Can You Use Regular Shampoo on Your Beard? (And How Often to Wash It)
Short answer: you can, but you shouldn't make a habit of it. Most blokes who complain of a dry, itchy, flaky beard are washing it with whatever's in the shower.
Why regular shampoo is the wrong tool
Shampoo is made for the scalp, which pumps out a lot more oil than the skin on your face. Many shampoos use strong detergents (sulfates) to cut through that oil. On your face, they strip away the little natural oil your beard and skin have, leaving the hair wiry and the skin underneath dry and itchy.
Beard hair is also coarser than head hair, so it dries out faster and needs a gentler clean.
How often should you wash your beard?
- Most blokes: 3 to 4 times a week with a proper beard wash.
- In between: a rinse with lukewarm water is plenty.
- Dusty, greasy or sweaty work: wash at the end of the day, then oil straight after.
Washing every day, even with a good wash, can still dry things out. If your beard feels tight or rough, wash less often.
What to look for in a beard wash
- Sulfate-free cleansers that clean without stripping
- Ingredients for the skin underneath, not just the hair
- Unscented or lightly scented, so it doesn't fight your beard oil
That's exactly what we built Eleven Mile Beard & Face Wash to do. Activated charcoal pulls out oil, grit and the day. Sugar-based cleansers do the washing without stripping. Niacinamide, panthenol, caffeine, green tea and witch hazel look after the skin underneath. And it's unscented, so your oil does the talking.
How to wash it properly
- Wet your beard with lukewarm water. Hot water dries it out.
- Work in a small amount of wash.
- Use a Beard & Scalp Scrubber to get it down to the skin.
- Leave it for up to 60 seconds, then rinse with cool water.
- Pat dry and follow with beard oil while it's still damp.
Get the wash, oil and scrubber together in the Starter Kit, or just the wash and scrubber in the Clean Up Kit. Free shipping Australia-wide.