Reviews: The Best Beard Wash for Every Type of Beard
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“With great beard comes great responsibility.” Somebody said that but we’re not sure if it was Aristotle or Plato; might have been Zeus. Regardless, if you’re somebody who maintains a sick beard, you need to maintain some kind of grooming regimen. If nothing else, the best thing you could do for your beard is clean it with the best beard wash.
If you’re already a beard pro, great — see if your beard wash made the cut. But if you’re new at the beard thing, using a beard wash and conditioner are paramount to reducing flakes, stopping itch and keeping your hair and skin hydrated. It’s just something that comes with the territory, hence, a great responsibility.
Here at SPY, we have several beardos on staff, including myself, a long beardsman since 2014. Over the last decade, we’ve all watched beard trends rise and fall and dozens of new beard washes hit the market. At this point, it can be tough to choose the best beard wash, so we decided to put the most popular products to the test to bring some clarity to your beard wash buying process.
The Best Beard Wash at a Glance
1. Best Overall: Shea Moisture Beard Wash — $10 on Amazon
2. Runner Up: Cremo Cedar Forest Beard Wash — $12.99 on Amazon
3. 2021 SPY Award Winner: King C. Gillette — $10 on Amazon
4. Best 2-in-1: Bulldog Original Beard Shampoo & Conditioner — $14 on Amazon
5. Best Beard Wash for Travelers: Jack Black Beard Wash — $19 on Amazon
6. Best Performing Beard Wash: Scotch Porter Moisturizing Beard Wash — $19 on Amazon
7. Best Mild Scent: Anthony Conditioning Beard Wash — $26 on Amazon
8. Best Amazon Seller: Viking Revolution Beard Wash — $20 Set on Amazon
9. Best Scented Beard Wash: Live Bearded Straight Up Unscented Natural Beard Wash — $20 on Amazon
1. Shea Moisture Beard Wash
BEST OVERALL
Best For: Very coarse and curly beards that need instant hydration.
Why We Chose It: Shea Moisture offers the best value for its size on this list and stands for serving the underserved.
Shea butter and maracuja oil focus
6-ounce
Family founded
Shea Moisture Beard Wash
$12 at Sally Beauty
$11 at Target
Please, let me tell you about Shea Moisture’s beard wash because you need to know about it. I did not expect to have as good of an experience as I did with this product. Sure, this may be the best beard wash for extremely curly and coarse hair, but I didn’t expect it to tame, nearly detangle, my naturally harsh, wavy Italian beard the way that it did.
This beard wash lathered masterfully, instantly softened my beard and kept it happy throughout the day, crushing every testing category we put it up against with the highest possible marks. And get this — it’s the most affordable on this list. Right now, Amazon sells it for $10 and has a coupon.
But aside from making an incredible product, Shea Moisture’s is one of the few beard washes specifically catering to men of color. The company draws its roots from Sofi Tucker, a woman, mother and entrepreneur who sold shea butter, African black soap and other beauty products in 1912 Sierra Leone. Today, a portion of profits are invested back into the community to support women and the underserved, globally.
Pros:
Affordability
Built to serve men of color
Overall cleanser
Cons:
Gel lacks viscosity
2. Cremo All-In-One Beard Wash
RUNNER UP
Best For: Anybody who needs a beard wash. This is a great universal product that performs brilliantly that won’t kill your wallet.
Why We Chose It: For guys with picky noses, Cremo now offers over five different beard wash scents.
Pleasantly scented
6-ounce
Also a face wash
Cremo All-In-One Beard Wash
$13 at iHerb
$15 at Walmart
Cremo is quickly earning the conversational moniker “good ol’ reliable” in terms of men’s grooming products. They’re getting into every type of product, from shaving cream to men’s hair dye. And though I’ve been an avid user of Cremo products for years, this review would serve as a testament to whether or not Cremo belongs in the best beard wash category.
Unsurprisingly, they rank among the top of the list. Cremo’s beard wash is cruelty-free and made without animal products, which is something we care about today. Conveniently, it’s also a face wash. This beard wash scored high in our testing, with a wicked lather and a pleasant, outdoorsy fragrance that resulted in a noticeably softer beard with an enjoyable post-shower scent. What pushed Cremo into the lead was their price point. Cremo offers their 6-ounce bottle at a mid-tier cost that hits smack in the middle of the quality-over-price matrix.
Pro Tip: I’ve seen this beard wash available as a travel size (easily refillable) in some seasonal gift sets for those who live up in the air.
Pros:
Wide variety of scents
Noticeably soft beard
Competitive price
Cons:
Need readily available travel size
Only sulfate-free
3. King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash
2021 SPY AWARD WINNER
Best For: Gillette die-hards who are brand loyal. Anyone seeking a 2-in-1 beard and face wash that’s inexpensive but high-quality.
