At the Brotique Edinburgh, we have more conversations (and more beard products) than anywhere else, from barbers to beard care manufacturers, and through our own experiences we know everything there is to know about beardcare, mens skincare and mens grooming.
The first piece of great news is that now is the perfect time to start. In this cold weather, your beard will grow faster and thicker as your body naturally responds to the temperature.
Growing a beard is a rite of passage for some men. It’s a style piece for a few, and a lifestyle for many. Growing a beard though can be a waiting game and growing a great beard takes some care. However, with some simple tips and products it can be an easy, irritation-free process. You’ll probably be surprised by how many options there are available, but the trick is to find the right combination of beard products that works for your skin and style.
Sadly, this is just not true. However, there are many other factors which affect the rate and quality of hair growth. You need to look after yourself from the inside as well as the outside.
Making sure you’re well hydrated and eating a balanced diet will help more than you can imagine - watch the amount of acidic food and drink you take in (e.g. coffee, sugary foods etc) and eat your greens!
Don't have too hot a shower. Hot water can damage the skin and follicle, inhibiting growth and sometimes causing patchiness (this goes for the hair on the top of your head too)
Dry your beard gently. Rubbing hard at your skin and face again weakens the skin and hair follicle.
Don’t get clogged up. Pollution, cheap shampoos and soaps and other care products can in fact block up the hair follicle, reducing growth and possibly causing patchiness, even baldness. (Again this is all true for the hair on top of your head too)
Read on to find out which products can help maintain and improve your skin, and hair follicles, as well as the hair itself.
If you are starting with a clean shaven face and have used a manual razor, the hair will grow in with harsh ends due to the hair being cut to a fine point by the blade(s). If you used a manual razor, it may sound counterintuitive, but grow the stubble for a day or two then as soon hairs are long enough, trim them with an electric trimmer. This leaves a softer end to the hairs. Your partner will thank you for this!
As your beard grows out, it can be a difficult time for your skin as it tries to readjust its natural moisture and oil balance. This can cause oily skin, dryness, itching and flakiness. However you can help it work through all of these issues, and even prevent them entirely.
For the most effective skin and hair care we always recommend Draper & Dow Hydrator. It’s actually a serum, rather than an oil and it's the most advanced product on the market. Lab developed, this is the professional mans choice, it uses Hyaluronic Acid, which is the same carbohydrate our body naturally uses to carry moisture the skin. This clever molecule carries and transfers 100 times its own mass in moisture, and this ensures your skin and stubble are completely hydrated.
You can then lock this moisture in, and add some nurtients with a light beard oil. At this length we recommend sticking to oils that use coconut of jojoba oil as a base. We’d recommend either of the excellent, new Oil Can Grooming beard oils. An oil with a natural antiseptic such as tea tree can be great to keep those ingrown hairs or spots at bay, try Hudson & Armitage 'The Pioneer' if this becomes a problem.
Finally even at the shortest stages it’s really important to start using Beard Wash and balm early in the process. Face wash can strip the oils from your facial hair, and shampoo can dry the skin. Beard wash (also called beard shampoo or beard soap) is carefully balanced to look after both. Men Rock Oak Moss soothes skin, or the Caffeine infused range will further promote growth. These washes and balms are specifically designed to help you grow a healthy beard whilst soothing the skin underneath. However if at work you get properly dirty, we recommend Braws unscented beard wash. Our Aberdeenn customers in the oil industry find it great at cleaning up at the end of a hard day.
If you have issues with ingrown hairs at this early stage, which many men do, try using a gentle exfoliator such as Portland's Aha Face Wash or a soft burns with a Zeus Boar Bristle Brush.
Follow this guide (and our next one...) and hopefully in just a couple of short weeks, your beard will look something like this!
If you have any issues or questions at all please do give us a shout (email, phone, social media or pop into the store), we’re here to help.
Buying Christmas beard gifts for the man in your life can be tricky no matter if they are your brother, boyfriend or dad, even the bearded ones.
However, if the guy has a beard, you can be certain that some beard care items and or some form of facial hair item will be loved and cherished way beyond Christmas time.
