Beards of all shapes and sizes have become a popular look for men. If you love the sound of a beardy style, you don’t need to sweat – beard grooming has never been easier and more fun. To ensure your beard doesn’t end up looking like an out of hand forest bush, keep these 5 beard maintenance tips in mind.

 1. Learn about your skin

Admittedly, your beard is going to take centre stage and amaze people with its luscious looks. But while the beard follicles will need to look the part and maintain a good composure, it all starts with the skin underneath. You must understand what kind of skin type you are dealing with in order to keep good care of it and to guarantee you don’t need to shave because the skin starts acting up.

So, find out what’s your skin type by visiting your barber or the local beauty store. Then you need to find the right moisturiser to support the skin. If you want to be clever, then just pick up some coconut oil from Holland & Barrett. It might sound weird, but the stuff is good for moisturising your skin.

2. Trim the right way

There are a few important things to know about trimming. First, if you’ve just started growing a beard you need to stay patient. You should never trim or style it in the first six weeks (if you are going for the full look). Trimming at this stage will make it trickier to find the right style and understand how fast and in which patterns your beard grows.

Once you’ve managed to grow a full beard, you should find the right cut based on your face shape. Birchbox has a great chart for understanding which cut fits what kind of shape the best. For instance, a round face looks better with a longer bottom and shorter side.

Once you have the beard and the right cut, learn to trim it at the right times. You want to groom it when it’s on the borderline of looking just right, but leaning on the overgrowth. What is the key to a good trim? A proper trimmer and the ability to use it. Throw away your old trimmers and scissors, and get quality products from specialist retailers like Shavers. With savings of up to 33% off shavers.co.uk, you don’t even need to worry about going over the budget with this one.

 3. Create a regular washing regime and stick to it

When you start growing it, you are going to encounter some itchiness. This is inevitable, but you will get over it with a few tricks. First, you need to create a regular washing and grooming regime and secondly, you need to stick with it.

Purchase a proper cleanser for beards and use it several times a week to properly scrub the beard. Make sure you wash away the soap with enough water (warm, but not hot). When drying the skin, just pat it as too much scrubbing can create more friction. Moisturise the skin properly with the coconut oil or any other chosen beard oil.

 4. Don’t just wash, but brush

Washing is not enough to keep your beard in good condition. You also need to regularly brush it. This is a great way of removing excess skin and dirt, but it also helps the hairs to grow in the right direction. So, if you have trouble taming it, the brushing will definitely help!

You can use any comb you want, but there are also special beard brushes available. If you want, these might be worth the cost. The Kent Brush line is especially good, but don’t feel like you need a specialist comb to do the job. You should brush the beard once a day – right after a wash and dry might be a good idea.

5. Fuel your beard with the right diet

It might seem like a cliché, but you truly are what you eat and this also applies to your beard. If you want to boost growth and to ensure your beard looks shiny and healthy, you need to be eating the right foods. Your beard is made from protein and fat, with tons of different nutrients supporting its function. By adding these foods to your diet, you’ll end up creating the beard of your dreams.

So, what should you eat for a strong and shiny beard? Add vitamins B5, B3, and B9 to your diet, along with protein and fats. This means eating eggs, drinking milk, and adding those leafy greens on the plate for once.

Growing a beard worthy of accolades will take time. But with the help of modern grooming products, even the most stubborn of beards can be tamed. Just add the above five tips to your repertoire and you’ll get a great beard!