It’s a common problem to get dry skin under your beard. The problem occurs because the skin beneath your facial hair itches, and as you scratch, those dead skin cells lead to a beard dandruff flakes.
Dry skin underneath your beard can be resolved by applying a moisturizer or beard oil, but if the problem is due to a skin condition, you may need to see to a doctor to determine the best course of treatment.
Repairing dry skin should be part of a man’s beard care routine. Use the proven remedies below to help reduce irritation, eliminate dehydrated skin, and get rid of flakes.
What Causes Dry Skin Under Beard?
Dry skin under a beard typically arises from using face wash and cleansers with harsh product ingredients. While cleaning your face and beard, these products also remove the natural oils, causing the skin to dry out.
In addition, dry skin underneath your beard may also be from issues with sebaceous glands not properly moisturizing your follicles or skin that’s subjected to cold weather. So, be aware of your underlying condition before applying the appropriate treatment.
We list several causes below. Once you find out your skin type and discontinue use of irritating shampoos, you should be able to cure dry skin under your beard using one of these treatments.
Genetics and Skin Type
Have you always had dry skin? When you grow a beard, the new growth of facial hair can cause itching, especially if your skin is prone to do so.
Does your skin flake up and crack in the winter months? It could simply be that you need to use a moisturizer to keep away beard dandruff and dry skin. Most dermatologists recommend a gentle daily moisturizer that you put on in the morning and at night.
If you have a natural overproduction of sebum oil, then you may need to find specialized beard care that won’t add to the oil issues.
Harsh Shampoos and Bar Soaps
How do you wash your beard? Do you use the same shampoo for your hair on your face? This may not be ideal for your scalp or face, especially if there are harsh chemicals such as sulfates that can dry out your skin from one use.
A high-quality beard wash and conditioner could be just the thing to get rid of your dry skin.
Poor Diet
Believe it or not, what you eat greatly affects your skin tone and texture. “You are what you eat” as they say. If you have tried moisturizers and beard conditioners to no avail, maybe your diet is missing some healthy fats.
Coconut oil, avocado, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and salmon are some of the best foods you can add to your diet to improve dry skin, especially if you don’t get enough omega-3 fats.
Hot Showers
Did you know that hot water day after day can lead to dry, itchy skin? It’s true. Research has shown that frequent hot showers lead to inflamed skin, which becomes dry and flaky over time if you’re not careful.
To maintain a good beard and skin underneath, you can rinse off with cold water just before jumping out of the shower. This will close your pores and help with irritated skin.
Skin Conditions
Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis should always be treated by a dermatologist first. However, ongoing treatments and products may be online or at home to provide some comfort. We have suggestions below.
Fix Dry Skin Underneath Beard
The first step to fixing dry skin under your beard is understanding why it’s happening in the first place. In most cases, it’s caused by an issue with your sebaceous glands. These are invisible glands in your skin that keep your follicles moisturized and healthy.
After weeks of beard growth, these sebaceous glands may not be able to hydrate your skin properly, which leads to dry, flakey skin.
In other cases, it could be a face product that’s drying out your skin. We break down possible causes and treatments below, but first here’s a step-by-step approach to troubleshoot your beard.
Beard Dandruff and Irritated Skin
If your dry skin causes beard itch, you probably have a cause of beard dandruff due to irritated skin. A beard moisturizer or beard oil can quickly clear up these issues, unless it’s a chronic condition like facial eczema, dermatitis, or psoriasis (see below).
There are some specific medical treatments that work best for these conditions we show you at the bottom of this article.
DIY Dry Skin Beard Treatments
Now that you know a little bit about why you have dry skin, you can start to heal and soothe your irritated follicles and pores. We selected a few treatments that have the best results and use natural ingredients to improve skin texture, whether you have a thick or patchy beard.
1. Use Beard Shampoo
If you have always washed your face and beard with an all-in-one wash or shampoo, now is the time to consider changing to something more sensitive for your skin. Many shampoos have toxic chemicals and ingredients that dry out anyone’s skin.
Beards need hydration. If you want an itch-free and moisturized beard, checkout the best hydrating beard shampoos on Amazon.com now.
2. Use Daily Face Moisturizer
We recommend getting a face moisturizer that works with your skin type. Check out this study to get the facts about moisturizers.
3. Use Beard Conditioners
Conditioning with a Beard softener
Some men have found that softening their beard can get rid of an itchy beard and flakes. These range from beard serums to essential oils that change the condition of your skin and hair. If you have wiry beard hair, that’s hard to tame – we recommend trying one of these products.
Conditioning with Beard Oils and Beard Balms
These products are made to moisturize your skin and beard oil for shiny, healthy hair without flakes. The main difference between an oil and a balm is the application.
Beard oil uses droplets that you can smooth over your skin and face. Beard balms are typically lightweight, wax-like conditioners that you spread over your palms and massage into your skin and hair.
4. Stacking beard products
In most cases, a skin moisturizer can clear up dry skin with 2 to 3 treatments. However, a combination of a skin moisturizer and beard oil or beard conditioner will vastly improve results. See our treatment options below.
5. Light beard brushing
It’s best to use a beard brush or comb in combination with these products so they’re absorbed into every hair follicle.
6. Treat your skin type
Normal Skin
If you only get dry skin during winter months and cold weather with no acne, you likely have normal to combination skin. You should try an avocado, green tea, or vitamin E based moisturizer.
For the best hydration Therapeutic DERMA-E Vitamin E 12,000 IU Moisturize Cream is a must and has worked miracles for me.
Flaky Dry Skin
If you’re constantly dealing with dry, irritated skin that never seems to stop itching and flaking, you need Majestic Pure – Tea Tree Oil, Face Cream. It’s amazing at repairing flakes and keeping skin moisturized.
Acne or Sensitive Skin
Are you prone to breakouts and dry skin, even when you wash your face? Stop using harsh ingredient products. Use a natural and organic blend with hyaluronic acid and green tea like Cetaphil Hydrating Lotion.
Oily Skin
If you have skin that’s naturally oily, you need a moisturizer like Neutrogena Hydro Boost that can balance out your sebaceous glands’ overproduction.
Treatments for Skin Conditions
Treatment for Chronic Eczema or dermitis
If you notice waxy, yellow, large flakes in your beard or even acne underneath your beard, you may have a different condition known as seborrheic dermatitis.
These are thick, yellow scales that peel off your skin. Also known as facial dandruff, sulfur-based ointments and creams may be able to get rid of this issue.
Best Products for Dermatitis Dry Skin
In other cases, you could also be suffering from eczema or psoriasis. It’s best to see a doctor if you aren’t able to get rid of these flakes on your own.
Best Products for Face Eczema
Don’t shortchange your eczema product. We’ve reviewed the top 2 products below.
Best Products for Face Psoriasis
You need a psoriasis product that will actually help you. We found the best products.
See a Dermatologist
It’s always best to check in with a dermatologist if you have chronic dry skin and flakes. There could be an underlying skin condition that won’t go away with a moisturizer or beard serum.
In these cases, your doctor may prescribe a higher concentrated salicylic acid solution or other medical treatment that will help you manage irritated skin.
