Stubble… 5 o’clock shadows… shadow beards... It has a lot of names, but this beard style is always rugged and masculine, helping to define your jawline without committing you to a beard.
Like other casual-and-cool looks, your beard stubble can take more effort than it appears. Aside from letting it grow out (for most men it takes up to 48 hours) and then trimming it back down to your length of choice, your 5 o’clock shadow needs maintenance to be clean, nourished, and healthy.
So how DO you take care of your shadow beard?
Once you’ve established your borderlines and short beard length, here’s the daily maintenance you’ll need to keep it looking its best.
Keep the perimeter clean.
Keep precise, even trim lines around your stubble beard to keep it from looking sloppy. Using a safety razor can help you navigate the neck area, which is tricky to shave due to its curves and multiple angles of hair growth. A good, natural, lather-heavy soap will help your razor glide close to the skin without stripping your face of its natural oils. Apply aftershave to hydrate and moisturize your skin and prevent irritation.
Pro Tip: After defining your stubble beard with a high-quality razor, use a high quality toner to prevent redness, bumps, and ingrown hairs.
Moisturize.
One of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy short beard is using beard oil after each wash to the hair itself and the skin around and underneath it. Beard oil both stimulates beard growth and softens the hair itself, lessening that “sandpaper” touch. It will also prevent itchiness as new beard hairs grow and give your beard a subtle cologne scent. Beard balmis another great moisturizer -- ours contains argan and jojoba oils, which promote beard growth, prevent breakage and allow your beard to grow in thick and healthy.
Brush your beard.
If short beards have a downside, it’s that they expose more of your skin, making it more vulnerable to dirt and grime and exposing any skin issues you may have. Brushing your shadow beard with a high-quality beard brush once a day will keep your skin exfoliated, preventing both ingrown hairs and flaky skin. We recommend a boar bristle beard brush -- it exfoliates AND helps distribute natural oils throughout your beard. We offer one in our store that is 100% cruelty-free.
Have a question about short beard maintenance, or a tip to share? Let us know in the comments.
Our mission is to give people who use our products an aromatic outdoorsy escape during their daily grooming routine. We formulate our products using only healthy, natural ingredients. Our nature inspired scents are crafted from essential oils, so our products smell real. Outdoorsy. Not chemically. And they do not contain parabens or phthalates. Most grooming products contain synthetic fragrances, containing hundreds of undisclosed chemicals.
SCENT DESCRIPTIONS
Amber Resin Sweet. Warm. Resinous. Natural tree resins give this soap its light amber scent. Available In: Soap
Backwoods Crisp and woodsy with cedar and fir essential oils, like taking a deep breath of Rocky Mountain air in winter. Available In: Soap, Beard Balm, Solid Cologne, Solid Shampoo, Shave Oil, Aftershave Balm, Face Tonic
Birch Tar Caution! Tar soap has a very powerful aroma similar to a campfire but leaves behind a subtle smokiness and a clean, rugged scent. Available In: Soap
Black Pepper We've layered spicy black peppercorn, sweet vanilla-like balsam, and the warm, citrus scent of bergamot for a rich, ambrosial aroma. Available In: Soap
Bonfire(Limited Batch) Wood smoke, crisp air and wet leaves. It's pretty much Fall in a bottle. The scent starts with a burst of smokey birch tar then quickly mellows revealing the woodsy aromas of cedar and balsam, and subtle top notes that foreshadow autumnal crispness. Available In: Beard Balm, Beard Oil
Cedar and Smoke (Formerly Gunbarrel) Cedar and birch tar forge a formidable aroma, woodsy, smokey and earthy. A deep, masculine scent reminiscent of a traditional carpenter's workshop. Available In: Beard Oil, Wood & Smoke Kits, Solid Cologne
Essential (Unscented) Our Essential products are crafted without any scent added but may have the subtle aroma of the natural butter and oils that the products are crafted from. Available In: Soap, Beard Balm, Beard Oil, Lotion Bar, Shave Oil, Aftershave Balm, Face Tonic
Honeysuckle Enjoy the heady aroma of honeysuckle blossoms in summer, like honey and ripe fruit. Intoxicating. Available In: Soap, Beard Oil, Beard Balm, Solid Cologne, Solid Shampoo, Shave Oil, Aftershave Balm, Face Tonic
Miner’s Mint A substantial musky, masculine aroma with hints of refreshing spearmint and sweet, heady bourbon. One of our most popular fragrances, that harkens back to more traditional men’s cologne, without the chemicals. Available In: Soap, Beard Oil, Beard Balm, Solid Cologne, Solid Shampoo, Shave Oil, Aftershave Balm, Face Tonic
Sweetheart Balsam, vetiver and cinnamon are some of the essential oils we used to create an aroma that’s a little woodsy, a little musky, and a whole lot sexy. Available In: Soap, Beard Balm, Solid Cologne, Solid Shampoo
Tobacco & Leather(Limited Batch) An earthy aroma of sweet tobacco and leather-bound books. Available In: Beard Balm
Winter Frost (Seasonal Only) With warm, woodsy notes of balsam fir and cedar, spicy nutmeg, and crisp top notes of peppermint you’ll want to wear this all winter long. Available In: Soap, Beard Oil, Beard Balm
Wild Hunt Wild Hunt begins with a blast of energizing spearmint when first applied, then slowly mellows to the warm, citrus scent of bergamot leaving a balanced, masculine scent behind. Available In: Soap, Beard Balm, Beard Oil, Solid Cologne, Solid Shampoo
Wood and Smoke Wood and Smoke is our combination of Backwoods Beard Balm and Gunbarrel Beard Oil. Two complementary scents that were created to be worn together or alone depending on your mood. Backwoods is crisp and woodsy with cedar and fir essential oils, like taking a deep breath of Rocky Mountain air in winter. Gunbarrel uses cedar and birch tar to forge a formidable aroma, woodsy, smokey and earthy, much like the scents found in the shops of a carpenter or leather craftsman. Available In: Core Beard Kit, Beard Balm + Beard Oil Set
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