Black men rocking beards isn’t new, however, celebrities like Drake and Idris Elba have put this underrepresented segment of men back on the map, and we’re thankful for it. As more and more of our brothers grow beards the conversation around personal grooming is becoming louder and the stereotype that black men don’t care about personal grooming will soon be extinct (we hope). We’ve opened the conversation with our Beard Gang Facebook Group and have noticed that different men have different myths about growing beards. As a premiere beard oil provider, we cringe when we hear some of our brother’s daily beard routines and thought we needed to put together a short list of do’s and don’ts for healthy beard growth and maintenance.
Don’t: Don’t wait for a full beard to brush it.
Do: Brush your facial hair in the direction you want them to grow to train your hair follicles.
Don’t: Use the same products you use on your head on your beard.
Do: Use a light cleansing conditioner on your beard and follow up after a shower with a natural beard oil.
Don’t: Neglect the skin underneath your beard.
Do: Avoid using products that contain dyes, artificial fragrances, and lanolin.
Don’t: Pick at ingrown hairs.
Do: Exfoliate your beard with cleansers that contain salicylic acid or fruit acids to prevent your pores from getting clogged and causing ingrown hairs.
Don’t: Avoid trimming your beard.
Do: Visit your barber weekly or invest in beard trimming scissors to avoid split ends and unmanageable facial hair.
Don’t: Give up on growing a beard because your beard isn’t growing in the way you want it to.
Do: Be patient and give your beard time to grow. As it grows in you will begin to see the natural shape of your beard and decide with a licensed barber the best beard style for you.
