Whether you’re partaking in No Shave November or Movember, no one expects you go it alone. If you’re normally clean shaven, it can be difficult dealing with newly itchy scruff on your face.
Plus, there’s the issue of shaping your moustache. Unfortunately, you can’t just literally put down all grooming tools this month. You want to look polished, not lazy.
To help you achieve your best facial hair, we’ve put together an easy guide. Consult throughout November and beyond.
Take Your Face Shape into Account
First, read our blog on how to pick a beard shape that complements your face shape. The idea of facial framing can be applied to any kind of facial hair. Different moustache styles look good on different guys. So if you’re growing out a Tom Selleck handlebar, it may not look as good on you as on Tom Selleck (sorry).
The goal is to enhance whatever you've naturally got. For instance, if you have a square face, try a thicker moustache that extends beyond your lips and angles downward to lengthen your face.
Clean and Exfoliate
A moustache requires basic maintenance. Make sure to wash your ‘stache daily to prevent odors that can build up during the day – you can use the same cleanser you use for your face. If you’re growing a beard alongside your moustache, consider using a beard shampoo.
Zeus Beard Shampoo Wash is gentle enough to be used daily, tapping green tea and chamomile to hydrate while cleansing.
On top of cleansing, we recommend exfoliating 1 – 2 times a week. Exfoliating gets rid of ingrown hairs, blackheads, and gnarly dead skin.
Here’s the simplest way to DIY your own facial exfoliator:
- Mix baking soda into your facial cleanser or even just mix it into water – add enough baking soda so you end up with a paste.
- Rub the paste into your skin and leave it on for 5 – 10 minutes before rinsing off.
Condition
When hair grows on your face, it tends to draw moisture away from the skin. So even if you’re in the routine of skipping conditioner for your head, you can’t do so with your moustache because it’ll lead to pretty off-putting patches of dry, flaky skin.
But don’t just start slathering your face with plain ‘ol moisturizer, which can tangle hair and not absorb into hair follicles. Go for a beard oil formulated especially for moustaches and beards. Usually made with essential oils, beard oils absorb readily into skin.
If your skin is particularly dry, top off the beard oil with beard balm that contains beeswax, which will form an occlusive layer to seal in moisture.
Trim Stray Hairs
This is especially important if you’re going for more complex moustache styles like the pencil or a moustache-and-goatee combo like the Van Dyke.
Invest in a beard trimmer – like the lightweight Wahl Lithium All in One Trimmer – and sculpt your moustache. You can also use this trimmer to maintain the shape of your beard, so it’s got all your hair bases covered.
Snip away rogue hairs with a trimmer like the Zeus Beard Stainless Steel Scissors. Reevaluate weekly so you can reign in new hair growth.
Tip: Only trim your moustache and beard when hair is dry, because hair can appear longer when wet.
Brush and Style
The last step to a tidy moustache. Comb through your facial hair daily with a moustache comb to smooth it out. Look for a moustache comb with rounded teeth so it doesn’t scratch your skin, and follow with a moustache wax if desired for some shape.
