Winter.... Trying to stay warm is always on the forefront of your mind! Extra layers of jackets and sweaters. But what about your face? A beard should help that out! Well in short, yes it will keep your face warmer and protected, however, cool weather can affect your beard in many ways. This blog will cover how winter affects your beard.

Does my beard grow more in Winter to keep me warm? 

As crazy as it sounds, the opposite is true. In winter your beard will actually grow slower! This is because testosterone is at its lowest in the male body during winter months! Scientists have not discovered why as yet, but it's believed that it has something todo with the way in which our primitive ancestors slowed down or "hibernated" during the cold winter months! Summer is where your beard hits peak growth due to male's testosterone peaking during this time. Because of the extra testosterone, more DHT is produced which directly results in a faster growing beard. Another reasons your beard grows faster in Summer is due to an increase in Vitamin D, which we get from exposure to the sun. Because we are generally exposed to more sunlight in summer time, our Vitamin D increases naturally, helping boost hair growth. 

So how does my beard just dry out? and how to I stop it?

Due to the cold dry air that happens in Winter, your beard and skin on your face will become dried out, potentially causing the dreaded "bearddruff" that will leave you looking like its just snowed on your chest! Every part of your body (except your lips) has tiny oil glands that secrete sebum, your natural hair oil that keeps your hair moisturised and nourished. The cold and dry weather makes it extra hard for the tiny bit of moisture from these glands to be effective and the result, your beard becoming dry and itchy. (Because your lips don't have any oil glands, they are the first part of your body to become dry and hence you apply lip balm to lock in the moisture and protect them). To fight against your beard becoming dried out and causing beardruff everywhere, you want to use a Beard Oil. Even just a few drops of beard oil once a week will make a huge difference to the way your beard and face feel, but daily use of beard oil during winter is highly recommended to ensure your beard is looking and feeling great, without the embarrassing snowflakes on your shirt.

Here are the top 5 ways we recommend combatting winter for your beard!

1. Stop Taking Hot Showers! - Believe it or not, hot water can actually strip the natural oils from your beard, leaving your face and beard open to the elements. The result leaving your skin feeling tight and beard feeling dry and brittle. Instead, use lukewarm water when showering (as hard as it maybe during winter) and try limiting your showers to 5-10 mins max. This will stop you feeling like a dried out sultana and allow your body to keep as much natural oil on your beard hairs and face as possible. 
2. Use a Humidifier - If you really want to avoid the dry winter air, get yourself a humidifier and place it at your desk at work, living room or bedroom. This will load the air with moisture which your body and beard will absorb and make it a less harsh dry environment for your beard to be in.
3. Use a Good Beard Wash - No, not all washes are equal! Stop using shampoo on your beard and face. Regular shampoo's are designed to clean your hair by stripping out everything in your hair and scalp using harsh chemicals and things like alcohol which dry out your face and can damage your beard. They are usually very harsh as they are designed to remove grease and petroleum based hair products that were super popular back in the day. Choosing a specific Beard Wash designed for your face will not only be more gentle on your face, but it won't dry your beard and face out by stripping all the natural oils. The Bearded Chap Beard Wash  is specifically designed to clean your face and beard by gently removing dirt and other things, without stripping all the natural oils from your face leaving your skin and beard feeling soft and supple. We use a special process called saponification, which turns essential and base oils into soap.  
4. Use Beard Oil - A beard oil is a hyper intensive moisturiser which penetrates deep into your skin and beard hair. Beard Oil combats the dry conditions and helps soften down the beard hair. In winter we recommend applying beard oil to your face and beard everyday to ensure full face and beard hydration. If you use beard oil everyday, your beard will be luxurious, well nourished and look healthy. If you want to see how to apply beard oil, click here.  Beard oil combats bearduff, dry skin and itchiness that occurs due to dry skin. 
5. Use Beard Balm - Just like when you apply lip balm to your lips to create a protective barrier, beard balm does the same. Ingredients like beeswax add a protective barrier over your beard hair locking in the moisture and keeping your hair healthy. A good beard balm also usually contains oils and butters to help condition and moisturise your beard. Key ingredients like jojoba oil, cocoa butter and argan oil absorb into your beard throughout the day leaving it soft and healthy. Check out our beard balm to learn how it works. Beard balm also acts as a light styling product keeping your stray hairs down so you're looking sharp all day long. 

If you're keen to fight winters affect your your beard, you can check out our Beard Oil, Beard Balm or Beard Wash.