WHY MAINTAIN YOUR BEARD?

Without proper care, beard hair gets dirty and damaged. The skin below then pays the price, smothered, attacked, and clogged by the thickness of the hairs. As a result, the beard looks less groomed, even neglected, with greasy or rough and brittle hair. The skin, on the other hand, reacts with redness, tightness, itching, scales, excess sebum, pimples, and blackheads... which only maintain the lackluster appearance of the beard.

Taking care of your beard allows you to keep hair and clean skin, in order to reconcile aesthetics and comfort. As a bonus, a regularly maintained beard ultimately requires less effort, grows better, and allows more fantasy in the cut.

MAINTAINING A 3-DAY BEARD

The three-day beard refers to the "unshaven" appearance of a very short beard, about 3 or 4 millimeters, for a casual and adventurous look. Some prefer the temporary version, letting the hair grow between two shaves, while others choose to adopt it continuously. In this case, it must be maintained by the passage of a mower with an adjustable comb, as well as by shaving the cheekbones and neck for a neat result, every three days or so. Problem: "razor burn" due to the frequent passage of the blades on the skin. To remedy this, opt for the sensitive skin 3-day face and beard treatment, it both soothes irritation and softens the beard.

KEEPING A SHORT BEARD

Short beard refers to either beard that is less than a month old or a beard that is deliberately kept to a certain length, rather short.

The problem remains the same:

It is advisable to take care of both the skin and the hair by cleaning them daily with a special beard + face cleansing gel and then moisturizing them with a treatment specifically formulated for short beards. Face and beard are thus rid of various residues and dirt, they are well hydrated, and the itching disappears or is considerably reduced. Result: a feeling of comfort and a silky beard that is easy to tame.

MAINTAINING A LONG BEARD

The long beard refers to beards of more than a month that are voluntarily left to grow in length for an assumed look à la Vincent Cassel or ZZ TOP. Longer, the hairs move away from the root which produces sebum, and are older. They are therefore drier, more fragile, and must therefore be nourished and fortified to maintain their silky appearance while continuing to grow. Again, there is no question of forgetting the skin, which must be carefully and daily cleaned to avoid clogging under a thick beard.

THE RIGHT STEPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR BEARD

The beard care ritual is simple, but must be regular, or more exactly daily, both for cleaning and for brushing and moisturizing.

1 / CLEANING

The beard is exposed to the same aggressions as the skin but retains impurities more easily. The environment deposits pollutants, allergens, dust, and other residues there. Perspiration and sebum produced by the epidermis accumulate under the hairs, while drinks and food grease the edges of the mouth when they do not spread on the hairs of the beard. Odors impregnate it just as easily, starting with that tobacco. Finally, many bearded men adopt the reflex of touching their beards, a frequent gesture that further greases the hair. Any beard, therefore, needs to be washed with a suitable cleaning product.

When? Two or three times a week, more for special cases.

How? As for hair shampoo, with emulsion, then rinse.

2 / HYDRATION AND NUTRITION

Hydration consists of maintaining the water balance of the skin located under the beard, in order to avoid dehydration responsible for itching, overproduction of sebum, desquamation, or irritation. Nutrition, on the other hand, consists of providing nutrients that benefit the skin, but especially the beard, in order to preserve and strengthen the hair. If hydration is essential for all skin types and all beards, nutrition is all the more important with a long beard, whose long hairs tend to become thinner and dry as they move away from the sebaceous glands of the beard. the skin. Hydration and nutrition are concentrated in two-in-one treatments, oils or balms, formulated to take care of the skin and hair simultaneously.

When? Every morning, possibly in the evening in case of very dry skin or hair. In this case, consider providing extra care with a monthly moisturizing mask.

How? By massaging and then combing the beard with the hands, from the roots to the tips, after heating the chosen product between the palms. Take the time to massage the roots, in order to hydrate the skin and activate the blood microcirculation essential to growth at the same time.

