So, how do you find the products worth adding to your grooming routine? I’ve found word of mouth to be the most reliable indicator of a product’s quality, but you can also glean a lot from ingredients lists. Besides the obvious (look for products free of parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrances), check labels to make sure the product uses natural ingredients that hydrate and nourish your facial hair and skin without irritating it. I look for ingredients such as witch hazel, vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, squalane, and grape seed oil.
Guys with sensitive skin may also want to avoid products with heavy fragrances and essential oils, which can be too harsh on the skin. You can’t find many fragrance-free beard products, but they do exist if you look hard enough. Personally, products with plant extracts and essential oils don’t irritate my skin, but tread lightly regardless.
When shopping for beard trimmers and combs, be 100% sure the product can handle your beard length before ordering. Many popular trimmers, including the ubiquitous Phillips Norelco Multigroom Series 9000, only trim hair up to 16mm in length (about 0.63”). For longer beards, Panasonic, Bevel, and Braun’s trimmers work better. Likewise, look for beard combs with deep, fine teeth, otherwise they won’t be able to glide through your hair properly.
Finally, let me reiterate one piece of important advice: Don’t overdo it. Your beard doesn’t need a million washes, conditioners, oils, and balms. Choose the ones that apply to your specific facial hair needs—not an “all-of-the-above” approach.
How We Chose These Products
This year, we celebrated 10 years of the GQ Grooming Awards, and we’ve been advising fellas on how to style and groom their facial hair since the beard boom of the ‘70s. Every year, our editors and grooming experts test new beard care products, and we consult barbers and stylists for their insight as well. All of the products in this piece were chosen after careful hands-on testing by a member of the GQ Recommends team. Only the most elite products get the nod, and we never recommend a product we wouldn’t use personally.
About the Author
Timothy Beck Werth has been rocking a beard for over a decade. In that time, he’s been fully clean-shaven for a grand total of two weeks. As an experienced grooming writer and editor, Werth has tested more grooming products than he can count, and he’s extremely picky when it comes time to give his own whiskers some TLC.
