Protecting your beard with products is one of the best ways to ensure strong and healthy growth. I know that when I started using Beard balm and dedicated Beard shampoo my Beard improved dramatically. However, all of the different products and maintenance tasks can take up a fair bit of time. That’s when you can maximise your time efficiency by putting products in your beard overnight.
You can put beard butter, oil, and conditioner in your beard overnight. It will slowly penetrate the beard hairs and provide deep hydration and nourishment. Avoid using products with wax in the formulation – there is no need for hold while you are sleeping.
Some people like to put beard butter and oil into their beard overnight so that it is able to penetrate deeply into the beard whilst also being incredibly time-efficient. Some products take approximately 40 minutes to absorb fully into the beard and some people literally cannot wait that amount of time. Instead, why not be super time-efficient and allow your products to absorb into your beard hairs while you sleep – there are just a few tips and tricks that need to happen before that!
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Why overnight?
There are a variety of reasons why you may want to put products in your beard before you go to bed. Perhaps, you have not noticed any particular advantage of using beard oil or butter during your morning routine. You may also want to provide your beard with a deep hydration and use your products efficiently.
Here are some of the best reasons why people are putting beard products into their beard overnight.
Extended time against beard
Everyone’s beard is different and, for some people, the use of beard oil or butter in the mornings simply doesn’t penetrate the hair as efficiently as they would want.
The effectiveness of any product is determined by how well it can absorb into beard hair and this is typically correlated with the amount of time that it sits on the beard.
If your beard is particularly dry and you have tried everything you can to hydrate it you may want to increase the amount of product that you use and allow it to sit against your beard for many hours – that is where using product before you go to sleep makes sense.
The extended time against the beard will increase the likelihood of the product being absorbed by the beard hairs.
So, if you want to ensure that your beard has the maximum potential of absorbing all the goodness from your products – consider putting it in your beard before bedtime.
Save time
Life seems to be getting busier and busier. Even though a very simple beard routine should only take you approximately 10 minutes, some people simply do not have time to spare.
Having a beard takes regular small actions to keep it at its best. This includes shampooing, conditioning, brushing, styling, and skincare. By using beard products at night you are able to save a lot of time by removing the conditioning step.
Conditioning a beard can sometimes take up to 40 minutes for the product to be completely absorbed into the beard hair. Not everyone can wait that amount of time before heading out on their daily missions.
Combining sleep with a deep conditioning treatment is the number one way that you can save time while ensuring your beard is getting the best care possible.
Efficient use of products
beard products aren’t expensive but they certainly can add up over time. I certainly find that even though I put beard balm in my Beard most mornings the constant touching of my face can easily transfer the beard balm all my beard butter to my hands.
If you are using products at night they have the best potential of being efficiently used since they have had the maximum amount of time to be able to absorb into your hair.
Typically, I recommend that you put a lot more product in your beard if you are going for a deep hydration overnight. Even though you are using more product you can be assured that it is being used right at the source of your problems.
Deep hydration treatment
Using products in your beard night also allow you to really hone in and maximise the benefits of a deep hydration treatment. A deep hydration treatment can be worked into a night-time beard routine every so often.
This is what a home treatment deep hydration treatment looks like:
- Get a hot towel (as hot as you can stand) and wrap it around your face and beard – leave it for two to five minutes.
- Buy a good leave-in conditioner or beard butter and use a thumb tip amount and liberally apply to every area on your beard – work it deep with your finger tips.
- Use a wide toothed comb to word the conditioner deep into your beard and to the surface of your skin.
- Place a shower cap over your beard and leave it overnight – this will ensure maximum absorption
- Rinse your beard with water and towel dry your beard
- Add 5 drops of beard oil to your palm and work it through your beard
- Follow up with a beard balm or butter if you want to
These seven steps should leave your beard feeling hydrated like never before. Feel free to repeat these steps as often as you feel that your beard is getting dull.
