Your beard doesn’t just sit there looking good. It collects bits of lunch, dead skin, dust from the Tube, and whatever the wind blows at you. Skip the daily clean, and things get itchy, flaky, and frankly, a bit grim. 

And because beard hair is coarser than scalp hair, and sits in the oiliest part of your face, it needs proper care to stay clean, calm and free from not-so-nice smells.

If you’re in a hard water area, calcium and magnesium deposits in your tap water will cling to your beard and stop your quality beard products from working properly. You may notice your beard looking dull, dry or wiry.

Two simple ways to work around it:  A shower filter is a long-term fix that softens the water at the source. Or, for a quick solution, use bottled or filtered water instead of tap water to rinse a few times a week. Both reduce mineral build-up - one's more convenient, the other more cost-effective over time.

Every time you touch your beard, you’re adding whatever’s on your hands - oil, dirt, crumbs from that cheese sandwich.

Try to leave your beard alone unless your hands are clean. It’s one of the easiest ways to keep irritation away.

Your beard spends hours pressed into it.

If it’s collecting oils, sweat, or leftover product, your beard’s picking that up too.

Stick to satin, bamboo or cotton and change it regularly. It’s a quiet upgrade that helps a lot.