Why You Shouldn’t Use Hair Gel on Your Beard

When you start growing a beard for the first time, many questions come to your mind. From using hair products on your beard to speeding up the growth process, there are many questions that come to mind when you’re looking to maximize beard appearance.

Now, can I use hair gel on my beard?

The short answer is no, because of the ingredients hair gel contains, but let’s dive deeper.

In this article, we will discuss why you shouldn’t use a hair gel on your beard and give you a list of other hair products you can replace with beard products.

Now let’s dive in.

Before we discuss why hair gel is bad for your beard, we first need to explain the difference between scalp hair and a beard.

Will you use a facial cleanser to clean your body in the shower? Of course not, which immediately tells you not to use the same products on a hair and beard. 

Facial hair grows because of the male hormones – testosterone and DHT – and that’s why beard is called “androgenic hair”. 

This is the reason why your beard is much thicker than your hair on top, so it requires more sebum oil for healthy maintenance.

Hair gel contains chemicals and ingredients that are dangerous for your skin, which can lead to many skin issues like acne, irritation, dryness, and redness.

These ingredients are: 

• Alcohol: Alcohol-based gels can dry out your skin and make it irritated.
• Fragrances: Perfumes and scents added to gels might cause skin allergies or irritation.
• Parabens: These are preservatives that could make some people’s skin sensitive or trigger allergic reactions.
• Formaldehyde-releasing agents: Some hair gels have stuff that releases formaldehyde, which can be harsh on your skin.
• Propylene Glycol: This ingredient can irritate your skin.
• Colorants: Artificial dyes in gels may sometimes make people with sensitive skin react with allergies.

Can I Use Water-Based Gel on a Beard?

No, you can’t use water-based gel on your beard. Water-based products can dry out your skin due to ingredients like alcohol. This will cause irritation, leading to acne or blackheads.

What about oily-based gel?

It’s the same with water-based, it can cause many skin issues, and in the worst case, you can be allergic to specific oils or oil-based ingredients. 

The first reason you were probably thinking of using a hair gel is to style your beard, but hair gel is horrible for styling your beard. Why?

Hair gel is known for its strong hold, which many people like because it sets their hair in place. However, this stiffness doesn’t work well for a beard. It can make the beard look and feel unnatural without any texture, and it’s challenging to restyle.

Some of the guys can’t use hair gel on a scalp because of the strong scent; now just imagine how strong it is when you use it on a beard. You may have some hair gels that have a minimal scent and can’t be smelled when used on a scalp, but when used on a beard you would smell it no matter what because of the ingredients we mentioned above.

The smell might not be a problem for the first hour when you use it, but after some time, it will be very unpleasant to smell a chemical scent of vanilla or chocolate for the rest of the day.

Now when we finally discussed why you can’t use hair gel on beard, let’s find what hair products you can use that work very well.

Hair Wax

The first hair product on our list is hair wax. Hair wax is the best option because it contains similar ingredients as beard wax. The only downside is the super strong scent,unlike beard wax which is unscented or very lightly scented. 

Don’t trick yourself if you don’t feel the scent on the top of your hair; feeling it under your nose for a decent amount of time might make you throw up, especially if you are going out for a few drinks. 

So before thinking about using it on your beard, first test the scent by putting a small amount on your finger and hold it for 10 to 15 minutes under your nose. If you don’t fill anything, you’re good to go.

Hair Conditioner

The next hair product that can be used on a beard is a hair conditioner. Because of its ingredients, like plant oils and hydrolyzed proteins, it’s not only beneficial for your beard but also for your skin.

While a beard conditioner is ideal, regular hair conditioner works very well on your beard if you’re looking to save money.

Using hair gel on your beard might seem like a good idea, but you should avoid using it on your facial hair.

On the other hand, hair wax and hair conditioner are safe for your beard and can be used without any problems. If you’re looking to save money or prefer not to buy dedicated beard products, these alternatives work well.

However, you should always steer clear of using hair glue if you are serious about having a well-groomed beard!

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