Beard Oil is typically a combination of different carrier oils and essential oils.

Everything You Need to Know About Beard Oil

If you have ever grown a beard and went looking for advise online, you will be told unanimously to “use beard oil”. So what is beard oil exactly and how can it help?

What is it?
What problems does it solve?
How to use it
Beard oils we recommend

What is beard oil?

Typically a blend of carrier oils. Some of the most popular carrier oils include jojoba, sweet almond, grape seed, argan, and apricot kernel oils.
Typically they are scented with fragrance from essential oils and/or fragrance oils.
Some will contain additives like tocopherol (Vitamin E), glycerin and/or aloe vera.
Beard Oil is applied in very small amounts to facial hair and the skin beneath.
What are carrier oils?
They are basically vegetable oils that are derived from the seeds, nuts or kernels of plants. We call these carrier oils because they dilute the essential oils which cannot not be used full strength on the skin. In fact most beard oils will consist of approximately 98-99% carrier oils with the fragrant oil component making up less than 1-2%. Most beard oils will also contain Vitamin E or tocopherol to help extend the product’s shelf life. Since there is no water in a beard oil, a preservative isn’t required but oils can oxidize when exposed to oxygen and UV rays and can eventually turn. Storing beard oil in a glass amber bottle is best to help avoid UV light. Blue coloured bottles can work just as well. The average shelf life is about 2 -3 years but our recommendation is to use up the product within 12 months of opening it.

Different carrier oils have different properties but one characteristic they share is that they need to good for hair, skin, absorb easily and not feel greasy. Let’s look at the benefits of a few popular carrier oils. This is just a small example of the oils commonly used. Recently there are more exotics oils being formulated as new companies emerge. It’s all about how does it feel in your beard.

Jojoba Oil - anti-inflammatory, reduces redness, helps calm skin, prevents chaffing and drying, helps control sebum production, moisturizing.

Argan Oil - anti-oxidant, high in vitamin E and oleic acid, helps with acne, softens hair and skin, moisturizing.

Apricot Kernel Oil - anti-ageing, helps with fine lines, lightweight, absorbs quickly, moisturizing, high in vitamins E and A.

Grape Seed Oil - anti-oxidants, anti-ageing, helps soothe skin, linoleic acid helps keeps hair healthy.

As you can see the benefits of these oils are many and ideally suited for maintaining a healthy beard while also taking care of your skin.

Cold-pressed oils are best, meaning the oil is extracted by using a steel press that allows it to retain its many nutritional benefits better than other extracting methods.

Beard oil can also be scented with fragrance oils or parfume. Unlike essential oils, which are natural ingredients, the use of fragrance oils or parfume can indicate an undisclosed mixture of synthetic scent accords. Some scents just aren’t possible to create with essential oils. Fragrance oils also have an advantage in that they will usually have a longer shelf life, the aroma will last longer and have better performance.

Unscented Beard Oils are ideal for those that work in a scent free environment, prefer something that won’t clash with their cologne or for those whose skin is sensitive and reactive to fragrance. Most men prefer a nice smelling beard and have a rotation of their favourite scents.

Some prefer using all natural beard oil products because they know exactly what the ingredients are and that they are free of any synthetic fragrance.

What problems does beard oil solve?

Beard Itch - Probably the biggest issue men experience when growing out a beard is beard itch. Many man have declared that they are growing a beard but soon go running for the razor because the itch is unbearable.

Why does my beard itch?- There are a few theories on this and here is mine.

When you shave, the blade slices off the whiskers at an angle and leaves them sharp and pointy. When you are in the stubble stage, its not a problem. The problem starts when the whiskers are long enough to curl back and stab your face. Your whiskers now are acting like little spears irritating your face. The sharp ends of your beard will soften up over time as they grow. I believe another contributing factor is that your face is simply not used to having facial hair. Your face will adapt if you can get past the itchy stage.

Dry Skin is also a cause of an itchy beard. Everything changes once your hair follicles start growing out. The skin on your face only produces a limited amount of oil (sebum) and once there is any hair (even very short), the hair will start to rob the skin of it’s natural oils. Dry skin can lead to flakey skin which is commonly referred to “beardruff”. You don’t want that.

Dehydrated Beard - Washing your face and beard can leave it dehydrated. Beard oil will help your beard and skin retain moisture and balance. Winter can be particularly harsh and dehydrating on your beard. Beard oil can help by being a part of your daily grooming routine.

Beard oil helps

Beard oil helps condition your skin and battle against dry, itchy and flakey skin that can happen when growing and maintaining a beard.
Beard oil will soften whiskers making them far less irritating to your face and any face that your beard comes in contact with.
Your beard will look and feel healthier while helping calm dry brittle hairs and flyaways. It can also add a little shine to your beard.
The scent - your beard will smell amazing and that will put a smile on your face.
An excellent replacement for your regular facial moisturizer. The vast majority of moisturizers will not work well with facial hair once it gets beyond the stubble stage.

