A full week has passed since I had my beard shaved off to jump-start the 6 Month Sprint competition in February 2017.  This means my beard is about a week old, and this is when some very interesting things happen to my face.  It’s also a crucial stage that bother a lot of men (and their significant others) so much that they stop and shave it off.  My face itches!  But I carry around a small bottle of beard oil during this time to apply to make face when I have the urge to scratch my face.

My beard exactly 1 week after shaving. Enjoying Labor Day weekend with family - don't mind the tired eyes.

My beard exactly 1 week after shaving. Enjoying Labor Day weekend with family – don’t mind the tired eyes.  Oh, I got a haircut, too!

Do you remember the last time you shaved your face?  If you’re clean-shaven, then of course you do, and if you’re bearded, you probably remember at least the month and year for the sake of marking growth time.  Well, that last maiming will make your beard hair the bane of your existence for up to an entire month to come, unless you take care of it.  The itch time really depends on your genes and how quickly you grow facial hair, though.  Any woman who has kissed you while you’ve had a 5 o’clock shadow can confirm what I’m about to tell you:  Your short beard hairs are sharp.  And while they’re short, they’re as sturdy as the grits of sandpaper.  And sure, you’ve rubbed your own hand against it and tried claiming that you “know” how rough it is.

Viewed under a microscope, this beard hair was cut with a razor. Notice the sharp angle that is a result of angled blades, which keep us from cutting our faces while shaving. This is what stabs your face and causes irritation. Image Source: http://www.denniskunkel.com/gallery/medical/9219A.jpg

Viewed under a microscope, this beard hair was cut with a razor. Notice the sharp angle that is a result of angled blades, which keep us from cutting our faces while shaving. This is what stabs your face and causes irritation. Image Source: http://www.denniskunkel.com/gallery/medical/9219A.jpg

All of your attempts to downplay the brutal roughness of your beard will come back to bite you in as little as one or two short weeks.  Oh, and if you think just waiting it out will help, as the hair grows longer but still remains “short,” it will curl backward into your face.  Itch and irritation will try to subdue you, especially as you scratch it.  But there’s hope:

BEARD OIL!

Beard Oil is a necessity while growing your beard, for all stages. It will relieve itch and irritation, enabling you to keep your beard for a longer time. Brewtastic Soaps provides VERY affordable beard oils, handmade with great scents. www.brewtasticsoaps.com

Beard Oil is a necessity while growing your beard, for all stages. It will relieve itch and irritation, enabling you to keep your beard for a longer time. Brewtastic Soaps provides VERY affordable beard oils, handmade with great scents. www.brewtasticsoaps.com

Many men  express the depth of their manliness by bragging about how they don’t use beard products or that their face secretes enough natural oils to satisfy all their problems.  But beard oil is your friend.  Even if by sheer will power, you manage to not let the itch affect you and surpass the itch stage  (2 to 4 weeks, usually, but depends on how fast your hair grows), the ends of your hairs will absolutely be split in due time. The only way to get rid of split-ends is by trimming your beard, and that is a HUGE no-no when you’re going for growth, especially in just 6 months.  That is an unhealthy beard, and your face has been treated like it no longer exists.  The skin beneath your beard should be treated with care like the rest of your face and body.

There are many brands and kinds of beard oil to choose from, and everyone has different preferences of scents and oils.  Most are formulated with oils especially for face and hair health, and some oils and essential oils are thought to encourage hair health or prevent dandruff.  Beard oil can range from $15 to $25, and they are well-worth that amount for the relief and health of your face and beard.  Brewtastic Soaps has many different scents, made with the following high-quality, natural ingredients:

Jojoba Oil – a dry oil – not greasy! – that is similar to natural body oils and so is readily absorbed into the skin,

Argan -thought to support hair health,

Grapeseed Oil – thought to encourage hair growth,

Castor Oil – provides thick body to the overall product and has been thought throughout the ages to have healing properties,

Sweet Almond Oil  – rich in vitamins, thought to promote hair growth and encourage blood and nutrient circulation to the skin, and

Essential Oils – each beard oil scent has a different blend of premium essential oil for men of all walks of life.  Check them out!

And a 1-ounce bottle is only $15 from Brewtastic Soaps, which is extremely low for the premium quality product.  Compare that to other brands like Beard Baron and Beard Brand, to name a couple.

We will get more in depth on beard oil later on, but all you should get from this now is that beard oil is a necessity if you want to do things right and care about your beard health and appearance.  You can survive this testing time, and you now know how to cheat the itch.  Keep the growth!