How to Get Rid of Beardruff
Learn how to get rid of beardruff from a dermatologist. Yep, there is a medical reason for beardruff and a trained skin care doc is the one to help. The skin under a man's facial hair is the perfect place for seborrheic dermatitis. Facial seborrhea presents as redness, flaking and itching, as described in this medical review article on dandruff. Dandruff of the beard is also known as 'beardruff' and it's easy to fix.
Grow a Healthy, Well-Groomed Beard in 3 Simple Steps
According to recent research on facial hair and masculine attractiveness by the University of Queensland, “beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships.” This may be why you see more men sporting beards from local colleges, to Hollywood to the workplace, and beyond. But, a well-groomed, attractive beard takes a little effort. Otherwise, you can get the dreaded “beardruff.” You know what I’m talking about… those white flakes that appear on your beard just like dandruff on your scalp. So, what’s a guy to do?
3 Steps to Fight Beardruff
When it comes to having a healthy, well-groomed beard, there are a few steps to follow.
1. Wash with a cleanser that gets rid of dry skin under your beard.
Using a pyrithione zinc soap or shampoo every day to wash your face and beard is the easiest way to fight and prevent beardruff.
Every day, use either a medical-grade medicated shampoo with the full 2% maximal allowed concentration of pyrithione zinc or a bar soap fortified with this maximal 2% concentration. This will fight seborrhea, which is the most common cause of beardruff.
Pro-tip: Remember, the beardruff is on your skin so your zinc cleanser needs to reach all the way down to your skin and not just lather your beard hair.
The easiest and most economical pyrithione zinc option is the Calming Zinc Bar Soap. Key points:
- This is an excellent facial soap to fight dry flakey scale of your eyebrows and around your nose and will foam enough to reach under most beards to contact the skin.
- You can also use it in the shower to control the flakey and greasy scale of seborrhea on your back and chest - yes, seborrhea happens there.
- Additionally, used in your armpits, pyrithione zinc soap will help reduce the germs responsible for armpit body odor.
Lather Calming Zinc onto your damp skin and into your beard and then rinse well. Know that a layer of pyrithione zinc will remain behind to tackle the skin yeast germ that leads to seborrhea.
If your beard hair is really thick, you may need to use a shampoo to reach down through your beard hair to layer onto your skin. Shampoos are made with robust foaming agents that are designed to penetrate between hairs. Look for a professional-level medicated pyrithione zinc shampoo with the maximally allowed 2% concentration. Know that most of the popular brands contain 0.5% or 1% and I recommend a full 2%. Use a zinc soap on your face and body and a zinc shampoo on hairy areas like your scalp or a really full, thick and long beard to control seborrhea on all these high-risk areas.
Did you know that many soaps that target the male consumer are filled with musky popular fragrances that are potent allergens? Avoid them in your cleansing products because they can inflame your skin and actually create more flakes, redness and itching.
2. Condition your beard hair.
When you finish washing your beard, it’s time to condition. Use a good, natural beard oil on the skin under your beard and on the actual beard hair. This will hydrate your skin and enhance your facial hair. More important, a good, natural beard oil will fight inflammation and allergic reactions that can play havoc with your skin.
I created my Omega Enriched Facial Oil as the ultimate beard oil. It fights beardruff by combining organic sea buckthorn, borage and cypress oil in a 'skin identical' oil; your beard readily soaks up this conditioning oil creating a soft and luxurious beard. Enjoy the subtle woodland scent of the cypress oil along with a handsome beard free from beardruff.
3. Use sunscreen to protect your skin.
The skin under your beard is vulnerable to the sun. And without protection, you are at risk for sunburn, itchy, dry skin, unnecessary wrinkles, and even skin cancer. If you have a beard, you may avoid sunscreen because it just creates a huge mess… unless you use a thin-based and invisible zinc oxide sunscreen that works especially well on hair-bearing skin.
My Sheer Strength Pure Physical Invisible SPF 50+ Sunscreen is a men's favorite. It works well into hairy skin and absorbs oil during the day. The tinting technology blends invisibly into all skin tones, helps to soften complexion flaws like facial redness. Most importantly, it never looks 'tinted'.
Say Goodbye to Beardruff!
By taking the time to wash, condition and apply sunscreen to the skin under your beard and your actual beard hair, you can avoid beardruff, and enjoy a healthy, well-groomed beard.