The Best Beard Wash, According to Beard Experts

Three of the seven experts we spoke to recommend Jack Black beard wash because it’s formulated forbeardsandthe skin underneath. Rabach specifically cites the aloe-leaf juice powder, which “helps soothe dryness and irritation” — issues that most men with beards will experience. Eliut Rivera, founder ofEliut Salon, likes that Jack Black’s wash both cleanses and conditions facial hair. The best beardproducts“incorporate rich, moisturizing ingredients such as aloe, camelina oil, and shea butter,” he says. This wash has all three of those ingredients, plus jojobaoil, vitamin B5, and organic sea kelp to help balance your skin’s moisture levels. Annette Moore, owner of Boldbarber.com, agrees that it does a great job, and she likes that it has a fresh and pleasant scent, thanks to the added grapefruit, rosemary, and basil.

In both of our recent articles aboutbeard oilandbeard balm,Honest Amish products came in at the top or close to it. So it’s no surprise that their organic beard soap was also a favorite among these experts. Both Rabach and Torrey Grobes ofPaul Labrecque Salonare fans of this all-natural soap, which is made with super-moisturizing (and only slightly fragrant) ingredients including virgin olive oil, virgin pumpkin-seed oil, apricot-kernel oil, palm kernels, and lavender. Grobes suggests “rubbing the bar against your beard for about 15 seconds, or until you have a rich, sudsy lather.” Make sure to “get all the way to the base of yourbeard follicles,” he says, and let it sit on your beard for a couple minutes before rinsing out. He says Honest Amish soap improves skin tone, softens beard hairs, and adds fullness to create a healthier and nicer-looking beard. Rabach also points out that this is a “great price point” for such high-quality ingredients.

Two of our beard experts — Rabach and Tony DeAngelis, owner ofBlue & Black Barbersand Apothecary in Brooklyn — recommended this cedar-citrus-and-lavender-scented beard wash from Tel Aviv–based grooming brand Maapilim. “I am loving it right now,” says DeAngelis, who believes in a less-is-more approach to beard care. Like other beard products, he says, a good beard wash should contain “carrier oils such as argan or jojoba oil.” He also advises staying away from parabens and harsh chemicals. (Maapilim beard wash is paraben-, alcohol-, and sodium laurylsulfate–free.) Rabach highlighted the same essentail oils, which he calls a “deeply moisturizing and fortifying” mix, and says they make this beard wash specifically effective for people with dry skin.

Moore also likes this beard wash, which she says is highly effective and will last a long time, since you need to use only a little bit at a time. Rabach likes the“plant-based” ingredients,including peppermint and eucalyptus, which add an invigorating smell and have an astringent effect that helps fight dandruff. This wash also contains Argan and jojoba oil to help soften facial hair and add lightweight moisture to skin.

“Always look for a facial-hair wash that isfree of harsh chemicalsorsulfates,” says beard-care expert Matt Benevento, who recommends this Austin-based brand. In addition to coconut and sunflower oils, Brass Knuckle contains moisturizing and follicle-strengthening rose-hip-seed oil, camelina-seed oil, and oat protein. There’s also a nice blend of aromatic essential oils to make your beard smell more like a forest and less like the burger you ate last night.

A lot of people think bar soaps will dry out your skin, but it’s not the form that a cleanser takes that matters. It’s the ingredients. Moore recommends this olive-oil-and-shea-butter-based soap in a tin. It’s “perfect for everybody, even those with sensitive skin,” she says. “This is truly a great product that cleans, moisturizes, and soothes.” Mr. Natty’s is alsosulfate- and paraben-free and contains scents of rosemary and peppermint to keep your facial hair (and you) smelling fresh. As with the Honest Amish bar soap, make sure you massage the lather throughout your beard and down to the skin underneath. Then rinse with warm water until all of the product is gone.

Lucas Dennington, grooming expert forThe Insider Guide to Spas, likes Billy Jealousy beard wash because of its smoothing properties. To give your beard a smoother, less wacky appearance, this beard wash uses aloe-leaf juice, which works to soften and rehydrate thirsty skin and facial hair; soy proteins to add shine andconditioning, leaving your beard manageable and frizz-free; and green-tea extract, which strengthens damaged whiskers from root to tip.

If your skin reacts to new products by breaking out or turning bright red, choosing a gentle all-natural beard wash is very important. Rabach likes Fellow Summer for sensitive skin “because there are no harsh detergents, the fragrance is 100 percent natural, and it’s alcohol-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free.” All of which means it won’t irritate or dry out your skin — alcohol in particular will zap your skin of its natural moisture. Other key ingredients include nourishing meadowfoam oil, mango butter, andjojoba oil. Plus, it’s made to be used interchangeably on your hair or your beard, which is nice since it means you can buy less stuff.

When we wrote abouteverything you need to trim your beard, Laura Leverty, owner ofPaper Hair Salonin Minneapolis, told us that she starts every beard trim in her salon with a vigorous beard wash to remove dirt and dead skin. For this task Leverty suggests finding aface washthat’s both gentle and exfoliating to help prevent beardruff and clogged pores. She uses this sulfate-free cleanser from Huron because of its “shave-cream-like” texture and tiny bamboo particles that are easy to work into the skin under a beard.