Pomade on Your Beard: Epic Or Fail?

Beards, while having practical uses, have been used to style a person’s face. Nowadays, men have started shaping and texturing their beards to finish off a certain look.
This has given birth to numerous beard products including pomade. Yes, it’s okay to apply pomade on your beard as long as you’ve clearly identified your beard’s needs and tested the product on a small patch of skin.
Technically, beard products (specifically beard oil) have been going on ever since Babylonian times. However, to some, it might be their first-time hearing or researching about beard pomade.

What is beard pomade?

It is a grooming product that can be water-based or petroleum/oil-based. You can commonly find beard pomades to be petroleum-based which have a wax-like consistency, it lasts longer and easier to use for maintenance.
Water-based on the other hand is for those who are looking for light products that are easily rinsed with water. It holds the same aesthetic benefits but will only last for a short period of time. It’s also perfect for those with sensitive skin.
It is a leave-in conditioner that has both the benefit of styling and conditioning your beard. It’s a perfect way to balance out nourishing your beard while still keeping it styled. It also comes with scentless and all-natural ingredients.

Benefits of using beard pomade

Now that you know what the product is, it’s time to learn the benefits of using one. While it may seem sketchy to put unfamiliar products on your face, it’s worth a shot especially if you’ve been needing any of the mentioned below.

Prevents dandruff on the beard

Dandruff is annoying to remove. It’s flaky and itchy, making the skin under your strands irritated and red. It is not a fun experience for anyone.
Since our face needs sebum, a deprivation could cause dry and flaky skin. While pomades do not contain the sebum, it imitates the skin’s production, letting it be nourished and preventing dandruff.

Additional protection from the elements

We are constantly exposed to cold, sun exposure, and humidity. While small amounts have no significant damage, our beards would suffer if we were under prolonged circumstances.
That’s where beard pomade comes in. It’s handy to have this stuff around especially if your beard is particularly sensitive to the elements. A quick swipe and you’re basically done and protected.

Styling has never been easier

Styling a coarse and tangled beard is a nightmare. Have you ever tried to brush your beard and the comb won’t go through? Yep, it’s pretty annoying.
Pomade will help soften your beard to the point where styling is like a breath of fresh air. You won’t have to untangle beard knots anymore and it’ll be quite a relaxing experience.
And together with a comb, you won’t have any unruly strands get in the way of your styling. A good product will also last you a full day which is great because you won’t need to re-style and re-apply pomade every few hours.

Aids in healthy beard growth

Beards are prone to split ends and tangles. Letting it grow like that without fixing the problem only helps in worsening it.
Using pomade on your beard will help it grow softer and smoother with fewer knots than usual. It will also help provide moisture to your otherwise dry skin.

How to use pomade

Here’s a step-by-step process on using pomade, whether it’s petroleum-based or water-based.

Getting the right amount

Apply on your fingertips

Using your fingertips rather than a fancy scoop to directly apply the product onto your beard will help in spreading it out evenly. It also feels satisfying to massage it while applying.

Be thorough

Have you ever hurriedly applied something to your beard only to find out an hour later that you haven’t spread the product evenly? Yeah, that’s pretty annoying. Sometimes you would even find spots that are significantly coarser than others.

Be careful

Try not to do anything excessively, it will make things much harder to fix and style. A high amount of pomade may also clog your pores and cause breakouts.
You also need to be gentle when massaging your beard. The intense friction could irritate the skin underneath.

Pomade ingredients

Pomades are made from different ingredients that add a unique benefit. These ingredients make it possible for pomade to have both conditioning and styling benefits. It also makes your beard smell good.

Butters

Butters provide moisture and make it easier to spread the product. Most of the time, they use shea and cocoa butter which is rich in moisture and can fight off signs of aging.

Beeswax

It is a great ingredient for letting your beard stay in place. It also helps lock in the moisture that other ingredients have.
Lastly, it can also act as a sealant wherein your beard will be protected from gunk and dirt. It’s a good ingredient to let your beard be clean every day.

Carrier oils

It’s commonly extracted from plants like argan and olive. It aids in nourishing our beards by imitating the effects of our natural oil such as sebum.
It makes our beard stay soft and look good. Although carrier oils do clog pores so it’s better to limit their usage if you have sensitive skin.

Essential Oils

Of course, you can’t run around smelling like chemicals. Essential oils help give scent to the finished product.
Moreover, different oils offer different benefits. Just because they’ll be mixed in with the ingredients doesn’t mean that their effects will go unnoticed.

Getting the best results from using pomade

If you really want to get the full effect, you could try using it with a comb and beard oil. While it’s not necessary, it will help you get the best out of pomade.
Using a comb will help you spread out the product evenly. It also helps in untangling your beard while getting the product in.

Just be careful with the ingredients. Sometimes, using multiple products can cause irritation and redness if you have sensitive skin. If you want to use both beard oil and pomade then you should lower the frequency of usage to adjust to your skin.

Wash your beard before putting in the product. That way, you can make sure that it’s clean and wouldn’t mix in with any leftover dirt.

You could also try using it after you shower. Since showering opens up your pores, it will absorb the product better.

And if you have sensitive skin but still want to use pomade, be careful about choosing the right ingredients. Try to get one with less carrier/heavy oils and test it out on a small patch of skin before incorporating it into your routine.

Alternatives to Beard Pomade

I get it, sometimes pomade isn’t the right fit for our beard. The good thing is, that there are other alternatives to try out and get the right fit.

Beard Wax

It’s thicker hence mostly used in long beards. It’s best to use for styling rather than moisturizing/conditioning your hair, though it still has other benefits. It has higher protection from the elements and can keep dirt out rather easily.

Beard Oil

It’s in liquid form and focuses on moisturizing your beard rather than styling it. There are different beard oils that cater to specific needs.
Instead of helping you style it, it makes your beard look shiny instead. That’s why it’s better to use it during the initial growth stages.

Technically, the other alternatives are more specific to either styling or moisturizing your beard, unlike pomade which does both.

So, if you only need one benefit and don’t care about the other, then these alternatives may be the right fit for you.

Can you use pomade on your short beard?

Yes, though it’s not recommended. One of the benefits of pomade is that it tames flyaway hairs and it’s not commonly found on short beards.

If you want, you could get beard oil instead. It’s better for those with short beards and is specialized to contain multiple benefits that will ensure healthy beard growth.

Does pomade aid with beard growth?

Are there beard pomades for sensitive skin/acne-prone skin?

Yes, either the ingredients are all-natural or the beard pomade itself is scentless. Having a scentless product is a great compromise for keeping the skin underneath healthy and happy.
And if your skin is prone to acne, choose a pomade with less comedogenic ingredients. This can help reduce the chances of irritation.

You could also adjust the amount and frequency of usage. That way, you can still use the product you want without overwhelming your skin.

Conclusion

Beard Pomade is a versatile product that can easily be incorporated into our daily lives. It takes up around 5 – 8 minutes of application and styling that not only nourishes our beard but also protects it from dirt.
Of course, we still have to be careful with the way we use it and the ingredients it contains. Beard pomade, while not as dense and thick as other products, still contain ingredients that can clog pores and irritate our skin.

If you get everything right, you will soon enjoy the benefits of having a full, healthy, and perfectly styled beard without the usual hassle.