It is easy to tell the difference between a healthy and unhealthy beard. A healthy beard is soft and easy to tame. So then, how can you make your beard soft? Here are some tips and tricks on how to make a beard soft so you can say goodbye to that rough and itchy beard.
How to Soften Your Beard
Taking care of your beard does not have to be a difficult task. Allow yourself to enjoy grooming your beard for a few minutes every day. Here are some tips on how to make your beard soft:
1. Regularly Trim Your Beard with Scissors
Start by combing your beard upwards, so it fans out. Now, comb it back in place. Notice if any hairs are sticking up or standing out. Use your beard trimming scissors to snip those off. While this doesn’t make your beard soft itself, it will help you in the following steps. Ensure you do not over trim it. This step is only supposed to clean out and style your beard, so it doesn’t appear to be messy. This will hardly take a minute. You can repeat this step at the end of your actual trimming regimen.
2. Wash Your Beard Every day
There are multiple ways in which washing your beard will help you. Firstly, using a hydrating cleanser will moisturise and clean your beard. Secondly, it can get rid of grime, dirt, and excess oil that affect the health of your beard hair. All these unnecessary elements end up gathering at the base and along the follicle shaft. When you scrub your beard out with these hydrating cleansers, it helps to get rid of anything that doesn’t belong there. If you choose to use a soap, make sure you pick a hydrating one that is designed for beards so you don’t dry it out further.
3. Use Oils and Conditioners
Ideally, you should use beard oils or conditioners to soften your beard twice a day. This is a crucial element of your beard care regimen. Such products penetrate the hairs, softening them with essential nutrients and vitamins. The hairs will become less rigid and gain a healthy shine. Once they are more lustrous, it will be easier for you to style as well. The beard will sit gently against your skin as opposed to sticking up. It will also stop scratching and scraping your partner.
Depending on your skin type and the nature of your hair, you can choose either a conditioner or oil for your beard. No matter what product you choose, ensure you massage the product into your beard right down to the skin. It’s not just about the hair itself but the skin and the roots. You must moisturise the dry skin and the follicles. Use your comb to spread the product evenly throughout your beard gently. You can leave oils on. However, you might need to rinse out a conditioner if it is not a leave-in product.
4. Comb and Brush the Beard
It is essential to use a beard comb because it helps to evenly distribute any product through the shafts of your beard hair. Once again, you can check for any stray and stiff hairs at the stage. Comb everything back in place and cut off those stubborn strands that refuse to go down.
5. Use A Beard Balm for Styling
Beard oils and conditioners are often lightweight products. You must still have a beard balm on hand for styling. Firstly, balms offer more control over your beard style since they are heavy-duty products. Balms also happen to be rich with nourishing ingredients that can soften and protect your beard and the skin beneath it. You don’t need to use a lot of balms to achieve your style. Just a little bit can go a long way. You can start with a pea-sized amount. Warm it up in your hands before you rub it into your beard. It is ideal for applying it in an upward motion, starting from below your chin and targeting the roots. Once done, smooth everything back to place with a comb and your hands.
If you struggle with growing out your beard, you can also choose to use a Minoxidil Beard Growth serum or Beard Gummies.
How To Soften Your Beard - Home remedies
If you don’t want to buy outside products, you can still use natural methods to soften that beard. So, what is the best way to soften a beard? Read on for how to make beard soft home remedies:
1. A Good Shampoo for Your Beard
Shampooing your beard may seem excessive, but trust us, it will make all the difference. It is not as time-consuming as you think it is. Just as your scalp and hair require shampoo, so does your beard. The role of a shampoo is to hydrate your skin and clean all the dirt, grime, and oil from your hair. You must mix some shampoo with water and apply it on. Massage it into your beard and then rinse it off. Always use cold water to rinse.
2. Conditioner + Oil
Another important step in your beard care regimen should be conditioning your beard. You can do this by using a hydrating conditioner or oil. It will also help to make your beard soft and shiny. This will make your beard appear tamed, easier to style, and less messy. If one product isn’t enough, you can mix a couple of drops of oil into your conditioner and apply it to your beard. This gives you some time to spend on yourself during the day. You can massage this mixture for 5-10 minutes before washing it off. You can use lukewarm water.
3. Olive Oil
Olive oil makes for a great home remedy for softening beards. If you use it regularly, you will notice that your beard remains black and becomes super soft. This is because olive oil has moisturising properties. It will help to soften your beard and promote growth. While there are great products such as this Beard Tonic, olive oil is a great natural alternative. Warm two teaspoons of olive oil and massage it on your beard. You can choose to keep it on overnight as it won’t have any side effects on you. Rinse it off with lukewarm water. You will notice how soft your beard feels after this.
4. Aloe Vera
If you have been experiencing dandruff in your beard, you could use aloe vera to counter it. Get some store-bought or natural aloe vera gel and massage it into your beard. You can do this twice a day for the best results.
5. Honey and Lemon Juice
We all have honey and lemon at home. We can use these simple ingredients to make our beards softer. Lemon is packed with nutrients that promote beard growth. Meanwhile, honey helps to soften and hydrate the hair. Wash this off with cold water.
Maintenance For a Soft Beard
Now that you know different ways to take care of your beard, you can decide on the best way to soften your beard. We have outlined some tips on maintaining your beautiful soft beard:
1. Nutrition
The way you eat affects how your body functions. It also determines the quality of your hair and your hair growth. Hence, taking care of nutrient deficiencies can help you to have a softer and healthier beard. Insufficient protein intake leads to brittle hair. You must also eat saturated fatty acids to produce sebum as it protects your skin and hair. Deficiencies in Vitamin C, D, and omega 3 fatty acids also negatively affect hair health.
2. Regular Grooming
Consistency is key. Regular trims help to get rid of split ends. It also cleans up your beard in terms of appearance. Combing your beard helps to evenly distribute your hair’s natural oils as well as other products to keep them hydrated.
3. Hydrating Your Beard
You can easily avoid prickliness and an itchy beard. You can use beard oils and conditioners to moisturise your beard. It also helps to protect you from harmful UV rays, humid weather, the wind, etc.
Summing Up
Every man with a beard likes to boast his features. The softer your bear is, the easier it will be to manage it. Subsequently, if it’s easy to manage, you can easily style and care for your beard. Hence, you can try out these various methods and decide which one is the best way to soften the beard for yourself.
References
- Jung-Il Kang, Hoon-Seok Yoon, September 2018; Mackerel-Derived Fermented Fish Oil Promotes Hair Growth by Anagen-Stimulating Pathways - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6164340/
- Sanushi Umar, July 2020; A Close Look at Aloe Vera Barbadensis and It's Effect on Hair Health - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342588964
- Tao Tong, Nahyun Kim, June 2015; Topical Application of Oleuropein Induces Anagen Hair Growth in Telogen Mouse Skin - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4462586/
