Anti-Beard Workplaces

Many employees are faced with an extremely tough decision: whether to keep their beard or shave it due to pressure at work. Its not uncommon for job applicants to meet all the qualifications required, and be the best candidate, yet fall short because their facial hair is not acceptable to the employer.

With outsourcing, a bad economy, and whatever else is going on, just holding onto a job can be tough. But the beard aficionados have to deal with one more worry: whether they will stick it out or conform and shave.

This is a decision that many might face. But if you do conform and shave, it might be that you have given a way a part of yourself.

Some have gone ahead bravely, changed hearts and minds and managed to keep their beard too. Some others have reluctantly given up.

Before you make this decision, consider carefully what you're losing or gaining, and weigh all the pros and cons.

Beard for Sale on Ebay

A West Virginia University (WVU) football fan is putting his beard up for sale on ebay. He has been growing it since the start of the 2007 football season.

With one game to go, (the Fiesta Bowl), the beard growing fan, will try to get Coach Huggins to touch the beard for luck tomorrow, at the game with Oklahoma.

The winning bidder will receive the beard in a ziploc bag, a bonus prize related to WVU athletics and (if can get Coach Huggins to touch his beard) a picture of the "touch".

Shaving options for the winning bidder include either having the fan shave his beard on January 3rd or after the basketball season. So if you really want it soon, opt for the January 3rd date.

Click here to view the ebay auction and see how its progressing. The starting bid is $50

Guess who has a beard [Ben Bernanke]

We continue to bring to you to news of the top people in many fields who sport beards. Today, we delve into the financial world, and tell you about the Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke's beard.

Arguably, he is one of the most powerful people in the world by virtue of his being Chairman of the US Federal Reserve. He has a full beard, salt and pepper that is trimmed but covers the entire face. Its your typical college professor style, which is what he was at NYU, Stanford and Princeton before taking up the top job at the Fed.

Click here to review his official bio.

Stereotype of a beard

Many people, races, groups, have stereotypes linked to them. Its just a sign that even though we have come so far, we are still way behind when it comes to understanding the people and cultures we come face to face with (read: beard to beard with) on a daily basis.

Now, the beard is getting a bad rap, and one of the stories that caught my attention is about a missing british canoeist who grew a beard as a disguise. According to news reports, he had hidden in the family home for 3 years when it was assumed that he had perished in a canoeing accident in the North Sea. The reports stated that life insurance and work benefits were paid to the man's wife, which was a motive behind the deception.

While there have been reports in the media about the beard becoming a fashionable trend again, it still goes to show that the stereotype of the beard as a disguise, or something else persists.

Guess who has a beard [Justin Hartwig]

NFL Superstar, Justin Hartwig, starting center for the Carolina Panthers, talks about his beard! Yes his beard.

He's been growing it since the start of the training camp and intends to keep it all the way through. He's grown it for the love of the beard and for the love of the game.

Interesting Fact: He started entered his first facial hair growing contest in 2002.

Check out what he has to say about his beard.

The real reason Fidel Castro has a beard

You've always seen the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro with a beard. So what's the reason for it, is it to look like a revolutionary? To look different from other world leaders?

It turns out, the real reason why he keeps a beard is to save time. 10 days to be precise according to Fidel.

Why thats 2.7% of the year. Well he's on to something here.

For more information, read the article on Mr. Fidel's beard and his new biography.

Guess who has a beard

We're introducing a new regular post on our beard care blog: Guess who has a beard. We will profile people who have recently grown a beard.

Our first post goes to David Letterman. Yes he grew it.

Here's the story

New Product: Beard Infusion

From the folks at Craigs, comes a new intensive leave-in beard conditioner. By leaving it in, the oils will give you a soft beard and you can bet she will appreciate that. The amazing thing about the 'Beard Infusion' is that its handmade in small batches - right here in the USA.
And thats not all -- its got quality ingredients:
*Sesame Oil to nourish scalp - a very famous treatment used by ayurvedic specialists.
*Apricot Kernel Oil - with loads of natural Vitamin E - that is soothing and gentle to a beard. It replenishes and rejuvenates both the facial hair and the skin that can get dry easily.
*Coconut Oil - a natural softener that will make your beard baby soft, so your significant other won't feel like your Edward Scissorbeards.
We're selling the 2oz. Beard Infusion for $18.98.
Click here to visit to our Beard Conditioner page to buy this and other great products.

Beard Dandruff Products

We know many customers have issues with beard dandruff, so we have written an article to advise our patrons on which products to use to remedy that problem.

The advise is useful for new growth and bearded veterans alike, and will give you an idea of the natural plants and their extracts that are beneficial in these situations. From there we've gone one step ahead and given you an idea of which beard care products contain those ingredients for your shopping convenience.

The article is available on our website: http://www.beardcareproducts.com/beard-dandruff.html

Beard Coloring: Without Ammonia or Chemicals!

A lot of people are looking for a beard dye or a beard coloring that won't itch or cause them irritation. Well we have it, click here to order now!

As many people know (or find out the hard way) that commercial dye treatments have "coal tar ingredients" in them. These are known to cause irritation in some people and there is an interesting paper on the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutritions about that. You can read that article by clicking here.

In addition there is another article, which mentions that "the law does not require that coal tar hair dyes be approved by FDA, as is required for other uses of color additives. In addition, the law does not allow FDA to take action against coal tar hair dyes that are shown to be harmful, if the product is labeled with the prescribed caution statement indicating that the product may cause irritation in certain individuals, that a patch test for skin sensitivity should be done, and that the product must not be used for dyeing the eyelashes or eyebrows." You can read the full article by clicking here.

