Category: Journal Entry

Nothing beats the joy of concocting a blend of your favorite essential oils, offering both delightful fragrances and potential health benefits. At Kavemen, we're passionate about empowering you to explore the realms of DIY perfumery and grooming product crafting. If you've ever found yourself wondering about the right blend combination to achieve specific aromatherapy effects or scents, you're in the right place.Dabbling in aromatherapy reveals the benefits associated with using essential oils. While it may seem overwhelming at first, fear not! With a few basic steps and our expert guidance, you'll soon find yourself effortlessly crafting aromatic masterpieces.Understanding Scent Notes In the world of perfumery, scent notes are categorized into three distinct classes: top, middle, and base notes. Top notes provide the initial impression of a fragrance, with light and fresh scents that dissipate quickly. Middle notes, also known as heart notes, emerge once the top notes fade, influencing the overall aroma and longevity. Finally, base notes form the foundation of a fragrance, offering long-lasting, rich scents.Here's a quick breakdown of essential oils categorized by scent notes:Top Scent Notes: Grapefruit Bergamot Eucalyptus Lavender Lemon Lime PeppermintMiddle Scent Notes: Cinnamon Clary Sage Jasmine Rose Tea TreeBottom Scent Notes: Cedarwood Frankincense Ginger Myrrh Sandalwood Vanilla Ylang YlangNow that you're familiar with scent notes and layers, it's time to start experimenting with blending essential oils. Here are some blending ratio rules to get you started:The 30-50-20 Rule: Use 10 drops of three different essential oils. Use 30% of your top note oil, 50% of your middle note oil, and 20% of your base note oil.The Perfect Balance: Use 15 drops of essential oils, divided equally among top, middle, and bottom notes. Ideal for blending oils within the same category.Start with the base note oil and gradually add middle and top notes. Perfect for creating complex blends with complementary scents. Tips for Blending Essential OilsStart small and experiment with different combinations. Allow blends to rest for 24 to 48 hours to fully develop their scent. Keep a notebook to track your blends and impressions. Use high-quality essential oils for best results.In Conclusion Crafting your own perfumes and grooming products is not only rewarding but also a journey of self-discovery. At Kavemen, we're here to support you every step of the way. Have a favorite blend or recipe to share? We'd love to hear from you! Join the conversation in the comments below and let's explore the endless possibilities of DIY perfumery and grooming together.

In the world of grooming, finding the right products to maintain your beard and hair can be a daunting task. The good news is, we've created a game-changing solution: our Styling Clay enriched with Glacier Marine Clay, Hempseed Oil, King Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Pine, Cedarwood, and Sandalwood Essential Oils. But wait, there's more! We also offer a Styling Balm with the same fantastic ingredients, except without the Marine Clay. In this journal, we'll explore how these products work their magic, helping you achieve your desired look and level of hydration.

The All-Purpose Styling Clay

Our Clay is a grooming masterpiece, formulated with a powerful blend of natural ingredients. Let's break down its key components and why they make it the ideal choice for both your beard and hair:Glacier Marine Clay: The star of the show, this rare ingredient is rich in minerals and detoxifies the skin and hair while providing a lightweight, matte finish. Hempseed Oil: Packed with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, hempseed oil nourishes your beard and hair, promoting growth and strength. King Coconut Oil: Known for its hydrating properties, this oil keeps your facial hair and scalp moisturized without making them greasy. Beeswax: Beeswax provides a firm hold, making styling your beard and hair a breeze while locking in moisture. Shea Butter: Shea butter is a true hero for your beard and hair, offering deep hydration and promoting softness and manageability. Pine, Cedarwood, and Sandalwood Essential Oils: These oils not only impart a refreshing and earthy scent but also have antimicrobial properties to keep your beard and hair smelling great and healthy.

The Matte Finish Magic

One of the standout features of our Clay is its ability to deliver a matte finish. This makes it perfect for those who prefer a natural look with less shine and oil on their face or scalp. Here are some benefits of choosing our Clay:No More Shine: If you struggle with excessive oiliness on your face or scalp, our Clay can help control that shine and give you a clean, matte appearance. Long-Lasting Hold: The beeswax in our formula ensures that your beard and hair stay in place throughout the day, no matter how unruly they may be. Mineral-Rich Detox: Glacier Marine Clay detoxifies your skin and hair, removing impurities and leaving you feeling refreshed.

