Over the years, companies have changed their policies towards facial hair in the workplace with startups and creatives leading the way. And while corporate culture has loosened its tie on whether beards are allowed, there are some guidelines you can follow to ensure your beard looks professional. Justin Thomas, owner and creator of Better Man Beard products offers his advice for keeping your beard well-groomed.
“You have two competing factors; you have a kind of a corporate culture of clean cut, no tattoos, no facial hair, and then you have these guys that grow their beard and don’t take care of it. Corporate is afraid of that look,” explains Justin. “There’s certain lengths that are acceptable from a business standpoint and there’s plenty of guys who can actually look really good in their beard, so as long as they take care of it, I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be able to have one.”
When it comes to cultivating a well-maintained look for the office, Justin recommends a few steps for those who are just starting out.
“Ideally you wouldn’t touch the beard, trim it, or do anything to it for six to eight weeks,” he says. “The first couple weeks of any new beard is the most likely time to have beard itch and that’s just from the lack of moisture. Your scalp produces natural oils that your face doesn’t that’s why the hair is so different and that’s why you need to use a different type of product.”
According to Justin, a beard balm can help soothe the pesky itch and may help thicken the beard but it’s important to use products with the right ingredients.
“Fragrance oils, parabens, alcohol, and palm oil, those are what you see the most in beard care on the shelf that you should stay away from,” he explains. “Alcohol is very drying, and most products use a fragrance oil which can be irritating to the skin, both to the wife and to the husband.”
With the right beard balm, Justin recommends using it every day until you can’t get the balm down to your skin, then it’s time to add in beard oil a few days a week. “In the beginning, you should use the beard balm. It’s going to tame the beard, make it more presentable, and it’s going to make it a lot softer,” he says. “But then you want to use the oil a couple of days a week because you want to keep the hair moisturized and clean.”
Justin also recommends visiting your barber regularly to keep your beard looking neat and to avoid the common mistakes that can happen when trying to trim it on your own.
“You go into a barber after that first six or eight weeks of growing your beard and have them set the lines,” he explains. “A lot of guys trim too much and then they don’t have anything to work with and they’re really holding themselves back. I hear so many stories of guys messing it up and having to take it off.”
And when it comes to hair dyes, Justin suggests being proud of your beard rather than altering your look by using products with harsh ingredients.
“My goal has been to make as many beards better as I can and I really shy away from those dyes because they have heavy chemicals,” he says. “Even if you’re 20-something and don’t have much going on or you think you’re too old and your beard is completely white, I’ve always been about embracing the beard you have and making it the best you can.”
To learn more about how to take care of your beard, visit BetterManBeard.com.
