Table Of Contents
Benefits of Using a Beard Oil
Once you start using beard oil, you will also get the chance to enjoy the following positive and rewarding benefits:
Moisturizes Your Facial Hair
One of the most impressive benefits of beard oil is that it contains properties that can hydrate and moisturize your facial hair or beard as well as the skin under it. It is the key to softening and taming your beard, making it look groomed and shiny instead of being shaggy, flaky, and dusty.
Prevents Beard Itch
One common problem linked to growing a beard is the itchiness that often comes with it. If you suffer from this problem, then you can use beard oil to finally deal with it. You can use this product to nourish, moisturize, and coat your hair follicles, resulting in a more moisturized skin under your beard. This is a big help if you want to gain immediate relief from the itchiness.
Useful for Styling
By investing in high-quality beard oil, you will be able to use a safe and gentle product designed to help you style your hair. What is great about this oil is that it serves as a better choice for sprays and styling gels. It is a healthy solution for styling and grooming your beard. Just make sure to go for the raw, unfiltered, and cold-pressed variety without any additives or harsh ingredients.
Smells Good
Another great advantage of beard oil is that it usually comes with a nice scent/fragrance. You can use it, therefore, instead of cologne. Aside from the scented beard oils that you can buy in stores, you also have the option of making one on your own. That way, you can ingest the scent you prefer, further motivating you to use it all the time.
Prevents Beard Dandruff
You may also find beard oil useful in preventing another common issue in growing a beard – and that is dandruff. Note that having a beard might make you prone to dandruff because the skin beneath it might also get too dry and flaky. This product contains essential oils designed to eliminate dandruff and ensure that it does not come back.
How Does Beard Oil Work
Beard oil works by acting as an effective moisturizer for the skin beneath your beard. The good thing about this product is that it tends to produce great results on your skin and beard condition and appearance right after applying it. Keep in mind that all skin types, as the oily skin, require proper nourishment and moisture. This is why you will most likely hear people advising you to get a moisturizer that takes care of your facial hair once you decide to grow a beard.
If your skin is particularly prone to acne or is sensitive, then the beard oil will also work in dealing with it through the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that are present in the essential oils used in creating the product. Some beard oils also contain essential oils that have plenty of antifungal properties. All these will work together in ensuring that your beard will look as great and healthy as you want it to be.
The oil also works by softening your beard and getting rid of the itchiness often triggered by excessive skin dryness. It has carrier oils that also play crucial roles in nourishing and moisturizing your skin.
Types of Beard Oils
So what are your options when searching for a good type of beard oil? Here are a couple of its popular types:
Classic Beard Conditioning Oil
The classic beard conditioning oil has properties that can soften your facial hair and repair any damage to it. It also aids in preventing skin conditions that might occur once you start growing your beard.
Growth Beard Oil
As the name suggests, growth beard oil is made in a way that it can help speed up the process of growing your beard. It can make some changes in the rate of hair growth.
In most cases, growth beard oil contains pure argan and unrefined jojoba oils to condition and promote healthy growth. The result is less breakage, leading to healthy, full, and thick facial hair growth at a faster rate.
Beard Oil Ingredients
For the beard oil to work, it needs a set of ingredients that work together in stimulating healthy growth. In most cases, this product contains two core ingredients – carrier oil and at least one essential oil.
Carrier Oils
Carrier oil is the major component of beard oils. It makes up around ninety percent of the product. It refers to the oil’s base, providing your beard with all essential nutrients that it does not receive yet. Among the most commonly used carrier oils in a high-quality beard oil are:
Jojoba Oil
This refers to a botanical extract, which serves as the main ingredient that moisturizes your facial hair follicles. What is great about Jojoba oil is that it contains plenty of essential vitamins and minerals necessary for beard growth.
Argan Oil
This is a vital carrier oil because it plays a major role in softening your beard and making it thick. It also prevents follicles from getting brittle and dry. This is possible even if the hair follicles constantly get exposed to extreme temperatures and harsh weather.
Another advantage of argan oil is that it helps repair damaged beard. Furthermore, it promotes ease in detangling beard and making it knot-free.
Almond Oil
Almond oil is another of the most beneficial ingredients used in beard oil. It is because it lessens inflammation while healing acne-prone and sensitive skin. It is rich in fatty acids that aid in reducing inflammation and improving the flow of blood into the inflamed spot.
Another advantage of almond oil is that it serves as an exfoliator designed to get rid of dead skin cells. This is useful in preventing beard dandruff and hair breakage and loss.
