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Beard health is important, whether you’ve got the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow or you’ve gone full-blown lumberjack. Many question if they actually need products for a short beard. Can you use beard oil on short beards? Are other products better? Is any of this even necessary? The short answer is yes, you should be using some kind of product, but the kind of short beard care you choose depends on other factors.
First of all, what is beard oil? Beard oil has many benefits for both your beard and your skin. One key benefit is that it can help relieve beard itch. Whether your beard is short or long, most people know what that feels like! If your skin ever feels irritated, dry, and/or scratchy, beard oil is a great way to get rid of that!
Beard oil also helps with your beard, of course (it’s in the name after all). It will help to make your hair feel more smooth and soft. If you have thick, coarse hair, it will make it easier to manage. It is like a deep conditioning treatment for your beard.
Many beard oils often contain essential oils and other natural scents as well. This means that not only is a beard oil helping with your skin and hair health, but it is also acting as a sort of subtle cologne. Don’t worry about the smell being overpowering, they are typically light. And we’re sure everyone around you will appreciate the nice, clean smell!
Some people ask: But won’t oil make my face feel, well, oily? On the contrary, the oil is going to give your beard a more matte appearance. Your beard is not going to look shiny or oily or greasy. Your face is going to feel smooth and refreshed and nobody is going to think you’ve slathered yourself in grease. The key is to use a beard comb or beard brush to evenly distribute the oil and make sure it is getting deep into your beard and onto the skin, instead of just sitting on top of the hair.
To summarize, beard oil can:
What to look for in a beard oil:
There are many other beard products out there besides beard oil and it can be confusing to choose which one will suit your needs. Another product is beard balm. But what is the difference?
Beard oil, as the name says, is a mix of conditioning/base oils like argan oil and essential oils. Beard balm often also contains these but it is not just oil, it also contains ingredients like cocoa butter, shea butter, lanolin, and beeswax. The consistency is more like a thick lotion or a body butter, instead of the liquid oil that beard oil is.
Beard balm is also great for moisturizing both your skin and your beard. They also have a nice smell to them, as beard oil does. The key difference is that beard balm is better at taming your beard than beard oil is. If you have very long and/or very thick hair, it can sometimes get wild or unmanageable. Sometimes a brush and some oil isn’t enough and you need the extra strength of a beard balm to tame your beard into being as smooth and slick as you want.
Because of the taming qualities of beard balm, this product is more geared towards people with longer beards. However, beard balm is also even more moisturizing than beard oil so even if you only have some stubble, it can help if you have especially dry skin.
Key points about beard balm:
Now that you know more about beard oil, can you use beard oil for short beards? Beard oil is actually highly recommended for people with short to medium length beards, so the answer is yes!
You can use beard balm for shorter beards as well but, depending on how short your beard is, they may be unnecessary. If you are just starting to grow your beard or if you simply prefer the short look, you may not need the styling aspect of beard balm and beard oil will be more than sufficient.
Many times when you are just starting to grow your beard, your skin can become irritated, as it may not be used to all that hair sticking around. Because the hair is over the skin, it becomes more difficult to clean and moisturize it as well and it can become dry and itchy. Beard oil will fix that right up for you.
Another reason to use beard oil for short beards is that it helps promote growth. If you are intending to grow your beard out, this is a good product to use as you do that. It will keep your hair healthy and prevent split ends and breakage. That way, you’ll be able to achieve the thick, full beard you’ve always wanted with less hassle.
Main reasons to use beard oil for short beards:
As you can see, you need beard oil for proper short beard care. Just because your beard may be more manageable and not require much styling does not mean you should neglect your hair and skin-care!
Beard oil isn’t the only thing you need to care for your beard, no matter the length. Just as having short hair doesn’t mean “easier to style hair”, short beards require just as much upkeep and maintenance as long hair, sometimes even more.
KEEP THINGS TRIMMED! Whether you are keeping your beard short or intending to grow it out, you can’t just let it go wild and unchecked. If your beard is untrimmed and the lines aren’t clean and even, it’s going to be even more noticeable on a short beard than on a long beard.
In summary: yes to beard oil! It moisturizes your skin, acts as subtle cologne, promotes hair growth, gives your beard a smooth, clean appearance, and is overall just a good thing for your appearance. Short beards often need more upkeep than long beards do so be sure you’re doing everything you can to keep everything looking nice and healthy.
Obviously beard oil isn’t the only necessary element of your skin and beard care routine. If you haven’t been using it, consider trying a beard oil out. There are many brands out there, such as Beardbrand, Grizzly Adam, and Bearded Bastard, that provide beards oils with all-natural ingredients that will help improve the overall look of your beard, as well as providing benefits to your skin.
If you’re still unsure about beard oil, don’t worry! You’ll be amazed with the benefits after just one use and, most likely, you’ll be wondering why you never thought to give it a try before now.