Styling Clay

$15.00 $9.99

Styling Balm

$15.00 $9.99

The Satin Finish Solution: Styling Balm

Now, let's turn our attention to our Styling Balm, which shares many of the same fantastic ingredients but has one key difference: it doesn't contain Glacier Marine Clay. This distinction results in a satin finish, perfect for those who desire a slightly glossier look with extra moisture.Here's why our Styling Balm is an excellent choice:Hydration Boost: Without the clay, our Styling Balm offers an added dose of moisture to your beard and hair, keeping them soft and supple. Healthy Shine: Achieve a polished look with a subtle shine, making your beard and hair appear well-groomed and refined. Same Great Scent: You'll still enjoy the delightful fragrance of pine, cedarwood, and sandalwood essential oils, giving you that signature fresh and earthy scent.Choosing the Right Product for YouSo, which product should you choose: Styling Clay or Styling Balm? It all comes down to your personal grooming preferences and needs. Go for Clay if you want a matte finish, excellent hold, and a detoxifying boost for your beard and hair. Opt for Styling Balm if you prefer a satin finish, extra hydration, and a polished look.In conclusion, our Styling Clay and Styling Balm offer the perfect grooming solutions for every discerning individual. Whether you want a matte or satin finish, both products harness the power of natural ingredients to keep your beard and hair looking and feeling their best. Make your choice today and experience the difference for yourself. Your grooming routine will never be the same!

Beards have made a serious comeback in recent years and it looks like they’re here to stay. Getting in on the beard game isn’t for the faint-of-heart though, and it requires discipline, commitment and consistency. Coincidentally, something else that requires the same attributes is working out, and as it turns out, beards and body-building share a symbiotic relationship and can even be argued as being essential for the modern (Kave)man.Testosterone First, we have the most obvious point which is boosting the manliest of hormones, testosterone. It is something that not everyone is blessed equally with. While some men are winners of the testosterone lottery and are able to have a steady flow regularly, there are others who have to put some effort into maintaining their testosterone levels. These habits and activities become very useful earlier than you might think because natural testosterone levels begin to dwindle by around 1% each year after the age of 30. There are two main attributes of beard growth that are affected by testosterone levels and these are growth-rate, and beard fullness. Evidence suggests that optimal beard growth is a result of testosterone and DHT, Dihydrotestosterone, working together. The latter is a by-product of testosterone and is responsible for linear beard growth and beard fullness. You might think...wait a minute, isn’t that more or less everything to do with having an impeccable beard? Does testosterone even do anything with facial hair? Well yes...it still does. More than the hair itself, testosterone is responsible for hair follicles. During our early years, hair follicles are maintained by stem cells. As we get older, stem cell production slows down, and hair follicles grow weaker. That is when testosterone begins to play a role in ensuring facial hair follicles are primed and performing at full capacity. There are several ways to stimulate testosterone levels but the healthiest way to do so is through exercise.Circulation As Dracula once said, "the blood is the life". This is especially true when it comes to one’s facial hair follicles since blood flow is crucial to their longevity. Back in 2001, researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital conducted an experiment that proved larger blood vessels not only maintain the functioning of facial hair follicles at a maximum but can also cure baldness. PRP treatments have proven that our blood alone has magical properties when it comes to hair growth. Long story short, PRP treatments involve extracting a small amount of blood from a subject or patient, placing said blood in a centrifuge to separate the plasma, and then injecting the subject’s own plasma back into specific areas of their body that require regeneration. In the modern-day, such treatments are at the forefront of remedies to cure baldness. You might be thinking…what does this have to do with working out? Well, that’s where circulation comes in. During exercises, especially those that are cardio-intensive, blood circulation increases exponentially. Constant exercise goes a long way in maintaining hair follicles and preventing their deterioration. This leads to fuller and faster beard growth. I suppose at the end of the day, if you want to grow a beard glorious enough to make a Viking blush, you’ll need a workout routine to match. By maintaining a balance of strength training and cardio workouts you will seriously boost not only the rate but quality of your beard growth too. The increase of muscle mass will boost testosterone and the cardio workouts will keep your hair follicles healthy and working at full capacity.Diet Any serious fitness freak would stress the importance of nutrition when it comes to maintaining a disciplined workout routine. Without the right ingredients, the exercise will likely result in more harm than good. Interestingly enough, a lot of the foods that one might consume as a result of a fitness routine are the same foods that help out with facial hair growth. Lean proteins such as salmon and chicken can boost testosterone levels. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins contribute to increasing the quality of your beard, as well as foods high in Zinc such as meats, eggs, nuts and even dairy products. Pretty much all of these are staples in the kinds of diets gym rats and fitness freaks adhere to. Even Keto diets contain a lot of foods that help beard growth, especially items such as Avocados which are rich in healthy fats. An absolute necessity when it comes to working out is staying hydrated, and this too...you guessed it...contributes to a healthy beard. If you’re not drinking enough water, your facial hair will become dry and splintery, instead of the luscious face mane that you need. Drinking lots of water helps out with a lot of the body’s functions and increases your overall holistic health to a great degree.Stress Believe it or not, stress is one of the biggest adversaries when it comes to maintaining a badass beard. Stress increases cortisol levels and throws your hormones off balance. This means low testosterone, low-DHT, and low-quality beard growth. Incredibly, stress also reduces the flow of vitamins and nutrients to vital areas of the body...and yes, these include facial hair follicles. Regular exercise maintains a decent flow of endorphins which are great mood boosters and help us stay relaxed throughout the day. Exercise is also a great way to channel stress into something so much more constructive and beneficial, and as the saying goes...turning pain into power.Conclusion Well, there you have it! Exercise is probably your beard’s best friend now that you think about it. Working out regularly will also obviously result in you looking your best self, and a handsome physique always looks better with a beard...and the other way around. If you’re serious about your beard game, then you better be serious about your workout routine.

