8 Awesome Itchy Beard Home Remedies

There is nothing more infuriating than an itchy beard. The relentlessness of a continuous tickle right on your face can drive you insane. The good news is that there are some simple tactics that you can use to overcome even the itchiest of beards! Great solutions also shouldn’t cost a fortune, so what the best itchy beard home remedy is? Here’s your answer!

The best itchy beard home remedies are organic clay, aloe vera, baking soda, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, peppermint leaves, cucumber, and milk. Each of these applied to the skin daily for 20 minutes will help reduce irritation.

Here are all the recipes for you to download and try for yourself at home:

Home remedyBest product
Green ClayBuy my recommended one –click here.
Apple cider vinegarBuy my recommended one –click here.
Mint MaskBuy my recommended one –click here.
Aloe veraBuy my recommended one –click here.
Baking sodaBuy my recommended one –click here.
Cucumbers and MilkBuy my recommended one –click here.

If you want the full instructions in a handy CHEATSHEET click the image below and download your FREE copy!

If you still can’t get the relief after trying these home remedies, make sure that you see a dermatologist!

Here’s we look at eight tried and tested home remedies that we know you’ll get the most relief from!

Let’s take a look at all of the reasons your beard may be itchy, so you know the best home remedy for you.

Why is my beard so itchy?

Before trying to launch into any particular home remedy, you need to work out why your beard is so itchy.

  • Has your beard been itchy for a while?
  • Have you eaten anything different? Have you tried a new product?
  • Have you changed your laundry powder or conditioner?

These external factors could be why your beard is now so very itchy. But beards can also become itchy for other more sinister reasons too. Could these be any of the reasons for your itchy beard:

  • Poor hygiene – take a bath or shower every day to see if the beard itch goes away. Wash your beard with warm water if you do not have a full bath or shower.
  • Dry skin – find a good moisturizer for your skin and beard
  • Ingrown hairs – consider using an exfoliation scrub on problem areas of your itchy beard. Ingrown hairs are normally pretty obvious due to the lumps and bumps that would appear on the face.
  • Excessive grooming – let your beard sit for a couple of days without heat or brushing.
  • Trimmed hairs trapped in the beard – sometimes the hairs removed after a trim can sit against your skin and cause irritation

Take a moment to check the above reasons, and if none of these sounds like they will work for you, here are our top 8 itchy beard home remedies that you could try. I’ve split them up as each category addresses a different itchy beard problem.

Best itchy beard home remedy for irritated skin.

In the early stages of growth, the skin can become irritated by hairs long enough to curl around and start touching the skin. The more irritation your face receives, the more you end up touching it. The touching and irritating becomes a vicious cycle of skin irritation. You can put an end to it by trying these natural home remedies:

1. Clay

If your beard is short, you can consider a clay pack. Clay is one of the most effective ways to calm irritated skin, but you must ensure that it is pure and doesn’t contain other ingredients. Green clay (sometimes called montmorillonite or bentonite clay) is useful for our faces.

How to use:

Mix the clay with enough water to create a peanut butter-like consistency. Use this on your problem areas or use it as a face peel and use it all over your face! Let the mixture dry on your face, and then peel or rinse it off.

You can also create a clay pack where you spread the clay and water mixture on a piece of clean fabric before applying it to your skin. Leave it on for as long as you can – ideally until it is dry. Then peel or wash it off.

credit: remediesandherbs.com

You can also buy a large range of clay facial products. Check out amazon for the best sellers and selections for you to choose from.

2. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is where you can feel the grandma’s vibes! Although your grandmother may not open or operate a laptop (or grow a beard), this old home remedy solution can help!

Apple cider vinegar contains citric acid, hindering bacterial growth and preventing infection and itchy skin.

It helps relieve itching by balancing the pH level of the skin. Some other studies suggest that it also kills the microbes responsible for clogging your hair follicles. 

How to use it:

Add one millilitre of apple cider vinegar in ten millilitres of water and mix it well. You can then use a towel or any cotton fabric to dab it on your problem areas.

Make sure you wash your skin well with a pH balanced soap after this treatment. Firstly, you don’t want to smell like vinegar, but also its acidic nature can cause issues if left against the skin for too long.

3. Peppermint leaves

Mint leaves are an excellent solution for dry and itchy skin: Mint’s anti-inflammatory properties make it one of the best itchy beard home remedies.

