I think it comes down to genetics, environment, diet, exercise, overall health, etc. All the hair on the body will be healthier if it is well cared for, but it is still ALL dead. My beard is very coarse, and I find that a small amount of oil softens it and adds a healthy shine. Most days that is all I use, except for wax in my mustache. Every now and then I use a leave-in conditioner, especially if I have been out in the sun and swimming a lot. These activities seem to dry my beard out, so it feels good adding a little bit of moisture back to the beard.

Also, a lot of what we do for our beard is not so much for our beards as for the skin underneath. Everybody's skin is different, and some need to do more to keep it healthy—bearded or not—than others.


“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” — Dr. Seuss




Note: Sept. 14, 2015: Somehow many image links in my thread have been broken. All of my images are visible in my gallery. I'm opening a ticket with Yuku to see if they can get that repaired.