Why can't I grow a beard like yours?

This is something that a lot of young men wonder about when they hit that age. Growing up you might have seen your dad rock that beard and thought to yourself "one day, I am going to be just like him!" now that you are a young man and unable to grow that beard, you might get disappointed by it. Well, I am here to tell you, all is not lost. You are made up of the genetics of your immediate family, "gene recipe". That means each of us has a unique set of chemical blueprints affecting how our body looks and functions. These blueprints are contained in our DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), long, spiral-shaped molecules found inside every cell. DNA carries the codes for genetic information and is made of linked pieces (or subunits) called nucleotides.Your dad has that genetic gift for beards. You either don't have it, or it hasn't kicked in yet. In most cases, the young men who contact me in their early 20s or late teens. Just because their peers are blessed with a beard at their age, they compare themselves to others. Age, genetics and body conditions play a big part in beard growth. I do not know how old you are, for some men it could take longer than others to grow a beard. What I can tell you is that you can create a perfect body condition for your beard to grow.

To understand this, we need to first break down why a beard grows.

The number one condition for anyone to grow facial hair is Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). So let's look at what DHT do? DHT is an offshoot of testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone that’s available in both men and women. Both of these are androgens or hormones that contribute to male sex characteristics when you go through puberty.

Here are a few key characteristics you gain overtime with DHT:

- deep voice - increase body muscle mass - body and facial hair - growth of the penis and testicles as the sperm production begins - alterations in how fat is stored in your bodyDHT is a hormone with powerful androgenic properties. This important hormone plays a role in puberty and helps men develop their adult male characteristics.

Problems related to Dihydrotestosterone:

Sometimes both men and women can struggle with high levels of dihydrotestosterone, which stems from excess testosterone production. In men, high levels cause few identifiable changes. However, women who have high dihydrotestosterone levels may have issues with the excess body and facial hair. They may also struggle with adult acne and menstruation. A dihydrotestosterone inhibitor may be able to help restore natural levels of the dihydrotestosterone hormone. (source)Now that we know what Testosterone and DHT are, let's look at how can increase these levels for our benefit.

Eat right

There are several benefits to eating the right type of food. The main reason is you are eating right is because you need to get the right nutrient into your body. Nutrients play a major role in maintaining your hormone levels your body requires. Think of it as the fertiliser for your hair. So, try to include the following in your daily meals. Eggs, beans, beef, cereal and greens.Eggs because it has a higher level of nutrients you need. Remember the first Rocky movie? how he used to break eggs right after his workout in the morning? you don't need to drink take raw eggs or egg smoothies. Just include scrambled eggs or egg yolks into your diet. It has plenty of protein your body needs and low in calories.

Beef

A staple for any Kaveman. Just a steak would give you a healthy amount of nutritional boost to increase your testosterone levels. People who eat meat have more growth, it helps muscle gains & fat loss and provides you with the energy that you need. Make sure you get the right cuts and quality beef. Eating low-quality beef might even lower your testosterone levels.

