It’s no-shave November, not no-care November: Caring for your facial hair

For millions of men all over the country, it’s the hairiest time of the year. Whether they’re growing mustaches for Movember or leaving their facial hair untouched for No Shave November it’s safe to say that things are getting bushy. 

Men are on a self-care spree – the average adult male today uses 11 personal care products a day, a recent EWG-commissioned survey found. That’s almost double their use 20 years ago. As stubble turns into ’stache, you can bet bathroom cabinets will be getting some new additions. 

From beard oil to mustache wax, there is a wide variety of men’s facial hair products to choose from – but pay attention to their potentially harmful chemical ingredients.

Before going to your dollar store and picking suitable products at random, consider that Movember and No Shave November both also focus on men’s health and cancer prevention.

Ingredients in these products cause an array of health harms, including allergies, respiratory damage, harm to fertility and the immune system, and cancer. 

In the spirit of this hairy month, EWG is helping you choose safer options. 

We’ve found some of the cleanest products in our Skin Deep® database to take some of the work out of beard and mustache care.

Products are rated in Skin Deep on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents the lowest hazard safety rating and 10 the highest. 

 (These products make great gifts, even after the end of the month.)

Beard balm, mustache wax, and beard washes

Beard care goes beyond moisturizing and forming.

Beards require regular cleaning. If you start to develop beard itch this is a good place to start. One of the best ways to condition your beard is with beard oil or beard wash. 

Just The Goods Vegan Conditioning Oil for Beards is EWG VERIFIED®, which means it has been reviewed by our scientists and meets EWG’s highest standards of safety and transparency. 

Products scoring a 1 on Skin Deep:

• Nature's Promise Men Beard & Face Wash, Unscented
• Semblance For Men Foaming Beard & Face Wash
• Butter Me Up Organics Organic Beard Wash (Available on Amazon)
• Whiskey N Hardtack Greenhorn – Unscented Beard Wash

From styling a handlebar mustache to getting rid of stray hairs, these products should be part of every beard grower’s routine. 

A balm works as a leave-in conditioner that moisturizes, conditions and styles your beard. It can also help fight against beard itch and frizz.

1. Argie Essentials Beard Balm
2. Semblance For Men Beard Balm No. 01
3. Butter Me Up Organics Organic Beard Balm (Available on Amazon)
4. Average Bros. Beard Balm, The Workshop
5. Cremo Styling Beard Balm (Available on Amazon)
6. Moon River Naturals Beard Balm, Cedarwood
7. Koils by Nature Men's Beard Butter* (Available on Amazon)
8. Whiskey N Hardtack Greenhorn – Unscented Full Bodied Beard Butter

Waxes are a firmer styler, useful for forming the iconic handlebar mustache. These products rate a 1 in Skin Deep:

9. Can You Handle Bar Secondary Moustache Wax, Firm Hold
10. Can You Handle Bar Primary Moustache Wax, Medium Hold
11. Detroit Grooming Co. Moustache Wax, Strong Hold
12. Whiskey N Hardtack Greenhorn – Unscented Mustache & Beard Wax

At the end of the month, if you decide to shave, here are the best products for that. They are EWG VERIFIED®.

• Lowen's Natural Skincare Smooth Criminal (Available on Amazon)
• Beautycounter Counterman Smoothing Shave Cream
• JACKFIR The Classic Shave Cream (Available on Amazon)
• Be Green Bath & Body Shaving Foam

For more ideas, search Skin Deep for more products. And use our Healthy Living app for product ratings for shopping on the go. 

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