Have you ever walked past a fellow bearded bloke and wondered how he gets his facial hair so lusciously soft and shiny? It can be an awkward question to ask, especially if you don’t know the fella.
The trick, however, might not be in his beard balm or moisturizing conditioner. Diet and lifestyle play a big part in general hair health, and that includes the hair on your face too.
If someone has incredibly luxurious locks, it’s likely that what they’re putting into their bodies is the main factor.
Hair, in general, needs several micronutrients to stay strong, healthy, smooth and manageable. Smoothies and juices are the perfect way to maintain a high vitamin and mineral intake.
You’re able to mix and match different fruit and veg to suit your individual preferences and hair requirements.
Vitamin C For Hair and Skin Repair
Skin, nails and hair are all helped by the property ‘collagen’. Collagen levels are boosted by vitamin C intake which in turn keeps your face and hair bright and beaming.
Vitamin C also fights free radicals. Free radicals are little nasties that damage body tissue and cell reproduction.
Weak beard roots and brittle ends are often caused by free radicals entering the body and playing around with those all-important cells that contribute to a good complexion.
While you can take vitamin C supplements, it might be safer and more reassuring to stock up on foods you know contain vitamin C. This could include oranges, kale, broccoli, papayas, kiwi, red peppers and strawberries.
There are a number of smoothies and juices you can make that are incredibly high in vitamin C.
Some fast and simple ideas could be:
- A Very Berry Smoothie
- Almond and Kale Smoothie
- Fresh orange and mango juice
For more beard enhancing vitamin C recipes, click here.
Procyanidin B2 For Beard Growth
You may have never heard of Procyanidin B2, but it’s likely you’ve been consuming it your entire life in one common fruit – apples!
A recent study showed that this particularly complex chemical is a big player in natural hair growth. So, if you’re struggling to turn your chin fluff into a bushy biker beard, the solution could be incredibly simple.
A large glass of apple juice with your morning porridge or an apple packed smoothie could be the answer to your thinning-hair woes. But if you really want to ensure this remedy works, a topical approach might be better suited.
Click here and follow the simple instructions for making your very own apple based beard mask.
Simply apply to your beard once every few days, leave for 20 minutes and wash out in the shower or sink.
Note: Organic apples should always be purchased as a priority over any chemically sprayed alternatives.
Amino Acids For Hair Health and Strength
There are a number of amino acids within our bodies that work on nurturing the hair and skin. By replenishing these, the outcome is a much tougher, healthier beard.
Methionine contains sulphur which significantly improves the overall well-being of hair (as well as nails). In 2006, a study presented at a dermatological congress in Florence showed that in cases where people had had high concentrations of methionine, there was a 10% increase in their overall hair growth.
So again, if you need to bulk out your bush, this is the amino acid you need to look out for.
But where is it? Well, it’s primarily found in foods you’d rather eat than put in a smoothie unless you fancy making yourself a nice beef juice…
However, eggs are high in methionine, and you certainly can use eggs in either a drink or as a topical beard stimulating balm. Eggs can, quite literally, be cracked onto your beard and washed out if you prefer this no-nonsense approach.
But it might be an idea to blend them with a number of other beneficial ingredients to see a well-rounded result.
For some fantastic recipes, click here.
Natural Oils For Shine
Extra-virgin coconut oil and olive oil are great ways of incorporating healthy fats you’re your diet to improve the look of your beard hair.
You may have noticed that coconut oil is a common ingredient in your beard balms and moisturizers – that’s because it can be used both topically and internally for better skin and hair health.
Coconut oil can be purchased and stored in a cupboard forever (or near enough) and is handy for many day-to-day activities, so even if you don’t use it all on your beard, you will surely find other ways of utilizing it.
Olive oil is an everyday essential, and it’s unlikely you’ll have to look far to acquire some. Both of these oils can be blended with other ingredients to make a topical beard mask. When mixed with honey, banana or avocado, you’ll have shiny, manageable and sweet smelling facial hair.
Furthermore, both of these oils can help with dandruff and dry skin, so your chin and neck can also benefit from this amazing remedy.
There’s one other oil that has profound effects on the body and beard – flaxseed oil. This is an oil extracted from the flax plant and has super nutritional benefits.
It’s high in fibre, which is an essential element in vitamin E absorption.
This oil can also be added to smoothies or to a home made topical ointment.
Herbs For Tackling Grey Hairs
Over time, the hair on both your head and face will display the effects of aging.
Grey hairs look fantastic on certain silver-foxes, but there are a few of us who prefer to deter these unwanted visitors for as long as possible.
Parsley is high in vitamin K, beta-carotene and minerals such as copper, iron, and zinc. These minerals are associated with the prevention of graying hair.
