On a black shirt, they look identical. Both leave white flakes on your collar, and both make you check your shoulders before a meeting. But they don't always have the same cause, and knowing which you're dealing with tells you what will help.
"Beard dandruff" is a catch-all
Most people say "beard dandruff" about any flakes in their beard. A lot of the time, those flakes are dry skin under the beard. Sometimes they're a skin condition called seborrhoeic dermatitis, which is what doctors usually mean by dandruff. The two can look alike, and they can overlap.
Signs it's mostly dry skin
- Small, white, powdery flakes.
- The skin feels tight, especially after washing.
- It's worse in winter, with indoor heating, or after long hot showers.
- The skin under the beard feels rough rather than sore.
- It eases when you wash more gently and moisturise the skin underneath.
Signs it could be something else
- Larger flakes that look greasy or yellowish.
- Red, sore or inflamed skin under the flakes.
- Itching that won't settle.
- Flaking in other places too: your eyebrows, the sides of your nose, your scalp.
- It keeps coming back however gentle your routine is.
If that sounds like you, it's likely more than dry skin.
A simple way to find out
Give a gentle, skin-first routine a fair go:
- Warm water, not hot, and a gentle wash.
- The Beard Scrub Bar once or twice a week, to clear loose flakes.
- Warm the oil between your palms, then work it into the skin under your beard after a warm shower, while it's still slightly damp, morning and evening.
Stick with it for a few weeks before you judge it. If the flakes ease, dryness was likely a big part of it. If they don't, or there's redness and soreness, it's likely more than dryness.
Where Druff fits
Druff Anti Dandruff Beard Oil is for the dry-skin side of things. It moisturises the skin beneath your beard and conditions the hair on top.
For the full routine, read our complete guide to beard dandruff and dry skin under your beard.
The short version
- Tight, powdery, worse in winter: probably dry skin. Moisturise the skin underneath.
- Greasy, red, itchy, and on your eyebrows or nose too: likely more than dry skin.
- Not sure? Try a gentle, skin-first routine for a few weeks, then decide.