Castor Oil
One advantage of castor oil is that it can quickly penetrate to your skin under the facial hair. It works effectively in minimizing dry, coarse, and wild hair, getting rid of beard dandruff, and controlling itchiness. It also stimulates quick beard growth.
Sunflower Seed Oil
A beard oil containing sunflower seed oil is also beneficial as it offers relief against itching. Note that itchiness is one of the most common problems linked to growing a beard, so it helps to have an ingredient designed to offer immediate relief from it. It also contains plenty of anti-inflammatory properties.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has high iron content while also having a bit of Vitamins K and E. All these nutrients are beneficial for the hair in your scalp and beard. The presence of this ingredient also leads to hair growth. Furthermore, it works as an effective moisturizer while treating beard dandruff.
Essential Oils
The second core ingredient in beard oils is the essential oil. It is kind of strong, which is why it needs to be used with a carrier oil as a means of diluting it and safely transmitting it to your hair and skin. Among the most commonly used essential oils in beard oils are:
Tea Tree Oil
This essential oil helps in moisturizing and healing your skin. This means that in case of damaged facial hair, it aids in doing the necessary repairs. The result is a smooth and shiny beard that you can maintain for a long period. It can lessen beard dandruff as well as the redness and itchiness that may come along with your beard.
Eucalyptus Tea
Adding eucalyptus in beard oil can further enhance its ability to improve your facial hair care routines. It is mainly because it contains antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, it is capable of tightening your skin.
Tree Pinewood
Beard oil can boost its ability to deliver moisturizing and nourishing benefits if it contains tree pinewood. Aside from that, you will be able to enjoy its nice and fresh yet not overpowering pine scent. You will also get the chance to take full advantage of its natural healing benefits and properties.
Fir Needle
Another useful ingredient added to beard oils nowadays is the fir needle. It is a great astringent as well as an immuno-stimulant, making it a fantastic addition to any facial hair care products.
Cedarwood
One interesting benefit of having cedarwood in your beard oil is that it gives instant relief from itchiness. This ingredient, which boasts of its nice woodsy smell, also works effectively as an astringent. Furthermore, it has insect-repellant properties.
Sandalwood
This ingredient is also popular because of its ability to relieve itching. Moreover, it has plenty of anti-inflammatory properties, making it truly useful for those who often deal with irritation and inflammation due to growing a beard.
Beard Oil Effectiveness for Different Beard Problems
Having beard oil in your grooming kit can truly help you handle a lot of beard issues with ease. It is because it is so versatile that it can deal with almost all problems associated with beard growth, especially if you are still a beginner in doing so.
Making Beard Thicker and Fuller
One of the best things that your chosen beard oil can do is to create a thicker and fuller beard. It is a big help in letting the skin beneath your beard thrive while curing issues that trigger patchiness. It has the ability to improve the overall health of your beard apart from moisturizing it as well as the skin beneath it.
With the beard oil around, you will have a facial hair care product that you can use to deal with common issues, like dandruff, excessive dryness, and itchiness that might prevent your beard from growing thicker and achieving its full potential. It also contains ingredients designed to heal problems experienced by your hair follicles, particularly those from the inside.
It can, therefore, guarantee the thickness and fullness of your beard by healing issues and symptoms that prevent your follicles from achieving healthy growth and flourishing.
Beardruff
Using beard oil is also the key to dealing with beard dandruff. Also called beardruff, this often takes place when the itchiness reaches that point wherein skin dryness leads to flaking. In worse cases, the flakes will even begin to fall off. To avoid this, you can use beard oil right from the moment you begin growing a beard. Doing this can prevent itchiness right from the start. It can moisturize the skin under the growing beard, preventing dryness that might lead to flaking and, eventually, beardruff.
Controlling and Taming a Beard
With the softening and moisturizing properties of beard oil, it is definitely the perfect solution for taming and controlling your facial hair. It tames beard in such a way that it will always look well-groomed. By applying beard oil, it would be easier to use a beard brush to straighten your beard, then comb and shape it just the way you want.
Although you can’t expect it to give you the more defined shape and hold offered by the majority of high-quality beard waxes and balms today, it still works wonders in dealing with problems, like morning bed beard.
