Jun 05, 2026

New Beard Growth Guide: Beat the Itch and Build a Simple Beard Care Routine

So you've made the decision. The razor's been shelved, maybe thrown in a drawer somewhere, and you're officially on the path to facial glory. Welcome to the brotherhood, brother. Now what?

Nobody tells you when you start growing a beard that it's not just "stop shaving and wait." Your face is going through some real changes, and if you don't take care of it, you're going to hate your beard before it even becomes a beard. We've seen it happen a thousand times. A guy taps out in the first month, not because he can't grow one, but because nobody told him what the hell to do.

This is that guide. A dead simple beard care routine for beginners, broken down by where you're at in the grow. No fluff, no overcomplicated 12-step systems. Just what you need, when you need it.

Before we get into it, set your expectations on growth rate: the average beard grows about ⅛ of an inch per week, or roughly ½ inch per month. Some guys are Play-Doh Fun Factories and push past that. Others are slow and steady. Both are fine. It's genetics, not a character flaw. The stages below aren't just about length, they're about weeks and months of real time. Know that going in, and you won't get frustrated when your face isn't doing something it's not ready to do yet.

Stage 1: Day 1 to ¼ Inch — The Stubble Phase (approximately weeks 1–2)

What's happening on your face

You've put the razor down and things are starting to poke through. Feels good, right? Don't get too comfortable just yet. This is where the first real test shows up, and it goes by one name:

The Itch.

If you've never grown a beard before, nothing really prepares you for this. It's not subtle. Those freshly cut hairs are sharp little bastards, and as they push through the skin they poke, scratch, and generally make your face feel like it's wrapped in a brillo pad. The itch has ended more beards than bad genetics ever could. Don't let it end yours.

Dry, irritated skin is what makes beard itch worse. The skin under that new stubble isn't used to being covered, and it's losing moisture fast. You need to clean it and moisturize it consistently. Start now, before it gets out of hand.

What products do you need when first growing a beard?

At the stubble stage, your "beard" is really just short hair on your face. You don't need a specialized beard wash yet. That comes later. What you do need is a good, clean bar soap that won't strip the hell out of your skin.

The Mad Viking Beard & Body Soap is exactly what the doctor ordered here. Lather it up and use it on your face every shower. It cleans your stubble and the skin beneath it without nuking your natural oils. Use it on the rest of your body too. Head to toe. One bar, one product, one less thing to think about in the shower. You're already streamlining your morning routine by not shaving, might as well streamline the whole shower while you're at it.

After every shower, spray on the Beard & Body Lotion Spray. Don't skip this step. A few spritzes on your stubble and the skin underneath is how you stop beard itch in its tracks. It's lightweight, absorbs fast, and won't leave you feeling greasy. Works great on any dry skin on your body after you towel off too. One product, beard and body covered.

Your Stage 1 Routine:

In the shower: Wash your face and body with the Beard & Body Soap
After the shower: Spritz on the Beard & Body Lotion Spray

That's it. Simple. Do it every day. This is exactly how you kill the itch before it kills your beard.

Stage 2: ¼ Inch to ½ Inch — The Beard Is Officially Happening (approximately weeks 3–4)

What's happening on your face

You're past the worst of the itch. The hairs are starting to lay down a bit instead of stabbing you in the face. People are starting to notice. You might even be getting the occasional "nice beard, man." You've earned that.

As the hair gets longer, it starts to behave more like actual hair, which means it needs to be treated like actual hair. It'll start to feel coarser, maybe a bit wiry. The skin underneath is more covered now, which means less airflow and more potential for dryness and buildup. Your bar soap routine got you this far, and it'll still serve you well for your body. Your beard is ready to level up though.

When should you start using beard wash?

Once your beard hits the ¼ inch mark, it's time to swap out face soap for a proper beard wash. This is the point where the skin underneath is consistently covered and standard soaps start working against you, stripping the natural oils your growing beard depends on.

Time to bring in the Biotin Beard Wash and Biotin Beard Conditioner. These are purpose-built for beard hair and the skin under it. They're loaded with natural ingredients: organic horsetail extract, nettle leaf, jojoba oil, seaweed extract, pro-vitamin B5, and packed with biotin to promote healthy beard growth. Your beard is no longer just stubble. Treat it accordingly.