Why We Chose It: It’s been a SPY favorite for two years running. Selected as the “Best Beard Wash” in The 2021 Man, our end-of-year product awards.
11-ounce
Pump dispenser
Argan and avocado oil
King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash
$10.49 at Target
$10 at Walgreens
SPY’s best beard wash for 2021, the King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash will be one of your easiest purchases for your beard. Though we typically recommend steering clear of most two-in-one products, the coconut, argan and avocado oils in this wash work to gently clean your beard and face without leaving them stripped down. At less than $1 per ounce, this is the best beard wash for your buck.
Pros:
Affordable
Cooling sensation
Also a face wash
Cons:
Labeling is vague
4. Bulldog Original Beard Shampoo & Conditioner
BEST 2-IN-1
Best For: Fans of the 2-in-1, guys needing to conserve shower shelf space or sustainability-minded blokes
Why We Chose It: Bulldog also has a core focus on sustainability practices and we Stan that.
Subtle tea-like scent
6.7-ounce
Super hydrating conditioner
Bulldog Original Beard Shampoo & Conditioner
$11 at Grove
$12 at iHerb
Made in the UK, the men’s grooming line from Bulldog is just “smashing, baby — yeah!” If you’re kind enough to still be reading, please allow me to tell you why Bulldog makes one of the best beard wash products.
This brand has a core commitment to sustainability practices, not putting bad stuff in their formulas and very competitive pricing, which helped propel them toward the top of our list. Heck, for Grove to be selling this product is a testament to these values. Bulldog’s Beard Shampoo & Conditioner is a high-quality 2-in-1 formula that simultaneously washes and conditions beards.
Though it doesn’t lather the same way other beard washes do, it leaves a beard feeling silky soft and flake-free. It’s a joy to use, though dudes with longer beards may need to use two thumbnails worth of product to get the right results.
Pros:
Vegan and cruelty-free
Fair-trade and USDA Organic
Sustainability focus
Cons:
Doesn’t lather as well, need more for larger beard
Wishing for a travel size
5. Jack Black Beard Wash
BEST FOR TRAVEL
Best For: Bearded guys who appreciate subtle aesthetics and aromas.
Why We Chose It: As a trusted brand in the men’s grooming world, we were happy to learn that Jack Black holds their own in the beard world.
Mild, tea-like scent
6-ounce
Use for beard, face and hair
Jack Black Beard Wash
$18 at Jack Black
$19 at Ulta
The Jack Black line is known for its strength, not just in product quality, but also in visual branding. The Jack Black Beard Wash stays true to this with a high-performance cleanser and a sexy bottle.
This beard wash scored big with quality, certified organic and vegan ingredients. Organic isn’t the first association most guys make in terms of beard wash, but that may be why Jack Black performed its way toward to top of our best beard wash list. It’s got a nice lather, softens the heck out of a long beard and leaves the chin well hydrated for hours. The scent is very mild, capturing the aroma of “clean slate.”
If you’re somebody who cares about style, this may be the best beard wash to both use and display in your shower, for whatever that’s worth.
Pros:
Travel size available
Multi-use cleanser
Vegan and cruelty-free
Excellent hydrator
Cons:
Higher price point
6. Scotch Porter Moisturizing Beard Wash
BEST PERFORMING
Best For: Guys who really care about ingredients.
Why We Chose It: It’s free of sulfates, silicones petrolatum, parabens, mineral oil, synthetic colors phthalates, PEG’s and animal ingredients
Musky, oud-like scent
8-ounce or 4-ounce
Great for coarse beards
Scotch Porter Moisturizing Beard Wash
$12 for 4-ounce at Target
$12 for 4-ounce at CVS
Many of the options on this list were first-time tests, but Scotch Porter was the best beard wash in every testing category we considered. It lathers like a dream, the post-shower beard was softer than butter on a hot day and it left the chin flake-free and itchless for 24 hours. Well done, Scotch Porter.
We were also wowed by the brand’s commitment to quality ingredients, noting on the bottle all the stuff they ensured not to put into this formula.
If there was one factor keeping Scotch Porter out of the top three, it’s the scent. Now, scent profile is a personal preference, so this might be your No. 1 pick. But personally, I can’t do musky or oud profiles. These scents can integrate marvelously with some guys’ natural oils, but not this guy.
Pros:
Available in multiple sizes
Similar product offered as travel size
Best hydrator on this list
Cons:
Overbearing scent even after rinse
Higher price point
7. Anthony Conditioning Beard Wash
BEST MILD SCENT
Best For: Guys who only buy Made in USA, ingredient hawks and anybody named Anthony
Why We Chose It: Love the name (biased), but also because they clearly display what’s NOT in the formula online
Cream-based beard wash
6-ounce
Also a face cleanser
Anthony Conditioning Beard Wash
$26 at Walgreens
$26 at Walmart
How cool would it be to use a product that shares your name? Move over, super mega-star, Jack Black, this one’s for me. Anthony skincare is all about personalizing skincare routines for every face and has been since 2000. Fortunately, they know that faces have beards sometimes.
