How To Make Your Beard Soft & Cuddly

September 23, 2018

You’ve finally reached that sweet, sweet length and finally got yourself a respectable beard on your face. What then? Remember, just because you have a thick face bush on you doesn’t mean you can just leave it at that; caring for it is an entire matter in and of itself. After all, you want to be warm, soft, and cuddly like a benign grizzly bear, not a freaking bozo with a porcupine on his face. So, how do you make your beard all soft and cuddly? That’s precisely what we’re here to talk to you about in this article.

From Wires To Weaves

You might not be able to notice this immediately for one reason or another – enjoying your hard-earned beard not excluded – but just like any hair on your body, your face bush could become wiry, stiff, and prickly. So, what’s the cause behind all this? Simple, really: you’re not giving your facial hair the proper grooming regiment. Don’t you worry your furry face, though; we’re here to provide you with everything you need to know about how you could keep it soft and smooth from the moment you wake up right down to when you get some shuteye day in and day out!

The Tools of the Beard Trade

The first thing you need to know is that you need to have the right equipment to care for your beard correctly. So, without further ado, here they are:

Beard Oils

Yes, there are oils out there specifically formulated to groom your glorious beard, not to mention that this is one of the most useful tools you need in your arsenal to soften up those hairs. If you don’t have any idea what beard oil is made of, think of it merely as a combination of natural, essential oils that help your beard in various ways, from evening them out right up to soften it. Now, there are a lot of brands out there that feature various benefits and ingredients, so I recommend choosing one that is natural.

Beard Balm

Beard oil is just one of the essentials when creating your own grooming kit. The next thing you should have is beard balm, which has the appearance of pomade.

But make no mistake: beard balms aren’t used to stiffen and style your facial hair. Instead, these small canisters are a perfect source of skin and hair nutrients your beard needs to get that much-desired softness to it.

To put it simply, beard balms are made of four main ingredients: beeswax, to add a bit of styling power to it (but, again, this isn’t the primary purpose of beard balms); natural butter from cocoa, shea, or nuts, to give it the proper texture; carrier oils, used for moisturizing your skin and facial hair; and finally, essential oils, which are the same nutrient-rich ingredient beard oil is made of.

Beard Wash

Here’s a little secret we’re going to let you in on: beard oils and beard balms alone give you the quickest softening fixes around, but you need something more to keep your beard’s volume and texture permanently magnificent. Enter: the beard wash!

Now, the thing you have to know is that beard wash isn’t always just referring to one product and may also cover the beard shampoo-conditioner combo. In any case, having a bottle of softening beard wash or beard shampoo and conditioner set in your kit will make sure that your beard stays soft and with the proper volume longer.

Now, as with oils and balms, there are a lot of brands out there you can choose from, so just go with ones that are specifically formulated for softening. No need for hair stimulants here, after all.

Beard Combs

We know, we know: beard combs sound like an obvious cash grab. But when we say beard combs here, we just mean you need to have a comb that’s earmarked for your beard around with you; buying one of those specially crafted beard combs online or from specialty shops is all up to you.

So, why not just use one comb for both your hair and beard? Well, it’s all about hygiene. After all, you don’t want any product or – beard gods forbid – dandruff or some such problem from one spreading to the other.

Now, if you’re wondering whether it’s better to use a brush or comb on your beard, then we’d say that you’re better off with a comb since it teeth provide a uniform weave when you stroke it down your beard. If you’re going for more puff, though, then go for a brush.

What Now? Grooming 101

So, with all these tools, what’s the next step to take? Look no further as we teach you how to properly sequence these products to get a beard so soft that baby birds would love to live in it.

Step 1: The Wash

Your daily routine should start with applying your beard wash while taking your morning shower. After you’re done, remember to only gently pat and run a towel over your beard to dry it. Rubbing your towel all over it would just end up tangling them, which is a big no-no.

Step 2: The Oil

Once you’re done drying your prized face bush, then put some beard oil on your palm, rub your hands together to spread it out, and then gently massage your beard with it starting from the root up to the tip. Give it about 30 seconds to a full minute to properly seep in.

Step 3: The Balm

After you’re finished with oiling up, then grab your beard balm, take a thumbnail-sized chunk of it on your palm, rub your hands together and apply it the same way you did with your beard oil. And, as with your oil, let it rest for another half or full minute.

Step 4: The Comb

Finally, it’s time for you to comb your glorious beard. As an added note, the best kind of comb you can use is one with even spacing between each teeth to make sure that each stroke you do with it is uniform. Do you feel that gentlemen? That's the feeling of a soft and cuddly beard.