We know what a well maintained beard can do for a man. Beards are exposed to the elements every day, and beard oils and balms helps to nourish and protect facial hair and the skin underneath thereby allowing beard hair to grow in healthy and with little irritation. Many of the most common issues like dandruff, acne, ingrown hairs, and brittle dull looking facial hair are greatly reduced with the use of a quality beard care routine.

Differences in moisturizing oils?

Most oil based ingredients into these products like hemp, argan, castor, sweet apricot, jojoba, etc are moisturizing and help to condition and strengthen facial hair and the skin on your chin as well as encourage healthy hair growth, and leave you with a non-greasy shine. So which one to choose? We usually recommend our argan or castor base for people with larger beards, or sensitive skin. It’s a little bit heavier and absorbs a little slower (great things take time, friends). A little goes a long way, so if your beard feels greasy you’re using too much! Hazelnut & hemp base is also great for longer beards, but people with shorter beards or scruff tend to like the fact that it’s a lighter oil that absorbs quicker. It’s astringent properties also make it great for people prone to breakouts under their beard.

How do I apply a beard product?

Best applied first thing in the morning to a clean beard. We recommend the use of PH balanced shampoo created especially for beards. Squeeze out the excess water gently. Roughing it up with a towel will cause mechanical stress, damage, and make it less shiny, tangled, and angry looking.

Beard oils:

After that, pump a one to a few squirts into the palm of your hand (more or less depending on the length of your beard, rub your hands together and work oil through the length of your beard, from roots to tips. If you have dry spots, massage a little oil into the skin. If your beard is particularly dry you may want to repeat the process once more in the evening. Be careful as some beard oils have eyedropper style tools to dispense the oil. Never let this touch your beard or skin. There is a chance of cross contamination of bacteria on the beard (even after washing it doesn’t kill bacteria, sorry that’s a whole new topic about cleaning), and can enter the bottle causing it to spoil.

Beard Balms:

Scrape a small amount of beard balm out with your finger nail (amount will vary depending on the length of your beard).  A nickle size in your palm will do for short, a loonie to a will do for long beards. Warm the balm by rubbing between your hands and then proceed to work it through your beard from roots to tips. The friction of your hands will warm it up to a liquid state. Typically these balms are infused with natural bees wax. Organic, easy to use, easy to wash out, and leaves the hair smooth and flat. They also seal in moisture and prevent the elements from harming it such a pollution, rubbing on clothing to cause more mechanical stress and damage, and keeping the hydration of the other ingredients inside the hair shaft to be absorbed.

Product Shelf life?

Most packaging plays an integral role in the shelf life of your beard oil. Some have a treatment pump instead of the popular glass dropper. This is handy so you can avoid spilling an open bottle of oil, it also ensures that your brew meets as little oxygen as a possible thereby reducing the chance of your oil turning rancid quickly. If they don’t, some use the eyedropper packaging. Just steal the rubber top tight, and make sure never to touch the glass portion with your hands or beard. Under normal storage conditions oil products will last up to two years. We suggest you keep it out of direct sunlight and heat. Don’t leave it in your car during the summer.  Beard Balm and conditioners will last  1-2 years on a self, and 10 – 12 months upon their first use, and moustache waxes will last just as long.

Lines we carry;

Grave Before Shave – Argan based with a few other minor ingredients. Entire line of  beard products. From their beard shampoo, beard conditioner, beard butters, beard balms, beard oils, moustaches waxes in reg and strong hold.

Prospector – Their three beard oils – Hemp based. Quick absorption, light fresh scents.

And hopefully a few more Canadian based ones soon! If you would like us to stock a brand, or own a brand, please contact us!

Best ways to care for my beard?

We recommend using a good dedicated beard shampoo that is PH balanced and infused with a hydrating oil. Follow up with a beard conditioner. These are the best ways to clean the beard, adding benefits not to make the hair swell from a harsh blended concoction that will strip the hair of its natural moisture, making it brittle, dry, swollen, tangled, and not happy.

We suggest with clean hands following up with a beard oil. Again, read above for details on what oils provide. Rubbing it through, combing any tangles from the bottom up gently will help keep the beard in great shape!

A beard balm is like a styling and hydrating agent. We put it on after to seal the hair. Making the hydrating oil stay inside and not worn off on clothing as the beard and you move. We suggest applying it from ear to chin, both sides simultaneously.  comb through.

See us for regular beard line ups (keeping the shape, lines, care). We will trim any split ends, keeping the the beard healthy, able to grow longer, and make you look mansome!

We don’t recommend the use of a flat iron on a beard. Over time it leaves thermal damage, and can basically cook the hair. Leaving it severely damaged, and can cause breakage.

We do recommend a blow dryer with a nozzle (funnel) and gently with low heat to no heat and direct the hair down with nice brush. Youtube has some amazing videos on how to blow dry. We say not INTO the hair, not past, but a angle much like 45 degress to it pushes the hair in the right direction, and smooths it down. Slow and steady wins this race. A blow dry can be used before adding oil and balm for added smoothing and straightening effects. Not always required but helpful if you have a beard with “personality” and grows in different angles, or swirls you want to correct. Nothing can change how the hair from under the skin. It starts a a liquid protein and oxidizes into the hair fiber we know as hair.  The way that follicle wants to grow is nothing we can change. WE can redirect it once its long enough.

Permanently straightening a beard is considered dangerous. We do not offer this service. The chemicals are too close to sensitive areas, your nose, mouth, eyes, other areas.

If you found this interesting, helpful, and know someone who could benefit from it.. Please share it with them! Thank you!