You’ve been social distancing for more than two months, and your usually groomed beard is bushing up — and out — like it has a mind of its own. Or that 5 o’clock shadow you’ve decided to try to grow into a full beard is looking a little on the straggly side. You’re not alone. How to groom yourself now that you can’t get to the barber is one of the top Google searches right now.

Now that barber shops may open soon, you may get that fade and beard trim in the next couple of weeks. But until then, here’s how to take care of that beard. Your fellow Zoom meeting attendees, and whoever you are sharing social isolation with, will appreciate it.

Get the right tools

The basics: You need a small comb — that has both fine and wide teeth — a trimmer, and a brush. Choose your brush based on the density and thickness of the beard.  You will need that to tend to the areas that you want to be baby’s-butt smooth.

Wash, condition, and oil every day

A dirty beard is a dull beard. Your beard collects debris especially when cooking or laying down on a pillow. The oil from your skin can make it greasy, so you really need to wash it every day. A sulfate-free shampoo works well because it doesn’t strip your beard of moisture. Our favorite recommendation is Victory Premium’s Active Charcoal Soap Bar. For a leave-in conditioner, Victory’s Beard Butter will do the job.  In need of a good beard oil? We got that covered too. Our Beard Shine is light, has a great fragrance, and it’s paraben and petroleum free.

Don’t forget to exfoliate

Just like your T-zone, the skin under the beard gets dry and flaky too. Dry, flaky skin and clogged pores are the main causes of irritated skin and ingrown hairs when growing out facial hair. We suggest men use a product that removes the dead skin cells — or an exfoliator. Most exfoliators, or body scrubs, are applied like soap and you should massage into them to the skin under your beard in a steamy shower. Create a nice lather, create a nice scrub, and get your exfoliation on. The skin underneath the beard needs love, too. Victory’s Active Charcoal Soap makes a really good exfoliator.  Once you are done exfoliating, try aftershave, that will close the pores, cool down the skin, and guard against infection.

Shape it up once a week

The one thing you don’t want to do is over-groom. If you are growing out a new beard, trim it once about once a week. For newer beards, let your comb act as a guard and trim around the perimeter using small scissors to start defining the shape. When your beard is fuller, that’s when you want to bring in clippers. Focus on removing the hair on the cheeks and under the jaw line.. Follow the natural curve of your face. 

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