Why Bark

Why Bärk?

Bärk is specifically designed for the growth and maintenance of a healthy beard. From it's specialized shape to it's unique recipe, Bärk can help bring you closer to a less boring face.

What's With The Shape?

Bärk's shape is related to the way it is used. Unlike other soaps where the entire bar is wetted and brought to a lather before it is used, Bärk is designed so that only a portion of the bar is used at a time. This portion, one of the corners, is wetted and applied directly to the skin where it then massages the face and neck. This massaging will both bring the soap to a lather and improve circulation - a hugely important factor in beard growth and health. This localized wetting also prolongs the bar's life and allows for a firm grip over the remaining dry portion.

What's So Unique About The Recipe?

Bärk's recipe is similar to hundreds of home-made soaps, but it has a couple of distinct traits. For one, it uses actual tree bark! The bark acts as an exfoliate in much the same way that oatmeal does in similar recipes, but it is more than that. By including shaved bark in the bar we are embedding pockets of natural smells that are uncovered and release only through the use of the soap. These aromas can have a number of beneficial effects (see individual bars for details).

Another trait that sets Bärk apart is its lye volume. Beards can dry-out from regular soaps, even more natural soaps can strip the moisture from an otherwise healthy beard. Bärk offers a balance of a low pH (resulting from the reduced lye volume) and glycerin (a byproduct of lye in soap making) that makes it both an effective soap and minimizes unwanted moisture loss.

How Do I Use Bärk?

To get the best results from Bärk the following steps should be used at least twice a week.

Choose And Wet A Corner of The Bar

By wetting a single corner of the bar, and keeping the remainder of the bar dry, you prolong the life of the bar. This also causes you to treat the bar more like a tool. Keeping the majority of the bar dry allows you to maintain a firm grip on the bar, important for the next step. DO NOT PRE-LATHER THE BAR!!

Use The Wetted Corner To Massage Your Face

Holding the bar firmly, begin to massage your beard with the wetted corner of the bar. Start at your chin and move towards your ears and then back down to your neck. The whole process should take one to two minutes and should result in a sufficiently lathered beard (you can take longer if you wish). 

Put Down The Soap And Resume Massaging With Your Fingertips

Once you have a sufficient lather, put down the soap and begin massaging with your fingertips. As before, begin at your chin and move towards your ears before ending at your chin. Repeat as needed.

Rinse Your Hands To Massage-Out Excess Soap

Rinse your hands to free them of soap and return to massaging-out the soapy lather. If needed, aid this process by splashing lukewarm water. When done, press-dry your beard with a soft cloth. Avoid using your fingernails or scrubbing with a cloth to remove soap or dry your beard.