Beans

If you are iffy about including meat in your diet for some reason. Try this on for size! Beans have plenty of vitamin, D and zinc. It is also packed with nutrients, for a vegetarian, this is a great addon for your heart.

Leafy greens

Another great addition to your diet. Listen to your mum, "eat your greens kid!" it is indeed an important part of any healthy diet. They're not only packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre but also low in calories. Green leaves like spinach are high in magnesium, which is another nutrient associated with higher testosterone levels. Other benefits of leafy greens are: reduce risk of heart disease, lowers the risk of obesity, reduce stress and also blood pressure.

Cruciferous vegetables

As you age, your testosterone levels get lower and your estrogen levels increase. It's best to include these in your diet because vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, turnip and cabbage tend to help with testosterone levels by reducing estrogen levels.

Cereals

Sometimes fresh vegetables are hard to come by. If you like me, I like cereals in the morning. Whole-grain cereals made from oats, corn, wheat and rice are packed with much-needed vitamins. Vitamin D, folic acid is added to these along with other nutrients. These added benefits will help you with your heart health and keep that cholesterol levels in check. Make sure you check the nutrition table on the back of the pack. Not all brands are great so make sure you know what you are buying.Now that we have covered the nutrients and meals. let's talk about other ways we can increase our testosterone levels.

Exercise

HIIT / High-intensity interval training exercise. Over the years I have tried different types of work out methods, this is by far the favourite. Studies have shown that HIIT workout has the benefit of increasing T levels in men. So if you are looking for a way to get rid of that extra weight this is a great start. If you are a beginner, start with Tabata workout plans then gradually work your way up to HIIT.

Weightlifting

This is a no-brainer, but a great deal of research has been conducted on this subject over the years. Research has shown that lifting heavier weights is the best form of exercise to boost testosterone and help balance your estrogen levels. Dr. Jadick said: “As muscle mass increases, it will trigger the body to produce more testosterone.” (source)I suggest mixing up both HIIT, Tabata and weight lifting, doing so will not only enhance testosterone but will also promote a healthy heart.You also want to avoid doing cardio workouts for a longer time. “Chronic endurance exercise — such as cycling or running for hours — has been shown to decrease testosterone,” says Dr. Jadick. “ (source)This does not mean completely stop everything you do. I'd recommend working on your plan and make slight changes based on your goals.

Lower body fat

As you eat right and workout your body fat levels get to reasonable levels. Body fat carries estrogens another hormone that is an offshoot of testosterone. Unfortunately, estrogen won't positively help you (source). So it's best to keep it in control by lowering your body fat. By doing all the above you will have testosterone-producing more DHT which is what we are after. DHT will also stop testosterone from producing estrogen so it's a win-win situation...

Get some shut-eye!

Even plants need night time to grow. So make sure you get some good night sleep. This is different from one person to another, there are so many debates about how much sleep you need. As we get older, this is something we neglect as well. On average try to get somewhere between 7 to 10 hours per night and every night. If you don't get enough sleep on a day, try to make up for it over the weekend. This is a must, your body needs to heal, grow and rejuvenate.

Let it grow!

I can't emphasize enough how important is just letting your damn beard grow. Like a leaf on a plant, once its cycle is over the hair will fall off. The follicle will stay active for another 2 to 3 months so another hair can grow in that place and the process then repeats. That hair will be stronger and healthier than before due to the nutrients you feed your body. Most of the young men I speak to tell me that their growth has not improved over the few weeks or few months of applying oil. In most cases, they tend to either trim their beard to shape as it grows. My advice is to let it grow, and let the natural cycle complete. If you are just starting your beard journey and you want a healthier beard. Just give it time, keep your razor and trimmer away. Use a comb or a brush to style your beard during the first few months of the year.

Seek professional help

Maybe if you think you are genetically challenged when it comes to T levels in your body. You might want to get it checked. If it's below the average, your doctor might be able to give you some professional advice like TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy).

Avoid DHT blocking products

Start looking at what ingredients blocks DHT. From what you eat to what you apply to your skin. There are a lot of beard oils, shampoos and skincare products with ingredients that would reduce or block your DHT. Using these will only stunt your growth. Here's a quick list of things you should look out for if you are suffering from slow beard growth.

