Growing out a beard is a pretty straightforward process, but once your beard starts to come in, the skin on the neck and the face will produce more dead skin cells, which can become trapped in your beard and can lead to a number of problems including dandruff, bacteria, and unwanted odors. Using the best beard shampoo can ensure that your beard and skin remain well-hydrated, while working to clean and moisturize the delicate skin under your beard and promote hair health by getting to the roots and removing bacteria buildup and trapped dead skin cells, food, and other types of debris.
In today’s world, you won’t find a shortage in beard care products, which can make it incredibly difficult to root out the bad ones and find a product that can work well for your skin and beard type. Even if you do manage to find a product you think smells great, you may find out that it’s doing more harm than good for your beard, especially if it’s loaded with harmful chemicals.
I’ve taken it upon myself to try out several popular beard shampoos, each of which I’ve carefully selected to ensure they feature an all-natural formula, which is crucial for beard health. Out of all the products I tried, only six made it onto my list of the must-have shampoos on the market. I’ve made it a little easier for you to check out what each product offers including the active ingredients, how it rated, and more, in my comparison chart that you’ll find below.
Table of Contents
Beard Shampoo Comparison Chart
Product | Active Ingredient | Scent | Also Treats | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
Professor Fuzzworthy's![]() | Olive and coconut oils | Woody | Brittle beards/ itchy skin | |
Viking Revolution Shampoo![]() | Argan oil/ eucalyptus oil | Peppermint | Itching | |
Beard Wash by Mountaineer![]() | Sunflower oil | Pine | Dandruff/frizz | |
Grave Before Shave Beard Wash![]() | Argan oil | Fresh | Dandruff/frizz | |
BARBMAN Beard Shampoo![]() | Jojoba | Sadalwood | Boosts hair growth | |
Beard Guyz Beard Wash![]() | Argan oil/olive oil | Argan oil | Kills odor causing bacteria |
Professor Fuzzworthy’s Beard Shampoo
Our Rating:
This company is known for its extensive line of facial care products ranging from bars and balms to creams and shampoos. This is one of the top-selling shampoos on the market. It offers a rich, woody scent that’s not overwhelming. This large twenty-seven-ounce bottle will last you for months since this product features a thick formula, so a little will go a long way. Not only will this product clean your beard, remove dead skin cell buildup, but it will also soften your beard and helps to boost hair growth. In many cases, a beard will stop growing if it’s not hydrated. This shampoo features an all-natural formula and will help to soothe the tender dry skin underneath your beard, helps to moisturize the hair follicles and leaves your facial hair looking shiny and healthy. The active ingredients include olive oil and coconut oil. Since it does possess two powerful carrier oils, make sure you only use a small amount of the shampoo since using too much can leave your beard feeling greasy.
Pros
- Softens coarse hair
- Hydrates the hair and skin
- Mild scent
- All-natural ingredients
- Can help to boost hair growth
Cons
- Can leave beard feeling greasy
- Can be difficult to rinse out
Conclusion
This product is free of harsh chemicals and works to naturally promote hair growth by hydrating your skin and hair follicles and works to condition and soften your beard. You’ll still need to use a beard conditioner in conjunction with this product, however, on its own, this shampoo does an excellent job of leaving your beard looking shiny, full, and healthy.
Viking Revolution Best Deal Beard Wash Shampoo
Our Rating:
This leading product by Viking Revolution features an all-natural formula with argan oil and eucalyptus oil as the active ingredients. It works to hydrate, soften, and clean your beard, leaving it looking healthy and shiny. But aside from cleaning and hydrating your skin and beard, it can also do wonders in terms of treating an itchy beard, whether the itchiness is caused by new growth or you’ve been using the wrong facial hair care products. This thick formula lathers up easily and helps to nourish and clean your beard. You will only need to use a quarter-sized drop of the beard wash, any more and you may be left with a bread that feels greasy and weighed down. I recommend only using this shampoo once every couple of days for the best results.
Pros
- Contains argon and eucalyptus oils
- Hydrates the skin and beard
- Stops itching
- Thick formula
- Softens coarse beards
Cons
- Greasy formula
- Strong scent
Conclusion
For some, the strong peppermint scent may be too powerful, especially for those who use other scented beard care products. In terms of effectiveness, this shampoo does an excellent job of keeping your beard looking and feeling good, thanks to the all-natural formula that won’t leave your beard feeling dry and brittle like some competing brands.
Beard Wash by Mountaineer Brand
Our Rating:
This shampoo features a mild scent, and is designed to clean, and hydrate your beard. The essential oils will help to replace the oils that have been stripped away if you’ve been using regular shampoo to wash your beard, while the all-natural formula will leave your beard feeling softer and cleaner than ever before. Aside from hydrating and cleaning your beard, it will also help to treat beard dandruff and will tame even the most unruly facial hair, thanks to the anti-frizz formula.
