How to Wash a Beard

Beards come and go with fashion. Many different types of men's beards exist and each requires special techniques to maintain. Many men wash their beards in the shower, either with the same shampoo with which they wash their hair, or with the soap they use on the face. There are problems with this method that can easily be avoided. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Purchase a shampoo made especially for beards. Most beard shampoos are mild and pleasant smelling. Hair shampoo is nasty when it get in the mouth. This bad taste leads men to give their beards a cursory washing, too often leaving food, smoke or dead skin cells in the facial hair.
2. Work in the beard shampoo well to rid the face of all the small crumbs and dirt that gather there. Especially when beards are new, more skin cells tend to scuff off, requiring a deeper scrubbing.
3. Rinse the beard very well. If you have a thick, long beard, hold your head at different angles to let the water run through it. Rinsing well will keep you from getting itchy, dry soap caked on your face.
4. Use a conditioner at least once a week, more if you have a very tough beard. Apply conditioner following a good shampoo. Leave it on while you finish your shower and rinse well. You might look for special beard conditioner for this step as well, since hair conditioner also can leave a bad taste in your mouth.
5. Comb out your beard while it is still wet. This combing will help to untangle it easier as well as work out any soap or conditioner that might be left. Run the comb close to your face and outward. Avoid scratching throughout the day so as not to irritate the skin beneath the beard.