DHT blocking foods:

- Green tea - Coconut oil - Onions (and other foods rich in quercetin) - Turmeric - Pumpkin seeds - Edamame - Caffeine (source)

DHT blocking oils:

- Argan oil - Coconut oil - Tea tree oil - Rosemary oil - Lavender oil (source)

DHT-safe beard oils and products

As you all know we at Kavemen try to make something new every day, we like to solve real-life problems and make the best products for our fellow Kavemen. As we did more and more research into this issue, we found a gap in the market for DHT-safe beard oils. Yes, there are plenty of products out there that offers you beard growth. But, none of them has done their true research (which isn't a lot). So we decided to make our own DHT-safe beard oil to make things easier for you. Again, this is not a simple solution for a complex issue. So as I mentioned above, there are a lot more things that happen in your body that will help your beard growth. What we want to make sure of is that by having this oil you won't have to worry about blocking the already existing growth by using an incorrect product. We have two fragrances of DHT-Safe beard growth oils to help you guys out. We are cooking few other products as well (shhh...).But, hey! I just got here to get my beard grown. I know it's easy to believe all these adverts and buy some "too good to be true" product and expect your beard to grow in two weeks. Well like I said, too good to be true. Everyone's body is different, and we are all at different stages of our lives. My advice is to learn how your body operates, as you get older this will have a significant impact on your life. Take your time and adapt as much as you can. I know none of these can be done overnight, you will get there eventually in your own time and on your own. Above all, accept you for who you are! there's nothing wrong with having a patchy beard or no beard at all. Rock the style that works for you. Have practical expectations and goals. Making these small changes in your lifestyle may get you a bit closer to your goal, as a bonus you will end up with a healthier lifestyle.

We've been working on some new products during early covid lockdowns last year.  As you may have recalled, the reason we created Pine tar soap is to fight dandruff, acne and most importantly eczema and psoriasis. Taking the same roots, we went on to look for other soaps that we can create using natural ingredients to solve skincare issues. Here's what we did!There were some dried ingredients we wanted to use in our soap making. Instead of just throwing them into the soap match we decided to try something new, but old-school! This time we wanted to try out sun-infusion or solar infusion. This an ancient technique that gently releases the medicinal properties from flowers, leaves, skins, fruit, bark, resins, seeds even minerals, resin and wood into carrier oils. Usually, the oils are left in the sun for about four weeks sometimes for years. Since this is our first attempt, we infused these oils for nearly three months (during the covid lockdown last year). Though this is a slow and time-consuming method, this enables all the constituents of the plant to thoroughly infuse into the oil. So yeah, it took us about four months to complete making these soap bars, including the curing time :'DHere are our infusions: Sandalwood chips, dried rosebuds, dried mint leaves, the carrier oil we went with golden king coconut oilSweet Rose soap: Perfect combination of Lavender, Rose, Vanilla and Ylang-Ylang. This will help you calm your nerves and help you sleep like a baby after a long day of work. Ideal for anyone who’s looking for a sweet change. Rose antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties, which makes this soap ideal to topically treat a host of skin conditions. So if you are looking for a soap to help your skin problems and smell amazing, this is the one for you.    Beer and spice: This is one of those crazy alchemist products we wanted to try out. Why beer? beer has been used to help acne, eczema and skin irritations for years. beer soap is known to have great moisturising properties. Beer is made with hops which contain skin-softening amino acids that can help soothe irritated and inflamed skin. So this is the best solutions for anyone who's struggling with itchy beard, scalp and fighting ache. On top of that, the Brew's yeast in the beer works as an antibacterial agent, which can help fight acne.    For this particular soap, we decided to use light beer. Beer is traditionally made with water, barley malt, hops, yeast using a natural brewing processes. The beer and the combination of pure essential oils in this bar give this soap a nice clean and delightful smell.In addition to this, this soap bar not only great for your skin but also doubles down as a great beard/hair bar because beer tightens the cuticle of the hair shaft while the proteins from the malt and hops covers or coats the hair, builds it up and add lustre and body.Yeti 2.0: This is an update of our old Yeti bar. Thanks to all our customer feedback from version 1. We have upgraded this soap bar with sun-infused mint leaves, added more methol to pack a punch! (3% which is still below the safe amount). Meet the new Yeti 2.0! Named after the monstrous beast, famously known as the Abominable Snowman said to inhabit the Himalayans, a place where only those with true grit dare to go. This handcrafted soap bar will cool you down after long, hot days. Best used in cold showers, this will help wake your body up, inducing a higher state of alertness and make you ready to seize the day!Other ingredients included in the soaps are: Shea Butter: gives our soap a wonderfully rich and luxurious lather that feels soothing to the skin. Shea butter in soap is known to help temporarily relieve the mild symptoms of eczema and mild itching. Mango butter: Rich in vitamins A and E, Mango Butter has a deep moisturizing and regenerative effect on both strands and scalp. It fortifies strands from the inside out, softens dry hair, reduces breakage, and smooths split ends. Mangoes have proved to be effective in soothing irritated skin and reducing symptoms of eczema and psoriasis.For anyone who has access to herbs, fruits and spices, and lots of time. Try making some sun-infused oils, this will be a great addition to your medicine chest. We are in the process of working on a few more variety, so do let us know what you would like us to work on.