Pros
- All-natural formula
- Treats dandruff
- Reduces frizz making beard more manageable
- Leaves beard looking shiny
Cons
- Small eight-ounce bottle
- Price
Conclusion
This is a powerful, multipurpose shampoo that will eliminate frizzy facial hair while treating dandruff, cleaning your beard and skin, and leaving your beard looking shiny and healthy. The biggest drawback is the small bottle, however, you’ll only need to use a quarter-sized drop of the shampoo per wash. Overall, its mild scent is very pleasant and will complement your other beard care products, while the thick powerful formula will instantly leave your beard feeling clean and soft.
Grave Before Shave Beard Wash
Our Rating:
If you’re searching for a shampoo that will keep your beard clean while also making it easier to style, then you’ll love this product by Grave Before Shave. This is a gentle formula that will clean your beard, reduce dandruff and itchiness, and leave your skin and beard feeling soft. This product contains argan oil, which will instantly make your hair more manageable, shiny, and soft to the touch. It offers a mild fresh scent, so you can use this shampoo with scented beard care products. The shampoo is designed to remove dead skin cell buildup, while also removing dirt and debris, and leaving your hair clean, soft, and tame.
Pros
- Contains argan oil
- Tames unruly beards
- Adds shine
- Perfect for sensitive skin
Cons
- Doesn’t lather well
- Small bottle
Conclusion
The mild scent, combined with the all-natural formula will be enough to get most users to buy. However, there have been some reports that it can be pretty difficult to get this shampoo to lather up well, which means you may need to use more product than you’d like. That issue aside, the mild fragrance and powerful formula will leave your beard tamed, clean, and much easier to style.
BARBMAN Beard Shampoo
Our Rating:
The Barbman shampoo has a clean sandalwood scent that some people may find too overpowering, but if you love the scent of sandalwood then you’ll appreciate the rich fragrance. However, you’ll need to use unscented beard care balms and oils to prevent scents from clashing. Since the shampoo features a thicker consistency, you’ll only need to use a few drops to clean your beard. Fortunately, this thicker formula also lathers up really well.
The manufacturer claims that the shampoo also works to accelerate beard growth, promoting faster, stronger growing hair. However, the fact that the shampoo works to hydrate the hair follicles is really what can help to boost hair growth here, it’s not a magic formula. Additionally, the manufacturer also offers a thirty-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re not satisfied with this product, or the smell is simply too strong for you, you can return it for a full refund.
Pros
- Promotes hair growth
- Hydrates the skin and beard
- Thick formula
- Thirty-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Strong scent
Conclusion
If you love sandalwood, then this is the shampoo for you. The thick formula allows you to easily lather up the shampoo, as it reaches deep down into the hair follicles to provide the type of hydration that’s needed for beard growth. The powerful hydrating formula will do wonders in terms of beard growth, with consist use. I recommend using this product up to three times a week for the best results.
Beard Guyz Beard Wash
Our Rating:
The Beard Guyz beard wash works to eliminate beard odors which can occur if you’re using an inferior shampoo that’s not able to reach down deep into a beard and kill bacteria and mold. The thick formula allows you to easily work up a rich lather, while the argan oil and other all-natural ingredients ensure that your beard and skin remain well-hydrated. This anti-frizz formula will keep your unruly beard looking well-groomed and makes it much easier to style. Other important ingredients include keratin, for stronger hair, pea extract, and olive oil. Remember, a little shampoo will go a long way. Many beginners make the mistake of using too much of this product and the result is a lifeless beard that feels greasy. Additionally, because the shampoo contains both olive oil and argan oil, it can be difficult to rinse out, especially if you use too much of the product.
Pros
- Designed to improve hair follicle strength
- Contains olive oil and argan oil
- Special anti-frizz formula
- Mild scent
- Boosts hair growth
Cons
- Greasy formula
- Difficult to rinse out
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a powerful shampoo that will instantly leave your beard feeling softer and looking healthier after just a wash or two, then this product by Beard Guyz is it. While the product is somewhat greasy, if you use just a dime-sized portion when you wash your hair, you can still work up a rich lather, without any greasy residue left behind. This is a great product if you’re looking for a facial hair shampoo that will do so much more than keep your beard clean.
Beard Shampoo Buyer’s Guide
Some beards are easier to care for than others, but when you’re in the first growth phase, you’ll find that your skin feels itchy, flaky, and dry. On the other hand, those with thicker and longer beards may also have to deal with a beard that’s incredibly itchy and dry, especially if they’re not using the right type of facial hair care products.
Washing your beard is all part of regular beard maintenance and it’s what will keep your beard looking and smelling fresh, while also keeping the skin under your beard healthy and clean.
Beard-Specific
Using a shampoo that’s specifically formulated for beards, and one that contains all-natural ingredients works to replenish your skin with the oils that are being stripped away when you use regular shampoos and soaps. Shampoos designed for facial hair are designed to reach deep down through all that wiry hair to reach your sensitive skin below, cleaning it while removing dead skin cell buildup, debris, food, dirt, and whatever else has managed to work its way into your beard.
