A couple of months ago, I came across an old photo of my great grandfather. He was sitting in his garden in Denmark, sporting a truly Viking-like beard. Although I've been a once-a-day shaver for years, I thought I'd give it a shot. Now I'm a couple of months into it, the beard is coming along nicely and I am trying to decide which products I need to hoard. After all, this is BnB--I'm not afraid to go overboard on things. Beard oil and balm, moustache and beard wax--so far, so good. Boar brush and Kent comb? Check. But beard wash, beard softener, beard conditioner--do I need all that? And are there some other things that I don't even know about? Help me to fuel my acquisition disorder.
Must-haves?
- Thread starter The Nid Hog
- Start date
when I had a full beard it was before I was involved with B&B. All I used was Nivea skin cream and a comb.
Everyone's face is different so you get the typical YMMV with beards as with a freshly-shorn face, but I would recommend using a beard wash. I'm not partial to any particular one, though I've had good luck with Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap. Like with anything, try a few different soaps/washes created specifically for beards. You could condition as well, I suppose, though that's generally one of the jobs of your oils and balms. I've never used a conditioner made specifically for beards, though I have used all-natural hair conditioner. It seemed to work fine, though I didn't miss it when I stopped doing it.
Since you're specifically looking to go down the rabbit hole, you may want to look at investing in a trimmer or a pair of trimming scissors. Otherwise, you sound pretty well outfitted.
Since you're specifically looking to go down the rabbit hole, you may want to look at investing in a trimmer or a pair of trimming scissors. Otherwise, you sound pretty well outfitted.
I've been summoned......
A Kent comb is a must. I never liked the brush for my beard. But it does help with collecting the hairs that come out with combing. I preferred to used a comb. And the Kent OT pocket comb is perfect. I think I have 3.
I really like the Proraso beard balm. It's not an oil but it's just as thick. Smells great. And out of all the oils I used was the one that I felt did the best job and conditioning and making my beard soft. But once it's washed out my beard is back to being unruly. Even with the oils. IMO they don't do a whole lot. Never made my beard feel any different once they were washed out. But they did make it shiny and easy to comb when I used them.
As far as beard washes go....I got to where I just used whatever shampoo I was using. But there is one that I really liked and I felt it did a better job than my shampoo.....Bluebeards Beard wash. A little pricey though. But It felt like it worked better at washing and conditioning than the Head & Shoulders shampoo I use.
After wearing a beard for 2 years and trying product after product my only take away was that all the various products are fun to use....but didn't do much to make my beard feel any better or look any better on a day to day basis.
Wash it every day with whatever shampoo you use. Comb it multiple times a day to keep it untangled and "trained". Not to mention looking presentable. Other than that I would put in the oil just to give a shine before I went out.
A Kent comb is a must. I never liked the brush for my beard. But it does help with collecting the hairs that come out with combing. I preferred to used a comb. And the Kent OT pocket comb is perfect. I think I have 3.
I really like the Proraso beard balm. It's not an oil but it's just as thick. Smells great. And out of all the oils I used was the one that I felt did the best job and conditioning and making my beard soft. But once it's washed out my beard is back to being unruly. Even with the oils. IMO they don't do a whole lot. Never made my beard feel any different once they were washed out. But they did make it shiny and easy to comb when I used them.
As far as beard washes go....I got to where I just used whatever shampoo I was using. But there is one that I really liked and I felt it did a better job than my shampoo.....Bluebeards Beard wash. A little pricey though. But It felt like it worked better at washing and conditioning than the Head & Shoulders shampoo I use.
After wearing a beard for 2 years and trying product after product my only take away was that all the various products are fun to use....but didn't do much to make my beard feel any better or look any better on a day to day basis.
Wash it every day with whatever shampoo you use. Comb it multiple times a day to keep it untangled and "trained". Not to mention looking presentable. Other than that I would put in the oil just to give a shine before I went out.
I still have some chin whiskers and I use either Grandpa's Pine Tar or Neutrogena soap daily.
I really enjoy and recommend Beard Booze Beard Wash, Grave Before Shave Beard Wash, and Beardbrand Beard Wash. Pick one (or all) you won’t be disappointed. Beard Booze has the wash in many different scents, Beardbrand has a few different scents, and GBS only has the one.