Moisturizing Beard and Dry Skin Underneath
You don’t also need to worry about dryness and flakiness when using beard oil because of its plenty of hydrating properties. As mentioned earlier, it can tame, moisturize, and soften your facial hair. It moisturizes down to the skin beneath your beard. This also makes it serve as an effective styling agent, helping in grooming your beard and maintaining its shine.
Growing Beard
Some beard oils can also support the proper growth of facial hair. Among those that are effective in promoting beard growth are those with pure argan oil and unrefined jojoba oil. It is because the two ingredients are known for having the ability to moisturize the skin beneath more naturally.
They can get rid of dead skin cells as well as any other harmful impediments that might negatively hamper the speed of growing facial hair. They can boost the resilience and strength of your beard, too, thereby speeding up their rate of growth.
Softening Rough Beard
Another area where beard oil works more effectively is in softening your rough beard. This is extremely helpful, especially if you live in a place with harsh weather. If that’s the case, then there’s a great chance for both your skin and beard to experience excessive dryness.
The softening and moisturizing properties of beard oil can give you the answers you need if your beard or facial hair gets too rough and dry to handle. By applying it regularly, you can soften your facial hair’s texture, promoting ease of management and styling.
Itchiness
Beard oils are also effective in terms of offering relief to itchiness. It can resolve the problem of having an aggravating and irritating beard itch. Note that the itchiness that often comes along with having a beard tends to be so persistent that some men start to think twice about continuing to grow their beard. With the moisturizing properties of this product, you can avoid the itch and have a smooth-sailing experience while you are on the process of growing and taking care of your beard.
How to Choose the Best Beard Oil
Despite the proven effectiveness of beard oils when it comes to dealing with the common issues linked to beard growth, you have to remind yourself that not all of these products are created equal. There are always those that will excel in terms of performance and effectiveness compared to the others. You can read our in-depth expert review here.
To increase your chance of getting the best out of your numerous choices, make your decision based on the following key factors:
Effectiveness
One thing you have to assess carefully when shopping for high-quality beard oil is the effectiveness of the product. You can check its components to determine how effective it is in dealing with the issues you want to avoid when growing facial hair. You may also want to read legitimate reviews to determine how effective a particular beard oil is. If it has high satisfaction ratings, then it could be a sign that the product is effective.
Price
The price of beard oil should also contribute to your final decision. Determine your budget first, then narrow down your choices based on that. When considering the price, avoid going immediately for those offered at extremely low prices without assessing their overall quality first. However, this does not also mean choosing those with higher price tags.
Your goal is to find a reasonably priced beard oil that is of top-notch quality and proven to have a high effectiveness rating. There should be a match between the price and the quality of the product. Also, make sure that it comes from a reliable company and manufactured in a way that it meets safety and regulatory standards.
Scent
Another important factor to consider is the scent of beard oil. Note that these products often vary in scent. You can make your choice based on the actual scent you prefer. Similar to when you are looking for a cologne, it is advisable to assess the scent’s intensity, too. Stay away from beard oils with strong scents in case you’re one of those who are extremely sensitive to various scents and smells.
Ingredients
Examine all the ingredients used in creating the beard oil you are planning to buy, too. One thing you should remember about these products is that most of them often use a similar set of ingredients. However, they still differ as far as complexity is concerned. During your search for beard oil, consider investing in one, which contains natural ingredients. It should be all-natural to ensure that it will not produce negative skin reactions.
Skin and Hair Type
Make your choice based on the type of skin and hair you have. It is because some beard oils are specifically designed for a specific type of hair and skin. If you have dry skin, for instance, then choose those that work perfectly for it. One option for those with dry skin is a beard oil containing argan oil. It is because this ingredient has plenty of moisturizing properties that can prevent excessive dryness.
Absorbency
Check how absorbent a specific beard oil is, too. It should be lightweight enough that your skin can easily absorb it. The ease through which the oil can be absorbed by your skin will depend on your skin type. If you are unsure, then using a comedogenic scale, a scale used in determining a product’s absorption rate, can help you.
Ease of Application
Make sure that you will not have a hard time applying the beard oil. As much as possible, go for a lightweight one with a rich texture, as this indicates that it is indeed easy to apply. A lightweight beard oil that also has a rich texture can be evenly distributed over your beard, too.
You can also figure out how easy it is to apply a specific beard oil by assessing its cap and container. Among those that are truly easy to apply are bottles with droppers. With the dropper around, you have an assurance that you will be able to pour just the right amount of the product to your facial hair.
