Beard Dandruff 101

Causes of Beard Dandruff

Beard dandruff can grow due to the following reasons:

• Seborrheic dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis is the primary cause of beard dandruff. A type of fungus called Malassezia globosa grows in the oily areas of the body including the face and scalp. Those who have naturally oily skin are likely to have more of this yeast. Usually, the body reacts to the fungus by causing red skin that slowly becomes flaky.

• Dry Skin

Sometimes, you may notice white flakes without any redness or irritation underneath your facial hair. This can happen if you have dry and dehydrated skin. 

• Accumulation of Dead Cell

Accelerated accumulation of excessive dead skin cells can also lead to beard dandruff. Usually, it takes 30 days to complete a cell turnover cycle. However, if the process starts to take place earlier, there are chances of partial shedding of dead skin cells. As a result, you notice flaky skin on your facial hair.

Beard dandruff can affect both oily and dry skin types. Having said that, it’s quite simple to get rid of it. Read the next section to learn the ways to combat beard dandruff.

How to Prevent Beard Dandruff?

Looking for effective beard dandruff solutions? Here are three essential tips or more precisely a beard care routine that will help you ward off beard dandruff.

• Exfoliate

If you are building a dedicated beard care routine to get rid of beard dandruff, consider exfoliation as your first step. Exfoliating helps to pull out dead skin cells including dandruff-causing cells. You can take a beard brush with soft bristles as your exfoliating tool. Gently massage your skin underneath the facial hair with this brush and start combing slowly. This will help remove all the dead skin cells trapped under the facial skin and reveal new cells. Also, brushing your facial hair helps circulate the skin’s essential oil properly.

Pro tip: Don’t over-scrub your facial hair and the skin underneath as it can worsen beard dandruff.

• Wash Your Beard Regularly

Washing your beard regularly is mandatory especially if you are struggling with beard dandruff. Trust a dedicated beard shampoo and look for dandruff-fighting ingredients like tea-tree oil, pyrithione zinc, and selenium sulphide while purchasing beard shampoos. While cleansing your beard, gently massage the skin underneath. To get the best results, wait for 1-2 minutes before rinsing your beard with water.

Pro tip: Don’t use hot water to wash your beard as it may cause dryness and irritation in the skin.

• Moisturize your Beard Thoroughly

If moisturizing isn’t a part of your beard care ritual, include it immediately. You can invest in a beard oil to moisturize your facial hair. As a moisturizer, a beard oil benefits the beard in countless ways, i.e., it hydrates and nourishes the skin underneath your beard, and soothes the skin by reducing inflammation. You can go for vitamin E + almond oil-infused beard oil as this formula would help prevent dryness, reduce frizz, and nourish your facial hair.     

Pro tip: Comb your beard with a brush after applying a beard oil to distribute the product evenly. 

Now that you have these effective beard dandruff solutions, don’t let dry and white flakes on your facial hair destroy your look. Follow these simple beard care steps and maintain a healthy bearded look that is free of beard dandruff and acne. Simultaneously, focus on building a proper skincare routine and try including products like oil-clear facewash and vitamin C gel moisturizer to get oil-free, dust-free and super hydrated skin. To get access to skincare and beard care products, browse through the Garnier skincare products.