Should You Choose a Beard Oil Bottle or Beard Oil Flask?

Occasionally, customers ask us whether they should choose a beard oil bottle or a beard oil flask. At the end of the day, it comes down to a personal style choice and a slight price difference. Both the beard oil bottle and beard oil flask contain 1 oz. of beard oil in the scent of your choice: Wisdom (woodsy), Initiative (citrus), or Temperance (unscented). Both have oil proof and water proof labels.

Our beard oil bottles sell for $19.99 per bottle (or you can get one bottle of each scent in our Beard Oil Trio for $54.99). Our beard oil flasks sell for $24.99 per flask (or you can get one flask of each scent in our Beard Oil Flask Trio for $69.99.

Our Beard Oil Flasks were designed with your every day carry in mind. The strong steel flasks makes carrying your beard oil even easier whether it be in your pocket or as part of a dopp kit - by carrying the flasks you alleviate any concerns of broken glass and spilled oil.

Our Beard Oil Bottles can certainly function as part of your every day carry, but the slightly larger profile of the bottle makes it marginally more inconvenient to carry. However, the beard oil bottles do come at a slightly lower price and are a great choice for those who enjoy the classic presentation of a beard oil and like seeing a high quality bottle on the shelf.

Regardless of whether you choose a beard oil bottle or beard oil flask, it truly is what is inside that counts, and our premium beard oil will keep your facial hair conditioned and looking great!

The Panic Room, Gear Patrol, fresh bread, and wisdom

Photo courtesy of Paul Bennett, @azbennett77. Paul is a self-professed pen nerd and CanYouHandlebar fanatic. Summer is in full swing, and we're on the move. Join us as we go from a barbershop in Singapore to a bakery in Michigan, and get some recommendations on what to use to take care of your beard and moustache along the way. Learn more about CanYouHandlebar being named to a list of top beard care products and the benefits of wisdom. Thank you for joining us in our travels. ~Doug Geiger, Gentleman in Charge. Featured Stockist: The Panic Room If you ever find yourself in Geylang, Singapore, in need of a great haircut and some great beard and moustache products, visit our friends at The Panic Room. They offer CanYouHandlebar products alongside great haircuts. We asked them to describe themselves - see what they had to say between the pictures below. "The Panic Room operates from a shophouse in Geylang, the seamy side of Singapore where rules get bent and romance is for rent, where red lantern lights clash with the neon of karaoke lounges." "Even as dodgy deals go down in the alleyways around us, we have made a reputable name for ourselves by providing a great grooming experience for our clients, be it a haircut, wet shave, or hair tattoo." "Collectively known as The Panic Squad, our barbers have earned a reputation as handsome-makers, unbeholden to trends and passing fashions in lieu of timeless style." We love working with The Panic Room and are honored to have them sell CanYouHandlebar products. To learn more about them, visit thepanicroom.com.sg and make sure to follow their Instagram page @thepanicroom_sg to see more awesome pictures like these. Proudly worn by: Ryan, Erie Bread Company