Despite all the changes we all experienced we've made it through 2020. We are certainly ready for a fresh start and another growing season of production. For 2021 we have upgraded our website to start with, like every year before we have added some new products, features based on the feedback that we got the year before. So do let us know if you have any issues with your orders by simply writing to us on our social media platforms, email or phone.Once again, these changes are to improve the user experience and adapt to our business goals. If you have been ordering from us for many years, you may recall we tend to update our website once a year or so (perks of doing everything in-house). If you are new to our website, you may have found us by searching for beard oils, balms or hair care products, and we're certainly glad you found us! While we specialise in these amazing handcrafted products, we also are expanding our horizon into a variety of new products. So expect some new products in the coming days.We have disabled cash-on-delivery for domestic orders. This is a much difficult decision, but we had to make this call due to complications that come with COD. Unfortunately, we are having difficulties finding the right service provider and keeping up with cancellations. Since we only make small-batch products, if someone cancels that means another person is losing the opportunity to make that purchase. Due to covid-19, we find it unsafe to accept returns as well. So as for now, we are only accepting pre-paid (via our website) orders. Maybe in the future, once we have found a solution, we might have it back.We have made USD as the default currency on our website. This is so we can serve more customers around the world. At the same time, it makes more sense to keep in USD since we make purchases in USD for the ingredients. As a local business, we still have LKR as an option for you so you can select LKR from the currency switcher (which will automatically pick LKR based on your geolocation in Sri Lanka).As always, we love to hear feedback from you and are ready to answer any questions you might have.

Most of us guys want a magnificent beard, even epic like Gandalf the grey! but, like for many getting there is the problem. We always think it's just like letting it grow and forget about it. You can't be more wrong. To own an epic beard means you must go through a journey. Today I want to talk about why grooming your beard is an important part of this journey. Grooming your self does not mean you go to a fancy barber and let him take care of your beard. Sure, you can throw money at someone once in a while, but that's not something you can do all the time. Especially when there is a pandemic outbreak. What I mean is what you can do to maintain a healthy beard while you are at home.

#1 Get your self a wide-tooth comb.

When you step out of the shower with a wet, tangled beard, you'll have a question of where to begin taming it back into shape? The Beard Comb should be your first best choice. When wet, Your beard is at its weakest and it doesn’t take much to stress your beard hair beyond its limit. That may cause irreparable damage. A comb’s wide-spaced teeth are ideal for untangling a beard without putting extreme strain on the delicate hair follicles underneath. Make sure you pat dry your beard when it's wet, let it air dry a bit in front of a fan or just let it dry for a bit while you are making your morning coffee. When you are ready to style your beard, grab your trusty beard comb and start with few strokes, which means less strain on your face and beard roots. This would allow you to get rid of any dead skin stuck in your hair and untangle some knots. If you need to straighten things out, then imagine the style that you need, then put your comb to work and craft the ultimate look. By a few passes with the comb can give you looking sharp and stylish in no time. It also trains facial hair so that it can grow in the direction that you want. Combing the beard is essential every day as it causes hairs to grow, to have a fuller and manly beard. This will also help you get your blood flowing in your skin, which ultimately helps with beard hair growth.

#2 Applying beard oil.

