In recent years, the beard has come back in style for people of all ages and ethnicities. Lately, black men in sports, music, and film, including major names like NBA star James Harden, musician Drake, and actor Idris Elba have been proudly displaying their unique facial hair on some of the world's biggest and brightest stages.

For many men, these individuals and others like them have given an underrepresented group the confidence to embrace their unique facial hair style and needs. But according to beard-care experts like Neville Hall, a scientist and a board-certified dermatologist, black men with beards isn’t a new trend.

"It's something that speaks to our heritage," says Hall. "The hair on our heads has always been our crown, but growing a beard is a stepping stone to becoming a man."

However, with different types of hair comes many different skincare and grooming needs. At Fresh Beards, we strive for full inclusivity and diversity when it comes to our products, that’s why we asked local barbers Jon Escuteta and Jerry Jones for some professional tips.

Jon and Jerry have been best friends since the fourth grade. Today, they work side-by-side at Kutztown, PA’s City Cuts, a hopping shop that makes great use of Fresh Beards products with extreme regularity.

According to Jon, the owner and operator of City Cuts, “regardless of ethnicity, picking out your beard with a wooden comb is important. Plastic creates static and metal pulls, while wood helps pull natural oils through the beard and prevents tangling. When you shave, go with the grain first instead of against — especially in winter, when your hair is a lot dryer.”

At Fresh Beards, we understand the importance of a proper comb or brush out, and that’s why we offer an exceptional line of facial hair grooming tools that are designed for effectiveness on all types of hair.

“Black beards tend to be curlier and coarser so you need to brush it out more,” says Jerry. “Having super curly facial hair puts you at a higher risk of painful ingrown hairs if you let it go. Really tightly curled hairs can grow into your skin, so make sure you shave properly and exfoliate while growing a beard,” he adds.

Dr. Dina D. Strachan, the director of Aglow Dermatology in New York, echoes this sentiment.

"People with dark skin tend to react to inflammation, such as that caused by razor bumps, with hyperpigmentation,” she says. "Damage to hair follicles that occur as a result of untreated razor bumps can make it more challenging to prevent flare-ups."

For this reason, Fresh Beards recommends the frequent and regular use of products like our Beard Butter, which is designed to soften, reduce itch, and reduce/eliminate dandruff without the greasy feeling you get from other brands.

At City Cuts, Jon and Jerry always advise their clients to use beard butter the entire time they are growing their beard, as this product keeps the skin underneath your facial hair from getting itch and flaky. In fact, they even use our Beard Butter as a hair product too.

In addition, as a general rule, black men should avoid using products that contain dyes, and lanolin, as these ingredients can often cause excessive irritation, dryness, and clogged pores.

When asked what types of ingredients men should look for when choosing a high-quality beard care product, the guys at City Cuts responded, “all natural if possible. Shea butter is a great ingredient too. Anything natural, anything Fresh Beards!

At Fresh Beards, every one of our products is made with all-natural ingredients, including shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, almond oil, and beeswax. These ingredients can not only be found in our popular Beard Butter, but in our Beard Balms, Beard Oils, and our Mustache Waxes too.

While it’s certainly important to care for the skin beneath your facial hair, the hair itself should never be neglected. “You have to wash your face every day,” says City Cuts, “you don't want yesterday’s sweat in today’s beard.”

For black men, beard care starts with the perfect cleanser. Regular shampoo or conditioner is ineffective on black beards, since the hair tends to be coarser, curlier, and more dense. Even worse is the use of standard soap, which often contains harsh and synthetic chemicals that can be especially drying for the face and hair of black men.

Cleansing your facial hair with the right products takes care of the hair as it grows, allowing you to more easily develop a long beard without worrying about the hair breaking off before it gets as lush as you want it.

At Fresh Beards, we offer extremely high-quality Beard Wash for daily use, which includes a special blend of tea tree oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil and shea butter. This product is specially designed to offer a deep, refreshing clean each and every time. To ensure absolute quality, this product, like every Fresh Beard product, is made without phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, or sulfates, and has undergone no animal testing.

No matter your individual facial hair care and grooming needs, one thing remains our highest priority: inclusivity and customer satisfaction with each and every transaction. Fresh Beards offers real beard care products designed for real men. 

Our promise to our customers is this: Each time you choose our beard products we feel truly honored. 

We take your choice seriously, which is why we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all our products. Shop with confidence knowing we always have your back. It’s time for better beard care. Grab our beard butter, beard oil, or beard balm and style your beard the way you want with products made exclusively for your needs.