3 / BRUSHING FOR LONG BEARDS

Useless on a three-day beard, brushing is essential to maintain a long or full beard. In the same way, as for the hair, it allows you to detangle, smooth, and structure to maintain a clean and neat appearance. The gesture is just as beneficial to the skin since brushing aerates and loosens the hair, allowing the epidermis to breathe better. It is also a quick and easy way to remove dust, crumbs, or impurities accumulated during the day. The frequency of brushing, therefore, depends on both the length and the style of the beard, the desires of each person, or the activities practiced.

When? At a minimum, in the morning after hydration discipline the hairs, and in the evening, before hydration, to eliminate impurities. With a long beard or for the most careful, add a quick brushing after meals, at the end of the afternoon, or after a walk in the open air, for example.

How? Brushing gently from bottom to top to air the hair, except for a long beard, then from top to bottom in the direction of the hair, to discipline it.

4 / SIZE AND SHAVE

Maintaining your beard involves refreshing it to keep it looking clean. It is generally a question of redefining its contours by shaving or waxing the areas that need to be done, as well as maintaining the shape of the beard. It all depends on the style and length of it, the speed of growth and the hairiness, as well as the choices of each one. Some prefer to do everything themselves, others only entrust the size to a barber, and others simply maintain the contours between two visits to a specialist. With a long beard, it is still recommended to call a barber at regular intervals, in order to maintain a neat shape or to define the shape that best suits your face, if you want to let it grow. Along the way, a professional will be able to give you personalized advice on the maintenance schedule and the care best suited to the unique characteristics of your beard.

When? Every three or four days on average for contouring, approximately every 15 days for length.

How? By shaving unwanted hair, especially on the cheeks or neck for contours; by clearing the lips and trimming the lengths with scissors or clippers for the overall shape.

WHICH PRODUCTS TO MAINTAIN YOUR BEARD?

If there is an essential rule to remember to maintain your beard, it is that it is a question of choosing products… for the beard. Too often cleaned with hair shampoo or hydrated with a face cream, the beard loses strength and flexibility, and the skin itches. Facial hair has special characteristics that require specific products, so dedicated ranges like the NIVEA MEN beard range.

THE BEARD CLEANSER

Beard wash is essential. Hair and hair do not have the same characteristics, if the former are cleaned with shampoo, the latter needs a cleaner specially formulated for the beard. Indeed, the beard + face cleansing gel comes into contact with the skin of the face, which is much more fragile than the scalp. Opt for a gentle beard and face cleansing gel, specifically formulated for daily use.

BEARD CARE

Opt for light, fast-absorbing textures that soothe irritation and itching, moisturize the skin, and soften the beard. Choose them according to your type of beard: treatments specially designed for short beards, and treatments dedicated to three-day beards, whose skin is sensitized by shaving.

BEARD BALM

The balms are suitable for intermediate beards since they combine hydration and nutrition with a styling effect. Their thicker texture makes shaping easier, a useful option for groomed beards or mustaches.

BEARD OIL

Beard oil is the equivalent of balm in a fluid version. Four or five drops heated between the hands are enough to effectively nourish the hair. It is particularly recommended for long beards for its ease of application and its nourishing power, combining skin and hair care in one pass.

THE MOISTURIZING MASK

This complementary treatment can provide extra hydration and nutrition for beards and dry skin. It is applied about once a month, like a hair mask, massaging to distribute the product evenly before leaving on, then rinsing. Again, choose masks formulated for the beard, not the hair!

THE BEARD BRUSH

This is a small brush with bristles that are soft enough to smooth, but hard enough to tame. The comb can replace or complement it for long beards, depending on individual preferences. The must? A boar bristle brush, with smoothing properties, and a horn comb, with antistatic properties. If you choose to combine the two, reserve the brush for morning and evening, at home. Light and compact, the comb offers the advantage of being easy to carry for quick touch-ups during the day.