Signs you need to put stuff in your beard overnight
There are a number of signs and symptoms that your beard may be displaying which tell you that it is time to put products in your beard overnight. This includes dry and brittle hair and if nothing else is working for you putting products in your beard overnight will help!
Nothing else works
If you have found that you have attempted to solve your beard issues with oil, butter, balm, and a range of other products but nothing seems to be working this could be a sign that an overnight Beard treatment may work better for you.
Quite often, people find that their beard is very dry even with oil. If you want to know more about how you can resolve this issue check out my other article – dry beard even with oil – were I go through all of the ways that you can combat a dry beard without just relying on beard oil.
Beard is brittle
If you find that your beard is very easy to break it is a sign that you need to nourish your beard hair deeply. Using a night-time beard routine where you apply products before going to bed is almost certainly going to help with a brittle beard.
Just make sure that you are not going to bed with your beard damp or wet.
Although beard hair is incredibly strong there is an important exception to this rule – when you’re hair is wet.
Wet hair is far weaker than dry hair, which makes it more susceptible to being broken than just about anything else you can do with it.
Pulling on the hair strands are more likely to damage wet hair than dry hair.
Hair is comprised of protein created in the hair follicle. In the middle of the hair are proteins called keratin and they are covered in cuticles which is like a protective covering for the middle of the hair. When hair is wet it absorbs the water and swells. This interrupts the bonds in the hair making it easier to damage.
So, do not go to bed with wet or damp hair as it increases the likelihood of brittle beard hairs becoming damaged as you move against your pillow.
Here are the best products that you can put in your beard overnight!
Best products to put in your beard overnight
Not all beard products are suitable for putting in your beard overnight. Ultimately, you want the beard product to be completely free of waxes and other style holding components such as polymers or gels.
We want to make sure that all of the product has the potential to be absorbed – and doesn’t leave any residue on your beard hair overnight. Here are some of the best products that you can put into your beard overnight.
Beard butter
Beard butter is a fantastic product that contains natural butters that hydrate and condition and repair your beard hair. It leaves a lasting softness, and it will be completely absorbed by the beard overnight. Click here to find out more about beard butter in my ultimate guide.
Beard butter is deeply made up of a butter base which is Shea butter or cocoa butter. Mango butter is also becoming popular as is Babassu Butter.
It also contains beard oils which can impart different vitamins and antioxidants into the beard hair. For example, Argan oil is rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. Whereas, sunflower oil in beard butter can be used to treat dry and damaged skin and psoriasis. Choosing a beard butter that contains the right combination of ingredients for your dry beard problems will also help maximise the effect of the beard butter.
The great thing about beard butter is that it also holds against the beard nicely and isn’t prone to dripping out like beard oil.
Beard oil
Beard oil is one of the staple products in a bearded person’s toolbox. It is typically a carrier oil which can be Argan oil, castor oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, and many other types.
The issue with using beard oil at night is that it is more likely to absorb into your pillows and, in excessive quantities, it may drip out of your beard.
If you are using a beard oil you need to make sure that the primary components are easily absorbed by your beard hair.
For example, jojoba oil is not readily absorbed by the hair – it is much more easily absorbed by the skin. Argan oil is much more readily absorbed by the Argan oil or sweet almond oil.
The only other issue that you need to be concerned about with beard oil is the essential oil that it contains. Essential oils need to be diluted so they do not irritate the skin.
If your beard oil contains a lot of essential oils it has the potential to cause irritation to the skin since at high concentrations it can easily become an irritant.
Beard conditioner
Lastly, you can use a dedicated beard conditioner to condition and nourish your beard overnight. Beard conditioners have been formulated specifically for the conditions on your face. Unlike a hair conditioner they contain a much higher percentage of beard butter and natural oils because your beard is a slightly drier environment than your head.
A beard conditioner can be worked into the beard before sleep and, as long as it is protected against being rubbed off with a beard wrap, it will sit against your beard.
