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."

Getting back into growing a moustache

The Handlebar (Moustache) Club / LONDON / 07-03-2013 www.eduardoeduardo.com/

Building back a solid moustache

Sometimes life gets in the way of a perfectly good moustache. Be it military service, an ultimatum from a lady, or the curious hands of a toddler that uses your facial hair as a walking aid, from time time time, a moustache must be abandoned for a season. This post if specifically for those looking to get back into the game.

Switching from tube wax:

The tube stuff works a little different than a real beeswax based wax like mine. Tube "wax" is sort of a glue and it has some real vocabulary building ingredients. The reason it works is that it dries out allowing the product to set. The upside to this style is that it is easier to put in. The downsides are that once it is in it cannot be adjusted without adding more product. In this way, it is sort of like hair gel. Many guys end up with clumps where the "wax" isn;t combed through sufficiently. This isn't to say that this sort of product is "bad," it is just that real beeswax based moustache wax is generally a better and safer option.

What real moustache wax is like:

My wax is the real deal and the firmness is achieved when the wax cools off to room temperature. Since it never totally hardens it can be reformed throughout the day. In this weather, you can form your curls in the bathroom and then stick your head out the back door for 15 seconds and it will set up just right.

Tips for application:

As for tips, be sure to warm the can in your pocket or under the hot water tap for a bit until it can be scraped easily with the back of your thumbnail. them rub it between your thumb and forefinger and apply from the inside to the outside. A moustache comb is worth its weight in gold. The tines on the comb are close together to remove clumps and keep it looking sharp without any streaks of clumped together hairs.

Getting started:

If you can spare the cash, grab a pair of my waxes and a comb. You'll not be disappointed. Primary is a great everyday wax and Secondary is for tight curls at the end or for a night out when you want a strong hold. Now that secondary takes a little more effort to apply, but when you want maximum hold, you'll find the effort worth it. Here's a couple links that may help. First, get a pair of waxes [$19] and a comb [$10]. Then check out these videos.

In conclusion:

Having a moustache or beard is a pretty cheap hobby (about $30 to buy the whole kit and caboodle) that brings a lot of guys a lot of joy. It may not bring in buckets of money or solve world hunger, but there is an appeal to growing out facial hair. Maybe it is the chance to be both an individual and still be part of a tradition that goes back to the first caveman. In any event, with a little practice and patience you'll have a pretty admirable moustache gracing your upper lip and if you are like a lot of my customers a real sense of satisfaction. I wish you luck and invite any further questions as doug@canyouhandlebar.com.

Grow a real Handlebar Moustache, not a fake one!

Resist the urge to trim!

If you are like I was, it will go against your usual habits to resist trimming. Because facial hair is cut at a 90 degree angle to the shaft each time you shave, when it starts to grow and make contact with the skin, it will be scratchy. The natural tendency will be to cut off the offending hairs--especially the ones that annoy you by itching your lips or the corners of your mouth.

Here's the thing: you may need these hairs later and should not trim anything until at least two or three months in when you can positively confirm the offending hair is truly useless. You want to have as many hairs as possible to work with once you get you moustache up and running. Trust me on this one.

I repeat: resist the urge to trim!

The worst thing you can do is to trim along the lip line like you do when maintaining a goatee or short cropped moustache. This will give you a mullet-moustache. No good. Think of your hairs as chess pieces--would you purposely sacrifice every one of your pawns for a short-term gain at the beginning of the game? You wouldn't. Those pawns may become powerful players someday. Stay strong!

The phases of growing a handlebar moustache

Knowing the phases upfront

The decision to grow a handlebar moustache can be made in a day; however, the work required to actually grow a handlebar to full maturity requires about three months (aka 90 days, 12 weeks, or a quarter of a year--whichever seems the shortest to you). If you know this you are ahead of the game and have the opportunity to prepare your mind and your face. Here are the phases and what you need to know for each.

Phase One: Stubble phase

This phase is the easy one. You may be a lucky would-be handlebar moustache wax wearer and already have some sort of goatee, a moustache or a full beard and moustache combo. If that is the case, skip to Phase Two. If you are converting your Movember growth to a manly handlebar, you have already gone through this and come out the other side with some growth. Here are some tips for this. Tip: 1. err on the side of not shaving hairs you may need later. 2. Use a natural coarse bristled brush to massage the skin and keep the skin on your lip healthy and free of dead skin and hairs that have bailed. 3. Start using your moustache wax to train the hairs to the sides and condition the hair underneath.

Phase Two: Itchy phase

This is when you will be tempted to trim at the lip line because it is itchy and starts to creep into your mouth. DON'T. You need these hairs later. The itchy phase is where most guys bail. Hang tight because this phase only lasts a couple weeks before the hairs are long enough to stay put when you comb them to the sides. Tips: 1. Use wax every day at this point. Use the least necessary to maintain the hold and protect your skin. 2. Use positive affirmations like "nothing worthwhile happens overnight" and then suck it up and stick it out to Phase Three.

Phase Three: Awesome phase

This is the big pay off. After around six to eight weeks you will have an adolescent handlebar moustache. The middle won't have grown all the way to the ends yet, but it will look like a fully fledged handlebar from a couple feet away. Buy the time you hit the three month mark--you are there! Congratulations! Tips: 1. Focus most of you wax in the tips since your nose is breathing out nearly 98 degrees and will soften the wax anyway. Since you are three months in, all of your hairs are growing alongside one another and so, if you get the tips waxed, the middle will largely take care of itself. Tips: 1. Focus on the tips. 2. Twist the tips gently toward your face not "out" since your head is sort of a sphere and you want the tips to hug your face, not point out like bull horns. 3. Help someone else by becoming a handlebar moustache mentor!