First things first, skincare for men is a big deal. More often than not, the one-product-fixes-all approach followed by many men doesn’t quite work. Throw in facial hair, and you find yourself dealing with a whole other ball game. Growing a beard means exposing your skin to woes like acne, oiliness, dryness, and inflammation. Add to that the daily turmoil your skin goes through — other than exposure to UV rays and pollution, it is exposed to other factors such as dirt, dust, grime, and so much more. Since you can’t see what’s happening beneath your beard, there’s a high risk of developing a bacterial infection, acne, inflammation, dandruff, and dry skin. That’s why it’s imperative to follow an appropriate skincare that considers your facial hair too. And an all-in-one moisturiser/SPF/face oil is probably not going to cut it. The key to adequate skin and beard care is correctly layering on your products.
PS: All steps in this routine are sacrosanct, so don’t just skip them whenever you feel like it.
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Step 1: Cleanse
Cleanse your skin and beard twice daily (AM and PM). Even the gentlest cleansers can remove excess oil from your pores while clearing out impurities. Keeping your beard in mind, use a hydrating cleanser that won’t strip and dry out your beard or the skin beneath it. This can help you avoid excessive dryness, dandruff or itching. Remember, only include a beard shampoo in your routine to treat concerns like dandruff and itchiness. Otherwise, your regular cleanser is more than capable of managing this step on its own.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Dead skin cells aren’t your skin’s friend. They make the skin look dull and lacklustre, prevent other skincare products from absorbing into the skin, slow down the production of new skin cells, and leave it vulnerable to acne. There are many ways in which you can exfoliate your face and beard:
- Gently brush out your beard with a dry brush to exfoliate the skin beneath
- Massage a physical scrub or a chemical exfoliant to your skin at least twice a week
- Use a toner that contains chemical exfoliants like AHAs and BHAs. This mild form of exfoliation is great to incorporate into your daily and, with continuous use, can help treat various skin woes
- Opt for serums or moisturisers that contain active ingredients that aid in exfoliation. Ingredients such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid are all proven to improve skin quality drastically
Step 3: Apply a serum
Depending on your skincare goals, go for different active ingredients when choosing your serum. If you’re looking for a treatment for acne, select a serum with salicylic acid. If you want a shot of hydration, then hyaluronic acid will do the trick. Select the right ingredient for your skin and work the serum into your beard.
Step 4: Moisturise
A good face cream can help trap and lock in moisture within the layers of your skin, strengthening the outer layer and protecting it from external damage. Applying a moisturiser to your beard and the skin underneath it prevents extreme dryness, oiliness, and even breakouts.
Step 5: Use a beard oil
Just because you’ve moisturised doesn’t mean you skip out on the oil. Applying a lightweight beard oil helps condition and nourish the fuzz on your face. While hydrating the beard hair, it also manages to reach the skin under your beard easily.
Step 6: Finish off with SPF
Come rain or shine – you must wear an SPF to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Massage the men's sunscreen into your beard to give your skin underneath all the protection it needs.
The dos & don’ts of beard care
- Use an anti-dandruff beard shampoo to wash your beard hair when it feels a bit grimy
- Keep cleansing your grooming tools and towels from time to time
- Avoid hot water and rinse your face with lukewarm water instead
- Don’t scratch your beard—it'll cause irritation
- Don’t double up your body soap or cleanser to use on your face and beard
- Don’t shave against the grain. It could cause ingrown hair