Anthony’s Conditioning Beard Wash is the best beard wash for guys who care about ingredients but don’t care for strong scents. This cream-based beard wash works double-time to rid beards, as well as pores, of dirt and debris and condition at the same time. A little product goes a long way — surprising for a cream-based cleanser.
The scent is really something special. It’s best described as watered-down orange-flavor Tic Tac’s in the very best way possible and doesn’t have a lingering scent post-rinse.
The main downside, and what pushed this product down the list, is that a 6-ounce bottle costs $26, a far cry from the average price point for other beard washes. With that said, it does work wonderfully.
Pros:
Made in USA
A little bit goes a long way
Mild scent reminiscent of orange Tic Tacs
Cons:
Expensive AF
8. Viking Revolution Beard Wash
BEST SELLER
Best For: Guys who like to buy things in bulk — they offer a 17-ounce bottle.
Why We Chose It: By Odin’s beard, we had to try a brand made for Vikings that has almost 12,000 ratings on Amazon.
5-ounce (and up)
Amazon favorite
Sandalwood scented
Viking Revolution Beard Wash (From Kit)
$16 at Walmart
Viking Revolution is a beard-first company that’s all about taming the beard that lives on your chin. One thing that sets this brand apart from others is that they offer a huge, 17-ounce bottle of beard wash at a slightly reduced rate, which nobody else seems to offer.
In our testing, this Amazon favorite proved to be a great basic beard wash. Faintly scented, this beard wash lathered nicely and did exactly what it said it would — soften and smooth. Although there was difficulty removing the foil seal on the bottle, we’re vouching for this option as one to consider, especially if you’re all about getting a great deal.
Pros:
Save money on larger bottle ($20 for 17 ounces)
Small business
Plant-based
Cons:
Foil seal was hard to break in shower
9. Live Bearded Straight Up Unscented Natural Beard Wash
BEST FRAGRANCE OPTIONS
Best For: Guys who are into underground bands and like being the first to discover brands.
Why We Chose It: The boss said we needed to add it because he’s in love with it.
8-ounce
Made in USA
Water-based formula
Live Bearded Straight Up Unscented Natural Beard Wash
Live Bearded makes all kinds of beard products — except shaving products. This brand is for guys who are seriously committed to their beards, and we recently named them one of our favorite indie grooming brands. The Live Bearded Straight Up Unscented Natural Beard Wash is accompanied by not one, not two, but six other scents. Per SPY’s Site Director, Tim Werth, this is the best beard wash he’s tried.
It’s gentle enough for everyday use while still thoroughly cleansing your beard without drying it out. It lathers up well for easy coverage and rinses cleanly too, leaving you with a much softer, fresher beard than you had before. The unscented wash is a great pick for those who prefer to add fragrance through another product, but Live Bearded also offers five different masculine fragrances too such as the American, which smells of cedar, pine, vetiver and bergamot.
Pros:
Made in USA
Great lather
Wide variety of scents
Cons:
Expensive per ounce
How to Wash a Beard
Guys scour the internet looking for tips on how to wash a beard when in reality, it’s simple.
First, determine how much beard wash you should use. Guys ask me this question frequently. From scruff to short lengths, use a dime-sized amount of beard wash, or roughly the size of your middle fingernail. For short to medium-length beards, it’s best to use a thumbnail-sized amount of beard wash. For long beards, it depends on the actual volume of hair you’re dealing with, but anything between James Harden and David Letterman deserves at least two thumbnails worth of beard wash, possibly more if it’s a dual conditioner or cream-based wash.
Now that you know how much to use, it’s as easy as getting your beard wet, lathering the appropriate amount into wet hands, and massaging into the beard from the chin back toward each jaw bone accordingly. After about 30 seconds, rinse it out and you’re done.
How We Reviewed the Best Beard Wash
Over two weeks, every shower we took was dedicated to journalistic research in hopes to determine the best beard wash. Yes, we’re now fighting for shelf space with our girlfriends, but it’s worth it to deliver the truth to our readers.
To find the best beard wash for men, we considered these factors:
Is it also a face wash? Some beard washes double as face washes. This can be convenient, but sometimes you sacrifice detangling qualities, as pure beard washes tend to include ingredients specifically for rugged hair.
What’s NOT in the ingredients? We scored higher for formulas that were free of parabens, sulfates, silicones, invasive oils, phthalates, synthetic colors and fragrances, among other nasty stuff.
Is it nice to animals? In 2022, our science is good enough to the point where we don’t need to test on animals, and in many cases, use animal products to design a great product. Yes, rendered animal fats have been used in soaps for centuries, but times change with better research.
