How To Soften Your Beard Naturally

You might enjoy how rugged and outdoorsy your beard looks, but your beard itself really shouldn’t feel rugged or smell outdoorsy. Learn how to soften your beard so that it has that handsome style from afar, but a gentle touch up close.

Why Is My Beard Hair So Rough?

Beard hair is naturally rough to a certain extent. If you think yours is crossing into sandpaper territory, look for these symptoms:

1. You’re Dehydrated

How is your hair supposed to stay soft and full if you’re not drinking enough water? Not staying hydrated can give you brittle hair – that goes for both your head and your jaw. 

2. Your Beard Isn’t Clean

Let’s be honest here, beards take a lot of sh*t, mostly because they like to sample your food for you. If you haven’t been using a beard wash and conditioner regularly, you’re probably not rinsing out all the gunk that gets stuck in the stubble.

3. You Have Split Ends

Long beards look awesome, but they’re also more prone to breakage and split ends. That means individual hairs are literally splitting and breaking off. Slowly, without frequent trims, the texture of your beard can worsen over time.

4. Your Beard Is Tangling

Knots aren’t exactly smooth and soft. If you’re not regularly brushing your beard, it’s probably tangling itself, which messes up the texture. In the long run, tangles lead to split ends.

5. You’re Using Bad Beard Products

The wrong beard conditioner or balm can really mess up your texture. Some guys make the mistake of using face wash on their beards – that’s a no! Stick with high-quality, beard-specific products to dodge this issue.

How Long Does It Take To Soften A Beard?

Here’s the good news: it really doesn’t take long to soften a beard. If you run through the steps below, you can see some modest, immediate results. And once you get on a good maintenance schedule, the long-term commitment will help soften your beard even further.

Plus, you’ll see more benefits than just the softening. Guys who regularly take steps to soften their beards also tend to have beards that are easier to groom, look sleeker, and feel healthier.

You might need to purchase more beard supplies, but the investment will be well worth it in the long run.

How To Soften Your Beard Naturally

Take these steps in order. 

Supplies:

• A bristle brush

• Beard wash (also called beard shampoo)

• Beard conditioner

• Beard oil

• Beard balm or beard butter

1. Brush With A Bristle Brush

Be patient if you’re staring with a tangled beard. Using a bristle brush, get the knots out first so that the hair is workable and you can brush it in any direction. 

The great thing about using a bristle brush is that, unlike a comb, it helps soften hair. A comb will only detangle. A bristle brush will help improve the texture of your beard. It’s a worthy investment.

You should use a bristle brush on your beard daily.

2. Trim Split Ends

Once you reach the point where your beard is easy to brush in any direction, brush it outward, down, and to the sides (depending on how long it is).

If you see any uneven hairs sticking out, clip those. You can even go over your face with a beard trimmer to truly weed out any split ends or dead ends. That’s the whole point of trimming your beard regularly – it cuts back on damaged, old hair, while making way for new growth.

You don’t need to trim your beard every day. Schedule your touch-ups as needed, depending on how fast your hair grows and how long you like your beard.

3. Use A Beard Wash

Plenty of guys will admit it – most of us cheat and use shampoo or face wash on our beards. The problem there is that beard hair is coarser than the hair on your head. Beard shampoos are designed to handle that added texture, but regular shampoos and face washes aren’t. In fact, many dry out your hair.

So invest in a good beard wash or beard shampoo, and use it daily. Try a beard exfoliant or beard scrub if you suffer from dandruff.

4. Use A Beard Conditioner

You could ignore every other piece of advice on this list, and you’d still improve the texture of your beard significantly just by using a high-quality beard conditioner.

Beard conditioners (like hair conditioners) are the ultimate softeners. All the oils and butters in a beard conditioner help combat frizz, dryness, skin irritation, flakes, and more. Conditioner is essential if you want a softer beard. It’s THE BEST beard growth product.

Use beard conditioner daily.

5. Apply Beard Oil

Beard oil is a protective layer for your facial hair. After you’ve used a wash and conditioner on your beard, putting an oil on top helps lock in the moisture. 

While many beard conditioners are unscented, most beard oils smell great. They’re often packed with essential oils. Make sure the scent of your beard oil compliments the scent of your cologne. 

You really only need beard oil once a day, but some men like to apply it morning and evening to help with overnight dryness.

6. Style With Beard Balm

Beard balms and the best beard butters take your style to the next level. Now that your facial hair is (hopefully) soft and flowy, throw on a balm or butter to shape your mustache and add volume to your beard. 

Better yet, balms and butters act as a second protective layer for your beard, on top of beard oil. 

Can Vaseline Soften My Beard?

Vaseline will certainly make your beard look slick and glossy, but it doesn’t have any benefits beyond that. It’s made of pure petroleum jelly, so the scent isn’t exactly top notch, and it won’t truly hydrate your beard like a conditioner, oil, and balm will.

In the short-run, Vaseline might help you style your beard, but it won’t soften the hair.

Truly, the best softening product for beards is beard conditioner. Beard washes, oils, and balms all play a supporting role in that goal. Vaseline won’t do anything for your beard texture.

Stick with all-natural products made for your beard, and you’ll see significant results in taming the texture.