What we suggest, is that you color your beard without chemicals or ammonia (if you've read this far, it makes sense doesn't it?). Essentially the need of the hours is a mens beard color, formulated especially for facial hair. Well we have a "five-star" product to match that need. When in doubt, a hypoallergenic product is best. Why go through itching, pain, irritation, when you can do it safely, easily.

Our product is especially ideal for those with sensitive skin. Its available in your choice of six colors: Black, Dark Brown, Brown, Light Brown, Auburn, and Red. Click here to order now.

Beard Conditioner -- Made in Small Batches with Natural Ingredients!

If you're looking for a beard conditioner, that is made in small batches, is affordable pricewise, and has a variety of scents --- look no further! Craigs Beard & Stache Conditioner is just what you need. Available in 4 scents: Unscented, Frankincense/Myrrh, Lavender or Coffee scents, this great beard conditioner will make your beard, mustache or both noticeably softer!

It comes in a great twist up tube, that makes it portable -- great for on-the-go conditioning in the car, in the office, anywhere you want. Try a couple scents, or stick with the unscented if you prefer. If your facial hair could talk, it would thank you for this product.

Get beard conditioner.

A Beard Shampoo by Bluebeard's

This is Bluebeard's Original Beard Wash, and it contains Lime and Aloe which break down the dirt that accumulates in the beard, while at the same time softening the beard. This product can be used as your regular Beard Shampoo.

If you are going to grow a beard, you might as well take care of it and mantain it properly. For that, not all shampoos are created equal. If you have ever tried an aloe soap for your skin, you know how good that feels. A beard deserves the same needed attention and for that a beard shampoo is great. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin, who need something gentler for the beard than what they are used to using for their hair.

Interested? Purchase right now for $14.00

Beard Dye: Natural and available in 6 colors

This past week, Beard Care Products introduced a new product: Natural Beard Dye available in your choice of six colors: Black, Dark Brown, Brown, Light Brown, Auburn and Red. Click here to check it out. So far the most popular colors have been Dark Brown and Light Brown, and we expect that trend to continue.

A lot of people are unhappy with harsh chemical treatments that irritate their skin, especially the skin beneath the facial hair. So we think this product will be helpful in providing an alternative product that is henna based.

The cool thing about this beard dye kit, is that it comes with a beard comb, an applicator brush, and a set of complete, simple instructions. What it does not include are gloves and there's a very good reason for that. Our natural, henna-based product needs no mixing, so we believe gloves are unnecessary. If you accidentally get some on your hands or someplace other than your beard, simply wash off with a wet cloth.

We know a lot of people are having trouble and irritation from commercial treatments that cause irritation, especially to the skin beneath the beard. So with this product we hope to provide an alternative product that gets the job done without making you itchy and scratchy. To get that beard color that you want is a process that is repeated again and again. So why do it in discomfort? Get a product that is natural, comfortable, hypoallergenic, that is free from the harsh chemicals.

Click here to purchase the Natural Beard Dye. Only $19.95 and your choice of color.

Articles on proper beard care and how to handle a bad beard day

Two new articles have been added to the Beard Care Products Online shop. They are:

1.) Beard care in four simple steps: http://www.beardcareproducts.com/care.html
2.) How to handle a bad beard day: http://www.beardcareproducts.com/bad_beard_day.html

Both of these are an effort to share proper beard care knowledge with our patrons and the general public.

Check back often, and if you have any article suggestions please let us know.

YE Blog Review

Recently our site dropped off Google Rankings, and determined to find out what happened, I turned to well --- Google itself, and found a nice site called Young Entrepreneur Blog. Since my business is selling 'beard care products' which is a relatively niche market, and not something like 'nutritional supplements', the sudden drop seemed very strange! So as part of my research I went through the YE's blog and since they have an informative section on Internet Marketing, and the part about Google is a must read for all budding online entrepreneurs.

I also found out that Google has recently changed their page ranking algorithms and perhaps that could be the cause that is ailing my site. I'm going to download the GSite Crawler so I have an appropriate sitemap that Google can use to link to the rest of my site. I'm also implementing the suggestions from the YE Blog. One of them is to lower the density of the keyword density of some test pages on your site and see if you can get back your position. I rather hope thats the scenario with my site, and not the dreaded banishment, although I haven't done anything to deserve that. I hope we will be back up and running in the first page of Google soon. For more information check out the YE Blog at: http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/

After a Month

A month later: "Our online shop has had the patronage of discerning clients who have chosen us for their beard grooming needs." Sound like a well-heeled statement doesnt it?

Well basically that means we have been doing well and are looking forward to expanding by offering our customers new products and a wider selection.

Thanks to our clients for their patronage.
Thanks to our readers also.

Grand Opening!

Its online! We have launched our online store on Wednesday, June 13th and its very early in the morning, but if there are any orders we will pry ourselves from precious sleep and take care of our bearded patrons -- or those getting gifts for the bearded man in their life.

So far, our most comprehensive collection is where we've assembled "Beard Grooming Products which include Beard Oils, Conditioners, and Lotions", which is here: http://www.beardcareproducts.com/beardgrooming.html if you are interested in browsing around.

Its surprisingly difficult to locate beard care products but we're trying our best, and we hope to have the most comprehensive selection of products assembled on the Web.

Opening Soon!

We are looking at launching the www.beardcareproducts.com site in the coming days. We are now working with four manufacturers and in talks with a fifth.

After the launch, we should add new products over time, and perhaps even develop custom products based on feedback from our customers.

The Idea

It all started on one of those days when you're brainstorming to get your own online store. No epiphanies here nor any high stated purpose to solve all the beard problems in the world. It was just a cool idea (atleast I hope so!), and so I went ahead and registered the URL: http://www.beardcareproducts.com

So right now I am busy negotiating with top suppliers and assembling the best beard care products on the Web. I hope to make it something special, hence our tag line: your's beard's favorite site!

I hope it becomes just that!