A Beard Care Routine for the Capital Style Gentleman

By Jeremy Lahman

The Capital Style Men's Issue is a celebration of men's fashion, and beards are a great expression of one's personal style; an accessory you grow yourself. Beards are on trend in Central Ohio-and Columbus even has a new beard club, The Buckeye Bearders.

Growing a healthy beard isn't as easy as it may seem. Let's look at some simple beard care routines that make a big difference in the health, vitality, and overall look of a beard.

There is more to cultivating a sharp-looking beard than just putting down the razor, but it's a good start: Stop shaving. Three key aspects to beard growing are time, patience, and DNA. It's important for men to grow within their capabilities and not force a style that doesn't suit his natural growing pattern.

The next step is for a fella to decide on his beard goals or hirsute ambitions. A shorter beard can be obtained in 3 to 4 weeks, solid beard in 6 to 8 weeks, and full beard in 8 to 12 weeks. The best diet for hair growth includes lots of protein and staying hydrated. It can't hurt to take a multivitamin as well. Biotin claims to support hair and nail growth, but reviews are mixed.

For a stylish beard, it's important for a gentleman to groom and trim it on a regular basis. I never truly stop shaving, as I like to have a clean line on my cheeks above the beard and on the neck below the beard. The neckline tends to move downward as the beard gets longer, but the cheek line is consistent for me. Invest in a nice shaving brush and razor for this task (great gift idea, ladies).

Visit a barber for a trim after 3 to 4 weeks. Resist the temptation to trim it much sooner than that. A certified barber is like a magician with the clippers and snippers; your beard will look better than ever. I go to Turner's Barber Shop for a haircut every two weeks and a beard trim every 4 weeks to keep it tidy.

I wash my beard everyday. There are some that will argue that washing it daily over-processes the hair, but using proper cleansers and products will replenish it (we'll get to that in a moment).

The key to washing it daily is using the correct cleanser. Never wash a beard with regular bar soap; it's abrasive and harsh on the hair. I use an organic face and beard wash brick from Cliff Original here in Columbus. Local goat's milk and organic oils clean it deeply and leave it silky soft. Other ingredients include oatmeal for exfoliating and coconut oil for moisturizing. Natural clay elements help to detox.

Once the perfect beard has been achieved it's important to use beard products. (Yes, beard products are a thing.)

I use Cliff Original beard balm and beard oil everyday. Oils and balms contain ingredients that promote strong, healthy growth. Cliff uses locally harvested beeswax, shea butter, natural oils and essential oils that hydrate the skin and beard. All of their products are paragon-free, sulfate-free, toxin-free and harsh chemical-free.

For an even more in-depth look at these routines check out the blog at clifforiginal.com.

Jeremy Lahman is a contributing writer at Cliff Original, Urban Beardsman Magazine, and Big Red Beard Combs. He is an alumni of Otterbein University and The Ohio State University. Connect with him on Twitter and Instagram @LahmansBeard.