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A lot of men have questions about what kind of face products they can use on their beards. Should they use beard oil, butter, or a moisturizer? There are a few different options available for beard grooming, and the answer to this question is really determined by your beard and skin type and what you want to achieve with your beard. But what about face lotion? Should you use it on your beard? To learn more about if and why you should use a face lotion on your beard, keep reading.
Can You Apply Face Moisturizer on a Beard?
Face moisturizers were not designed to be used on beards, primarily because your skin and beard hairs are very different. Beard hair tends to have more oil glands and this is enough of a difference to prevent you from putting face lotions on your beard.
On the other hand, if your face tends to be dry, you could definitely benefit from using a face moisturizer. Just make sure that you don’t use one that contains any chemicals or fragrances that could irritate your skin.
A big drawback of using face moisturizers on the beard is that they are much more likely to cause clogged pores, leading to acne breakouts. For this reason, it is better to use beard oil or beard butter.
Why do I have dry skin under my beard?
There are a few reasons for dry or damaged skin:
- Using an alcohol-based standard shaving cream can dry out your skin.
- Genetics or environmental factors like dry air can make your skin dry.
- Overwashing your face can cause dryness and beard itch.
- Thoroughly dry and warm air blowing on your face from heating systems dry out beard hair as well as the facial skin underneath it.
Is a face moisturizer the best solution?
Compared to other skin and beard moisturizing and conditioner products,, a face moisturizer can be used on your beard, but it won’t be the best option in most cases. But let’s compare it to some of the most popular beard care products.
Face lotion vs beard oils
The difference between face lotion and oil is that lotion is designed to be used on your skin, not your beard. It won’t make your beard softer or easier to style, but you might see some skin relief if your skin is dry and itchy. On the other hand, beard oils will soften up not only the skin but also beard hairs.
Another difference is that lotion is water-based, and oil is oil-based therefore, the skin and hair absorb it differently. Water-based solutions dry out faster and need to be re-applied more often. Oil has better skin penetration but takes longer to dry and can stain clothes. If you have dry skin and beard itch, use beard oils that contain natural oils like jojoba oil, argan oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, or vitamin E. We have compiled a guide with the best beard oils that you can read.
Face lotion vs beard balm
Lotion and balm are a bit more alike in comparison to oil. Both moisturize and soften the skin underneath the beard, but they do so in different ways.
Face lotion is only meant to hydrate the dry, sensitive areas of your face, while balm can both hydrate your skin and beard and style your facial hair. It contains ingredients that will give you a good hold and keep your beard in place, so it’s perfect for people who have to deal with unruly facial hair. Some of the ingredients you should be looking for in a balm are beeswax, shea butter, argan oil, sandalwood essential oils, natural cocoa butter, etc.
Best Beard Balm For A Soft Beard
Face lotion vs beard butter
Beard butter can moisturize your skin as well as a face lotion, but you can also use it to add style to your beard.
Another thing that sets beard butter apart from lotion is that it gets absorbed into facial hair better and has a longer-lasting effect.
Beard butter melts into your hands and is easily absorbed by the skin and beard because it is oil-based. You can check out our beard butter reviews here.
How to Choose a face lotion for your beard
When choosing a face lotion for your beard, remember that this product was not made to keep your beard moisturized or conditioned. At least make sure that your face lotion has a good amount of natural oils to keep the hair hydrated. Look for ingredients like aloe vera (which is great for your beard), shea butter, jojoba oil, cocoa seed butter, and sunflower seed oil as brightening agents. Some ingredients you should avoid are parabens, benzyl alcohol, and isopropyl.
Is a face moisturizer bad for my beard?
Face lotion isn’t bad for your beard, but it won’t moisturize it either. So if you have short facial hair that doesn’t have any issues with dryness, then using a face moisturizer isn’t that bad, but if you have a long beard that’s very dry, then you should look for beard oil as a moisturizer.
The only harm that might come to your beard is if you use a very greasy lotion that doesn’t get absorbed into your skin and stays on the surface, making your beard look wet and dirty.
How to apply face lotion to your beard?
To apply your face lotion correctly, you will need to put some in your hands and rub them together. Then massage the moisturizer all over your face, making sure it penetrates deep into the skin. Now use your fingers or a beard comb to work the moisturizer through your facial hair so that it coats your beard and evenly spread it.
That’s it! Use this easy technique every time you decide to apply face lotion. It is always a good idea to wash your beard before doing so, but if you don’t have any time, just use water.
Can face moisturizer help with beard dandruff?
Face moisturizers can help with dandruff, but they will not solve the problem entirely. To fight a sensitive skin condition like dandruff, you need a regular treatment to relieve your face from dryness and flaky skin, whether you have a beard or not. The best thing you have to do is to visit a skin care specialist and let them diagnose your skin condition.
Does face lotion promote beard growth?
Face lotion has nothing to do with beard growth. The only thing it can help you with is keeping the skin underneath your beard in check, so choose a product that works on your skin and leaves it hydrated.
FAQ
How Do You Moisturize Your Face When You Have A Beard?
There are a few ways to do that. You should buy specific beard products like beard oil, balm, etc. Whether those products contain moisturizing ingredients depends on the brand’s formula so read the label before buying anything.
Should I Moisturize My Beard?
Yes, you should. Moisturizing your beard with beard oil or beard balm is the best way to make sure all your facial hair stays healthy. Not only will it leave your beard smelling great, but it will hydrate its roots and keep them protected from dryness.
Is There A Lotion For Beards?
A lotion for beards does not exist. The lotions are designed to moisturize your skin, are too heavy for your beard and if you apply too much will make it look greasy. Instead, you should use beard oil or beard balm to hydrate your facial hair and protect it from the elements.
What Ingredients Moisturize A Beard?
Some of the ingredients that can moisturize your beard are shea butter, jojoba seed oil, coconut oil, tea tree oil, cocoa seed butter, and sunflower seed oil. They also help brighten dry skin and give it a healthy glow. You can also use ingredients like vitamin E, glycerin, and aloe vera to moisturize your beard naturally.
Which Is The Best Moisturizer For Facial Hair?
As we’ve mentioned above, face moisturizers, are not beard moisturizers. The best beard moisturizer you can get is a beard oil or a beard balm with a formula that contains shea butter, jojoba seed oil, cocoa seed butter, and sunflower seed oil. These ingredients penetrate the hair roots to hydrate the facial hair from inside and brighten the skin.
Conclusion
So what’s the verdict? Can you use face lotion on your beard, or is it a big no-no? It turns out that there are some circumstances using a facial moisturizer can be beneficial. However, you need to be careful and use only moisturizers that contain natural ingredients and won’t clog pores. Please feel free to leave comments below with any questions or thoughts!
Russell is the founder of themensattitude.com. He is a barber a beard enthusiast and he is obsessed with trying men’s lifestyle products and blog about them. If you have any questions you can hit him up via the contact page.