Furthermore, research has suggested parsley can stimulate hair growth and assist in tightening and revitalizing skill cells.
Are you feeling 18 again yet? You’ll certainly look it when you begin adding parsley into your daily smoothie routine!
Similarly, rosemary and sage (those two herbs typically found in your stuffing balls at Christmas) also reduce the likelihood of new gray hairs appearing when applied topically.
You can grow any of these herbs in your garden, or in a tray next to a window and simply pick them, blend them and apply them whenever you feel like it.
For some interesting recipes on herb smoothies and beard masks, click here.
Potassium For Strengthening Brittle Whiskers
If you often find there’s more beard hair in your comb than on your face, you might benefit from a homemade beard mask that’s rich in natural potassium.
Potassium assists in strengthening the hair follicle and smoothing out split ends, meaning that your wiry look can take a far more sophisticated shape. This is especially useful if you have untameable curly beard hair.
Bananas are rich in potassium. What’s also great is their consistency. They are just the right solidity to be able to stay on your beard after application so that you’re not wiping a mess off the bathroom floor.
They also mix very well with other ingredients such as honey or strawberries.
Of course, you can also gain the potassium benefits from drinking bananas in smoothies or milkshakes.
They blend incredibly well in a food processor due to their soft flesh and can be mixed with milk, yogurt or other fruits for a delicious taste.
There are a number of milks that you can try when making a banana smoothie that also have hair-strengthening properties.
Almond milk has very high iron content. Iron is great for strengthening hair and is often prescribed by doctors when you have hair loss or breaking nails. Almond milk is also lower in saturated fat that the regular milk in your fridge, so you can even drink this smoothie if you’re on a diet.
Oat milk can also be mixed with bananas. Oat milk is the ultimate conditioner, which is important for maintaining strong hair ends and roots. It’s slightly more fatty than almond milk, so if you’d rather not drink a pint of it, you can always use this milk topically instead.
Oat milk is traditionally used as a calming agent for skin conditions like eczema, so if you have irritated skin under your bushy man-mane, this natural milk will soothe and repair your face in no time.
Click here for more oat milk based recipes and ideas.
Irish Stout For Super Shine and Volume
Yes, you have read that correctly. Beer can actually be good for your beard. Have you ever heard such wonderful news?
Firstly it’s good to state that this only applies to heavy bodied, dark beers rather than lagers. Secondly, this really is more of a topical solution, although there’s no harm in glugging down the first half of the bottle and applying the rest.
The protein and sugar in these highly nutritious alcoholic beverages give your beard hair extra body, meaning you can have a bushier look in no time.
There are two schools of thought on how to apply beer to hair for a bolder shine. As beer has alcohol content, it might dry out certain hair types.
If you find this happens, you can boil the beer first until some of the alcohol has evaporated. However, some people quite literally pour a bottle of stout onto themselves in the shower, and if you find that this works, then it’s probably the most hassle free way of applying a beard-shine product.
Your wife may not fully understand, but she will surely compliment your glowing locks after you’ve blowdried.
Omega 3 For Hydration
Is your skin and hair dry? Sometimes when dryness occurs, our bodies try to combat it by producing a ton of oil, which in turn can give you that greasy, creepy look.
To combat this, it’s a good idea to get Omega 3 into your diet. Omegas are actually produced naturally within our bodies when we take in enough polyunsaturated fat (good fats). These occur in oily fish and green leafy veg.
It’s hard to incorporate many omega rich foods into a smoothie or juice. However, avocado is one fruit that blends easily into a drink and is cheap and common to come by. Avocado is packed with a number of additional vitamins which promote stronger, fresher hair and skin.
The omega content works on hydrating hair from the root to the tip, so that your dry bushy beard can have a good dose of naturally occurring moisture without the need for a beard balm.
Avocado can also be applied topically. Much like banana, it is the perfect texture to mesh into your beard without splashing onto the floor.
It works well as a conditioner and calms irritated red skin or razor burn.
Conclusion
As you can see, the options are endless when it comes to sorting out an unruly mane. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive alternatives if you don’t want to.
Many natural men’s grooming products already make use of these vitamin-enriched ingredients because sometimes you can’t beat what nature provides.
What you put into your body shines through on the outside, so to keep a well-maintained beard, it’s essential you take good care over your food and drink intake.
Smoothies are the best way of getting all of your vitamins and minerals in a hassle-free way. Furthermore, homemade beard masks are just as easy to make and can be stored in the fridge next to your six pack of lager.
Customize your inventions with a combination of fruit and veg that’s suitable for your individual needs and you’re bound to be the envy of every bearded bloke in the land.
