How To Care For Your Beard At Home
One of the smartest things a man can learn about grooming is how to maintain a beard in-between visits to the barbers. But what if those visits go from every few weeks to every few months, or longer? How high do I trim the neckline? Why do I need to oil my beard? And when, oh when, will the itchiness go away? Fortunately, self-isolation does not mean we have to forgo good facial hair. Whether you're growing a lockdown beard for the first time or usually leave it to one of the expert barbers at ADAM, here's how to make it look and feel its best.
WASH
Growing a beard is no excuse to neglect what's hidden underneath. If fact, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, a well-rounded grooming routine is one of the most important factors in good beard growth. To freshen up your facial hair while also taking care of the skin, use the ADAM Charcoal Facewash daily. The gentle but effective formula is blended with aloe vera and essential oils designed to remove dirt and debris, balance oil and soothe irritation while imbuing your beard with a fresh, earthy scent.
HYDRATE
The irritation that comes with dry, itchy facial hair is enough to put any man off continuing beard growth, but there is a solution. Whether you're working with a handlebar, goatee or the full lumberjack, a nourishing beard oil will soften the coarse hairs, making them easier to style and also prevent 'beardruff'. Apply three to six drops of ADAM's Daily Beard Oil – depending on the length – directly to your beard after cleansing, then use a brush or comb to evenly distribute the oil throughout.
TRIM
Although we wouldn't typically recommend cutting your own hair, your beard can often benefit from a light trim in between appointments at your chosen ADAM Atelier. To keep facial hair at its preferred length, invest in some hair clippers — preferably ones with an adjustable lever and guards — and a pair of facial hair scissors for the moustache. There are plenty of different beard shapes out there, but the most universally flattering requires leaving the hairs a little longer around the chin and shorter on the sides.
SHAPE
A neat jawline can go a long way when it comes to enhancing your face shape, but only if you get it right. To avoid trimming it too low or too high, always follow the line left by your barber. If you don't have one, place two fingers above your Adam's apple and imagine a U-shape running from below each ear. Once you've got that, use ADAM's barber-standard safety razor and Shaving Cream to get rid everything below this, and don't forget to shave any stray hairs further up the cheeks too.
STYLE
For a beard to look its best, it needs to be maintained the same way you keep your hairstyle in check. That means regular trims, plenty of moisture and a bit of styling product to shape it into the exact look you want. For slightly longer facial hair, work a small amount of ADAM's light hold Pomade into the beard while damp then blow-dry while using a brush to create a slick but defined finish.