Use the Biotin Beard Wash in the shower where you used to use just the bar soap on your face. Work it in well, get it down to the skin. Follow it up with the Biotin Beard Conditioner and let it sit for a minute before you rinse. You'll notice how much softer and more manageable things feel right away.

Something a lot of guys don't know: the Biotin Beard Wash and Conditioner work great on your head hair too. If you're washing your beard, you can run the same products right up through your scalp. One shower, everything covered. Saves time, and honestly your head hair will thank you for it.

Keep using the Beard & Body Soap for your body. It's still doing its job perfectly for the rest of you.

Every shower, every time: Beard & Body Lotion Spray after you dry off. Spray it into your beard and work it through with your fingers. Keeps that skin and hair moisturized between washes.

Your Stage 2 Routine:

In the shower: Biotin Beard Wash on your face (and head if you want), Beard & Body Soap on your body
Still in the shower: Biotin Beard Conditioner, let it sit a minute, then rinse
After the shower: Beard & Body Lotion Spray on your beard and any dry skin

Stage 3: ½ Inch to 1–2 Inches — Now You're Growing a Real Beard (approximately month 2 and beyond)

What's happening on your face

You've got a legit beard now. You've passed the itch phase, powered through the awkward weeks, and people aren't asking "are you growing a beard?" anymore. They can see that you clearly are. It's starting to have some weight to it, some shape. You might be catching glimpses of it when you look down. That never gets old.

The beard is thicker and coarser than ever at this stage, which means keeping it clean and conditioned is essential. Neglect it now and it'll start to look rough, feel rough, and smell rough. Don't let that happen after all this work.

How often should you wash your beard?

This is the stage where you start figuring out your wash frequency. Every beard is different, and yours will tell you what it needs. A good place to start is washing with the Biotin Beard Wash 2-3 times per week, not every day. Daily washing can strip the natural oils your beard is working hard to produce, and at this length those oils matter. What you should do every single day is rinse your beard with water and follow up with the Biotin Beard Conditioner. Rinse, condition, done. Your beard stays clean, soft, and manageable without drying out the hair or the skin underneath.

Your routine at this stage

Same core as Stage 2, with a smarter approach to wash frequency. The Biotin Beard Wash does its job 2-3 times a week. The Biotin Beard Conditioner goes in every day after your rinse. Make sure you're working both products all the way through to the skin. It's easy at longer lengths to just hit the surface of the hair, so take a few extra seconds and massage it down to the roots.

This is also the point where some guys, especially those with thicker, coarser beards, start to feel like the Beard & Body Lotion Spray isn't quite cutting it on the beard itself. If that's you, this is a natural graduation point to beard oil. Beard oil sinks deeper into coarse hair and really locks in moisture in a way that's hard to beat. If you make that move, the Lotion Spray doesn't go away. It just shifts roles. Use it on your dry body skin after the shower, or apply it at night as a leave-in treatment on the beard before bed. It earns its spot either way.

Your Stage 3 Routine:

In the shower: Biotin Beard Wash 2-3x per week (beard and head), Beard & Body Soap on your body
Every shower: Rinse beard and use Biotin Beard Conditioner, let it sit, then rinse
After the shower: Beard & Body Lotion Spray on dry skin or beard as a leave-in at night

Keeping It Simple

That's really all a new beardsman needs to get started. The Mad Viking Skully Pack has it all covered: the Beard & Body Soap, the Biotin Beard Wash, the Biotin Beard Conditioner, and two Beard & Body Lotion Sprays. Everything to clean, condition, and moisturize from Day 1 through your first two inches and well beyond. No excuses for not knowing what to do. No excuses for bailing on the grow because of the itch.

Keep the routine simple. Hit it every day. Let the beard do its thing.

Once you've got some length under your belt and you're ready to take things to the next level, that's when you start exploring beard oils, butters, and balms. The tools that shape, tame, and style a more mature beard. But that's a story for another day. Right now, your only job is to stay the course.

The Skully Pack is your starting kit. Everything else is a bonus. Skål.

GRAB THE SKULLY PACK — GET TO GROWING

BEARD CARE FAQ