Since the dawn of humankind, men have proudly touted their chinstraps both as symbols of strength and expressions of style. Men bare beards for a plethora of reasons: to accent facial features, to portray a certain attitude, for religious practices, to keep warm, to look older, to avoid skin irritation, sometimes out of sheer laziness, and often because ladies just like them. Charles Darwin argued, “facial hair is the human equivalent of the peacock’s train or the stag’s antlers”— essentially acting as a mating signal! True or not, we respect the every-beard and want to promote its health and manly mystique.

If you’re new to the Face Fuzz Club, don’t be intimidated by all the products on the market. Depending on your current manscaping routine, our grooming goodies can help simplify or amplify your regimen. It’s really quite simple. Consider the hair on your head: you wash it, you condition it, you comb and style it. Beards are the same, but with a little more attitude.

Here’s the beard care breakdown:

BEARD SOAP

Cleansing

Just remember, with great beard comes great responsibility, and oftentimes great skin irritation. There are several factors that cause beard itch: the regrowth of sharp-edged whiskers, debris and dead skin cells getting trapped in the beard, and cleansers that claim to be moisturizing but actually contain drying agents that make matters worse.

Your beard deserves to be pampered properly. Choose a soap with natural fats and essential oils instead of harsh detergents, and avoid parabens, artificial scents and coloring. We suggest Brooklyn Grooming’s Beard Soap with harvested natural clay, shea butter, and essential oils.

BEARD SOAP: CEDARWOOD AND SPRUCE

BEARD OIL

Nourishment and Moisturization

Beard oils are designed to nourish the hairs on your face and the skin underneath. They consist of a combination of carrier oils, (core ingredients that soften the beard), and essential oils to impart fragrance and improve skin’s health. Oils sink deep into the hair’s root and shaft providing hydration and eliminating that dreaded ‘beardruff’. Best of all, they can greatly reduce beard’s insufferable itchiness!

For ladies and gents with rebellious bristled-beaus, try gifting this beard oil sampler by Whiskey, Ink, & Lace. It includes three distinct fragrances and is perfect for the beard oil novice and traveling beardsman alike.

BEARD OIL SAMPLER: THE TRAVELER

If you prefer a shinier, fluffier, more lightweight beard, oil should be your choice product. It’s best applied after showering to act as a conditioner. Remember, a little goes a long way. Too much oil will make you look greasy, unless you’re going for that Jack Sparrow, rum-soaked look in which case, load up the beard ship!

BEARD BALM

A Styling Agent

If you’re sporting a shorter chin-do, you can probably get away with beard oil alone. But if you’re rocking a face-fro that a Sasquatch could envy, we would suggest an all natural beard balm to tame any stubborn stragglers. For longer beards and men who work outdoors, balms are particularly beneficial.

Styling agents come in a variety of forms from oils to pomades to waxes that can be heavy and unnatural feeling. Lighter style balms combine the benefits of wax and oil without the weight— softening course hairs, moisturizing, and shaping beards into submission. Balms condition and impart essential nutrients and vitamins while improving beard fullness and malleability. Ingredients include carrier oils, beeswax, and shea butter among others. When choosing a balm, avoid silicons and water as the main ingredient.

BEARD BALM: PIPE TOBACCO

BOAR BRISTLE BRUSH

Balm should be paired with a boar bristle brush for best results. They train hair to grow in your preferred direction, sweep away dust and grime, and evenly distribute the oil of your skin and hair while stimulating circulation in your face.

No matter your facial hair preference, if you’re ready to up your stache status, Makers Market has the beard-boosting goods. From Bandholz to Balbos or Hollywoodians to Handlebars, even soul patches to stubble — we don’t fear the beard.