Is My Beard Dirty? Should I Shave?

Several studies have shown that your beard can be dirty. A dirty beard can carry bacteria, have an unpleasant odor, and cause skin irritation. Should I shave or should I tell a loved one to shave?

No, don’t do it! Here’s why?

A dirty beard is nothing to be afraid of nor is it a reason to shave. It all comes down to one word, Hygiene! Google defines hygiene as a condition or practice conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness. Bad hygiene or bad practices will cause your beard to be dirty, carry bacteria, smell bad, and be unhealthy. Good hygiene or good practices will leave your beard clean, bacteria free, healthy, soft, and with a pleasant scent. Your teeth also carry bacteria and dirt if you don’t practice good hygiene. Your mouth will have a very unpleasant scent and your teeth can start to decay if good hygiene is not practiced. Your body will have an unpleasant odor because of dirt and bacteria build up if proper hygiene is not practiced. Your beard is no different. With good hygiene, your mouth, face, body, and beard will be clean, free from bacteria, and free from an awful smell.

Bad hygiene practices will leave your beard a mangy and smelly mess. The outside elements are filled with dirt and debris. Depending time of year, pollen and dust may be common. A man may work and make a living outside in the elements or around things they may cause his beard to be dirty. A day at the beach or in the pool, or even cutting the grass my expose your beard to unhealthy elements. Food left behind in your beard  will cause an unpleasant smell and accumulate bacteria if not cleaned. All these things will cause your beard to build bacteria and leave an unpleasant smell if proper hygiene is not practiced.

Good hygiene practices will make sure your beard is healthy and clean. Just as you would take care of yourself by brushing your teeth and taking a shower, your beard needs the same attention. As mentioned before, your beard is exposed to many different elements even food. Like any other part of your body, your beard needs to be cleaned and maintained. You wouldn’t go weeks without taking a shower (hopefully), you shouldn’t good weeks without cleaning your beard. You need to apply deodorant, and lotion to maintain healthy skin and prevent unwanted body odor. You need to apply beard oil and/or beard butter to maintain a healthy beard.

Here are some examples of good hygiene practices:

• Wash your beard a few times a week. If your beard is exposed to the elements regularly, wash your beard every other day. Use a soap or wash specifically designed for your beard and face. Do not use regular commercial soaps or shampoos. Learn more about Beard Soap here.
• Apply beard oil every day or every other day. Beard oil will keep your beard from having dandruff and flaky by hydrating and moisturizing the skin underneath. A quality beard oil will have some natural antibacterial elements that will keep your beard free from forming bacteria, prevent beard bumps and itch, and will also leave a pleasant scent behind. Antibacterial properties in beard oil will keep your beard clean and prevent the bacterial from developing. Learn more about Beard Oil here.
• Apply beard butter every other day. Beard butter is a type of leave in conditioner. This will also add moisturizing to the skin underneath and will also condition and soften the beard hair and prevent itching. This makes the beard easier to maintain, brush, comb and keep your beard from becoming dry and brittle. Our Beard Butters also contain antibacterial properties. Learn more about Beard Butter here.
• Trim your beard once a month or as needed. Trimming your beard will prevent split ends and promote healthy hair growth. Keeping your beard tame will also prevent dirt and bacterial from forming in your beard.
• Comb using a wooden comb. This will keep your beard static free which will prevent your beard from becoming dry and brittle. Lear more about wooden combs here.
• For more beard tips, read here.

               
Conclusion: Don’t shave your beard because of fear of not being clean or unhealthy. Proper hygiene will eliminate any fear you may have about a beard being bad for you. You took the time to grow your beard, take the time to care for it and keep it healthy and clean. Good hygiene should be practiced on your body with regularity, the same attention needs to be applied to your beard.