Using a regular shampoo on your face can remove important oils and can quickly dry out your beard, making it feel brittle and difficult to manage.
The all-natural ingredients found in this type of shampoo can reduce irritation, instantly thicken your beard, strengthen the hair follicles and leave it smelling pretty amazing. Many formulas will also provide a nice shine that will leave your facial hair looking much healthier.
Importance of Beard Care
If you don’t normally use a special shampoo for your beard and you’re wondering why your beard feels dry, brittle, and your skin is flaky, here’s the science behind it:
The sebaceous glands are very small glands that are found at the root of every hair follicle. These are the glands that are responsible for ensuring your hair is well-nourished and moisturized. They also supply your hair and skin with plenty of nutrients. When you use a shampoo that’s not designed for facial hair, it ends up stripping the oils from your hair follicles, which is why your beard tends to feel dry and lifeless after you wash it. Beard shampoos on the other hand, will avoid removing all of the important oils from your face. Your beard will not be left feeling oily. Instead, this type of product will gently wash and complement the sebum oil that remains, helping to replace any sebum oil that was washed away.
Dandruff
If you’ve ever washed your beard with body wash or your regular shampoo, then you may have noticed that a day or two later you’re left with a flaky beard. These small white flakes are dandruff. As your beard continues to grow, there will come a time when the sebaceous glands are not able to produce enough oils to keep all of your beard moisturized and your skin hydrated. Once this happens your skin will start to dry out. Once your skin is dry, your face will feel incredibly itchy due to this lack of moisture. Scratching will lead to dandruff, which many beard wearers find pretty embarrassing.
When you use a regular shampoo or body wash on your beard, the problem can be ten times worse since these products contain a variety of harsh chemicals that will further strip your beard of oils.
While making the switch to a facial hair cleanser will not immediately clear up your dandruff problem overnight, it will make a big difference. Using a special shampoo two to three times a week can help to clear up your dandruff problem in a matter of weeks. If you’re still experiencing issues with flakes then you may need to step up your moisturizing game and use a beard conditioner and styling balm.
Look for All-Natural Ingredients
As you can see, using a product that contains all-natural ingredients will be important since harsh chemicals will strip your beard of its essential oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and causing dandruff. You’ll find that many of the top-selling products contain hydrating ingredients such as aloe or shea butter, and some essential oils that are not only designed to replace oils that have been stripped from the skin, but can also leave your beard smelling fresh and clean.
Scent
Many new beard wearers make the mistake of using beard care products that are heavily scented. Since you’ll be smelling this fragrance all day long, I recommend looking for a product that contains a mild scent, one that’s not too overwhelming, won’t give you a headache, and won’t overwhelm the other types of beard and hair care products you use. If you use a balm, oil, or cream, to style your beard, make sure the scent of the shampoo will not work against these other products.
Consistency
Thicker formulas just tend to work better and are easier to lather up, so you can wash your beard, leave the shampoo in for the correct length of time and easily wash it out. A thicker formula also means less equals more, so you won’t need to use a large amount each time you wash.
Avoid Washing Your Beard too Much
You’ll find instructions for how to use every product right there on the bottle, but even if the manufacturer encourages you to use the product daily, don’t do it. Washing your beard daily isn’t necessary and will only work to strip your skin of important oils. While it’s true that your beard can pick up dirt, food, and debris throughout a busy day, instead of washing it daily you can simply comb or brush it out. To prevent your beard from becoming dry and brittle try washing it only every two or three days. If you have very oily skin, then you may need to wash it more often. But for most people, washing it every two to three days should be sufficient. This type of routine will ensure that the natural oils in your skin remain within your beard, keeping it looking healthy and hydrated.
If used excessively, some shampoos can also cause irritation, since your beard may be dry and brittle at this point, and your skin may be red, itchy, and irritated.
Shower Time
Some men prefer to wash their beard in the sink, but most will wash their beard in the shower since it’s just more convenient. When you wash your beard, make sure you read the bottle to learn how long you should leave the product in before rinsing it out. Most manufacturers will recommend leaving it in for five minutes. Before you apply the shampoo, get your beard nice and wet. If you have a thicker beard, make sure your beard and the skin are both wet before adding the shampoo. Work the product into a nice lather and leave it on for the determined length of time before rinsing it out. Once you’re out of the shower, you can towel dry your beard or use a hairdryer on a low cool setting to thoroughly dry your beard before you use different beard care products.
Final Thoughts
The best beard shampoo is specifically designed to clean your beard and the delicate skin beneath, without stripping your skin and beard of important oils. The oils the shampoo does remove will be replaced, which is why many products contain moisturizing ingredients. The products on my list and my buyer’s guide are both designed to help you choose a line of beard care products that will work with your look, style, beard type, and budget. If you decide to find a product elsewhere, remember, make sure it contains all-natural ingredients, features a thicker consistency, and doesn’t possess a strong scent that can easily overpower your other beard care products.