Sometimes growing a beard can have unwanted side effects like dry skin, flakes, and itching. The easy thing to do is to grab the bottle of hand lotion that is sitting around and rub it into your beard. It will likely soothe the problems you are having, but it can also create more problems for your face and beard. In addition, there are far better products to use that are designed for beard care.
We will take a look at some problems this may cause, and we will provide better alternatives to moisturize your beard.
So, can you put hand lotion in your beard? No, it is not recommended to do that because it may cause more harm than good. There are many better alternatives like beard conditioners, balms, and oils. These products are better suited for your beard.
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Is Hand Lotion Good For Your Beard?
No, it is not the best lotion to use for your beard, and we will explain why.
First, we need to look at the differences between your hands and your face.
Your hands have thick skin, and they are put through abuse every day.
Your face has sensitive skin that is prone to bumps, acne, rashes, and ingrown hairs.
Comparing the two, skin thickness varies, the number of hair follicles is different, sweat glands and oil glands are different, and the size of hair follicles are different. These are just a few differences, but you get the point.
Now that we have looked at the differences in your face and hands, we need to look at what hand lotions are designed to do.
It may come as no surprise, but hand lotions are designed for hands. These products are designed to penetrate thick layers of skin, keep you moisturized, provide barriers, and they are designed to repair your skin. While they may have similar ingredients, they have different concentrations of oils.
They usually include more waxes and oils that are designed for protection. While this is a good thing for your hands, these types of ingredients are known to be comedogenic which means they cause bumps and pimples on your face
In addition to design and functionality, hand lotions typically have poor ingredient profiles, especially for a product that you are considering for your face.
Here is a sample list of some ingredients commonly found in lotions:
Water, Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Cetaryl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Ethylparaben.
Among that list is alcohols, synthetic fragrance, and parabens. As you can see, it is chock full of synthetic chemicals and preservatives. Not exactly the best thing for your face and beard.
Recap
Hand lotions are not designed for your beard and face. They are too thick and heavy, and they will likely clog your pores which may lead to bumps and pimples.
They will also apply a heavy coat of oils on your beard which is not what you are looking for. You need to condition your beard and the skin underneath, but you don’t need to coat it in mineral oil and thick butters which are designed for your hands.
Better Options For Your Beard
If you are looking to condition and moisturize your beard and the skin underneath, it is best to use a product that is specifically designed for that. The great news is that there are lots of beard oils
One brand that we like to use is B.A. Beard Oil.
This product is Hand Crafted with All Natural and 100% Organic Food-grade Ingredients, and it is made by bearded Veterans in the USA. It also comes in a lot of different scents!
Don’t take our word for it though. Take a look at all the reviews on amazon, and you will see that they agree with us.
If you look at the ingredients: Apricot oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, pure vitamin E oil, rosemary oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil (plus essential oils for scent,) you will see that there is no alcohol, no parabens, and no synthetic fragrance.
This is a far cry from most hand lotions that we reviewed.
This beard oil will condition your beard hair and your skin. It uses natural vegetable oils and essential oils for scent.
Jojoba oil is very similar to the natural oils that your skin produces, and argan oil is one of the most popular oils in skin care today. It has tons of benefits for your hair and skin.
They also provide a great scent chart. You should be able to find one that fits your style.
If a beard oil is not your thing, you can get a beard balm.
These will provide similar benefits as beard oils, but it will provide a little hold for your beard.
A great option is Rocky Mountain Barber Company.
This product uses 100% Natural ingredients and it has a nice woodsy scent to it.
Once you apply some to your hands and rub them together, you will be able to apply it to your beard to condition it like an oil. Plus, you get the added bonus of being able to provide a little bit of styling hold to your beard.
You can also use beard oils and balms together if you need extra conditioning and hold.
Summary
Hand lotions are designed for your hands, and using them for your beard may cause unwanted side effects like bumps and pimples. In addition, that may contain a lot of chemicals and synthetic ingredients.
Beard Oils and Balms can provide all the conditioning you need. Plus, you can find them in nice manly scents.
There are lots of all natural options available as well. When you are putting something on your face and beard every day, this should be taken into consideration.