How to use it:

Grind a handful of mint leaves and squeeze the juice out of them. Apply the juice on the face and itchy areas of your face. This home remedy should immediately soothe any itching or burning.

You can also buy my favourite mint mask, so you don’t have to do hard grinding work!

I like the smell of mint. It’s fresh. Repeat this process as many times as you need to stop the itching!

4. Aloe vera

Aloe vera is a staple of home remedies. It was a huge array of benefits, including hydration, healing promotion and anti-infection. No good medicine cabinet is complete without this incredible gel.

Leaves of Aloe Vera. (Photo by: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)

Although it is very uncommon, some people can have an allergic reaction to Aloe vera.

First-time users should apply the gel to a small section of the skin and wait a day for any reaction.

How to use it:

Aloe Vera is an all-natural remedy that has been used safely for centuries. It is safe to apply to the areas of your beard that are irritated. Do this as often as you’d like without danger.

Rub the gel gently into the affected area with clean hands, and you should notice the relieving effects in under a minute!

Best itchy beard home remedy for ingrown hairs

Ingrown hairs are a common cause of uncomfortable, itchy beards. I get them, particularly around my neck and cheeks. Regular shaving can take a toll on the skin, and these home remedies will help make them less of an issue for your itchy beard!

5. Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate)

Baking soda has a load of benefits for the skin. It can help with dry skin, itchy skin, clear inflamed skin and provide an exfoliant scrub that removes dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.

This therapeutic action is extended to help with your beards ingrown hairs.

How to use it:

Mix 3-4 teaspoons of Baking Soda with water to make a thin paste. Dip a bit of clean cotton or a swab in the paste and apply it to the problem areas.

Let it sit for 30 minutes, and then wash the area with cool water. Because this particular treatment is for ingrown hairs, you should continue the process for a week or so.

6. Cucumber & Milk

You’ve probably seen the image of a person with cucumber slices on their eyes. Well, that’s because there’s some truth to the soothing nature of cucumbers.

Cucumber is a natural, skin-friendly vegetable loaded with useful minerals that have the power to hydrate the skin and keep it fresh and glowing.

For your purposes, the most important thing is that cucumbers have anti-inflammatory properties. When combined with milk, the soothing powers are amplified.

Milk can do wonders to the skin and helps remove the minutest blemish left behind by ingrown hair. Together, cucumber and milk make one of the best home remedies for ingrown beard hairs.

Although the process to make the paste is a little more involved than the other home remedies that we have explored up until now. It is worth the extra time and effort if nothing else has worked for you!

How to use it:

  • Grate two fresh cucumbers and add two tablespoons of milk to them.
  • Refrigerate this mixture for 30 to 45 minutes. 
  • Apply this puree to the affected parts. Let it sit for an hour or so. 
  • Wash with warm water and dab dry.
  • Repeat the process daily for a week.

The awesome thing about this home remedy is that neither cucumbers nor milk has any side effects when used on the skin.

Best itchy beard home remedy for dry skin

The last big reason men experience itchy beards is that faces do not produce as much oil as scalps do. Dry skin is why in my top tips, I recommend using beard oil regularly to keep your beard looking lush and moisturized. Read the other top tips by clicking here.

These are the two best options for combatting your dry skin.

7. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is one of the do-everything oils with no downsides. Studies tell us that coconut oil can penetrate your skin on a deeper level than other products because of the way it bonds with proteins and has a very low molecular weight.

While you can apply coconut oil directly to dry skin, the following method will work better for a deep moisturizing routine.

How to use it:

  • Shower and clean your beard well.
  • While still in the shower, take a quarter-size amount of virgin coconut oil and rub it between your palms to liquify it.
  • Massage the oil onto your beard and make sure that you get into the skin under the hair.
  • Repeat this procedure until the areas you want to be treated are covered in the oil. After gently massaging in the oil, rinse your beard and face with warm water.
  • Carefully step out of the shower and use your towel to pat dry your beard and skin gently. Make sure you pat dry and don’t rub.

This process will leave a nice thin layer of oils on your skin.

8. Adjust your shower temperature

The final bit of advice doesn’t require that you buy any products. It’s more of a behavioural change for those who LOVE hot showers – you may be doing more harm than good!

The American Academy of Dermatology notes that relieving dry skin is sometimes as simple as changing your shower routine. While most people tend to take hot showers, these can scald the skin and cause damage.

When combined with harsh soaps that leave you feeling super clean, you may be doubling down on the problem!

