The RUNESILK Guide · Beard Care

Beard Itch: What Causes It and How to Stop It

Whatever stage you're at on your beard journey, the odds are good you've felt some itchiness along the way. Sometimes it's a casual itch you barely notice; other times it makes you want to shave the whole thing off. Here's what actually causes it, and how to soothe it.

What causes a beard to itch?

If you're at the very start of growing a beard, itchy skin is more or less guaranteed. As the hair grows through, it pulls the thicker part of each strand along, which irritates the skin underneath. This phase does pass, thankfully. Think of it as the initiation of the bearded. Get through it, and you've earned the right to wield a beard, which is probably why bearded folk tend to nod at each other like they've survived something together.

So why does the itching sometimes come back once that early stage is over? A few reasons, and none of them mean you're doing anything wrong:

1. Your face is used to being washed and exfoliated regularly. Dead skin cells that would once have come off easily now have to work their way out through the beard hair instead. This is where grooming step one comes in: a decent comb, more on that in a moment. In fact, I've stopped to comb my beard three times already while writing this.
2. Your daily hygiene matters more with a beard in the mix. If you work somewhere hot, dusty, or generally grubby, sweat, dirt, and stray food can all build up and cause irritation if left there.
3. Facial hair is a moisture-robbing menace. As it grows, and just by being there, it draws moisture away from the skin underneath. This is exactly where beard products earn their keep, more on that shortly.
4. You might be reacting to whatever you're currently using on your face. Check the ingredients list and think about what could be the culprit. Some people just don't get on with certain carrier oils or essential oils.
5. You may have a fungal or bacterial infection, or a skin condition such as atopic dermatitis. If the problem is persistent, that one's worth a trip to the doctor rather than more product.

Tips to prevent the itchiness

The beard comb and brush

This is going to sound strange, but the same logic applies to grooming a horse. As dry skin cells build up under the beard, a comb or brush helps move them out and along, the job your face used to do on its own before there was a beard in the way.

There's no single right tool here, it depends what works for you. I use two combs because my beard is quite long: a wide-tooth comb first to work out the tangles, then a finer-toothed one for the detail work. That way, I'm not left with a small pile of plucked-out beard hair, well, not as much anyway.

Use the comb to apply gentle pressure to the skin beneath, which helps release any skin cells still clinging. Combing after oiling also helps spread the oil down to where it's actually needed.

The cleaning routine

Opinion is properly divided here. Some people say wash your beard regularly, others say hold back. Honestly, it depends on the person. For me, if I'm in the shower, my beard gets washed, whether with beard soap or plain shampoo. Yes, I know that raises eyebrows. "Doesn't normal shampoo dry beard hair out?" Maybe it does for some people, but I wash mine daily and follow up with a Jojoba-enriched conditioner every time, and it's never given me any trouble. These days though I use our own SLS-free Beard Shampoo, with Bisabolol and Aloe alongside the Jojoba, simply because it's gentler on facial skin day to day than a scalp formula. I've genuinely never had an issue either way, this is just what's in my own routine now.

Since growing a beard, I've lost the ability to eat cereal without dribbling milk into it, so that's getting washed out regardless. Drool while you sleep? Same story. Saliva carries plenty of bacteria, so get it out. And if shampoo does dry your beard out, that's exactly what a conditioner afterwards is for, which brings us to the next bit.

If the itch comes with visible flaking rather than just dryness, it might be dandruff rather than a dry skin issue. Worth a read: Beard Dandruff vs Dry Skin: What's the Difference.

Beard conditioning products

Remember when beard oil was the be-all and end-all of beard care? Now there are balms, butters, dedicated shampoos, straighteners and more.

Do you need all of it? Depends how deep you want to go. I know men in their sixties with long beards who've never touched a beard product in their lives. For me, building a proper routine has made my beard noticeably healthier, softer and easier to manage than it ever was on oil alone. Genetics and time are still what grow a beard, no product changes that, but the right routine changes how it feels day to day, which is exactly why I ended up spending more time at the barbers keeping it in shape, more on that another time.

For most people, a beard oil is all you need, especially with a shorter, well-trimmed beard. If you're trimming regularly, you shouldn't see much dry skin build-up that a decent oil can't handle. Whatever length you're at, an oil belongs in your kit as standard.

As the beard grows past your usual comfort zone and the stragglers start appearing, a beard balm earns its place. The wax adds a bit of hold and style while locking in whatever conditioning is underneath.

These days, I reach for a beard butter at night, which leaves the beard soft by the next day. Sometimes I'll use it during the day too, especially before blow-drying.

What to look for in beard care products

Ingredient quality and quantity varies hugely between beard products. Here's what I look for, and why, unsurprisingly, the same list you'll find behind RUNESILK products.