Grooming

Beard itching is an extremely common problem for first timers growing beards. Beard itching is also something that men who have rocked a beard for a while sometimes experience. A lot of men wonder, how do you get rid of an itchy beard, or even more, how do you prevent beard itching in the first place? If you’ve experienced beard itching you know that it does not feel good! If you let it, the itching will make you want to shave your beard off altogether. But don't jump to conclusions just yet. You don't have to suffer from an itchy beard for long. What causes the itch? There are a couple of reasons your beard is itchy. For starters, new beards can be especially itchy because your face just isn't used to having hair on it. The new hairs growing in may irritate your skin prompting you to want to scratch (sit tight though, this will go away as you will get used to facial hair). If you’ve had a beard for a while and are experiencing an itchy beard, you probably aren’t using the proper moisturizer for your face. Poorly conditioned beard hairs rub against your skin causing it to itch. Luckily there are a few things you can do to prevent beard itching for good. KEEP IT CLEAN It sounds simple, but we have to say it. The first step for an itch-free beard is to keep your beard clean. Your beard is a magnet for debris so it is vital to keep it clean. Avoid cleaning your beard with traditional shampoo or soap as it can dry your skin. Shampoo and soap strip the natural oils from your body. Turn to a cleanser specifically made for beards, or simply use a little warm water. KEEP IT MOISTURIZED Moisturizing your beard is a key way to prevent your beard from itching. Moisturizers hydrate the skin underneath your beard. Lucky for you, there is an entire industry created specifically for beard moisturizers. Have you tried beard oil? Beard oil is designed to hydrate your beard. Products like Fresh Heritage Beard Oil use all natural ingredients to help users maintain a healthy looking and feeling beard (it smells pretty good too). Don’t overdo the oil though, just a few drops every day should be sufficient enough to moisturize your beard and keep it itch-free. TRIM IT If you’re growing your beard for the first time you want to avoid trimming it for at least 12 weeks to allow the hair to grow fully into its natural shape. Once you have the shape down, regularly trimming your beard will keep your beard looking neat and itch-free. COMB/BRUSH IT Not only does running a comb/brush through your beard feel good, it helps keep your beard from itching. Brush your beard before you wash it to loosen debris from your beard and after to detangle your beard and promote hair growth. We recommend investing in a boar’s hair brush. While it may be a little more expensive than others, the boar’s hairs naturally repair dry hair and add shine. Don’t let a little beard itch prevent you from rocking your beard. Try these four easy steps to fight and prevent your beard from itching. Have you experienced the itch? What have you done in the past to combat it? Comment below.

Ingrown hairs, let’s talk about them. Nobody likes them but many black men are plagued with them in place of a full, healthy beard. Ingrown hairs are hairs that have curled around and grown back into your skin instead of rising up. Unfortunately, black men have it especially bad with ingrown hairs and bumps. Once trimmed or cut, coarser/curlier hair sometimes grows back into the skin, growing underneath it and causing a razor bump. Luckily for most, these unsightly bumps go away on their own. However, continually shaving after the bumps have become inflamed can leave permanent scarring. While you may feel as if razor bumps are just a natural part of shaving, there are a few things you can do to reduce the likelihood of them appearing where you’d rather have a healthy beard. Exfoliate your skin before you shave. Exfoliating helps open your pores and cleans the skin. Wash your face in a circular motion to tease out any stubborn ingrown hairs and reduce the risk of dirt seeping into your pores and causing inflammation. You can do this with a gentle cleanser or conditioner created specifically for beards, and a warm facecloth. Comb through your beard. Once you’ve cleaned your skin, be sure to comb through your beard to straighten out the hairs. Shave in the same direction your hair grows in. Shaving against the grain is the leading cause of razor bumps for black men. While you may feel like you get a closer shave going against the grain, it causes hairs to dig beneath the skin’s surface, a surefire way to welcome razor bumps. Purchase a safety razor. Safety razors are better for sensitive skin and can help reduce the risk of bumps. They don’t cut below the skin, and while they require a bit more work when shaving, they will severely reduce the likelihood of razor bumps occurring. Moisturize once you're finished. Shaving is basically cutting your skin. Most men opt to apply some sort of aftershave to soothe their skin after shaving which helps reduce inflammation. You want to be sure that once you apply aftershave you also apply Fresh Heritage beard oil to moisturize your beard and make a better shave the next time you reach for the razor.

Black men rocking beards isn’t new, however, celebrities like Drake and Idris Elba have put this underrepresented segment of men back on the map, and we’re thankful for it. As more and more of our brothers grow beards the conversation around personal grooming is becoming louder and the stereotype that black men don’t care about personal grooming will soon be extinct (we hope). We’ve opened the conversation with our Beard Gang Facebook Group and have noticed that different men have different myths about growing beards. As a premiere beard oil provider, we cringe when we hear some of our brother’s daily beard routines and thought we needed to put together a short list of do’s and don’ts for healthy beard growth and maintenance. Don’t: Don’t wait for a full beard to brush it. Do: Brush your facial hair in the direction you want them to grow to train your hair follicles. Don’t: Use the same products you use on your head on your beard. Do: Use a light cleansing conditioner on your beard and follow up after a shower with a natural beard oil. Don’t: Neglect the skin underneath your beard. Do: Avoid using products that contain dyes, artificial fragrances, and lanolin. Don’t: Pick at ingrown hairs. Do: Exfoliate your beard with cleansers that contain salicylic acid or fruit acids to prevent your pores from getting clogged and causing ingrown hairs. Don’t: Avoid trimming your beard. Do: Visit your barber weekly or invest in beard trimming scissors to avoid split ends and unmanageable facial hair. Don’t: Give up on growing a beard because your beard isn’t growing in the way you want it to. Do: Be patient and give your beard time to grow. As it grows in you will begin to see the natural shape of your beard and decide with a licensed barber the best beard style for you.

