The importance of washing and moisturising your beard in the colder months
Its almost time to break out the hoodies, beanies and jackets, cooler weather is on its way!
Going from Summer to Autumn brings about a lot of changes. The weather goes from warm to cool, the trees go from green to brown, and we swap walking through sandy beaches with crunching through leaves on the ground.
While it is a favourite season for many, if you’re not careful your beard and skin can become as crispy as the Autumn leaves. The drop in temperature, cold winds (especially for us Wellingtonians), more time indoors around heaters, and a decrease in humidity all tend to dry out your hair, beard and even your skin.
Nailing the right Autumn routine will help you maintain that magnificent beard you’ve worked so hard to grow during summer! Here’s what we recommend:
Tip 1: Shampoo Less and Condition More
Washing your beard and hair too often can strip your hair of natural oils (especially vital in the dry, cold months), making it more brittle. Conditioning, on the other hand, adds all-important moisture to your hair, strengthening it and making it easier to manage.
Every beard and head of hair is slightly different, but we recommend using a quality beard conditioner 3-4 times a week and washing it just once or twice.
We have a fantastic selection of beard washes and conditioners available. If you’re unsure what will work best for you, get in touch and we can work with you to find the best fit!
Tip 2: Don’t Forget Your Skin
We talk a lot about washing your beard, and even your head hair but it’s important not to neglect your skin, especially the areas that exposed to the elements with no hair to hide behind!
Why? When the cold temperatures set in, it can wreak havoc on your skin, making your skin either more oily or more dry (cue the beard flakes), or both in some cases. However your skin reacts, it's important to give your skin beneath your beard the attention it deserves.
Tooletries have an awesome Face Scrubber that is long lasting, antibacterial, and made from 100% silicone which will conform seamlessly to the contours of your face. The soft-touch rubber is designed to unclog pores, remove dead and dry skin, helping to avoid the dreaded ‘beardruff’ and prevent breakouts.
Tooletries' extensive range of scrubbers extend to a head scrubber, body scrubber and even a back scrubber. We would totally encourage you to check the range out - their tools will help you to get that deep cleanse and exfoliation your skin needs!
For best results, treat your skin to a natural face wash. Lambert’s Luscious Hair & Body Bar is a 3-in-1 multipurpose shampoo, conditioner and bar perfect for your hair and skin. It’s also scented with the delicious, fresh, woody scent of pine, and the earthy masculinity of thyme which will have you smelling of Autumn too!
Tip 3: Moisturise
Prevention is key when it comes to keeping the dryness away. Apply a moisturiser before you leave the house every morning, and throughout the day if you feel your skin or beard is starting to get the itch.
For your skin, most reputable moisturisers will do the trick. For your beard, we have a couple of recommendations, each with their own merits.
Beard oil is a must have year-round for your daily beard care routine. A good quality beard oil will condition and hydrate your beard and prevent beardruff. It also will leave you smelling damn good!
We could talk for hours about the benefits of using quality beard oil and we have! If you’d like to read more for yourself check out our The Benefits of Beard Oil blog .
A beard oil’s best friend. It has a stronger hold than oil and it’s thickening effect allows for a better shape than a product-less beard. We have an extensive range of beard balms here.
If you need to know more before jumping on the balm band-wagon, read about the benefits in our Beard Balm blog.
Not to be spread on your morning toast, beard butter is softer than a traditional beard balm. It is wax free, and melts in your hand making it as easy to use as beard oil and will keep your beard feeling buttery soft!
Whether you go with all three or just one or two, each will help to lock in moisture to your hair, beard and the skin beneath!
Final Tip: Avoid using hot water
Getting out of your warm bed and sprinting through your cold house to a steaming hot shower can feel amazing on those brisk winter mornings - we’ve all done it. But your skin and beard will not thank you.
Hot water can damage your skin and beard and strip it of the natural oils which will undo any good your wash, conditioner and moisturising routine might have done.
Our advice here would be to turn the kettle on for a hot cuppa and have a warm robe waiting for you, and turn the shower down to a lukewarm temperature. It’ll be tough to begin with, but the results will speak for themselves!
If you have any questions about any of these tips or would like some further advice, get in touch! We’re ready to share our knowledge and get your beard looking its best!
