There’s no question that beard oil is the most essential element of your grooming routine. However, as beard culture has continued to gain popularity, a new crop of beard products for men have hit the market. Among them is beard shampoo. Like beard oil, this product is touted as a necessary part of your grooming process. But is it really worth the investment? Or is it just a byproduct of the beard explosion?

What is Beard Shampoo?

Beard shampoo is not just regular shampoo repackaged and sold as a new product. It’s actually a specially formulated wash that’s part of the ever-growing stable of men’s grooming products.

Your scalp is home to tough skin and tons of sebaceous glands. These glands produce sebum, otherwise known as oil. This natural oil is what helps protect your hair and keep it healthy. Regular shampoo washes away the excess oil. But you have enough sebaceous glands up there to keep producing an adequate amount of replacement oil. If you were to use that same shampoo on your face, there would be disastrous results.

While your face does have its own set of sebaceous glands, there are far less than the amount on your head. When your beard hair starts to grow, your sebaceous glands don’t grow with it. So essentially, those same glands that previously just provided oil for your face now have to keep your beard oiled as well. Clearly, that’s a big job that not even your qualified glands can handle.

If you wash your beard with regular shampoo, it strips away the natural oil in your beard. But unlike your scalp, your face won’t be able to recover. This can lead to long-term damage of both your skin and beard hair. Beard shampoo has become a force to reckon with among beard products for men because it solves this problem.

Beard shampoo allows you to deeply cleanse and condition your beard without stripping your face of sebum. It also helps you avoid common problems like split ends, damaged hair, and the unsightly appearance of beard dandruff.

Will I Still Need Beard Oil?

Yes, beard shampoo can help with the prevention of several beard problems. But it’s not a replacement for beard oil. You won’t wash your beard every day. If you choose to use a beard shampoo, it’s recommended that you only do so every couple days or so. You can wash even less frequently. But beard oil should be a part of your routine every day. It isn’t a superfluous addition to the shelves of men’s grooming products. It’s a necessity.

Beard shampoo can help you avoid stripping your face of its natural oils. But beard oil acts as the right hand man for your sebaceous glands, providing extra assistance to keep your skin and beard hair soft and moisturized. Beard oil products like our The Composer Eucalyptus Beard Oil and The Alchemist Peppermint Beard Oil are highly effective moisturizers that help promote healthy growth and leave you with a refreshing cooling sensation afterward.

 The Verdict

So what’s the verdict? Well, it isn’t as cut and dry as a simple yes or no. Beard shampoo can help with keeping your beard clean and healthy. Especially in the earlier stages of growth. When your beard is shorter, beard oil is enough to combat any problems you might encounter. As you start to see some serious length, beard shampoo will become more important in your weekly regimen. But you’ll still need beard oil. Beard shampoo will serve as an addition to your already solid care routine; an added layer of protection.

There are a lot of men’s grooming products out there vying for your attention. You absolutely need beard oil. Beard shampoo is advanced level care that you don’t need, but it definitely won’t hurt.