Today we caught up with Owen Janes, a rising star on TikTok with striking long hair and an impressive beard. During our chat we learnt some great tips and tricks for maintaining a healthy beard and got to know more about Owen. Here’s how it went:
My name’s Owen (or OJ) and I’m located just north of London in Hertfordshire. I work full time within sales but outside of the day job my true passion is content creation across multiple social media platforms where I talk beard life, ginger hair, long hair, curly hair, life in general and just having fun along the way.
How long have you been growing your beard?
Around 5 years now.
What is your daily beard care routine?
I wash and condition it once a fortnight but wet it daily in my morning shower. Once out the shower I borrow (pretty much co-own now!) my wife Faye’s hairdryer, put it on the highest and hottest setting and blow dry my beard whilst brushing it out using a wooden hairbrush. Once it’s dry and looking tidy, I apply beard oil and massage this deeper into my beard, so it reaches the skin underneath. I finally add a balm to create shape, hold and keep my beard moisturised for the rest of the day. At the end of the day / before bed I then apply a night liquid elixir (oil).
What products do you use to style and care for your beard?
It really has varied over the years but right now I enjoy using The Beard Struggle products. These are a combination of the Day Liquid Tonic followed by either the Gentlemen’s Beard Balm or Gentlemen’s Scruff Balm. At night I apply the Night Liquid Elixir and for beard wash days I use the Radiance Beard Wash and Conditioner.
What are your top three tips for maintaining a healthy beard?
- Minimal washing (go for as long as you can push it whilst keeping it clean) as over-washing can strip your beard of the natural oils which help keep it nourished and moisturised.
- Beard Oils are crucial and need massaging into your skin under your beard so that your skin remains healthy where your beard starts to grow. The better the skin/pores the healthier your beard (in my experience) will be.
- Use a hairdryer – this was a total gamechanger for me. My beard always looked untamed and fluffy even after applying products before I discovered the hairdryer trick. Used on a high heat and brushed at the same time really allows me to mould my beard to look exactly how I want it to look.
For someone looking to start growing their beard today, what advice do you have for them?
Let it grow! At the start you may not think you are able to grow a full beard but give it plenty of time before quitting / shaving it off as you may find that your beard grows slower in certain areas whereas it will grow faster in other areas which may fill any gaps that you are conscious about. Read beard blogs, watch beard videos and follow other bearded brothers who inspire you on social media so you can pick up hints and tips on styling and beard care.
Now we hear you’re pretty big on tiktok, tell us more about why you started your account?
It actually all started when the first COVID lockdown was announced for England. All I was seeing on Facebook was people moaning, complaining and fear mongering about the COVID situation and I said to Faye that I was going to start focussing on Instagram and also start TikTok to share fun, positive videos and direct my energy in a positive way for people on those platforms.
What are your tips for someone starting out on tiktok?
Firstly, ask yourself “why am I on TikTok?”. If it’s just for fun and not to monetise then I’d say just have fun, be silly or creative and enjoy sharing videos as and when you choose. If however you do want to grow a community and monetise TikTok I would say you need to choose what type of content you’re going to create and don’t vary your content too much (for example I focus on beard, hair and fun videos). Also, be yourself. This is so important as people will get to know the real you. And relate to who you are, making your follower’s bond with you much stronger.
Be consistent with your posts whilst providing value, entertainment or intrigue, I post one video a day. Always dive into your comments section and reply to all or as many comments as possible to build trust and loyalty. Also, comment on other people’s videos within your area of interest too… start getting noticed by people by having your name consistently appearing on their phone screens. Be patient (it can take time), people will take notice of you and it will pay off. Finally, ignore any troll comments you may receive, keep creating content you love and have fun,. The most important thing is to always feel good when creating so your energy comes across to your followers.
You can check out Owen’s TikTok here for some inspiration!
Any final comments for the readers?
Please make sure you live your best life. Too many people care about what other people think of them which stops them from truly living a life that would make them happy. I’ve been there myself where I felt trapped and restricted. But when you drop your ego and start working toward your dreams (even though it can be bloody hard) I guarantee that magic can and does happen.