Bravo for beards

Ladies and gentlemen, there comes a time, despite the rugged madverts on our televisions and the “rough around the edge” male celeb striking non-poses on the red carpet, when every individual comes to the following conclusion: men care about and for their appearances. Careful though, it’s meant to be a secret.

Over the past couple of years, the full beard has come back into fashion with a brutal and unapologetic vengeance. From the runways in New York to the streets of Shoreditch, this burly beauty choice has claimed its place amongst the chic and edgy yet manly men of London. But how much do we really know about it? We don’t know about you, but a “beard care regime” is not something that had ever crossed our minds.

This, inevitably, is the main reason some facial hair makes our stomachs churn and some makes them leap.  Whilst an untamed face mane can get straggly, uneven and irritable (everybody knows) there is a positive myriad of products to beautify that beard. 

Beard shampoo and conditioner

Having spoken to beardy pals, we discovered that many blokes just use normal shampoo and conditioner at this stage, though this in itself was a revelation. For the full follicle treatment, however, one might consider this highly recommended brand Mister Beardwash and their Revitalizer Trio, containing products specially designed to soften up those whiskers.

Beard oil

Yet more eye-openers into the world of facial grooming, beard oil seems to be crucial in maintaining that dreamy beard. Depending on weather and lifestyle conditions, bearded blokes can get itchy and sore skin, dandruff, knots and (horror) lice. Hopefully the latter is only in the very worst of situations, but nevertheless… just nope. Just like hair products, there are a range of (preferably natural) ingredients that do different deeds. For example, in the horrifying lice case, tea tree oil is said to do a solid trick or two.

Conveniently, The Bearded Bastard (their brand name, not our personal lash out against facial hair) offers a huge range of oils, as well as a handy Beard Oil Sample Pack of five, so you can select your favourite.

Balm and wax

For those super sumptuous finishing touches, beard connoisseurs use Beard Balm and Moustache Wax, our examples of which are from The Mod Cabin. These cheeky little products help prevent ingrown hairs and dry skin, whilst aiding with the ever-important styling of the beard. As well as all of the above, there are various combs and brushes available, without which you will almost certainly be dubbed a beard dunce. Apparently. 

So get your act together and join the thousands of men taking pride in their beard beauty, get some products together, start personalising that unruly mess on your (or your boyfriend’s, dad’s, brother’s, etc) face and turn the rebellious into the rugged.

Elizabeth Finney