Say Goodbye to Beard Dandruff

We’ve all been there. Dressed to the nines, hair combed just right, beard looking on point. Ready to seize the day! You take one last glimpse in the mirror and… hmm. That’s funny — when did it start snowing indoors? But it ain’t snow, bro bro. It’s worse. So much worse. You’ve got…

BEARD DANDRUFF.

Those dreaded little flecks of dead skin make it look like Tony Montana just sneezed on your favorite black shirt. But fear not, itchy friend. Your ol’ pals at Aberlite have the solution for you, and it doesn’t involve never going out again or going to war with rival drug gangs and ending up face-down in your own indoor fountain. Because once you understand how to take out beard dandruff for good… then the world is yours, chico. And everything in it. /end 40 year old Scarface references/

Finding the Root Cause

“To combat the enemy, we must first understand the enemy.” We’re sure some smart General said that at some point. So in this case, we must learn what causes beard dandruff in the first place. Which means getting in touch with our roots…

Our beard hair roots! As with almost all beard care issues, this one starts at the source. The skin under your beard, where the root meets the face, is the key to unlocking your beard dandruff woes. It can be too dry (the obvious one) or too oily (the frustratingly counter-intuitive one). Just run your fingers up in there and you’ll be able to feel which one is the source of your flakes. Of course, if things are extremely itchy, red, and painful under your beard, please see a doctor. That may be dermatitis, in which case you’ll need a little extra help from a medical professional. But if you just have the regular itchy, annoying flakes… read on.

Where exactly are those flakes coming from? Well, dry skin is the easy one. Your beard hairs sap up the oil from your skin to keep themselves moisturized, leaving a parched surface below where skin cells dry up and flake off. You probably notice this often if you live in a dry climate, or in the cold of winter. It sucks, but at least it’s pretty straightforward — you know you need more moisture.

Excessively oily skin is a bit trickier. Microbes called M. globosa grow on oily areas of skin (so usually, wherever your hair is growing). These little guys help break down the natural oil produced by your skin. When M. globosa eats up this oil, it leaves behind oleic acid, which can irritate the skin and, in turn, cause flakes. So the more oil you have, the more M. globosa is going to eat and excrete acid, causing more and more irritation. Yes, we realize how gross this sounds, but yes, it is perfectly natural. And also yes, we have a solution!

The Plan of Attack

Now that we understand what we’re up against here, it’s time to talk about knocking it out — for good. So whether you’ve discovered you're dealing with dry or oily skin under your beard, there are a few things you can start doing right away to clean it up:

• Exfoliate: Getting rid of those built-up flakes and dead skin under your beard is the first step toward beard dandruff freedom. Give yourself a good scrub with your fingernails in the shower, and then make sure to brush or comb afterward. Aberlite has a solid Sandalwood Beard Comb that’ll do the trick- with the added bonus of smelling terrific and keeping things neat and tidy. 

• Wash wisely: We’re sure you’re a savvy enough beardsman to be washing your hair already — that’s why we’re buds. But we also want to be sure you’re doing it the right way. The biggest mistake beard washing rookies make (not you, obv) is using shampoo designed for the hair on the top of the head. That stuff can be harsh. Your beard hair just isn’t built the same as your scalp hair. So grab some specially-formulated beard wash and conditioner, and start reaping the benefits of a wash designed just for your special face fuzz.

• Wash wisely, part two: This is where we differentiate a bit between the dry beards and the oily beards of the world. If your beard is dry, you may actually be washing too often — you’re stripping away the natural oils. 2-3 times a week should be plenty with proper beard wash. And feel free to rinse with water on the off days.

As for the oily beards out there, you may want to step up your washing frequency. Slowly add a day or two of washing to combat that extra oil until you see an improvement. Then stick to the schedule.

• OIL! This wouldn’t be a beard care blog if we didn’t tell you to use beard oil, right? There’s a reason we can’t stop recommending it. This stuff works. It’ll replace the natural oils you lost while washing, on your own terms. And keep things moisturized, organized, and smelling fresh as hell to boot. Grab yours here.

The Execution

You know your enemy. You have your plan of attack. Now the only thing left is to go out and execute the game plan. Today is the day you rise up, look those flaky little bastards right in the eye, and say, “No more!” Take your beard back, fellow beardsman! The tyrannical grip of beard dandruff ends now!

And if that’s too dramatic for you, just know this — you’re gonna look way better without flakes on your shirt. So go take care of that, eh?