How well does it lather? A good lather is important for optimal coverage. We did find that washes with cream or conditioner in them lathered less while providing a great wash, so we adjusted accordingly.
Is the beard softer? For beard washes that produced noticeably softed beards after a towel dry and once the beard was completely air dried, we scored those higher.
Does it keep your chin moisturized through the day? This is critical, as hydration helps fight flakes and itch. Some beard washes varied in effectiveness, but all achieved this basic need.
Why Trust SPY When Choosing the Best Beard Wash for You
Finding effective grooming products is one thing our team does best. We scour the internet and brick-and-mortar stores weekly looking for the best new and legacy brands to see if reviews and word-of-mouth praise hold true.
And if that doesn’t do it for you, just understand that bearded men tested, reviewed and wrote this. And we were pretty picky about it as well. We’ve used bad products before so finding the best beard wash wasn’t that difficult.
Aside from beards, SPY enjoys reviewing the rest of the men’s grooming space. Recently, we’ve reviewed the best electric razors, the best bald head shavers and even the best shaving creams, you know, for your neck and stuff.
If you’re interested, you can read more about How We Test Products at SPY.
About the Author
SPY Reviews Editor, Anthony Mastracci, is a Los Angeles transplant by way of Boston. A bearded style guy, Anthony enjoys helping guys look and feel their best through outfit coordination and encouraging first-time beard growers to push through the patches.
Recently, Anthony has written about new men’s grooming brand, ATWATER skincare, and shared his entire beard regimen, developed over the last eight years. Otherwise, you can find him on Instagram looking flashy.
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1. Shea Moisture Beard Wash
This beard wash lathered masterfully, instantly softened my beard and kept it happy throughout the day, crushing every testing category we put it up against with the highest possible marks. Best of all, it's one of the most economical options on this list. Aside from making an incredible product, Shea Moisture is one of the few beard washes specifically catering to men of color. Today, a portion of profits are invested back into the community to support women and underserved communities globally.
Pros: Economical option. Good for men of color. Fair Trade shea butter.
Cons: Gel lacks viscosity.
Shea Moisture Beard Wash
2. Cremo All-In-One Beard Wash
Unsurprisingly, the always-reliable Cremo ranks among the top of the pack. Cremo’s beard wash is cruelty-free and made without animal products, which is something we care about today. Conveniently, it’s also a face wash. This beard wash scored high in our testing, with a wicked lather and a pleasant, outdoorsy fragrance that resulted in a noticeably softer beard with an enjoyable post-shower scent. What pushed Cremo into the lead was their price point. Cremo offers their 6-ounce bottle at a mid-tier cost that hits smack in the middle of the quality-over-price matrix.
Pros: Wide range of available scents. Noticeably softens beard. Reasonable price.
Cons: Travel size isn't conveniently available.
Cremo All-In-One Beard Wash
3. King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash
SPY's relied on King C. Gillette's Beard & Face Wash in the past, and it continues to be one of your easiest purchases for your beard. Though we typically recommend steering clear of most two-in-one products, the coconut, argan and avocado oils in this wash work to gently clean your beard and face without leaving them stripped down. Since it's widely available and comes in an economical 11 oz size, this is a good option for anyone who wants to stock up.
Pros: Economical. Cooling sensation. Doubles as a face wash.
Cons: Labeling is vague.
King C. Gillette Beard & Face Wash
4. Bulldog Original Beard Shampoo & Conditioner
This brand has a core commitment to sustainability practices, not putting bad stuff in their formulas and very competitive pricing, which helped propel them toward the top of our list. Bulldog’s Beard Shampoo & Conditioner is a high-quality 2-in-1 formula that simultaneously washes and conditions beards.
Though it doesn’t lather the same way other beard washes do, it leaves a beard feeling silky soft and flake-free. It’s a joy to use, though dudes with longer beards may need to use two thumbnails worth of product to get the right results.
Pros: Vegan and cruelty-free. Fair-trade and USDA organic.
Cons: Doesn't lather as well as other options.
Bulldog Original Beard Shampoo & Conditioner
5. Jack Black Beard Wash
The Jack Black line is known for its strength, not just in product quality, but also in visual branding. The Jack Black Beard Wash stays true to this with a high-performance cleanser and a stylish bottle.
This beard wash scored big with quality, certified organic and vegan ingredients. Organic isn’t the first association most guys make in terms of beard wash, but that may be why Jack Black performed its way toward to top of our best beard wash list. It’s got a nice lather, softens the heck out of a long beard and leaves the chin well hydrated for hours. The scent is very mild, capturing the aroma of “clean slate.”
Pros: Multi-use cleanser. Vegan and cruelty-free. Available in travel size.
Cons: More economical options are available.
Jack Black Beard Wash
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