. We made some videos that cover beard and moustache care, over here.

1. First, check out the videos! to see master beardsman Andy cover beard and moustache care
2. Get out your CanYouHandlebar oil: Open your new CanYouHandlebar beard oil and set it aside
3. Oil your brush: Gently twist your beard oil brush on top of your Dry Oil and twist a quarter turn or so. If you are using a traditional beard oil, add a nickel sized dollop to the center of the brush
4. Condition the front: Start on one side and brush the Dry Oil down into the beard from the sideburns. Move on to the middle and other side.
5. Condition the back: Now, make sure you brush oil onto the underside of your beard.
6. Optional comb through: If you’d like you can comb your beard out to ensure total coverage. If you do this comb your beard horizontally and then finish by combing down and out into the final shape
7. Optional hand sculpting: If you’d like, grab the outside of your beard and stroke your manly beard into its final stately form.
8. Not optional: Admire your birthright in the mirror and each time you see the branded question mark, ask yourself what you need to do to be the sort of man you want to be.

Should I get Beard Dry Oil or Traditional Beard oils?

Taking care of a beard is like taking the tire off a bicycle.

When I was about eight years old I decided my bike wheel needed to come off so I flipped my bike upside down and attacked the nuts that held the wheel to the frame with a Crescent wrench and a hammer because the threads were too tight for my little sausage fingers. My dad noticed what I was about to do but couldn't stop me in time. I managed to practically weld the nut to the shaft by cross threading it something fierce. What I learned was any time it occurred to me to grab a hammer to finish a job, I should probably also ask for some advice. (By the way, I was without a bike for a whole summer as a result of my "creative" approach to bike repair!).

Use the right tool for the job.

Suffice to say, I am now a big fan of using the right tool for the job. It helps if you have a good toolkit. For beards, this means having a traditional beard oil and a beard balm of some sort. My beard balm is called "Beard Dry Oil." It is also a good idea to have a high quality beard comb, a brush for shaping your beard and a Beard Oil Brush for application. With these tools, you are ready for anything. That said, you may not need everything at once. Since I have a year old beard and use both a traditional oil as well as Dry Oil. If you are buying a gift or want to know what to start with, here are some tips for picking the right product.

For shorter beards (or for more control)

In general, a Beard Dry Oil is best for beards younger than a couple months or for when you want a little more control. A beard balm style oil adds a little volume and really helps control "fly aways." In particular I use Beard Dry Oil for my sideburns or whenever I have slept on my beard and I have a bad case of "bed beard," or whenever I just want to have a sculpted look like Santa had in A Miracle of 34th Street. The way Beard Dry Oil works is that it contains a little beeswax and lanolin and provides a little structure. While it is mainly designed for shorter beards and touch-ups, it can be used as a daily oil, even on longer beards. Case in point, Brian Furby the beard expert from the beard and moustache product review site TitleBeard has a year old beard (aka "Yeard") and uses Dry Oil daily. He likes it because it provides the control he desires.

For longer beards (or for for shine without hold)

As my beard has gotten longer, I have come to really appreciate traditional liquid beard oils. These oils provide great hair health properties, add a really nice shine to my beard and smell awesome. Most folks I talk to with more than a few months growth prefer liquid oils because the Beard Dry Oil can weigh down longer beards if that is all that is used. Some guys like to use Beard Dry Oil and traditional oils together for maximum control over the way their beard behaves since they can use as much of each type of oil as they like. There really isn't a right or wrong when it comes to beard oils, just what works best for your beard and how your beard is behaving on a given day.

Getting the right tool for your beard!

Like I mentioned earlier, it is good to have the right tools for the job! My guess is that curiosity will get the best of you and you'll want both eventually. If you buy both at the same time you save on shipping! :} The good news is that the Beard Oil Brush works great with either type of oil. You can buy just about any combination of beard care kit that you want, including getting a Beard Oil Brush, a Beard Dry Oil and Traditional Oil by using the pull-down option on that product page. Now, you'll be ready for anything!

