What is Beard Softener?

In 2015, Beardbrand was the first company to develop and launch a beard softener. With a brand new product, it takes a little bit of time to educate the marketplace. The quickest answer is that a beard wash is to a hair shampoo as a beard softener is to a hair conditioner. It’s really that simple.

So why did we decide to call it beard softener and not beard conditioner? Well, the biggest reason is that we formulated this product specifically for the beard and face. Whereas with conditioners, they are designed for the hair. The head has over 100k follicles which generate sebum. Sebum is the oily/waxy substance produced to help make your skin waterproof and hydrated. The beard on the other hand only has up to 30k follicles.

Subsequently, hair shampoos and conditioners are not ideal for washing and conditioning your beard. Many shampoos are very harsh and can be drying to beards. Almost all conditioners contain silicone.

Silicone isn't all bad, as some of them are water-soluble (will wash away with water), but some a designed to stick to the hair and coat it like little latex condoms on your hair. This silicone gives the appears of a healthy beard, but in reality it’s just masking the true nature of the hair and building a dependence on using silicone-based products.

The silicone isn't water-soluble need to be washed away with a more harsh shampoo / wash. And those harsh washes will dry out your skin and lead to breakage and split ends with your beard. If you don’t use a wash that removes the conditioner, then you’ll start to see the hair get duller over time as the silicone builds up.

To find out if your products have silicone in them, check the ingredients and look for items that end in “cone” or “ane.” For example, dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane.

The best care for your beard is by using products designed to work together and can be effective without masking the damage. Simply put, when it comes to beard & hair care, the best solution is always to develop healthy natural beards.

How do you use a beard softener?

A beard softener is designed to be used in the shower after you wash your beard. I’ve mentioned in other posts that ideally you only need to wash your beard once or twice a week.

With a beard wash you’ll want to focus the washing at the roots (or the face) rather than the tips of the beard. If your beard is short, don’t fret too much about the ends. With a beard softener you’ll want to focus on applying it to the beard hairs rather than the face.

Here’s where the fun part starts to come in. A softener can generate different results depending on how you use it. So if you are looking for a normal feeling beard, you can rinse out the softer after applying it, but if you are looking to really soften up and condition your beard; then you can do a deep condition.

A deep condition is exactly like a normal application, except for the amount of time you leave the product in the beard. You can leave it up to 5 minutes to let it work it’s magic. It’s not a leave-in product, so you’ll want to rinse before you hop out of the shower.

Now, can you apply the softener for days that you didn’t wash your beard? Yes, absolutely! You can use the beard softener daily and without the beard wash if you desire. The thing is, all beards are different – some are very curly and coarse, whereas others may be more straight and less coarse. A softener will have an effect on your beard so it’s best to play around with different techniques to find out what works best for you.

Once out of the shower, then you’ll want to apply your beard oil as part of your daily routine. It’s important to note that a good beard oil is as much for your face as it is your beard. Work the beard oil into your skin while the pores are still open and then work it out to the beard hairs. Continue with your normal styling routine and rock the day!

As the founder of Beardbrand, I am completely biased in our products being the best on the market. But that bias comes with information; as I know exactly what we put into the product and I know that we didn’t cut any corners to create the best beard care products. It amazes me that guys will invest months or more into growing their beard, and then go and sacrifice on caring for them.

Cheaper beard care products make significant sacrifices to get to that cheap price point, and hair care products aren’t designed for your beard. Like comparing a McDonald’s hamburger to one made by Chef Ramsey – they may have the same listed ingredients, but the product will be totally different. Only you can decide how valuable your beard is to yourself. Take care of it and keep on growing!