This would be the ideal time to start applying your favourite beard oil on. Get a couple of drops and rub it into your beard and skin. Once that's out of the way, make a couple of passes using your comb to bring beard back to shape. If you have a longer beard, feel free to apply your beard balm to style as well. Keep in mind that you should be using a wooden or horn comb, something that's made out of natural material. These will generally work well with oil. The advantage is that the excess oil will be absorbed into the wood or horn and it'll leave your hair less greasy looking and healthier. You don't want to use plastic since it will only damage your skin and hair. Natural combs glide through the skin/hair, without weakening it from the root or snapping it.

#3 Brush brush brush!

Beard Brush works nicely when the beard is completely dry. If you have a longer, curly beard like mine. I'd recommend getting your self a natural brush. There are several options, but my favourite is a boar bristle brush. The alternative is horsehair brush or synthetic hair brushes. A brush can cover a much larger area of the facial hair, that allows you to more effectively define its overall shape. A brush is also perfect for directing your whiskers in a particular direction, that is essential for training your facial hair to grow and look the way you exactly need. It is also valuable for the way they help properly distribute the oils of your beard. Dab on a little amount of your favourite oil, and work it in well with a brush. You should know that healthy beards mean healthy skin. There is no rule that you have to use one tool and stick with it. Feel free to find the tools that fit your grooming routine. Beard brushes and combs can be used in many different situations, but using both at the right times can help your beard look better, and last longer. Example, having a comb or a brush can come in handy if you are wearing a mask to work/commute. Usually, once you remove your mask, your beard can look like a trainwreck. So before you jump on that zoom call, grab your trust tools and style it back to shape. When you start blending these items into your daily beard care routine, you can see how you ever went without them. Maintaining a healthy-looking beard involves more than just letting the beard grow. You need to use beard grooming products like beard oil and grooming tools like beard combs and brushes to keep your beard supple and healthy. Until next time, Stay safe and stay awesome!