One of the issues with a beard conditioner is that they tend to be water-based. As we saw above, beard hairs are very prone to damage and breakage when they are wet. If you are a heavy sleeper and you tend to rub your face against your pillow I would recommend not using a beard conditioner due to the potential of increased breakage from weakened hair.
If you are a back sleeper, I reckon that this could be an excellent option for you.
You could even get away with a head conditioner as long as it was formulated for dry head hair. It will likely be more watery so extra care has to be made while sleeping.
No matter what product you decide to use and put in your beard overnight here are the simple rules which you can follow to apply your beard products efficiently and safely.
How to apply nightime beard products
Applying beard products at night is slightly different to applying them in the morning or during the day. This is because they sit against your beard for a very long time. Also, during your sleep you are likely to rub off the majority of the product if you are not careful. If they rub off before they are able to absorb into your beard hair it will be a complete waste of time.
Here are the simple rules for application and efficient use of beard products during your sleep.
More but not too much
If you are using beard products at night you typically want to use a little bit more than you used during the day. This is because you want the beard product to sit against your beard hairs for as long as possible.
Do not add so much that your beard becomes caked in the product but just enough to completely coat your beard inside and out. If you are using beard oil you need to make sure that it is not dripping off your beard and it simply looks shinier than usual.
It will take a while to find out what is the best combination of just enough and not too much – but, play about with the amount of product you use to find the best combination of not too much but just enough.
15 minutes before bed
Ideally, you would apply your product about 15 minutes before you head to bed. In about 15 minutes the product will have slightly absorbed into your beard hairs.
If you go to bed straight after applying your beard product it is likely going to rub off on to your pillow and not give you the best effects possible. By allowing the product to start its absorption process into your beard you maximise the effectiveness of the overnight treatment.
Brush thoroughly
Brush your beard thoroughly to distribute the product thoroughly.
You should use a soft bristle brush with natural fibres to completely distribute the beard product throughout your beard from root to tip. Feel free to use your fingers to push the product deep into your beard if you have a long one.
Using a natural fibre bristle brush also allows you to limit the amount of product that is in your beard – the brush will remove the extreme access.
After the product has been evenly distributed throughout your entire beard you should cover it.
Cover your beard
Covering your beard, if you decide to put product in at night, is going to be one of the most efficient methods of keeping the product where it will be most effective – against the beard hair.
One of the best products you can use is a beard wrap. If you want to find out some of the best beard wraps for sleeping check out my other article – click here.
Beard wrap
A beard wrap helps in two primary ways.
Firstly, if you move a lot during your sleep wearing a beard wrap may help protect you against breakages and damage to the hairs on your face.
As we move during our sleep it is common for hares to get trapped to be twisted and to be bent in under natural ways. Each one of these movements damages the outer sheath of the hair which means it is more susceptible to damage from sunlight and pollution. If you are particularly aggressive mover during your sleep you can even snap the hairs by constant rubbing on the pillow.
Wearing a beard wrap means that you are minimising the amount of torsional stress on the beard hair as the silk or satin lining creates a smoother surface for your beard to sit against. The slippery nature of these materials means that they are less likely to get caught up and subject to unnecessary strain.
And, secondly, it simply protects the products from being wiped off onto your pillow or bedsheets.
In the morning
In the morning, simply remove the beard wrap and go about your normal morning routine as usual. If you find your beard is still full of product you may wish to remove the access with either water or a beard shampoo.
What NOT to put in your beard overnight
Besides what you camper in your beard at night there are a few things that you definitely shouldn’t put in your beard at night. As a general rule of thumb, this includes anything that contains a wax or style holding component – as this will simply sit against your beard and not absorb into the hair.
Examples of products that you should not put into your beard at night include:
- Beard balm
- Beard wax
- Shampoo
Summary
In this article, we have gone over what you should put in your beard at night if you want a dehydration treatment. We have gone through the entire process and how you can maximise its efficiency.
