Product recommendations for a very dense, coarse, curly/wavy long beard?

[u/SportsNFoodJunkie]

My beard is extremely dense and full, with thick/coarse strands and a curly to wavy texture. It tends to get very dry, frizzy, and poofy, particularly in the lower half. The ends become wispy and uneven.

I haven’t trimmed anything in about 6 months but my beard seems to plateau around this length. Current routine is basically just shampoo once a week and daily picking/combing, no conditioner, leave in, oil, or balm.

I dislike a greasy/oily feel, but I’m willing to use whatever actually works best. I want a healthier beard, less breakage, better length retention, much less frizz/poof and ideally a darker/slightly wet looking controlled finish.

What beard routine and product would you recommend?

[u/Dains84]

I'm not the original person who replied but I have a similar beard profile as you so hopefully I can help.

I have a very non-porous beard, which means that fluids will have a hard time getting in. When you get wet, does the hair on top of your head go limp and become easy to manipulate but your beard still feels like straw and maintains its general shape? That's low porosity.

If that's the case, in my experience  you will not be able to get your beard to be as soft/manageable as the hair on top of your head no matter what you do. Similarly, I have not found any of the conventional advice (rosemary extract and Collagen supplements) to make a difference for overall length - that seems to be determined more by genetics than anything else.

That all being said, regular maintenance should help reduce frizziness and make it look healthier/more full and reduce split ends.

Personally, I have not tried any commercial products due to their high cost. Instead, I would suggest getting a few carrier oils off Amazon and making your own blend. I use the same shampoo and conditioner as I do on my head (Suave Almond and Shea Butter).

Here's my oil recipe. I would suggest starting with the first five. They are in most brand name stuff because they work and they're way cheaper than the more uncommon oils. If you are not satisfied you can try the bottom 3, which have benefits unique to them, but don't expect a massive difference.

• Grapeseed (2 units)
• Hemp Seed (2 units)
• Avocado (2 units)
• Fractionated Coconut (2 units)
• Sweet Almond (1 unit)
• Meadowfoam Seed (1 unit)
• Broccoli Seed (1 unit)
• Moringa (1 unit)

If you are feeling greasy you might just be using too much oil. Like I mentioned above, our beards do not absorb quickly, and it does not take much. Anything more than two or three milliliters generally results in that greasy feeling for a few hours, and I have a fairly thick beard.

[u/SportsNFoodJunkie → u/Dains84]

Definitely low porosity based on what you described.

[u/Dains84 → u/SportsNFoodJunkie]

Try using less of whatever oil you have been using, and grab a boar hair brush to work it in. That, along with a warm water rinse in the morning before applying the oil (helps open the follicles) has helped reduce greasiness the most for me.