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How to Prevent Beard Dandruff (Beardruff)

Category: How To

Growing a beard is a labour of love! That’s because a fully-grown beard will take anywhere between 3 and 6 months to grow, and along the way there may be many parts of the process which can cause irritation, both mental and physical. One of the most common challenges is beard dandruff, otherwise known as ‘beardruff’.

Luckily, beard dandruff can be prevented, and in most cases, stopped altogether. Knowing it’s a common issue for many men, Cremo has asked its team of Barbers for their best tips and tricks to stop beard dandruff in its flaky tracks.

There are 2 major contributors to beard dandruff: dry skin and fungal infections. Dry skin generally occurs when the skin under the beard has been washed with harsh cleansers or soaps. These products will clean your beard and the skin underneath, but they can also strip the oils from your skin and beard which keep it nourished and supple. Beardruff can also occur due to the environment: extreme cold and extreme warmth are both drying climates! Dry flaky skin is virtually impossible to avoid, it’s just one of those things all people experience.

Less common, but still a significant factor, is fungal infections. These occur when yeast that lives on your skin is deprived of sunlight. Sunlight normally kills or slows fungal growth, but because there is now a beard blocking the sunlight, the fungus grows and causes the skin to dry and flake.

HOW TO REDUCE BEARD DANDRUFF: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

This particular beard issue challenge can be solved fairly easily. We recommend implementing some, if not all, of these steps into your beard grooming routine.
  • Wash & Condition your Beard
  • Dry your Beard properly
  • Brush your Beard
  • Use Beard Oils, Creams and other Beard Products
  • If nothing seems to be stopping the flakes, see a Dermatologist

WASH & CONDITION YOUR BEARD

Regularly washing and conditioning your beard is one of the most important steps in how to get rid of beard dandruff. You do, however, need to make sure the product you use doesn’t strip away the natural oils from your skin and face. Regular shampoo and soap that you use for the hair on your head or skin, doesn’t cut it when it comes to washing your beard. Because beard facial hair is generally thicker and curlier than the hair on your head, you need a specific Beard Wash. Cremo’s 2-in-1 Beard Wash & Softener is specifically designed for deep cleaning without stripping natural oils.

DRY YOUR BEARD PROPERLY

Leaving your beard wet after a shower or a walk in the rain isn’t a good idea. Depending on the water’s ph level, it might dry your beard out and simultaneously encourage certain types of fungal infections. It’s also really important not to be too aggressive when drying your beard with a towel or hair dryer. Drying too long or with high heat can damage the hair follicles and, in-turn, lead to dryness. We recommend using the lowest setting for blow drying your beard. Meanwhile, using a towel too vigorously to dry your beard can damage the follicle root, which leads to breakage. So, be gentle and be careful!

BRUSH YOUR BEARD

Brushing your beard with a beard comb or beard brush not only feels wonderful but it also does wonders for beard dandruff and other beard problems. A brush will act as a great exfoliant and also encourages blood flow to the skin beneath the beard. It also allows you to assess how bad or good your beard dandruff situation is – think of your beard brush as an early beardruff detector. If you notice a lot of flakes while brushing, it’s a bad sign.

USE BEARD OILS, CREAMS AND OTHER BEARD PRODUCTS

Natural oils, like the ones that your skin produces, keep your skin from drying out and act as an antimicrobial barrier. Replacing lost or missing oils helps you fight off fungus and flaky skin. Products that contain oils such as coconut, jojoba and sunflower have been proven to not only restore moisture, but they also prevent fungus from spreading. Products like Cremo Beard Oil are packed with these oils.

The right beard grooming products really can help you solve the challenges of beard dandruff. So, equip yourself out with Cremo’s line of award-winning beard products and follow the routines and steps above. Beard Boldly, gents.