This is Ryan, a baker with the Erie Bread Company. Ryan recently contacted us to let us know how CanYouHandlebar's Primary and Secondary waxes help him keep his moustache looking great at work. "We make handmade artisan bread. We serve real food made with real ingredients. CanYouHandlebar has made it possible to keep this ridiculous mustache. I mean I know it's goofy. That's why I like it. People tend to think it takes a lot of effort to maintain and style your mustache, but it doesn't, especially if you use a great wax like CanYouHandlebar. The simple steps to a great mustache: (1) stop trimming, (2) wax everyday, (3) have fun. CanYouHandlebar holds my mustache in shape all day, and as a baker, that is very impressive. I am moving and manipulating dough in front of a hot oven and at the end of my shift, 8 hours later, covered in flour, my mustache is still ready to impress." Thanks for sharing, Ryan! To learn more about Erie Bread Company, visiteriebread.com. When you're ready to go pick up some of their handmade bread, Ryan recommends calling ahead to place an order. Featured in: Gear Patrol CanYouHandlebar's Wisdom Dry Oil was recently named as one of the ten best beard grooming products by Gear Patrol. We are honored to be included as part of this list that was populated by companies who all manufacture their products in the United States. To read the full list, visit GearPatrol.com, and visit CanYouHandlebar.com to pick up some Wisdom Dry Oil of your own. Behind the name: Wisdom We name our oils after virtues because we want to have a reminder each day to become better versions of ourselves. Here’s a little about Wisdom… Wisdom has many different meanings to many different people. One of our favorite definitions of the word is: "...knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action". Wisdom isn't just about knowing what is true or right, but making sure that your actions reflect that knowledge. Acting on this knowledge could be something as complex as dealing with a complicated business deal to something as simple as having the wisdom to keep your beard safely tucked away when setting off fireworks for the upcoming July 4th holiday. To our customers in the United States, we want to wish you all a safe and fun 4th of July weekend! To our customers in England - no hard feelings ;)

What is Beard Dry Oil?

Quick tip: Beard Dry Oil is a conditioning product made of a mixture of base oils for conditioning, essential oil for scent, and beeswax to make the product solid and offer you mild styling capabilities. The end result is a product designed to keep your beard healthy and looking great.

Beard Dry Oil is CanYouHandlebar’s premium beard balm. You are likely familiar with beard products on some level, and you may have even read our recent post asking (and answering) the question – what is beard oil? Now we’re back with another post designed to give you some more information on just what it is that you’re putting into your beard. As a producer of beard and moustache products, CanYouHandlebar wants to make sure you’re informed about the products you’re using on your beard. You take the time to cultivate your beard, so it makes sense that you would want to take the time to learn a little more about what you put into it.

Beard oil, with a twist

Simply put – our Beard Dry Oil is a premium hand-crafted beard oil, with a twist. Like traditional beard oils, Beard Dry Oil is a topical conditioner designed to keep your beard healthy and looking great. What makes this beard oil a “dry oil” is the addition of beeswax. We add just enough beeswax to make the Dry Oil (or balm, if you prefer), solid at room temperature.

Beeswax can help you style and train your beard

In addition to having the benefits of a traditional beard oil (read more about those in our post, "What is beard oil?"), the beeswax in the Beard Dry Oil offers hold that will help you to style your beard. The styling properties offered in the Beard Dry Oil are not the type to aggressively style your beard, but rather give you the ability to shape your beard for the day offering you a nice groomed look. Additionally, the beeswax will allow you to train your beard. As your beard gets longer, you may notice that the natural curve of your facial hair gives your beard an unruly appearance. Once you have applied the dry oil, either with your fingers or one of our Beard Oil Brushes (click here for tips on application), you can brush your beard in the direction you want your hairs to lie while using a hair dryer on a low heat setting. Repeating this process on a daily basis will train the hairs to lie the way you’d like.

The consistency of the Beard Dry Oil is thicker and slightly heavier than traditional beard oils. This can be beneficial to your beard in times where your beard is in need of extra conditioning. The beeswax works to give your facial hair an extra coating that helps hold in the oils longer which will in turn more fully condition your beard.

Our Beard Dry Oils are available in the same scents as our traditional oils, Wisdom, Initiative, and Classic (unscented). Regardless of which one you choose, our Beard Dry Oil will keep your beard conditioned and looking great throughout the entire day.

What is beard oil?

Quick Tip: Beard oil is a conditioning product made of a mixture of base oils for conditioning and essential oils for scent, designed to keep your beard healthy and looking great.

What is beard oil?

You may be new to the world of beard products, you may consider yourself an old pro. But outside of knowing that beard oil can help your beard look and feel better while also keeping it healthier, have you stopped to ask yourself – what is beard oil? As a producer of beard and moustache products, CanYouHandlebar wants to make sure you’re informed about the products you’re using on your beard. You take the time to cultivate your beard, so it makes sense that you would want to take the time to learn a little more about what you put into it.