Some soaps that claim to moisturize and repair the skin can cause the opposite effect. They can trigger allergic reactions and make the skin thinner with harsh chemicals.

Take short showers with water that’s warm, not hot. And look for soaps that are fragrance-free and gentler on the skin than traditional soaps.

Frequently asked questions

Medications for beard itch

If you struggle to get to grips with the beard itch and none of the home remedies work for you, you may need to see a doctor as the issue may be a little more serious.

Other more serious issues with your beard may include eczema, inflammation of the hair follicle, beard fungus, or hairs that are more prone to grow under the skin!

Here are some common medications for beard itch that you may need to speak to your doctor about:

  • A cream that contains lactic acid and urea to treat dry skin.
  • Mupirocin (Bactroban) to fight bacterial infections.
  • An antifungal cream to treat fungal infections.
  • Hydrocortisone, clobetasol (Cormax), or desonide (Desonate) can be prescribed to treat seborrheic eczema if the inflammation is noninfectious.
  • Ketoconazole (Nizoral), if the cause of seborrheic eczema, is a fungal infection.

If you use a topical medication, you should see results within a couple of days but speak to your health professional for your particular issues and causes of your beard itch.

Does an itchy beard mean it’s growing?

If your face is itching, there is a chance that your beard could be growing – or it could just be a regular itch. If you are in the latter stages of puberty, it could signify that you have started to form thicker hairs on your face that are curling around and itching your face.

Although, hairs do not typically itch as they emerge from your face. It could be that your hairs are becoming stuck under the skin more regularly than what is considered normal.

If the itching is accompanied by other symptoms like redness or lumps and bumps – then you should seek help from a professional.

Does beard oil stop itching?

Beard oils are wonderful for conditioning hairs and making them soft and well-nourished. Beard oils do an amazing array of things and can affect the beard depending on what carrier oil and essential oils are being used.

If you find that the itching of your beard comes from the curling of the hair to the point that it touches your skin – you may want to condition your hair with beard oil. Conditioning softens the hair and means it isn’t as hard as it touches your skin.

Check out my other article on applying beard oil for beginners – click here.

How to apply beard oil for beginners

Because of the huge array of benefits that beard oil brings to your beard, essentially any time during the day is a good time to apply beard oil for beginners.

My beard oil routine

My daily routine includes shampooing my beard. Using a beard conditioner. Towel drying and then applying beard oil.

You should use beard oil straight out of the shower and at other times during the day if you notice that your beard is on the dry side. Apply less beard oil if you are reapplying it during the day – otherwise, you risk your beard becoming too oily and looking greasy.

Showering and shampooing can strip your beard of the natural oils (sebum) that it needs to stay strong and healthy.

Right after a shower, your pores will be more open which means your skin will absorb a lot more of the oil.

You can also consider using a beard balm after your beard oil if you find that oil is not enough to keep your beard conditioned.

Now, my friends. There is a huge array of beard oil on sale and you can even make your own! But not all beard oil is made equally. You will need to select the right beard oil for your type of beard and its condition.

Here’s my morning routine:

If beard oil doesn’t fix your beard, you should consider some of the other options highlighted in this article.

Irritated skin under your beard

Irritated skin under your beard can be one of the toughest places to treat. You have to make sure that any topical treatment you use makes it to the skin and doesn’t just end up being absorbed by the hair that you have to get through to apply it!

Each application of products to treat irritated skin under your beard should be applied with fingertips in small circular motions.

This action will focus the application on the skin where it is most needed! Here are the steps you can take if the skin under your beard is irritated:

  • Use beard oil with a dropper to get to the skin under your beard
  • Massage with fingertips to remove any dead skin that may be trapped
  • Move your fingertips to multiple locations on your beard
  • Do not scrape the skin by using your comb with too much force on your face
  • Repeat with any medication or home remedies that you have found to help with your beard itch.

The final word

If your beard is itchy and you have tried many different approaches – consider some good old fashioned home remedies!

These are a non-toxic and natural way to relieve your itchy beard problems. What is your best itchy beard home remedy?

The Author


Andy Stapleton

Andy is a writer and YouTuber with a PhD in science. He has written and/or produced videos for Science Alert, COSMOS magazine, and Australia's Science Channel among others. He is an avid beard grower and after many years of growing and trialling different beard styles, he started this blog to share the tips, tricks, and science that he has learned along the way!