Are you forgoing No-Shave November because in the past, when you’ve tried to grow a beard, it was patchy? We get it. But you don’t have to let your past dictate your future. No-Shave November is the perfect time to try again and do so for a good cause. The fact is that not everyone is lucky enough to have a straightforward journey to attaining a full, thick, and healthy beard and not all beards will grow the same or evenly across your face. With that in mind, here are three things you can do about your patchy beard: 1. Trust Your Beard’s Growth Process It’s unrealistic to think that as soon as you start to grow a beard, it’s going to grow in thick and full. While it happens for some that way, most black men have to wait weeks and sometimes even months before their ideal beard grows. Trust your beard’s growth process. With a consistent beard care routine and time, your beard will begin to appear full as longer strands cover those stubborn areas that aren’t quit growing as planned. 2. Trim Your Beard Beards rarely grow evenly across your face. That’s why trimming your beard is so important. It allows you to manipulate the shape of your beard for a thicker, fuller look. Before trimming your beard, be sure to comb it to get all the hairs settled in one direction. Next, cut away the strays and the dry and brittle pieces of hair. Lastly, use a beard oil to moisturize your beard and the skin it lies on. 3. Upgrade your diet It’s true that you are what you eat. So, if you want to be an alpha male with a full, healthy beard, you’ll need a diet rich in the hormones that produce it—testosterone and DHS. Eating foods like eggs, potatoes, raisins, and beef stimulates facial hair growth naturally. Nobody likes a patchy beard, but sometimes it’s just a part of the process. Trust your beard’s growth process and do what you can to trim your beard and upgrade your diet to grow a fuller, healthier beard in due time!

With the rising trend of beard styles and Huffington Post’s declaration that beards are here to stay, many personal care products for men are hitting shelves around the country. Never before have there been so many options available for men to choose from. It’s no secret that most black men need a little extra moisture to keep their beards from becoming dry and brittle and it can be overwhelming and time-consuming trying to find the right product when you’re finally ready to grow a healthy beard. During the search, It’s imperative that you’re not: Opting to use body wash as a moisturizer for your beard. Purchasing the first product you see on the shelf with a cool label and a pocket-friendly price. Borrowing your girlfriend’s hair care products for your beard. For black men, especially, it’s essential that the grooming products you choose hydrate your facial hair and the skin underneath it. Unfortunately, many store-bought products dry out your skin and strip your facial hair of necessary oils leaving you with a brittle beard, sharp enough to cut anyone who comes near your face. In fact, this is one of the reasons women say they don’t like men with beards. But we’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of the top six ingredients to avoid when purchasing the right product for you: Isopropyl Alcohol Companies opt to use alcohol in grooming products for its cleaning properties ignoring the fact that, while alcohol stripes out unnatural products from your beard, it also takes away natural oils and moisture which are the two key ingredients you need for a healthy, touchable beard. You can find both in our Fresh Heritage Classic Beard Oil, by the way. Fragrances Everyone wants a fresh beard. Just like the hair on your head, it’s completely attainable with proper maintenance and cleanliness. The use of fragrances on your beard can upset your beard’s pH balance and strip the hairs of their natural oils, drying your beard and face out. For freshness, pick products that use natural ingredients. Not only will it leave you with a fresh and light scent, but it will also aid in the development of a fuller, shinier beard. Sulfates Sulfates are often found in the ingredients list for shampoos. Like isopropyl alcohol, they can dry out hair, making it more brittle, and encouraging split ends. We don’t have to tell you how unattractive patchy beards are do we? Mineral Oil At first glance, this ingredient seems like it would be great! However, mineral oil works against your end goal of a full, healthy, and shiny beard. It has similar properties to petroleum which means it's more likely to over-hydrate your beard which can slow or stop healthy cell production. Chlorine Discontinue any beard products you use with chlorine in them immediately! Chlorine, like sulfate, is a natural dehydrating product that will leave your beard dry and prone to split ends. Polyethylene Glycol This ingredient can cause you to lose hair. However, it can be found in many grooming products because of its relatively low cost and versatile nature. It dries out your beard and makes it stiff and crunchy; the exact opposite touch anyone desires to have for their beard.   Growing a Beard Gang worthy beard will take time. For a beard, you can love, choose products with organic ingredients that help strengthen and restore your hair’s natural pH balance. Avoiding chemicals and using natural products on your beard can help you experience faster results. For a list of the ingredients used in Fresh Heritage Classic Beard Oil visit https://www.freshheritage.com/.