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Committed to growing out your facial hair for Movember? Then a) good on you. And b) this is the perfect time to get on top of your skincare and grooming routine.

Movember (and it’s cousin, No-Shave November) are here and if you’re keen to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues such as colon cancer, testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide prevention, chances are you’re ditching your razor and forgoing your usual shaving routine for a little extra facial hair right now.

Growing a beard, moustache or goatee from scratch, however, comes with its challenges. For starters, growing and maintaining facial hair can be a bit of a chore – especially if you’re used to a more clean shaven look. And then there are the issues your skin must contend with: beard itch, blocked pores, breakouts, the struggles are all too real.

If you’re on board with Movember or No-Shave November and want to, not only do your bit, but make sure your skin doesn’t feel the hit for the next 30 days, here are four important grooming tips to help you maintain healthier skin.

1. Keep Your Skin Clean

When it comes to cleansing your skin, this is not the time to be slap-dash. Sure, you can just about get away with a speedy ‘splash of water and done’ philosophy when you’re tired or feeling lazy, but it won’t do your skin any favors. And when you’re growing out your facial hair? Frankly, it’s asking for trouble.

Skin secretes sebum all day and, to a lesser extent, throughout the night, helping to keep it healthy and moisturized. All good stuff. However, if your skin is not cleansed regularly, this sebum builds on the surface of your skin, combining with dirt, sweat, pollution and dead skin cells. Leave all this debris to continue building up and it will eventually block up your pores like there’s no tomorrow. Best case scenario? You might end up with slightly irritated skin and a few blackheads. Worse case? Serious acne.

Breakouts around and under facial hair are very common because, even if you think you’re pretty strict with your cleansing routine, the skin under your beard or moustache often gets looked over. Don’t let that happen, people! Cleanse your face, chin and neck thoroughly, morning and night, using balancing products that help to control sebum and detoxify your skin, without sucking all the life out of it.

Our recommendations? Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser or Tea Tree Super Cleanser+. Both of these work hard to deeply cleanse the skin and decongest your pores. Just remember to soften the skin and hairs first with a little warm (but not too hot!) water, then work the cleanser over your skin in circular motions, use a little extra manpower over any hairy, harder-to-reach areas.

2. Exfoliate While You’re At It

Facial scrubs can be a bit of a pain when dealing with facial hair as all those pesky ‘bits’ can get stuck in your hairs. But exfoliation is still as important (maybe even more so) when you’re growing a beard or ‘stache as it helps to regulate cell turnover and get rid of unwanted dead skin cells. This will reduce your chances of irritation and help to keep your pores clear from unwanted blockages.

The good news is we have just the product to keep your skin turning over nicely during this tricky time: AHA/BHA/PHA Liquid Exfoliant. Perfect for all skin types, but particularly awesome for oilier complexions, this non-abrasive, leave-on exfoliant contains three of the best ingredients for breaking down dead skin cells and getting rid of excess sebum: glycolic acid, salicylic acid and gluconolactone. Apply it all over your skin – beard and ‘stache included – after cleansing and before moisturizing, using your fingers or a cotton pad.

3. Keep Your Hands Off

Scratching your beard or touching your facial hair may feel good at the time, but this will transfer even more dirt, sweat and oils from your hands to your face. No matter how often you wash your hands. This might seem innocent enough, but overloading your skin with excess debris will just add to the likelihood of your skin breaking out. It could also aggravate your skin and exacerbate irritation. Nobody wants that.

4. Moisturize Twice Daily

Just as important as keeping your face and neck clean during Movember and No-Shave November is to keep your skin moisturized. Dry, dehydrated skin, coupled with new facial hair can be a killer combination for itchy, irritated skin. And with it also being winter – when the air lacks humidity and is naturally very drying on your skin – your face and neck are going to need that hydration more than ever.

Rich, heavy moisturizers can get ‘stuck’ in facial hair (especially if your beard and ‘stache are dense or thick). This means they’re unable to fully penetrate down to the surface of your skin. Instead of butters or thick creams, therefore, we recommend sticking with lighter lotions or gel formulations whose smaller molecules are able to work between those hairs much more effectively. Our new Firming Collagen Day Lotion is a great choice, or you could try a classic favorite, Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer. Both will keep your skin (and your hairs!) in great condition.

For even deeper hydration, you could even layer your moisturizer on top of a nourishing facial serum. Try Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum, one of our newest all-singing, all-dancing treatments that’s perfect for delivering everything your skin needs to remain strong and healthy. Apply just a couple of drops after cleansing and exfoliating, and before moisturizing, morning and night.