Wondering where to buy beard balms? I mean there are an abundant amount of brands out there selling these ready-made products, one can sure get confused on which one to pick. This article is not about "Mine is better than yours!", this is to mainly on how you should pick your product. To answer this question, you must first understand why one must apply beard balm or what does it do. I have written a few similar articles in the past, today I am going to go in to bit more detail on the ingredients.Unlike beard oils or conditioners, the beard balm is something mainly used for styling. To take control of your beard so you can tame it or style it the way you want. That is what expected.Before I started making my own products I bought products online like anybody else, mostly these were commercial products from different eCommerce websites. My first experience wasn't that great. Most of them would just melt, don't give a hold that I wanted for my beard or just don't smell right. Some of them were chalky and the texture isn't the same as I expected. This is where my research into the styling product began. It took me over a year to find the ingredients I needed to make the balms the way I wanted. And few more years to fine-tune my recipe. Made different types of alterations to and tested within my friends' group. I'm sure everyone who's been following Kavemen through social media or know me personally have tried and tested these samples I made in the past.Throughout the research, I found out that beard balm itself is not only used as a styling product but also works as a leave-in conditioner. But the benefits don't stop there. To understand how these natural ingredients help, we need to dissect the recipe.Let me give you a breakdown on each ingredient and where and how these things help.Beeswax: This has been used for centuries in old school medicine. Coming from Sri Lanka, you must have seen these in ayurvedic medicinal ointments. The anti-inflammatory properties of beeswax encourage the healing of wounds, scratches and cuts. It is also protective, helping form a barrier between the skin and the environment without clogging pores. Also keep in mind that beeswax has a higher amount of vitamin A, which has been found to support cell reconstruction and health. One of the biggest benefits is moisture. The vitamin A content in beeswax helps to moisturise hair/beard, while its overall formula locks in that moisture. This is why I prefer using beeswax, oppose to petroleum jelly which is not a natural substance (more about that another time). Locking in moisture means your skin won't get dry throughout the day which means this can help fight the beard itch and dryness that you often get. People who find their hair difficult to manage also use beeswax to smooth flyaway strands, keep styles intact, and straighten their hair. It’s particularly useful for natural hair as well as twisted and braided styles.Shea butter: Due to its high concentrations of fatty acids and vitamins make shea butter an ideal cosmetic ingredient for softening skin. The moisturising and anti-oxidant property work together to help your skin generate healthy new cells. It can restore the barrier between the skin and the outside environment, holding moisture in and reducing your skin from dryness. It can help to fight infections caused by fungi. Shea butter is also the reason why the balm melts in your hands. Giving the beard balm it's spreading texture. Balms without shea butter or similar types of butter would be grainy/chalky.King coconut oil: Golden King Coconut oil is included in a unique mixture of natural fats, which makes it useful in healing both skin and hair. King coconut oil is a transparent oil with a comforting smell. Golden King Coconut oil is very useful in treating the skin from acne-prone skin, improve the skin barrier function and repair. It can work wonders on dry itchy skin and protect the skin from harmful bacteria. It also contains antioxidants that prevent ageing so keep the skin bright and alive. Golden King Coconut oil can easily enter the strands and even prevent protein loss. It can help lower the levels of yeast on the skin that turn infection flaking, and itching associated with dandruff. And also an excellent remedy for hair loss and thinning.Argan oil: Moroccan Argan oil is a plant oil produced from the roots of the argan tree. This oil is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants which is required for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It is also used for varieties of cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Moroccan Argan oil can be applied directly to your skin to reduce the plague caused by injuries or infections. It can luxuriously hydrate and infuse with moisture and maintain healthy skin. It is very effective in treating acne. If you struggle with dry skin or general irritation, argan oil may provide a solution. Moroccan Argan oil can leave your hair beautiful, shiny, and nourished with each use. It can consistently restore shine to dull lifeless hair. You can apply argan oil directly to damp or dry hair to improve moisture, reduce breakage, or reduce fizz.Jojoba extract (aka jojoba oil): Golden Jojoba oil, also commonly known as Jojoba Oil is not really an oil but rather a liquid wax ester. In the early 18th century, Native Americans used to ground Jojoba seeds into a salve to apply on skin and hair as a conditioner and a natural skin remedy. This is also one of the closest extracts we have that is similar to Sebum (a waxy substance our skin produces to keep it from getting dry - more about that here). When you apply jojoba oil on your beard or scalp, your skin is soothed and moisturised. Once applied it sends a signal to your hair and sweat follicles that your skin doesn’t need any additional sebum for hydration hence regulating the sebum production. In result, your beard, hair and skin look shiny and helps prevent acne caused by clogged pores.One of the best things I found about this amazing oil is that it helps with dry skin and itchiness. Thanks to it's anti-inflammatory and healing properties. Topical application may help relieve dryness, flaking, itching, and related symptoms. People who have inflammatory skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema may find jojoba oil especially beneficial.King coconut oil: King coconut oil is very useful in treating the skin from acne-prone skin, improve the skin barrier function and repair. King coconut oil can work wonders on dry itchy skin and protect the skin from harmful bacteria. This oil contains antioxidants that prevent ageing so keep the skin bright and alive. This has been used in Sri Lankan ayurvedic medicine for treating hair and skin conditions of ages.Essential oils: I have been collecting essential oils since I started this hobby. The Egyptians cultivated plants for their oils and used them extensively in their religion, in cosmetics as well as for medicinal purposes. Historians believe it was the true birthplace of essential oils, or 'aromatherapy' as we know it today. These aromatic extracts and resins were used in their daily routines and even embalming processes. Most of the essential oils have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, soothing properties and some even aphrodisiac properties. It takes quite a lot of plant base to extract a small quantity of the oils. With great benefits comes a greater price tag as well. There are a few essential oils which are not so expensive you can find the market place, which is still great. But, the ones which are considered rare and exotic and can be very expensive.Fragrance oils: While essential oils are made with 100% natural extracts, fragrance oils or flavour oils are made with a mixture of natural and synthetic extract. There are two types of fragrance oils out there in the market. Natural and synthetic. While natural fragrance oils are mostly a diluted version or a byproduct of essential oil or a blend of essential oils that's been diluted. Synthetic fragrance oils are artificially made from chemical compounds that you don't find in nature. I personally have experimented with few fragrance oils, but never used in any of my commercial products. This is because there's no way to trace the source, or how it's made. Most commonly these oils are used because they have a variety of scents (mango, bubblegum, banana etc...) and because they are cheaper to buy compared to essential oils. Many of the cheaper products you find the market is made with one or few of these ingredients to reduce cost and so that the smell lasts longer. Next time double-check the ingredients lists before you made a purchase.So there you have it, folks! Every ingredient you find in these products is carefully picked to help your skin, hair and soul one way or another. So next time you go out there in Sri Lanka or anywhere around the world looking for something natural you know what to look for.Feel free to drop me a line or leave a comment if you have any questions. As always, stay safe and stay awesome!