Put the Clippers down. You can banish dry skin under your beard for good with our advice.
Beard dandruff can be embarrassing to experience, but it’s also a reminder that if you choose to have chin fuzz, you need to be a responsible owner. Think of it like this: what would happen if you left your garden unkept, untended and unwatered? Nothing good. And it’s the same for your beard.
Leave it to its own devices and the skin beneath even the most lustrous beards can become dry and cracked and dandruff will start flaking off it.
Thankfully, the remedy is straightforward: a three-step daily grooming regimen is all you need to keep beard dandruff at bay. So let’s find out what beard dandruff is, what causes it and, most importantly, how you can get rid of it.
READ MORE: The 2023 Grooming and Skincare Trends You Need To Know
What is Beard Dandruff?
Whether dandruff is affecting your scalp or beard, what’s really going on is you’re suffering from a common skin condition, which causes the skin to flake.
The technical term for this problem is seborrheic dermatitis. When you get this in and around your beard, it can lead to visible flakes of skin and an itchy beard, which, we’re sure you’ll agree, is neither pleasant nor attractive.
What Causes Beard Dandruff?
Dandruff, you’ll be pleased to hear isn’t caused by bad hygiene (although bad hygiene certainly won’t help). Instead, dandruff is often caused by a yeast growth on your skin called Malassezia. This fungus lives harmlessly on the scalp of most healthy adults, but it’s thought that the immune system of people with dandruff may overreact to it.
What makes things especially difficult for beard wearers is that while facial acts as a natural SPF, it also hair ‘wicks’ moisture away from the skin, drawing it up from the surface and onto the hairs, where it quickly evaporates. This can leave the skin underneath the hair especially dry and flaky – hence the beard ‘dandruff’. What’s more, dead skin cells that normally litter the face but are removed by daily washing and exfoliation can get stuck around the hair shafts, attracting grease and encouraging the formation of painful ingrown hairs. Ouch.
READ MORE: 6 Of The Most Common Shaving Myths Debunked
How to Get Rid of Beard Dandruff
Before you whip the clippers out and part ways with your pride and joy, there are some simple remedies that you should try first.
Remove Dead Cells with a Beard Brush
If dry skin’s flaking all over your beard then you should be using a beard brush daily to tame strays, detangle knots and exfoliate the skin beneath the beard. Remember to shower, once you’re done. And while you’re in there…
Kellermann 3 Swords Professional Beard Care Kit in a black synthetic leather case and includes beard scissors, beard comb and nose scissors.
This is suitable for those with long, short, thick, coarse or tangled beards. It’s essential to managing and maintaining hair.
Cleanse Daily
You’re brushing daily, but make sure you add cleansing to your daily grooming regimen too. Jump in the shower and apply to your whole face and beard. We advise using something like Aesop’s Parsley Seed Cleanser, which will leave you flake-free and fresh-faced.
Sorbet Man Face Wash Charcoal 150ml is a deep cleansing formulation with activated charcoal and salicylic acid, specifically designed to remove impurities, unclog pores and remove excess oil without drying out the skin.
You may not have thought you needed to apply parsley to your face, but trust us when we say this gentle gel cleanser is the best way to prevent dandruff in your facial fuzz.
Gently and effectively clean your skin while respecting your skin’s natural balance and pH with the Lelive. Rooibos & Aloe Jelly Splash Cleanser.
This is a gentle gel face wash made with hemp and lemongrass that leaves the skin smooth, soft and moisturised.
Finish with Beard Oil
Okay, so you can choose to moisturise your beard, with something like Professor Fuzzworthy’s Beard Care Balm and Gloss, but we think a good-quality beard oil makes a better finisher.
As for how to apply, two small pea-sized pumps should be enough for shorter beard styles, but you may want to add an extra pump for larger beards. Repeat this routine consistently and hey presto – beard dandruff will become a distant memory.
A daily protective care enriched with essential oils for your long beard that soothes itchiness and nourishes your skin beneath.
Untangle the mangle:The beard all and blend all for hairy misters – with the perfect combo of avo, almond and macadamia oils to smooth & improve your face fur.
How to Stop Beard Dandruff from Coming Back
Now you’ve got rid of your beard dandruff the last thing you want is for it to return. To stop that from happening it’s important to stick to the three-step routine. It’s also important that you use your intuition too. Does your skin feel tight or itchy? Try using a few extra drops of beard oil, for example.
READ MORE: Award-winning filmmaker, Thapelo Mokoena Shares His Ultimate Grooming Routine
How to Trim Your Beard
Of course, you can get rid of beard dandruff by shaving the whole thing off. And why stop there? After all, your back, balls and the rest of your body need looking after too, so check out our guide to full-body groomers if you have a taste for trimming.
Words by: Daniel Davies & Men’s Health Staff
*This article was originally published by Men’s Health UK
Men’s Health participates in various affiliate marketing programmes, which means we may get commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
