BourbonNcigars wrote:
Agreed! I never thought otherwise. Only real difference anything has done for me is washing with soap less than every day.

I wash with hair soap every few days
Rinse with hot water every shower, almost always twice a day
BLOW DRY AFTER EVERY SHOWER OH MY GOD NO HE DOESN'T?! But I do...
Apply argan oil every now and then just because it's fun, or some form of scented oil...because it's fun..and smells good for about 30 seconds

Never seen a split end, my hair is still attached to my face, and the roof is still on my house. I only came to all this after trying all the other crap, though.

EDIT:  Would like to add that I'll almost gaurantee well over half the members here have a buildup of too much oil/balm in their beard.  I did the same thing.
 

I always appreciate your bluntness and sarcasm BourbonNcigars!

here is my experience-
I have been using products not solve a problem, but because the advice I got here told me to.  I keep using them, and experimenting with different amounts to find my best routine.  I know FOR SURE there have been times where I have had a buildup of product in my beard.  This was especially true when I was using a petroleum jelly based beard balm.  Later I started making my own natural balm and things improved.  Due to a major plumbing problem in our only bathroom in our 105 year old house a week ago, we were forced into a complete bathroom remodel which has prohibited me from showering.  What I have been doing now is combing my dry beard with a comb that i run under cold water several times and then apply a little oil (I was using too much before).  I havent used balm in a week and I really like the way my beard feels.  Of course, I also havent used shampoo or soap in my beard for well over 3 months now and do not find it difficult at all to keep those things out of my beard even in the shower.
I think when my shower is back to operational, I might just experiment to see what happens when I stop using products for a while.