Regular Beard Oil vs Beard Growth Oil
Beard oils differ in terms of the complexity of the ingredients used in creating them. If you are shopping for regular beard oil, then be aware that the main components/ingredients of this product are usually those designed to soften and moisturize your beard and skin.
Most of its ingredients have properties that can protect your facial hair from experiencing the most common troubles linked to it, like beard itch, inflammation, and dandruff. A beard growth oil, on the other hand, seems to differ from regular or standard beard oils in the market today in the sense that it has an additional function – that is, stimulating faster facial hair growth. This means that it is suitable for anyone who wishes to grow their beard fast and guarantee its fullness and thickness.
How to Use a Beard Oil
To use beard oil properly, make it a point to make the application after you have showered and shampooed your beard. It could also be after you have washed your face. It is because that is the time when the pores in the area are more open, making it possible for your skin to absorb the oil more effectively.
The following are the usual steps involved in beard oil usage and application:
Step 1 – Pour around 2-3 drops on your palms
Massage the oil using a downward motion to your beard. It would be best to take this step at the time when your facial hair is still damp. Apply the oil and let it work through your facial hair.
Step 2 – Distribute the oil evenly with a comb
You may want to use a specialized comb for your beard when performing this step. The use of a comb to distribute the oil evenly is even more important if you have a thick or long beard. Apply more oil if that’s the case, too.
Step 3 – Style
Go on to styling your facial hair as you deem fit.
FAQ
Where should I get beard oil from?
If you are thinking of buying a beard oil and make it part of your grooming kit, then be aware that you can get it at most pharmacies and supermarkets. The problem with these places is that they only usually carry limited brands. For more variety and choices, you may want to visit legitimate online sites and stores, such as Amazon. There, you will surely be greeted with an abundance of choices.
Does beard oil encourage hair growth?
Not all beard oil can encourage hair growth as this product is mainly designed to moisturize and soften your beard and prevent common problems, like itchiness and dandruff. Still, some of them come with ingredients that stimulate such growth, like jojoba oil. It is worthwhile to try beard oils with such ingredients if you want your facial hair to grow at a much faster rate.
When is the best time to apply beard oil?
The best time for using and applying your chosen beard oil is after each of your showers. It should be after you have used your favorite beard shampoo that cleans up your beard and a beard soap that smells nice. Make sure that the shampoo you are using is more suitable for coarse hair. You should then blow-dry or towel your beard before putting on the beard oil.
What are the potential side effects of beard oil?
The potential side effects of beard oil may be brought on by getting a low-quality one that does not adhere to certain safety standards and regulations. One of these negative effects is an allergic reaction.
There are also instances when companies incorporate synthetic fragrances to the oil that result in not only allergies but also split ends and dryness. It might even lead to the prevention of fast beard growth. With that said, make sure that you are getting a high-quality beard oil from a truly reputable and reliable source.
Are there natural alternatives to beard oil?
Yes, you may also use natural alternatives to beard oil. One of your best options, in this case, is coconut oil. It is a great product that can also provide as many benefits as what good-quality beard oil can provide. Just make sure to use it sparingly. One advantage of coconut oil is that it is not as greasy as other oils due to its high lauric acid content. It also works effectively in conditioning and nourishing your beard.
How long does it take for a beard growth oil to work?
A beard growth oil mainly works by ensuring that your facial hair grows healthily and fully. Those that are truly effective in stimulating hair growth can be expected to work and produce results within six to eight weeks. However, it would be best to combine it with a healthy lifestyle as well as other techniques that guarantee beard growth to promote better and more desirable results.
Will beard oil make my face feel greasy?
No, it won’t, but make sure to use it responsibly by ensuring you only apply the recommended and correct amount. Applying too much of your chosen beard oil is one reason why it might look and feel greasy, especially if you do not also make it a regular habit to wash your beard. This is why it is advisable to stick to the recommended amount and application instructions. Doing so will nourish your skin and beard without the grease.
Conclusion
Growing a beard and ensuring that it stays healthy and looks good requires you to establish good habits, like cleaning it regularly. Apart from that, it is also necessary to use beard grooming products, including beard oil. Using a beard oil can truly make a positive difference in the way you grow your beard.
Vinnie is one of the members of the Beardoholic writers team. He’s also a barber and hairstylist for 15 years now and he has a kick-ass beard of his own, so he surely knows what makes a magnificent beard and hair and how to achieve them. He’s our go-to guy for all the latest beard and hairstyle trends and he always has a tip or two on how to grow and style a thick beard fast.