Of course you should clean your beard regularly, and keep it conditioned with some oil, but if you’ve landed yourself in sick-ville, you need to do this right away: Get a tea tree beard balm or oil. “Tea tree oil acts similarly to a vapor rub, getting into the airways when you breathe in the scent,” says Diana Duncan, certified naturopathic doctor at Bastyr University. “And because it has broad antibacterial-antiviral action, it could potentially kill illness-causing bugs hanging out in your airways.” By using a tea tree beard balm or oil, not only can you keep your whiskers soft and bacteria free, but you can reinforce them with some potential cold and flu-fighting powers, not unlike drinking plenty of fluids and eating foods high in vitamin C.
Our favorite tea tree balm this season has been Da Balm from Badricks ($19.95 for 2oz) and, for you oil fans, Beard Brand Tea Tree Oil ($25 for 1oz), both of which have done a stand up job at keeping our beard disinfected, de-frizzed and hugely helpful with a sick day on the couch.
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