Dry beard skin really annoys this guy
Chris asked: I’ve started growing out a full beard and though I like the look, the skin underneath it gets dry and flaky. I tried using shampoo to clean it but it didnt work. How do I take care of the dry skin?
Dry skin in the beard is a pain. I suffer from this from time to time, and found a couple of solutions:
Consider Your Shampoo: Many shampoos on the market aren’t great for beards. If you’re just using a cheap bottle you bought from the local superstore, it might not contain the ingredients needed to take care of dandruff. Switch to something like Head & Shoulders – it’ll work for your beard hair as well as it does for your head hair. Try it once or twice a week and you’ll likely notice a difference.
Break Out the Jojoba Oil: I highly recommend investing in a beard oil that contains jojoba. This makes your beard softer, and will help with dry skin. As far as application techniques, there are quite a few, but I use a technique I got from Jordan Sadberry, barber at Hudson Hawk Barber and Shop in Springfield MO recommended – put 6 or 7 drops in your hand and work it into your beard before you get into the shower. The humidity from the shower will help the oil work its magic, and you’ll start to notice a difference in the softness of your beard, and the skin underneath. I do this three times a week, and it works for me. As far as beard oils, I’m partial to Brooklyn Grooming Red Hook Beard Oil, and Burroughs Beard Oil from Prospector Co., myself.
You’ll find that everyone with a beard seems to have their own fix for dry skin, so experiment and figure out what works for you. Maybe some of our readers will share some of their own solutions in the comments.
Wriglyness asked: My husband wants to dress stylishly. He’s tall, barrel-chested, bearded, big, and handsome as sin. He looks very good in layers, but he gets too hot in the summer and starts to overheat. What are some good options to avoid death by sweaty?
For most men of size, sweaty is our normal state, no more so than in the summer, when it’s hot and horrible everywhere you go. I try to stylishly combine shorts with everything, but if I can’t do that, I’ll switch to fabrics that handle warmer weather much better, such as linen, cotton, and yes, some types of wool. If he doesn’t already, try to get your hubby to wear lighter colors – wearing black or dark blues all the time just make things worse.
Sometimes it’s just too hot to do much about sweating, so you have to do your best to deal with it. I do that by always wearing a light undershirt with whatever else I’ve got on. It absorbs most sweat, and helps me stay pretty comfortable. I always feel better with an undershirt on. If head sweat is a problem for you, consider a cap of some kind. Don’t worry – if you’re not a ball cap kind of guy, try a bowling cap or a driving cap. Most hats have some kind of sweat band built in that’ll keep you from looking like you just finished a marathon. Death by Sweaty. Perfect band name.
If you want more info on good summer fabrics, read my article about the best summer fabrics for big guys at the Destination XL blog.