Why Use Beard Oil

History of beards

When I tell people what I do I am often asked, “why does a person need a beard oil?” The reason may not be obvious at first. Until recently, mankind didn’t bathe everyday or so and the oils from our sweat made it into our beards and kept them looking pretty swell. These days we need to replace the oils we lose down the shower drain by adding good oils back to the hair every day or two.

Hair cannot be repaired

Having a beard can make a man feel very alive. However, strictly speaking, all of that hair is dead and despite what you might have heard you cannot repair damaged hair. All you can do is keep it from getting brittle and splitting to begin with. Hair that is well maintained will look good several years after it has left the follicle. Several of the guys I know with amazing beards recommend washing the hair with shampoo around once a week and using a conditioner.

Applying beard oil

After towel drying (avoid heat from hair dryers if possible), a little beard oil will make the beard look good, smell good and stay in good working order for years. A good beard oil brush will help get that oil all the way into the hair and massage the skin too. CanYouHandlebar offers a handsome and very useful beard oil brush!

Product Review: Moustache Comb by Offerman Wood Shop

Handmade moustache (err, beard) comb

There are a few things in this world of which I am a big fan: craftsmanship, things made of wood, heirloom quality, beards, moustaches, and the free market. Nick Offerman, perhaps best known as Ron Swanson on the show Parks and Recreation, offers all of these rolled up into one handcrafted comb, which I received this week.

Overview of the moustache comb:

The comb is touted as a moustache comb, perhaps because Ron Swanson/Nick Offerman wears a moustache and not a beard, but this comb is a far better beard comb than moustache comb. The fingers of the comb are too far apart to provide much utility as a moustache comb. That does not take away from the comb at all but if you are looking for a moustache comb for daily use, this is probably not it.

The comb is made from three pieces of wood–maple, wenge, and walnut seamlessly combined into a high-contrast form that gently tapers from the handle toward the ends of the eight tines.

The finished product is both beautiful and functional as a beard detangling brush. As well as it works as a beard comb, the real charm is as an homage to American manufacturing and classic grit and masculinity. As a functional decoration it is a reasonable $75 (or $100 monogrammed). As merely a comb, it would be steep.

Noteworthy details

I was fortunate to have mine monogrammed with “CYHB” for CanYouHandlebar. The letter of the monogram, like the logo on the opposing side are burned in so I won’t need to worry about the logo wearing off over time.

The details are what really make this comb stand out from the pack.

• Each tine is carved by hand and the marks from the knife are left in place.
• From the reputation Offerman has as a master wood worker I knew the product would be technically flawless and I was not disappointed.
• The grain of the tines goes along the length of the tines and the grain of the handle goes along the width of the handle. I suspect this provides the most strength for each application. This attention to detail and knowledge of the materials he uses is the mark of a good craftsman.
• The overall piece has a suitable amount of fit and finish without removing the charm of a slightly rustic handmade tool.

Frankly I would have been a little disappointed if everything were too perfect because I would then need to compare it to a mass produced comb from Amazon and it may have fallen short on account of the price versus utility ratio. As it stands, I feel like I am buying something made by the hands of a person I’d like to know.

Verdict

If you have a beard or just like good old-fashioned men’s lifestyle products like combs, dopp kits or straight razors, then this comb will make a nice addition to your collection. If you are looking for the cheapest way to arrange the hairs on your face, then you probably will feel this costs too much. Personally, I am really happy with the purchase and the opportunity to support another craftsman and enjoy the thought that went into delivering such a high quality product.

"Manly Marks: A Letterpress Project" review

Manly Marks: A Letterpress Project

"Manly Marks: a Letterpress Project" is a very cool idea and there are 5 days left, so if you want a really cool and totally unique memento of your journey--follow the link and order yours! In addition to a handmade book there are other cool items at different award levels.

