Best Damn Beard Wash Review – Specialist Shampoo for the Beard Man
Best Damn Beard Wash
Duke Cannon Beard Wash is a specially formulated soap/shampoo for use with longer beards. It nourishes the skin and helps beard hair grow soft and straight.
Pros
Inexpensive!
Extremely easy to use
Nourishes the Skin
Leaves beard hair feeling soft and clean
Soft texture
Cons
The scent isn’t bad, but definitely unique
Complicated Ingredient List
About The Brand
Duke Cannon is an American men’s grooming products brand that offers a wide range of facial, body, and of course, beard care products. They are a company that also provides a subscription service and states they contribute a portion of proceeds to US veterans.
Duke Cannon is one of those brands that wears its “GRRR! MANLY MEN” brand appeal on its sleeve. They decry the modern man in its current form in an attempt to harken back to a time of MANLY MEN who BUILT THIS COUNTRY! To me, this is a huge red flag regarding who they are marketing to, but people seem to really like them.
Duke Cannon Beard Wash Product Description
Any person who knows a little about shaving and beard care knows that the skin on your face is not the same as the skin on the rest of your body.
Beard wash is the best answer to keeping your facial hair clean while keeping your face and beard from getting dry and coarse. Coarse beard hair and dry skin are a sure-fire route to an itchy face, horrible-looking beards, and acne –the likes of which you wouldn’t believe.
Duke Cannon has us covered though, with their beard wash that is really a godsend for any guy that has issues with making sure their beard is clean and healthy.
Despite my obvious dislike of the marketing (MANLY MEN ALPHA/SIGMA MALE GRRRR!), this Best Damn Beard Wash seriously delivers on its promise.
Scent
The scent of this particular Beard Wash is labeled as Citrus Hefeweizen. They do have other options, like their new Buffalo Trace Bourbon scent that I am extremely tempted to try out.
This specific scent though is certainly unique. The Hoppy-Wheat portion is actually nice for the most part. Being warm and aromatic, while also feeling very clean.
The citrus portion leaves something to be desired. I can tell they are shooting for an orange peel type of aroma, but it comes off as somewhat sterile and artificial. To me, it brings up thoughts of a dentist’s office where they bump some non-offensive aroma through the HVAC system to make sure people know the place is clean.
Ingredients
The ingredient list on this stuff leaves something to be desired. I’m not one of those “Crunchy Mom” types who believe that everything on the label needs to be readable, but words like Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl or Hydroxyethylcellulose are eye-watering to look at.
For the record, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Barley Protein is a common protein in hair care for keeping hair soft and hydrated, and Hydroxyethylcellulose is a gel polymer that helps to thicken hair.
Looking at the ingredients that are actually worth noting and don’t make me have to use Google, the beard wash has citrus peel oil which helps to rejuvenate the skin, and soybean oil to condition your beard hair.
Also, all these ingredients are plant-based, which is a huge plus for anyone who is vegan or wants to avoid the animal industry in general.
User Experience
For the purposes of this review, I have used the Best Damn Beard Wash for two weeks. I use it every time I shower, adding it to my normal routine after shampooing my hair.
I cut out almost all other products to see how well it worked mostly on its own. The only other product I used during this time is the Best Damn Beard Amplifier (which is getting its own review soon).
Overall, I was incredibly pleased with this beard wash. On its own, I practically cured any beard-druff and facial hair-related acne. I pretty much have never needed to scratch my beard or worry about brushing and combing it too much to make it lay down flat.
How’s the Texture?
For the most part, the Best Damn Beard Wash has the same texture as most shampoos. It isn’t too runny, but also not like a thick gel-based body wash.
When lathering, it builds very quickly. Only a few drops will build to a nice foam, almost like a good-quality beard soap.
You don’t need too much; maybe one light squeeze and it is all. As I have noted in other reviews, I have a fat face. However, this stuff managed to cover it very well with a thick lather and plenty left over to rinse off afterward.
How Easy Is It to Use?
In one word? Incredibly.
I assume most guys know how to use shampoo and conditioner (a wild assumption, I know). Duke Cannon Beard Wash is literally just a second shampoo step on your face rather than your scalp.
Normally, you would apply this in the shower, but obviously, for these photos, I was using it at the sink for a demonstration. I don’t think you guys would like me to take pictures in the shower, and I am pretty sure that is NOT something my editor would like to deal with.
Just rinse away and finish your shower, and that’s all you need to do for a lustrous beard.
Value for Money
$15 USD may seem like too much for a 6 oz tube of specialized shampoo, but what actually helps this to improve its value is the absolute ubiquity of the Beard Wash.
What do I mean by that?
You can find Duke Cannon Products over the counter at Target, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, etc. Often for less than the website sells them. The listings I have found range from $6 USD to $9.
Though, even if you can’t get to a brick-and-mortar store on a regular basis, Duke Cannon offers the ability to subscribe to their Beard Wash. This allows you to never run out for a slight discount of $13.50 USD per month.
Common Consumer Complaints, Issues, and User Reviews
So what are people saying about this Best Damn Beard Wash?
For the most part, users are really raving about the way it makes their beards feel after washing and how it doesn’t dry out their skin. The really vocal fans also say they enjoy the citrus-like aroma, and despite what I said about it above, I can see how it really can grow on you (like a fungus).
Some users bring up their own issues with the beard wash.
The one I find repeatedly is people really not liking the texture. Some find it way too runny or say that it doesn’t lather enough. I did not have this problem at all, but this can be very subjective. My experience with shaving soaps has always informed me that one person’s rich lather is another person’s runny mess.
Others had the same issues with the scent as I did, claiming it smells artificial or likening it to a cleaner like Pine-Sol or Mop-n-Glo. It is hard to disagree with them on this, and I can definitely see their complaint.
Final Thoughts – Who is Duke Cannon Best Damn Beard Wash For?
Who is it for? Well, that is an intricate question.
Honestly, while I loved the cleansing feeling this beard wash left me with, I could get the same from most facial soaps with a more likable scent.
That does not actually discount the usefulness, though. For a guy like me, which keeps a close-cropped beard or a goatee given the circumstances, this isn’t really going to be a game changer.
This is great for the Grizzly Adams, Jeremiah Johnsons, and Norsemen who have longer and more styled beards. This beard wash will keep the longer beards very healthy, shiny, and easy to style for any kind of event or special occasion.
In short, not for me, but definitely a good product for beard lovers.
