Sometimes, after I smoke, I have to deal with a dry beard which is not pleasant. That’s because beards and cigars don’t really go together, as some marketing gimmicks would have you believe.
I won’t even begin to lecture you on caring for your beard normally. I’m willing to bet if you’re here, and you have a beard, you know the drill already. What I am going to talk about, however, is the intersection between beards and cigars. Specifically, after care that you should be doing after you smoke. Why? Because if you’ve ever had a dry beard or dry skin before, you get it. It’s uncomfortable, it’s itchy, and it can create a host of problems — like beard dandruff.
There is a link between smoking and hair growth issues, but it’s likely most of the studies focus on cigarettes rather than cigars. This still shows that smoking can negatively affect hair growth, including facial hair. Nicotine also restricts blood flow, and blood circulation is essential for hair growth and healthy hair follicles. And it’s not just hair growth affected, it’s the health and moisture of said hair, as well.
I have sensitive skin, but that also affects my hair. Before someone tells me to use different shampoo or conditioner, or a certain type of beard care, I’ve tried it all. My skin tends to dry out easily, as does my regular hair, my facial hair, and various areas of my body. To keep everything healthy, moisturized, and not bothering the hell out of me, I have a whole routine. But smoking, as much as I love it, also throws that routine off. The point to all of this is to establish my routine, share a little about what I do, and then discuss how smoking walks it all back.
Normally, I shampoo and condition my beard in the shower. Not every day, but usually every two days to once a week — washing your beard every day is overdoing it unless you’re outside getting dirty and sweaty all day. If it seems dry, I’ll use conditioner more often. When I’m out of the shower, and my beard is still damp, I’ll use beard oil or beard balm. Sometimes, I’ll use some waterless or leave-in conditioner, as well. Then, I work in beard butter to shape it and keep it moisturized. You may not have to do all of that, but at the very least, put in some conditioner or beard butter.
If I don’t do these things, and I just let the beard ride, it dries out fast. That leads to itchy skin, rashes, and sometimes even beard dandruff. When you try to wear dark-colored shirts with dandruff falling out of your beard, it makes a huge mess. You also look ridiculous.
Before smoking — unless I’m going out to a lounge — I add some leave-in conditioner to my beard. Now, the trick here is to find something that doesn’t have a strong or offensive smell, because that can interfere with your cigar experience. Most men’s beard conditioners will work as a stand-in here.
Smoking will instantly dry out my beard and my skin — and yours too. If I smoke more than one cigar in a row, forget about it. So, essentially, when I smoke, it’s like I haven’t done anything positive for my beard and instead chose to let it dry out, fast. That may or may not describe your own experiences, but the fact of the matter is that smoking dries out both your facial hair and skin.
When I’m done smoking, I’ll wet my beard and use a small amount of leave-in conditioner or beard balm and work it into the hair and skin. Now, that doesn’t completely get rid of the smoky smell. So, if you don’t like the aftersmell of cigars, or your partner doesn’t like it, you’re up a creek. The best way to get rid of smoke smells in your beard is to wash with shampoo and conditioner, but again, you shouldn’t do that every day. That said, most beard balms or conditioners you can find have a nice scent to cover up some of the smell.
My wife is used to the smell and doesn’t care. I also don’t mind it. So, I’m not treating my beard to rid that smell, more to keep it moisturized so it won’t bother me. Keep that in mind for yourself.
Something to add to this is that usually I smoke two to three cigars in a lineup. I rarely smoke a single cigar at a time. If you only smoke one, you probably don’t need to worry about moisturizing your beard as much — just apply some conditioner before or after you smoke and that should do it. If you smoke several back to back, expect to run into some problems.
Make sure you’re moisturizing in some way and you should be all set. If you have sensitive skin like I do, then you might want to get into a more involved routine.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Charles Etoroma / Unsplash
Source: César Badilla Miranda / Unsplash