As many of you know, I love entrepreneurs and well made things. Brandon is a printmaker and has assembled a really cool hand made book about being a man. In his video, Brandon mentions the merits of the beard and so I am happy to announce that I am giving some beard Dry Oil to some of the backers of one of the coolest Kickstarter projects I have ever seen once the campaign has wrapped up!

Of course you know page three should be "apply Dry Oil to your beard." :}

(Disclaimer: I make nothing if you sponsor the project).

The basics: how to grow a handlebar moustache

The growth period of a handlebar moustache:

Many people ask me how long it takes to grow a respectable handlebar moustache. When I say, "about three months," I can see crests falling. There are a few points I would like to make about this. Just because your handlebar moustache is not fully mature early on, it doesn't mean it looks bad right up until day 90. In fact, it can look pretty decent all the way through the growing. During the growing period you may end up using a little extra wax to keep untrained hairs out of your mouth. Yes, I said untrained hairs. Unless you have had a handlebar for a while your moustache thinks it is "business as usual" and will grow is its natural pattern. It may surprise you that lip hair has a pattern, but just like the hairs on your beard or your head moustache hair has a preferred growth pattern. This three month growing period does two things. First, it allows the inner hair to catch up to the outer hairs. Second, the time period allows the wax to train the hair to go the direction you want it to grow.

Tricks during the growing period:

These are all optional but may make you feel more comfortable joining the handlebar moustache fraternity. Use what you like and ignore the rest.

Week One and Two:

Week Two through Six:

Week Six and beyond:

Note:

The "dont's" of moustache growing:

Like the tricks, above, these are guidelines I am offering to you, man-to-man, not rules. Experiment and let me know if you find a better way!

Trimming:

I advise that you give it two to three weeks before trimming any hairs. If a single hair is driving you nuts--guillotine it, but if you can bear it, let them all grow until you get a good idea of which hairs will play along and which ones need to go. I strongly advise against cutting the hairs directly above the lip (which you are used to cutting if you have a goatee now) because then you end up with a handlebar mullet! You want those hairs to grow out and meet the outer hairs in order to get that full and natural look. After a couple of weeks you will start to notice that some hairs just don't belong. I have a few that grow North of the main part of my moustache that just never blend in well, so I trim them with little, sharp sewing scissors. I also trim a few hairs right beneath my nose for the same reason.

Overnight training:

Now this may be controversial, but I noticed that sometimes not matter how much I fiddle with my handlebar or applied wax, the ends tended to curl out to make bull horns (and these do not look great and photograph even worse) or one handle would get bent the wrong way on my pillow as I slept, so I turned to extreme measures. I used a DIY moustache snood while sleeping for a few nights in a row. I went to the drug store and picked up, for a few bucks, a package of nylon stretchy headbands with the little rubber nubs and wore the bad around my moustache and then around the back of my head where that line is under the bump on the back of your skull. This wasn't too tight for me and is reportedly not amorous in nature, but gives you eight or so hours (while sleeping) of hard core moustache training when needed. I have only done this a couple times.

Dedicated comb:

If you are using wax, you will want a dedicated comb so that you don't get wax in the hair on your head when combing it. (This doesn't apply to me exactly, because I am bald on top and keep the remaining hair short.) You will find this accumulates wax, so run it under hot water and use some good dish soap (I like blue Dawn) and a badger haired brush or old tooth brush to clean up the residue here and there. Pro-tip: Blow brying your combs to melt the wax and then wiping on a paper towel may sound like a good idea but then your comb melts like one of Dali's clocks and that will not help you grow Dali's moustache!

Hairs fall out--no biggie:

Hairs will fall out and though it can feel like a setback when you have been spending so much time and energy to get long curled hairs, know that it is normal. One caveat: if your moustache has a heavier coating of wax on it, don't pull a comb through at room temperature because in this specific scenario you may actually be pulling some "live" hairs clean out of their socket due to friction. I recommend cupping your hands and breathing that deep warm lung air into your moustache before combing or passing a blow dryer on low heat over your moustache a few times to soften the wax before combing. This is especially true of stiffer waxes.