No Shave November is coming up and I have gotten so many requests for a beard oil and other beard products. For the next few days, I want to share some great recipes in preparation of No Shave November! If you have a product in mind that you want us to cover, let us know! We want to hear from you!
Now onto our topic of today. Beards. Many people have opinions regarding them. Personally, I like them as long as they are kept clean and soft. There is nothing like kissing the man in your life and receiving whisker burn. Ouch! So today I wanted to make a product that keeps the beard and mustache soft while doubling as a gentle styling aid. This is a perfect product for a man getting ready for his day. It can be applied to a damp beard or even a dry one! I made a few test samples and gave them to a few men, only to receive exuberant reviews!
One reviewer said that he loved how soft his beard was. One of his complaints with a variety of beard oils, pomades and other styling products is that they feel tacky, making his beard feel dirty. He said he loved how this cream didn’t make the beard feel weighed down yet was easy to style and much softer to the touch.
I’ve also been able to experience this beard cream and the softness it creates for myself. The man in my life is rather partial to his beard but each time he would kiss me, I was left with some severe whisker burn. He was starting to worry that I would ask him to get rid of the beard while I was hoping we would find something that would make the beard soft. This beard cream turned out to be just the thing. I would say this beard cream has reduced whisker burn by well over 95%. He gets to keep his beard and kiss me too! Oh la la! That is enough to make anyone happy!
Ingredients Citric Acid Dimethicone Cyclomethicone Hydrovance Conditioning Emulsifier Horsetail Extract Comfrey Leaf Extract Water Liquid Germall Plus |
Equipment Scale Microwave Safe Container Spoons Pipettes |
Recipe:
Recipe in Grams 5 grams Citric Acid 10 grams Dimethicone 15 grams Cyclomethicone 20 grams Hydrovance 22.5 grams Conditioning Emulsifier 5 grams Horsetail Extract 5 grams Comfrey Leaf Extract 400 grams Water 2.5 grams Liquid Germall Plus |
Recipe in Ounces 0.18 oz Citric Acid 0.35 oz Dimethicone 0.53 oz Cyclomethicone 0.71 oz Hydrovance 0.79 oz Conditioning Emulsifier 0.18 oz Horsetail Extract 0.18 oz Comfrey Leaf Extract 14.11 oz Water 0.09 oz Liquid Germall Plus |
Recipe in Percentages 1% Citric Acid 2% Dimethicone 3% Cyclomethicone 4% Hydrovance 4.5% Conditioning Emulsifier 1% Horsetail Extract 1% Comfrey Leaf Extract 80% Water 0.5% Liquid Germall Plus |
In a microwave safe container, weigh all of the ingredients except for the Liquid Germall Plus, Comfrey Leaf Extract and Horsetail Extract. Heat gently in the microwave until the Conditioning Emulsifier is in a molten state. Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients together until you have a cohesive mixture. Allow it to cool.
I am notorious for getting impatient at this stage so I like to pour my mixture into a bag and laying it flat on the counter to cool. This increases the amount of surface area and allows the beard cream to cool quickly. This technique helps with small batches to extra large batches! Once the beard cream is below 120° F, add the Liquid Germall Plus, Horsetail Extract and Comfrey Leaf Extract. Mix well.
The additional benefit of having the beard cream in a bag at this point is that once the preservative and extracts have been added and mixed well, you can fill your bottles or other containers simply by trimming a corner of the bag and “piping” the beard cream into bottles or jars like it is frosting! Yep, it is that easy. Fill your containers, label and you are done!
Note: I did not scent this beard cream for a few reasons. First and foremost, this is a product that will be right under the nose and I didn’t want to have a fragrance be so overbearing and off putting that the beard cream is never used. It is really hard to eat and enjoy BBQ when all you can smell is Peppermint or Verbena.
Second, there is great potential for the beard wearer to be able to taste any fragrancing material. In fact, anyone who kisses the beard wearer will be able to taste it too. So as much as I adore fragrances and smelling good, this is one product I highly recommend that you keep unscented, for the enjoyment of all.
I made this yesterday, I did tweak it and added a couple different extracts along with some silk proteins and vitamin E, and I have to say I love this too!
Debbie,
I am so glad! This is a great recipe and I know it is one I will make time and time again.
Cheers!
Taylor
Do you think this would help with beard dandruff? I have a customer that gets flakes in his beard
Kristie,
I guess this depends on the reason for the flaky skin. Is the skin dry underneath? Is there a bacterial infection which is causing the skin to flake off in sizes that can be seen with the naked eye?
If the skin is just lacking moisture and needs some TLC, I think a beard cream would help. If the beard is overly cleaned and is causing dry skin then the best method is to reduce the aggressive cleaning. If the head also has dandruff I would try an anti-dandruff shampoo for the head and for the beard. Keep the cleaning light and do not get any shampoo in the mouth or nose. Use as directed on the bottle, which is generally to clean 2 or 3 times a week. If the beard is getting dirty and the flakes are a combination of dry skin AND dirt then try washing the beard in the shower with just hair conditioner (no shampoo or soap). Rinse well with water as cool as the user can stand. Hot water is not good for the skin or scalp. Hot water benefits the soul and the muscles.
We have a number of women who have removed shampoo from their hair care routine and report that their hair/scalp feel better and the hair shows more rapid growth.
Lots to think about but I am sure you and your customer will find a good solution.
Tina