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The last few years, beards have become pretty popular. Some men even consider beard-growing to be a special skill. But no matter whether you’re going for bearded Grizzly Adams or smooth-cheeked Don Draper, it’s important to keep your facial hair and skin healthy in order to look and feel your best. So guys, this is skin and hair care for men, so read on for some quick tips to keep your beard full and luxurious or your face smooth and silky.
There are many things that you can do internally as well as topically to keep your beard and skin healthy and strong. Growing a beard is the facial equivalent of building a log cabin. To build a log cabin you need logs; to grow a beard, your body needs certain nutrients to create strong resilient hair. Love My Hair tea contains herbs that are high in the nutrients that your body needs to grow strong healthy hair. Love My Hair also strengthens your joints and tendons. It’s got a refreshing herbal flavor, and is energizing without caffeine.
Also, much like a log cabin, without proper weather treatment, your beard can get brittle and dry. Jojoba oil makes a great beard and facial skin conditioner; Jojoba oil is similar to the natural sebum produced by your skin. Jojoba oil is great by itself and as a carrier for adding essential oils that smell great and address a variety of common problems that can sometimes accompany a thickly forested face. Click here for organic Jojoba oil.
photo credit: Dane Deaner This guy built both beard and log cabin one summer, and has earned a little R&R.
Here are some quick tips for common problems people encounter.
If, in your quest to resemble Gandalf, you find yourself constantly scratching your face, a little Lavender and Peppermint essential oil can help slay that itch. The oils are cooling to the skin and help kill any bacteria that might be hanging around for no good reason other than to bother you.
If parts of your beard are patchy, add 2 drops of Rosemary essential oil to a half teaspoon of Jojoba oil, mix it well between your palms, and massage into the skin of your beard area. Rosemary stimulates blood flow to hair follicles, which in turn, promotes hair growth. Rogaine and Minoxidil actually work in a similar manner, but who wants to put Rogaine on their face. Not me, and not you.
Some people in the initial stages of beard growth might notice an increase in acne. Also, small ingrown hairs can become infected. For both problems, a combination of 3 drops Tea Tree essential oil in a teaspoon of Neem oil is strongly antibacterial and antifungal. This combo is your De-Funking Remedy. Wash and dry the beard area well, then massage this into your beard daily. You can find organic Neem oil here.
If your beard is problem-free and you just want to make a good thing even better, these essential oils will tone and condition your skin and facial hair. You can use it on your scalp as well. Essential oils such as Cedar, Sandalwood, Frankincense, and Vetiver have clean and masculine aromas, are great for the skin and hair, and will help you smell and look like a lumberjack.
Not into the Duck Dynasty look? Most of the tips above also apply to keeping your clean-shaven face healthy and happy. For some people, scraping a razor across their face every day may require some extra attention to avoid irritation. Apply a thin layer of Jojoba or Sunflower oil to the face before shaving. The oil will help your razor glide more smoothly on your face, and provide nourishment to irritated skin. Mix in a little Sandalwood and Frankincense oil to your shaving oil to smell great and prevent inflammation.
Post shave skin care: Rose hydrosol (which is the same thing as rosewater) is cooling and mildly astringent, and can calm down irritation right away. Just mist it over the shaved area and let it air dry. You can add some essential oils to your Rose hydrosol such as Lavender, Sandalwood, Cedar, and Frankincense; these relieve inflammation and offset the “rosy” aroma. You can get organic rose hydrosol here.
Feeling crafty? Make your own aftershave that you can slap yourself with every morning. You will need:
- 4 ounces of your favorite vodka (Ketel One is more manly than Grey Goose, but cheap Stoli will work just fine)
- 2 ounces purified water
- 2 ounces Rose hydrosol
- 1/2 to 1 ounce total of any of the following essential oils, alone or in a blend
- Lavender
- Cedar
- Sandalwood
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Vetiver
- Frankincense
- Tea Tree
Blend the ingredients into a manly dark glass bottle, and shake it up vigorously, and splash (or slap) some on your freshly shaved face. Make sure to give the bottle a good shake before every use.
Let us know how this stuff worked for YOU!
Andrew
This guy is surprised to hear that we carry products for beards and shaving. As you can see, he can certainly benefit from them.
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