Beard+oily skin=ugh
July 5, 2018 1:21 PM Subscribe
I tend to have oily skin on my cheeks/sides of my face. Trying to grow a beard there seems to make it much worse. Can anything be done about this?
I've sported a goatee for several years. No problems grooming there. I get beard dandruff if I go too long without washing it, but as long as I wash it with ordinary shampoo twice a week or so it's fine.
I tend to have somewhat oily skin along my cheeks, the sides of my face, nose, and forehead, but most of the time it's manageable, when I'm keeping that area shaved. I keep oil blotting sheets such as these on hand and use them on days my face feels especially greasy, but that happens maybe once a week on average.
Every once in a while I get the idea that I want to grow a full beard. About 3 days after I've stopped shaving entirely, the areas where it's starting to come in along the sides of my face seem to get much much oilier, with a decidedly unpleasant greasy feel, plus the feeling that it's getting dirtier as the oil attracts more dirt. As I write this, I'm on day 6 of not shaving, and the greasiness has me wanting to wash my face 3-4 times a day. Which, some websites suggest, may be paradoxically contributing to the problem as the face generates more oil to compensate for what's being taken off. As a note of contrast, the skin under my nascent beard on my upper neck doesn't have that problem. Maybe slightly oilier there, but not so much as to feel unpleasantly greasy or dirty.
Can anything be done to cut down on the greasy feeling as my beard comes in? Or do I just have to accept that facial hair in that region isn't for me? General tips or specific product recommendations are both welcome.
(Cis, white, 47-year-old male if that makes a difference.)
I've sported a goatee for several years. No problems grooming there. I get beard dandruff if I go too long without washing it, but as long as I wash it with ordinary shampoo twice a week or so it's fine.
I tend to have somewhat oily skin along my cheeks, the sides of my face, nose, and forehead, but most of the time it's manageable, when I'm keeping that area shaved. I keep oil blotting sheets such as these on hand and use them on days my face feels especially greasy, but that happens maybe once a week on average.
Every once in a while I get the idea that I want to grow a full beard. About 3 days after I've stopped shaving entirely, the areas where it's starting to come in along the sides of my face seem to get much much oilier, with a decidedly unpleasant greasy feel, plus the feeling that it's getting dirtier as the oil attracts more dirt. As I write this, I'm on day 6 of not shaving, and the greasiness has me wanting to wash my face 3-4 times a day. Which, some websites suggest, may be paradoxically contributing to the problem as the face generates more oil to compensate for what's being taken off. As a note of contrast, the skin under my nascent beard on my upper neck doesn't have that problem. Maybe slightly oilier there, but not so much as to feel unpleasantly greasy or dirty.
Can anything be done to cut down on the greasy feeling as my beard comes in? Or do I just have to accept that facial hair in that region isn't for me? General tips or specific product recommendations are both welcome.
(Cis, white, 47-year-old male if that makes a difference.)
Best answer: What kind of facial cleanser are you using? If you're using a harsh soap or shampoo, that can make your oil production go into overdrive. Washing your face 2x a day with a mild facial cleanser should help without causing more problems. Touching it a lot will also contribute to the problem.
posted by quince at 1:29 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by quince at 1:29 PM on July 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Two suggestions:
1. Wait it out. The first couple of weeks of growing a full beard generally suck.
2. Beard oil. It may seem counterintuitive to think that adding more oil might be the solution, but a well-oiled beard feels way less gross than a dry one, regardless of the oiliness status of the underlying skin.
posted by 256 at 1:52 PM on July 5, 2018
1. Wait it out. The first couple of weeks of growing a full beard generally suck.
2. Beard oil. It may seem counterintuitive to think that adding more oil might be the solution, but a well-oiled beard feels way less gross than a dry one, regardless of the oiliness status of the underlying skin.
posted by 256 at 1:52 PM on July 5, 2018
Best answer: Also keep in mind that you can wash your face with plain water if you want to cut down on oiliness without over-drying. If you use soap to wash your face, I would suggest switching to a non-soap cleanser such as Purpose or Cetaphil.
I’m a woman, but frankly I’ve had oily skin my entire life and nothing I have ever, EVER tried has ever changed the fact. Washing my face, not washing it, using soap, not using it, using the oil cleansing method, changing my makeup, not wearing makeup, using this or that moisturizer, doesn’t fucking matter. My skin is oily, the end. I just do a lot of blotting.
