When working with a production company to produce Village Barber’s first ever professional advert to be aired on Sky Sports featuring our Beard Maintenance Oil and Beard Growth Oil, the evidence needed to convince the powers that be of your products ability to actually do what is states on the label, got me thinking that, in reality, most purchasers of beard oil simply would not know how the product actually works. Hence, I wanted to do this blog in an effort to explain how a quality beard oil works.
Beard oils are formulated to work in much the same way as a shampoo for your hair and scalp. Notice I said “hair AND scalp”. As with hair shampoos, too many people apply their beard oil only to their facial hair and forget that any beard is only going to be as healthy as the skin it grows through. Therefore, it is imperative that you pay just as much attention to your skin under your beard as you do to the beard hair itself. Failure to do so can result in a condition called folliculitis barbae. An NHS website describes folliculitis barbae as follows:
“Folliculitis barbae is usually caused by infection with Staphylococcus aureus (S.ureus); a bacterium that commonly infects the skin. Most commonly the infection involves the upper part of the hair follicle, near the skin surface. In some cases, however, the infection is more deeply-seated, and the immune system sets up an inflammatory reaction involving a number of adjoining follicles. This is called sycosis barbae. Occasionally this inflammation leads to scarring.”
As you can see, making sure of healthy skin and hair follicles should be your number one priority in growing and maintaining a great looking beard!
How can modern knowledge of natural oils help us in our beard care regime? How do various natural oils such as lavender and rosemary play their part in allowing you to avoid facial skin problems and sport a stunning, healthy looking beard? I’ll address these questions and more in my next blog!
*The author of this blog, Iain Kane, started out in the barbering industry back in 1979 and therefore has decades of experience in expert hair and beard care.