Beard Wash/Shampoo Review

Proraso Beard Wash Review – Deep Woods Cleaning

Last Updated on May 7, 2024

Long-term readers who have followed my reviews for a while now will know that I am a fan of the Proraso Brand.

In the past, we have reviewed multiple Proraso products here on Shaving Advisor. Proraso Pre-Shave Cream, the Proraso Professional Shaving Mug, and the Proraso Shavette Razor. 

However, all those items are for shaving. How about their products for growing and maintaining a beard?

This well-known and well-regarded Italian brand has a hand in maintaining beards as well as shaving them off. Proraso has a line of Beard Oil, Beard Wash, and Beard Balm, and we are going to be looking at all of them over the course of three reviews!

First off, we are going to take a good look at the Proraso Beard Wash.

Description and Features

To start off, I like this bottle. It is made of plastic and not glass, so it is very durable and it will travel well. There is a very low chance that rough handling is going to cause it to break open and spill all over your stuff.

The pump top makes it very easy to use. You don’t have to worry about unscrewing the top or popping it open while in the shower or at the sink. The pump top lets you control how much you want to use. It also locks in place, which makes it less likely to squirt out more accidentally.

The amount of beard wash in each bottle is also great because it is going to last. After about a week and a half of using this bottle to wash my beard almost every day, I have barely put a dent in the amount of beard wash I have available.

It is also important to note that Proraso is a cruelty-free company, meaning they do not test their products on animals. That is always a good feeling and Proraso is the kind of company I would want to give money to.

Scent

I have bought and used the Cypress and Vetyver scent option for this review.

The aroma of this beard wash is multilayered and complex.

Smelling it just on the surface, you get some serious Cypress Musk notes with a very light floral grassland scent.

However, once you get it under the hot water of a shower or the faucet, the scent blooms.

To me, it has the strong scent of a freshly mowed lawn and the deep woods of a camping trip. The warm scent has a heavy living scent as though you are surrounded by nature and living things.

I highly recommend it, even if the overall sentiment online is that it is an “Old Man” scent.

However, because it is a breadwash you will find that the scent does not stick around for very long. That means it isn’t going to clash with other products you want to use in your beard.

If the Cypress and Vetyver aroma isn’t appealing to you, three other scent profiles are available:

• Azur Lime: Mint and Citrus combined with deep mossy musk
• Refresh: Rosemary and Eucalyptus with floral notes of Bergamot
• Wood and Spice: Cedar and Rose combined with Vanilla and Saffron

Ingredients

This is the point where we hit a major stumbling block for how much I enjoy this product. 

The ingredient list for Proraso Beard Wash is dense and hard to read.

I see things like PEG-90 Glyceryl Isostearate or Disodium EDTA, and my eyes just glaze over like I am back in high school chemistry class. 

But, are these multi-syllable chemicals bad for your skin? Are they healthy, or should you steer away?

After some googling and research, it is relatively easy to find that most of these million-dollar words are just the scientific names for gentle cleansers, moisturizers, and shelf stabilizers.

Let’s take a closer look at a few:

• Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS): Cleanser that works to dissolve skin oils and grease to wash it away
• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: Hydrates the skin and moisturizes
• PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate: Hydrates and cleanses the skin, derived from coconut oil
• Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB): Detergent for cleaning the skin, might cause some irritation in the skin if overexposed
• Disodium EDTA: Stabilizing and preserving agent to maintain shelf life.

Overall, the ingredients are 99 percent of the time not going to hurt you. They are all normal ingredients you would see in any specialized soap on the market. Proraso is just being thorough and giving you the exact words you need to know.

This product should be fine for most people, though if you have sensitive skin it might have a chance of irritating.

User Experience

For this review, I used the Proraso Beard Wash in the shower every day for about a week and a half.

Two or three squirts on a brush and about 10 seconds of lathering, and it is off to the races.

Overall, I like how Proraso keeps my beard clean and fresh, but there are some dryness issues. Your beard will feel brittle and dry after using the product, which is why it is highly recommended to treat your beard with oil or a balm to make sure you have a nice and healthy beard.

How is the Texture?

The Texture of this beard wash is very similar to a beard wash I reviewed recently. Namely, Medicine Man Beard Wash. 

When you first squirt it out, it is very watery and runny. It runs all over the place, which is why it works best when using a washcloth because it can soak in.

Unlike the Medicine Man Beard Wash though, this builds a very quick and rich lather.

It feels very refreshing on the skin, and I can feel it working as I massage it into my whiskers. I also use it as a fash wash at the same time.

As it rinses off, the Proraso beard wash leaves no residue and leaves the face refreshed and clean.

How Easy is it to Use?

I touched on this above when I was discussing the bottle itself, but Proraso Beard Wash is very easy to use.

You just need a few squirts onto your washcloth, luffa, or face brush, and it takes about 10-20 seconds to get a nice and rich lather that can handle even the most tangled of beards. 

The one slight issue or red flag I have when it comes to ease of use links back in with the texture of the product. It is difficult (not impossible, just difficult) to get a good lather with just your hands–it needs a rough surface to get the lather going (this is quite normal, though).

You will need a washcloth or something to build the lather you want. 

Value for Money

Beard Care in this economy?!

Yes!

Proraso Beard Wash is not actually that expensive. It’s not the least expensive option on the market, but it is not going to break the bank.

As of the time of writing, you can get the Beard Wash itself for $18 USD on either Amazon or the Proraso website. That isn’t a bad price when you figure that you are probably going to have this bottle for about a month or more because of the volume.

The other option is the Box Sets that Proraso sells. These come with the Beard Wash, Beard Oil, and Beard Balm all in one. This box set goes for $45 USD on either Amazon or the Proraso website.

In all honesty, that box set is a great deal. These products will last, and for 45 USD, you are getting some serious bang for your buck.

Final Thoughts – Who is Proraso Beard Wash really for?

If you are looking for a high-quality beard wash that is going to last you for a month or more, I highly recommend the Proraso Beard Wash in one of its four scent profiles. I enjoy the Cypress and Vetyver, but the Wood and Spice also sounds like it would be amazing.

Just remember you need to combine this with a beard oil or beard balm to make sure your beard remains hydrated and feels great.

The one place where I would recommend holding off is if you have sensitive skin. Some of the ingredients might be too harsh for your face.

However, out of all the options on the market currently, you can do so much worse and not much better.

Proraso knocks it out of the park with this beard wash.