Pro tip: Don’t waste your money on blotting sheets, go buy a package of brown paper napkins or paper towels like you find in public restrooms. They work better than any blotting sheet, they cover your entire damn face and they are dirt cheap, not to mention multi-purpose.
posted by Autumnheart at 4:10 PM on July 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
I’m a woman, but frankly I’ve had oily skin my entire life and nothing I have ever, EVER tried has ever changed the fact. Washing my face, not washing it, using soap, not using it, using the oil cleansing method, changing my makeup, not wearing makeup, using this or that moisturizer, doesn’t fucking matter. My skin is oily, the end. I just do a lot of blotting.
Pro tip: Don’t waste your money on blotting sheets, go buy a package of brown paper napkins or paper towels like you find in public restrooms. They work better than any blotting sheet, they cover your entire damn face and they are dirt cheap, not to mention multi-purpose.
posted by Autumnheart at 4:10 PM on July 5, 2018 [3 favorites]
I don't have a beard, but I do have oily skin that can get fairly bad at times, and I agree that your skin is overcompensating for being dried out. I recently managed (past few months) to get to a decent homeostasis with olive-based squalane oil as a night moisturizer after my shower, with just a bit in the morning after a light water rinse. I also use witch hazel as a toner (post-wash, pre-moisturizer). I still get oily during the day, but blotting every 2-3 hours now instead of all the time. Also maybe some spot treatment of matte setting powder for oily skin will help?
I entirely understand the urge to get rid of the oil with washing, but as difficult as it is to just let it be, go gentle for the next few weeks like SaltySalticid recommended. Tissues also work in a pinch for blotting up excess oil during the day, and they're cheaper.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:10 PM on July 5, 2018
I entirely understand the urge to get rid of the oil with washing, but as difficult as it is to just let it be, go gentle for the next few weeks like SaltySalticid recommended. Tissues also work in a pinch for blotting up excess oil during the day, and they're cheaper.
posted by lesser weasel at 6:10 PM on July 5, 2018
Best answer: Coming back to add, I think the shampoo on your beard might actually be drying your face skin out, if that ends up being the underlying issue. A light facial cleanser hypothetically should cleanse the excess oil from your beard too, without irritating the surrounding skin.
(So basically nthing what quince said, after re-reading)
posted by lesser weasel at 6:15 PM on July 5, 2018
(So basically nthing what quince said, after re-reading)
posted by lesser weasel at 6:15 PM on July 5, 2018
Agree with most of the replies here just wanted to add a specific product suggestion. I use a beard/face cleanser from Lush my wife bought me called Kalamazoo. Maybe get a small container of that and see how it works for you? I think shampoo on your face is potentially too harsh and may be contributing to the problem.
posted by MNMCSOJGPFTAATMOTTSOITATTMSFMVOOW at 4:33 AM on July 6, 2018
posted by MNMCSOJGPFTAATMOTTSOITATTMSFMVOOW at 4:33 AM on July 6, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks, all. I was actually on vacation when I wrote this and couldn't easily get to a drugstore, but for the remainder of vacation I washed with water only, which seemed to help, then once I got home I bought a dedicated mild facial/beard cleanser which helped more. Also I think just the passage of time helped re-establish a balance. After a few weeks my skin was back to its usual tolerably oily levels.
Four weeks in now and I don't know if I'll keep it, but that's because I'm not sure it's going to be thick enough to look good on me, and nothing to do with the condition of my skin. I plan on giving it another month, at least. Thanks for everyone's advice!
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:18 AM on July 31, 2018
Four weeks in now and I don't know if I'll keep it, but that's because I'm not sure it's going to be thick enough to look good on me, and nothing to do with the condition of my skin. I plan on giving it another month, at least. Thanks for everyone's advice!
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:18 AM on July 31, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
The hair/skin system is sort of seeking a homeostasis, but it takes time to reach it. If you can power through the adjustment period, t should get better on its own (but perhaps not better enough for you to be comfortable with); only one way to find out.
You may also enjoy reading stories about people who quit washing their hair: it doesn’t work for everyone but in many cases the oil production eventually adapts.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:26 PM on July 5, 2018