Beard oil supplements what your body naturally produces

Beard oil is a conditioning product, but if that statement doesn’t tell you enough, think of beard products as a topical supplement designed to give your beard the things it needs to stay healthy and looking great. Daily life or an employment situation that doesn’t expose your beard to the elements can still wear on your beard. Even washing your beard, which is something we recommend of course (with a proper beard soap), can remove some of the oils that keep your beard healthy. So we offer beard oils to help fill in those gaps.

We care about what goes into our beard oils, and you should too

When we first introduced our oils to the CanYouHandlebar community, we wrote: “The base oil was designed to help your beard look great and maintain its health. The aroma is made of high quality essential oils 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!”

Our beard oils will keep your beard healthy and looking great

With all beard oils, the base oil blend provides the conditioning aspects that keep your beard healthy and help tame it. With a properly produced beard oil, the scent comes only from essential oils, no fragrance oils and certainly nothing that includes alcohol as an ingredient as alcohol can quickly dry out your beard. After applying our beard oil (see more information on How to Apply Beard Oil here), you should notice that your beard looks better and smells great (unless you choose Temperance, our unscented beard oil). While the scent will fade gently throughout the day, the conditioning will not. Our beard oils will keep your beard conditioned as you go throughout your day.

"I swear by my beard..."

Tip for entrepreneurs and idea people: how to get out of first gear

Long Version:

I have had a variation on this conversation with a few people recently and so I figured it might be helpful for some of you. Here is the scenario

1. You have lots of good ideas
2. You tell your friends about your good ideas
3. They say "yep, sounds like a good idea"
4. You feel a sense of satisfaction that you have a confirmed good idea
5. You get stalled and never ship that idea
6. You beat yourself because you have a habit of quitting as soon as you have solved it in your head

Deja Vu

Does this sound familiar? Perhaps a year or two later you see "your" idea in the marketplace and you poke your wife, husband or friend in the ribs and say , "remember when I thought of that?!" When I thought about starting CanYouHandlebar I felt like there was a gap in the market for a brand that was:

1. Upfront with ingredients. So many brands have proprietary mixes and I wanted to know what was in the wax that would invariably get in my mouth from time to time
2. Awesome at customer service. This was never meant to be a get rich quick business. It was meant to be built one relationship at a time and I give my customers the benefit of the doubt more than maybe I should. I tell the truth about when I have screwed up even when I could get away with bending the truth a little
3. Designed for people that appreciate a simpler time. If you don;t have any sense of nostalgia then my brand probably doesn't appeal to you. I miss the idea of living in a neighborhood where neighbors knew each other and smoking was healthy. I with we all could meet up every night at Cheers and grab a drink and catch up
4. Really high quality. I don;t cut corners I could cut that you'd never know the difference. I make stuff I am proud to wear and I am not the cheapest guy in town because of that. I think making something the right way is worth it for everyone.

So. That was my idea. I mulled it over for a year and filled pads of paper with notes and took lots of screen shots that inspired me. I also stalled. I found ways to put off important next steps and I got discouraged. Then I had the idea that got me out of first gear and eventually launch on November of 2012: I leveraged my own pride. I don't know if I read this from somewhere or made it up myself. I just knew that if I could force myself into a situation where my pride was threatened enough I would follow through. First, I paid for a logo before I even had my recipe down for my first two waxes. That got me going for a couple weeks. When I felt myself stalling again, I bought 10 pounds of lanolin that I sat on my desk as a reminder that I was "all-in" as far as my ego was concerned. What was I going to do with that much lanolin if I didn't follow through? I know that lanolin would haunt me unless I sold enough wax to get rid of it. That did the trick for me.

Short Version:

If you have doubt, laziness or anxiety keeping you from following your dream, put your pride on the line and you'll be amazed how your mind goes from noisy to focused. I hope this Wisdom helps you take Initiative!

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.

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.