Bearded WhoDats -- What Products Do You Use? (1 Viewer)

[Portland]

So I'm about 8 months or so into growing my Yeard (year long beard), and have tried a ton of products (oils, balms, co-wash, etc) and have yet to find a brand that I totally love.

Any of you guys have anything you can recommend? Right now I'm using Grave Before Shave and Bossman products. The scents are awesome but I find they don't always keep the beard as tamed as I would like.

Also, what do you guys do to straighten curly beards? After showering and stuff mine is damn near out of control.

Maintaining a beard is a pain in the butt! I've gone numerous times where I "committed" then end up trimming it back down. The longest I've grown it out for was about a year and a half. Currently I'm about the same duration as you at about 8 months.

My regime is:

1. Boars bristle brush to exfoliate before washing.
2. Zues beard wash and conditioner (I like the vanilla Rum scent). I will wash my beard at minimum once per day even if it's over the bathroom sink. I always use cold or slightly warm water so I don't dry my skin out as much. I'll use the conditioner every other or every 3 days.
3. Grave Before Shave oil to moisturize skin and beard ASAP after washing and towel drying your beard. Then blow dry your beard on a low to cool setting while brushing it.
4. Detroit Grooming Co Corktown butter (I like the vanilla, tobacco, and cedarwood scent.) It helps marginally keep a very light hold while moisturizing your beard and skin.

Once it grows longer to the point where balms can't help you keep it styled and straightened I'd try a hair straightener. That is, if you really do want it straighter. (Some like it more untamed because that's the look they want and also because keeping it straighter is a pain. If you do want a straightener I use this one here, but with this one it will only work if your beard is around 2 inches or longer as it is a brush type. Look at adding a beard wax to hold it too if you aren't getting the results you want from the straightener. Some people just have a naturally curly beard but dry skin and lack of hydration can contribute to curly beard hair as well so keep that in mind which is why I recommend the oil immediately after towel drying your beard.

I'd definitely say step 3 is the most important and it'll take some time to help get your beard where you want it. The straightener should give you more noticeable results right away. The more committed you are to the maintenance of your beard; the softer it will feel and straighter it will start to look.

 

[JimEverett]

2 minutes every other day or so with some scissors to remove the unruly whiskers.

I grow a beard in between court appearances - which are becoming fewer and fewer for me.

I like the convenience - as in its less time than shaving every day. So I don;t get the idea of grooming and all of the scents and stuff.

But I did shave last week and felt like I had lost 20 pounds.

 

[gwballin]

Today is day 1,401 of my current 5 year goal.

Daily, I use any "quality" conditioner to co-wash. I recently picked up a bottle at Rouses (the brand name escapes me currently) with mint that provides a very pleasant tingle on the face while in use. If it is a work day, I towel dry, apply coconut oil, blow dry, braid and tuck to better fit in at the office.

If it is a weekend or special occasion, I use Mad Viking oil and balm. The balm is more of a butter so the hold is nearly nonexistent on a beard my size but it conditions well in my experience, smells great and allows the beard natural movement.

Weekly, I use a bar of grandpa's pine tar soap to wash my beard, then repeat the conditioning steps above.

Annually, I have it trimmed 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch to remove the worst of the whispies at the bottom. At that point I am usually asked if I'd like a deep conditioning treatment which I don't turn down because, what the hell, only happens once a year.

 

[Dago]

And straight razor shaves are awesome. You feel like a new man after
I treat myself to one every time i get my hair cut. My wife offered to learn to do it but i told her she gets P'Oed off at me way too often for me to let her near my throat with a straight razor

 

[Rickboy]

Let me know when you figure it out. I still haven't tamed this damn thing.

 

[RazorOye]

I use a reel mower... in case you hadn't heard

 

[Dr. Greenthumb]

Maintaining a beard is a pain in the butt! I've gone numerous times where I "committed" then end up trimming it back down. The longest I've grown it out for was about a year and a half. Currently I'm about the same duration as you at about 8 months.

My regime is:

1. Boars bristle brush to exfoliate before washing.
2. Zues beard wash and conditioner (I like the vanilla Rum scent). I will wash my beard at minimum once per day even if it's over the bathroom sink. I always use cold or slightly warm water so I don't dry my skin out as much. I'll use the conditioner every other or every 3 days.
3. Grave Before Shave oil to moisturize skin and beard ASAP after washing and towel drying your beard. Then blow dry your beard on a low to cool setting while brushing it.
4. Detroit Grooming Co Corktown butter (I like the vanilla, tobacco, and cedarwood scent.) It helps marginally keep a very light hold while moisturizing your beard and skin.

Once it grows longer to the point where balms can't help you keep it styled and straightened I'd try a hair straightener. That is, if you really do want it straighter. (Some like it more untamed because that's the look they want and also because keeping it straighter is a pain. If you do want a straightener I use this one here, but with this one it will only work if your beard is around 2 inches or longer as it is a brush type. Look at adding a beard wax to hold it too if you aren't getting the results you want from the straightener. Some people just have a naturally curly beard but dry skin and lack of hydration can contribute to curly beard hair as well so keep that in mind which is why I recommend the oil immediately after towel drying your beard.

I'd definitely say step 3 is the most important and it'll take some time to help get your beard where you want it. The straightener should give you more noticeable results right away. The more committed you are to the maintenance of your beard; the softer it will feel and straighter it will start to look.

Perfect response, thanks man. Never thought a beard would be this much trouble but I love it. Don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to shave it off.
Question: I had read that washing your beard everyday will dry it out. Do you notice that since you wash it everyday? Or do the oils/balms/butters help with that? Do you find washing it out makes it easier to manage??

 

[rajncajn]

Buff City Beard Balm
& a boar bristle beard brush

 

[Portland]

Perfect response, thanks man. Never thought a beard would be this much trouble but I love it. Don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to shave it off.
Question: I had read that washing your beard everyday will dry it out. Do you notice that since you wash it everyday? Or do the oils/balms/butters help with that? Do you find washing it out makes it easier to manage??

Hmm I think it depends on your skin and what it can tolerate. I read that too but I also read that washing it everyday is the way to go. So which is it? Most beard shampoos will will be sulfate free and contain oils and moisturizers that will help clean and not damage your skin. Just make sure you use cold or barely warm water but again it really depends on your skin and how it handles what you throw at it. The best advice I read was to try every day first. If you find it does dry your skin even with using a proper beard shampoo, oils, and balms to help moisturize it, then switch to washing it every other day. If that still drys it out then go every 3 days.

I actually have oily skin which if I am not careful will turn into seborrheic dermatitis on my scalp and under my beard if I don't exfoliate and wash every day. I also recently read an article that talked about how dirty beards get which made me want to stick to my regime even more. At first I was like "Whatever." but thinking about how often food or drinks will get on it and patting or wiping it off isn't really cleaning properly.

 

[Dago]

Buff City Beard Balm
& a boar bristle beard brush

Whats that scent like? I love a good tobacco scent...one of my favorite colognes is Herod

 

[whodat79]

I like the Beard Brand Old Money and Four Vices. I have the oil and styling balm. A good boar bristle brush is a must. I also have the beardscape trimmers which are really nice.