The Ultimate Guide to a Minimalist Beard

We're a company founded on beards. Big, bushy, majestic beards. But we also know that an epic face sweater might not be for everyone, and that's cool. Maybe you want to go the route of the minimalist, skip the complicated 'stache styling and be done with the bushy bulk. A minimalist man mane is the meat and potatoes of beard styles. It's the bare bones, rustic, smells-like-cedar-and-coffee, situated-in-the-forest cabin of facial hair styles. So if you're going to do it, do it right with our handy guide to a minimalist beard.

Keep It Short

The real key is the length. Too short and you're working with a corporate beard. Too long and you're back to that sweeping beard of epic proportions. A minimalist beard sits in the Goldilocks Zone - about four to five months of growth with a groomed but natural mustache. This style will still require trims and shape-ups to keep it looking awesome, but they are fewer and farther between, and don't need to be overly complicated. You're really just going to need a good pair of trimming scissors or a beard trimmer, and aim to maintain the natural shape and length, take off any wiry hairs that are sticking out, and cut down the split ends and fly-aways. Nothing fancy or complicated about it.

This also means your basic grooming routine for getting your beard under control is going to be streamlined and easy - no crazy waves, no wild fly-aways, no headaches trying to deal with wrangling the bad boy into place.

The mustache is also a key component here; you're not shooting for a handlebar style or anything that will need wax or styling effort. You're going for a natural mustache, which means you're going to let it fall naturally into place, and keep it trimmed around the lip-line.

So Fresh and So Clean

Washing and conditioning is going to be a big part of a minimalist beard, but the key is not to overdo it. We recommend hitting it with some beard wash and softener about three times a week. Keeping it clean and fresh is important, but with a nice tight minimalist beard, over washing can cause it to dry out and start to look kind of lifeless. The coolest part about this style is its rugged look, so give yourself a day or two between washes to allow your skin and beard to produce some natural oils to give your beard and effortlessly easy and natural look.

Limited Products

Beard care products are badass and totally beard-centric. We should know. But if you're going the way of the minimalist, you don't need much to get the job done.

Our recommendation? Get yourself a good deep conditioner, and let it ride. We're digging our new Gold Line utility balm, and the reason is actually two-fold. Not only is this stuff a smooth, soothing, no-hold, deep conditioner that is perfect for keeping your hair and beard velvety soft and hydrated, it's also built to keep your skin and even tattoos moisturized and healthy. So not only can you throw this kickass balm on your beard, you have a deep hair conditioner and skin moisturizer all in the same jar.

If that isn't the definition of minimalist grooming, we don't know what is. Rocking a minimalist style isn't for everyone, but if you're looking to hang on to your beloved beard and cut down on the clutter, it might be time to go back to basics.

You can check out Jeff's video on the minimalist's beard here below: