Phrases like too many and very few apply in beard care. If washing your beard leaves it dry and increases skin inflammation, you're overdoing it.
Therefore...
If you have clogged pores and the beard looks dull and greasy, you're not washing it enough. It'd be ill-advised to assume that your beard is too short to wash it regularly.
As long as you have facial hair of any length, type, or density, you have to take care of it.
So, how often should you wash your beard?
To give you all the answers, let us first look at:
Page Contents
Factors Affecting How Often You Wash Your Beard
Your Skin Type
Yes, your skin also needs care as you wash your beard. Plus, the skin produces oils to moisturize your beard. If you don't take care of it, the pores won't release oils onto the skin surface.
If the skin under your beard is oily, your beard may be greasy too. You’ll have to wash your beard regularly to remove these oils or they’ll block your pores. That can cause a nasty case of beard acne.
These oils also mingle with even the best beard growth products and prevent moisturizing properties from reaching the inner sections of your facial hair. This concoction might even give off an unpleasant smell when it mixes with sweat.
Dry skin is the opposite of oily skin as you have to moisturize it to prevent dryness and limit washing your beard to about three times a week to preserve natural oils.
Combination skin also needs a different wash regime, unlike the other two we’ve highlighted. It needs moisturizing as the skin is oily on the forehead and the nose only. It’s what we call the T-zone.
That being the case, wash your beard on alternate days, and if it feels oily when you don't wash it, you can rinse it with water only.
Something else that ought to guide you is your...
Beard Type
Thick Facial Hair
Gather here, African American brothers and fathers, as you're more likely to have coarse and thick facial hair. Since it's curly or coily, it'll be drier as the natural oils will not reach the tip of your hair. So as you ask how often should I wash my beard, you’re probably worrying about frizz, dryness, dandruff, and dullness.
Thus, wash your beard every three days to give your skin time to replenish sebum. Spacing them out that way reduces dryness which is crucial to proper beard care for black men.
Thin Hair
Your beard needs washing daily as this hair type is often greasy. It'll come out fuller when you do so.
The Environment
The climate can dry your beard hair. Therefore, if you live in a region that's either extremely dry or cold, washing your beard every day can make it drier. It'd be better to let the natural oils build up to moisturize your hair and skin.
A wet and humid region keeps your beard and skin moist and soft. However, too much humidity can encourage microorganisms' growth, and it also creates a moist environment that attracts dirt. Staph loves humid, flaky parts of the skin, and it causes one of the worst infections.
Your Lifestyle
A fitness instructor would need to wash his beard more often than an accountant sitting behind an office desk all day long. If you spend more time outdoors or in an environment that makes you sweat gallons, you should wash your beard more.
Now, have we explained everything you wanted to know about how often to wash your beard?
We still have some more tips.
How Often Should You Condition Your Beard?
Conditioning should be the next step after shampooing as it restores hair moisture, supplies nutrients to the hair, and seals it to reduce moisture loss. Your beard conditioner may also contain oils that boost growth.
But, don't wash your beard a lot to enjoy the benefits of conditioners, yet you can get the same from beard oils. Plus, you can co-wash your beard. It means skipping the shampooing stage and using the beard conditioner alone to retain natural oils.
We've also answered some of your questions in the section below. It's a quick read.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is It Good To Wash Your Beard Every Day?
It depends on the conditions we explained earlier. For example, if you live in a dry region and your skin is dry, washing your beard every day leaves it vulnerable to frizz. It also strips off natural oils, leaving you with an itchy mane.
If you're still thinking if should you wash your beard every day, watch this video:
How Often Should I Wash My Beard As A Black Man?
Let's say every other day as your hair is thick and prone to frizz. It's not as moisturized as straight hair, so you should avoid washing out its natural oils. If you're not active, schedule the wash at least every three days and always condition it to replenish the shafts.
If your scalp or hair has dandruff, you're likely to get the same on your beard. That's another reason for you to space your washes to let your skin heal if it has flakes.
What Happens If You Don't Wash Your Beard?
You'll get product buildup from all the beard oils, butter, and balms. These will clog your pores such that natural oils won't reach your hair. Possible outcomes are beard acne, beard dandruff, dryness, brittle hair, and frizz—so you'd need to learn how to keep your beard hairs from sticking out as well.
Plus, when the buildup combines with dirt and humidity, you'll create a home for microorganisms like public lice or staph. Even a beard itch is inevitable.
Create a beard wash routine to get used to the process. For example, start by brushing your mane, then trim it if you must. However, you don't trim it every day. Next, wash it with shampoo and beard conditioner before moisturizing it. Then you can comb it. This process won't take much of your time.
Also, invest in various grooming products like beard oil, beard balm, beard butter, shampoo, and conditioner.
How Often Should I Use Beard Shampoo And Conditioner?
Use a shampoo and beard conditioner whenever you wash your beard. Beard shampoo is mild, like tea tree oil for beard growth, and it's not as harsh as soap or regular shampoo. It has nourishing and moisturizing ingredients.
After cleansing your hair and skin with shampoo, the conditioner renews the nourishing and moisturizing properties you may have lost in the washing stage. You may also apply beard oil to add moisture to textured hair or a beard balm to seal the moisture.
Final Thoughts
On average, wash your beard once to thrice a week. However, that would be suitable if you have dry hair, you're in a corporate job without physical activity. If your hair is thin, it accumulates oils faster such that you can wash it more often.
You'd also need to wash your beard daily when your work environment leaves you sweaty after a few hours. Overall, to know how often to wash your beard, learn as much as you can about your beard, skin type, and environment.
