Beard Grooming 101: 7 Rules To Follow, According To Beard Experts  

Here are seven men’s beard grooming tips experts want you to follow. From following a beard-friendly diet and styling your beard to shaving it off correctly. 

Men’s beard grooming – Trimming your beard 

Rule #1 Use right beard tools 

Investing in a beard kit with the right tools will make your grooming day easy. You will need a  beard comb, facial hair scissors, and a beard trimmer, ideally with numerous guard heads such as Philips 14-in-1 multi groomer.  

Rule # 2 Choose a beard style that works for you 

When choosing a beard style, make sure to take into account which one flatters your face shape the most then get right into it. 

Here are five expert-approved beard grooming tips:  

1. To get away with mistakes, if you aren’t sure what length you want, start with a higher guard head, and work your way down.
2. Next, keep a beard comb handy and use it to brush the moustache hairs down over the lip before trimming. Always clean and comb it.
3. Keep the facial hair scissors on site. It will snip any standalone or unruly beard strays and trim the moustache hairs that fall on top of the upper lip. 
4. Make sure to trim your beard only when it is dry. 
5. Use the razor to shave everything below your beard neckline, or clean up your cheek lines to give that sleek, neat look. 

Charlotte Mchale, Clarins Training Manager, advises investing in a sharp razor. 

“A brittle razor is unlikely to cut you but can stumble against the hair and slide into the skin. A sharp razor will just cut through the hair with no friction. And that’s the difference”, McHale says. Dermatologists suggest using a four or five-blade razor.

Rule # 3 Invest in beard care 

A well-groomed beard is soft, shapely, and clean. It doesn’t itch. Investing in beard care that works is key. Beard hair needs its own essentials as it also has its own nourishment and maintenance needs for it to be soft, not brittle. Invest in beard oils, conditioning creams, and nourishing balms. 

Rule #4 Adapt a beard friendly diet

According to experts, food or vitamins do not guarantee a thicker beard or aid it to grow faster. Instead, it depends on many factors such as hormones and genetics—however, amino acids, or proteins, in the diet aid in hair growth.  

Gail Warren, Nutritional Therapist and Owner of Nutrition on the Hill, recommends, “Always eat a good range of vitamins, minerals, and protein. A healthy testosterone level will also help beard growth. Brazil and macadamia nuts, dark green leafy and cruciferous vegetables, fatty fish, olive oil,  eggs, grass-fed beef, mushrooms to name but a few.”

She adds, “Legumes provide protein to promote hair growth and also contain iron, zinc, and biotin. Turkey and avocado are also good protein sources.” 

Men’s beard grooming – Shaving your beard 

A  guide for you when it’s time to have a clean canvas. 

The act of shaving beard hair causes stress on the skin. You haven’t started, but it’s as if you’ve committed a grave mistake. 

Shaving scrapes away the outer layer of the skin. The skin resisting the passage of the razor gets damaged as shaving creates micro-injuries along the way. This stress, when repeated frequently, ends up damaging your skin. 

But don’t worry. Using the right tools and techniques, you’ll be able to groom your beard perfectly, leaving your skin stress-free. Here are five rules to follow, according to beard experts. 

Rule # 1 Never shave against the grain 

Simply put, never shave in the opposite direction of your hair growth. Instead, shave with the grain in the direction of your hair growth. 

Charlotte McHale, Clarins Training Manager, says that  this technique will guarantee a more comfortable shave “While it can be tempting to shave against the grain because it helps you get much closer to the skin, it also increases the risk of skin irritation, razor bumps, or even razor burn.” 

Rule # 2 Prep your beard 

Skincare is as important as beard care. Straightforward skincare with cleansing, exfoliating and moisturising can help cleanse excess oil and bacteria from your face, remove dead skin cells and flaky or dry skin, and can even stop your beard from feeling itchy.  

Also, invest in beard care skincare. Your beard, just like your skin, has its own needs. 

McHale recommends applying Shave Ease Oil. This shaving oil makes shaving comfortable and easy and it’s packed with essential oils of rosemary, eucalyptus and mint to make sure you’ll grow healthy beard hair back.

“Massage the oil before shaving to prep sensitive skin and condition tough bristles. Then, massage right into the beard to condition the beard hair. I recommend doing this in a hot,  steamy environment so the pores will be open, leaving a little bit more flexibility for the hair and softening the bristles, so they don’t jar as much against the razor,” McHale instructs. 

Without washing the oil off, apply a shaving foam on top. It acts as the buffer between the razor in the skin.  

“First pass, shave with the grain. If you’re going to do a second pass, you can then start to experiment with direction to get a closer shave, but by that time, you’ve already taken off the main friction, so it’s not going to have as much of an impact,” McHale issues. 

Experts recommend applying an emollient facial cream post-shaving to combat ‘razor-stressed’ skin issues.  Opt for a product that contains purslane, centella and blue alpine. These ingredients soothe any irritations or redness and protect against dehydration. 

Rule # 3 Don’t forget the aftershave beard care 

Once shaving is done, never neglect the aftershave care. By applying an aftershave lotion, like the After Shave Energiser, you can reduce any razor burn and aid skin healing. It is also formulated with Expertise 3P Complex, which helps fight the effects of pollution and free radicals to protect the skin.

For extra comfort, and to help your skin recover, follow up with an alcohol-free shaving balm like the After Shave Soother.  

Read Next: Men’s Eyebrow Grooming: How to Nail Your Brows At Home