For conditioners/softners, I’ve only tried Beardbrand and The Northern Beard Company and enjoy them both. I have a Bossman Intense Beard Conditioner on the way but have not tried it yet.
For oils and balms I enjoy Grave Before Shave, Beard Booze, Beardbrand, Beards & Beavers, The Northern Beard Company, Honest Amish, and First Olympian (only tried the oil). First Olympian really stands out and the performance is a bit above the rest.
Fully Bearded combs are gorgeous and work wonderfully if you have a longer beard.
Grave Before Shave sells an outstanding brush.
Badass Beard Care sells a wicked set called the Loaded Caddy, something to check out. And Bossman has a product called Beard Jelly that looks intriguing.
Cheers.
For conditioners/softners, I’ve only tried Beardbrand and The Northern Beard Company and enjoy them both. I have a Bossman Intense Beard Conditioner on the way but have not tried it yet.
For oils and balms I enjoy Grave Before Shave, Beard Booze, Beardbrand, Beards & Beavers, The Northern Beard Company, Honest Amish, and First Olympian (only tried the oil). First Olympian really stands out and the performance is a bit above the rest.
Fully Bearded combs are gorgeous and work wonderfully if you have a longer beard.
Grave Before Shave sells an outstanding brush.
Badass Beard Care sells a wicked set called the Loaded Caddy, something to check out. And Bossman has a product called Beard Jelly that looks intriguing.
Cheers.
Oils seem to work best for me, I also find balm to work pretty well too. Mustache waxes work well to keep the stache out of the mouth if your growing it long enough that it gets in your mouth. I've always just used whatever shampoo my wife has in the shower for washing. I don't wash everyday though, I usually just rinse with water and shampoo maybe twice a week unless I'm doing something that I get dirty or sweaty. For me conditioner usually just makes it more unruly rather than helping. But as always YMMV, if you want to go nuts and try new things I say go for it!
- Thread starter
- #10
I really like the Proraso beard balm. One of my friends recommended it to me during the first couple of weeks when my face was like an old rasp. It worked great--really seemed to cut down on the scratchiness. I had a bottle of beard oil from Kiehl's, and my buddy just gave me a bottle of Proraso too. My wife got me a tin of Best Damn Beard Balm that she picked up somewhere, and I got a three can selection of Mod Cabin balm at my barber. They're all pretty good, but the Mod Cabin Honeysuckle is like the beard balm equivalent of The Veg. What else? I have a can of Can You Handlebar Secondary Wax too, which I don't really need yet.
Taconic beard balm was good too. It’s more of a wax. Put some in your hand and rub them together to heat it up and melt it.
A very timely thread, I'm currently growing my first long-term attempt at a full beard. Never let it go for more than a couple weeks before but I started this about two months ago. Keeping it fairly short at 5/16" - 3/8" with my Wahl rechargeable hair clippers (my second set since '05, I highly recommend them for hair and/or beard maintenance). Been trying to read up on the best products to control strays and keep it looking well cared for and several of the products I've been considering have already been recommended by you gentlemen (GBS, BeardBalm, Bluebeard, etc) so I feel I'm on the right track. One question I'm unclear on, when it comes to balms and oils do you use both concurrently or is it either/or depending on amount of hold desired?
Many thanks,
Jack
Many thanks,
Jack
Sometimes I use just a balm, sometimes, just an oil, sometimes I use both, and sometimes I use both and a mustache wax. No problems mixing, just use less of each so you're not overdoing it. You don't want to don't want to put more than your beard can absorb and wind up with it feeling oily or greasy.
I use oil and balm together most of the time. I’ll put the oil in, comb it, then wait about 10 minutes (usually getting dressed) and rub the balm on the top of the beard. I then brush it with a badger brush and it looks and feels great. Since the moustache is getting long I’m adding moustache wax into the mix and my beard has never looked or felt better. I do this in the morning and before bed. No wax at night though. Wash and condition 2-3 times per week and you’ll have an enviable mane.
While I'm sure there's no harm in using both, in my experience they typically serve the same function, so you should be fine just using one. Personally, I think oil is better for short beards and balm for longer since it has a little extra hold.