100% Natural and Organic beard oils, balms and washes by Educated Beards. Veteran Owned. Hand blended in Canada. Learn more — 100% Natural and Organic beard oils, balms and washes by Educated Beards. Veteran Owned. Hand blended in Canada. **Learn more**

How to use beard oil

Most new users apply too much. This will not only be a waste of money but will leave your beard feeling greasy. We apply beard oil by drops. Here is a guide to reference. Your mileage may vary but a little goes a long way. Apply your oil post shower into a clean towel dried beard. Use beard oil daily to maintain healthy skin and an awesome beard. Beard oil will be effective for most of your day. Depending on your skin and beard type, you may want to reapply as needed.

Preferred method. Count out the appropriate amount of drops into the palm of your hand. Rub hands together for a few seconds. Apply to beard throughly ensuring you also reach the skin. Distribute product with a comb or boar bristle brush. Continue combing or brushing your beard until you’ve reached maximum handsomeness.

Stubble 1-2 drops

Short beard 2-3 drops

Medium beard 3-5 drops

Long beard 5-9 drops

Some bottles come with a restrictor cap instead of a dropper. A sharp tap on the bottle of the bottle will expel a drop of oil.

Alternatively you can apply beard oil directly from the dropper however we don’t recommend this method. It’s not the best way to achieve an even distribution of product.

How do you choose?

There is no shortage of choices when it comes to selecting a beard oil.

What to look for when buying beard oil

Ingredients - Eventually you may develop a preference for a certain oil blend. You may prefer a lighter weight vs a heavier weight oil blend. Different oils have different weights. For example, castor oil is very thick while apricot kernel is fairly lightweight. If you are just starting out and looking to buy your first bottle, look for good quality oils like jojoba, argan, grapeseed, apricot kernel and sweet almond oil. Quality oils, like those mentioned are expensive relative to lower grade oils. Organic oils are even costlier. Expect to pay anywhere from $24-$30 CAN for a 1 oz/ 30 ml bottle of quality beard oil from a reputable supplier.
Reputation - Some of the beard oil companies we love have been in the game for years and have built a solid reputation and following. Checking reviews are good for recommendations. You can also join a beard community on social media and see what others are using.
Scent - A lot of guys make their purchase choice based on the scent descriptions. Popular scents include tobacco & vanilla, bourbon, leather, citrus, peppermint, woods like cedar, pine, sandalwood and aquatic marine notes. It is a bit of an art form to create an intoxicating scent. Remember that a beard oil is not a cologne. The fragrance should smell great when applying but not overpowering as your beard is pretty close to your nose. The more fragrance an oil contains, the greater risk of skin irritation. Unscented beard oil will just smell like the oils, slightly nutty and fairly neutral.
Ask the retailer. The store owner and staff know their products and can help. We get this question a lot, particularly from people looking to gift a beard oil to that special man in their live.
You can also make your own beard oil. It can be as simple as using only one carrier oil and a few drops of your favourite essential oils. Warning: You can definitely go down the rabbit hole on this one buying several carrier oils, essential oils, fragrance oils, bottles, droppers, etc. Trial and error with recipes can result in a lot of money being pored down the drain. Also if you want to try this route, be sure to research correct essential and fragrance oil dilution percentages. Citrus essential oils can cause increased sensitivity to UV rays so education and an abundance of caution are key to creating a safe DIY beard oil.
Some mass produced beard oils may contain additional synthetic components like cyclopentasiloxane and dimethiconol which are essentially silicones that coat the beard hair. The use of silicones in beard oil can be debated. The growing movement towards more natural skin care and hair care ingredients would argue against the use of silicones. The clean beauty movement would argue against an ingredient list with unnecessary ingredients. We suggest doing your own research before making up your own opinion on the use of silicones. Personally I am against the use of silicones in beard care products.

Thinking of making your own beard oil? We have provided the following Amazon affiliate links and a simple Ceardarwood Beard Oil recipe.

Jojoba Oil

Argan Oil

Apricot Kernel Oil

Cedarwood Essential Oil

30 ml Glass Amber Dropper Bottles

Cedarwood Beard Oil Recipe: In a clean 30 ml glass amber bottle fill it halfway with apricot kernel oil. Then add equal parts of jojoba and argan oil. Add 5-6 drops of cedarwood essential oil. Shake well. Dada! Always so a skin patch test to check for irritation before using a full application. There are plenty of more complex beard oil recipes that are searchable online. You can play around with different fragrant oils to create your own unique scent.

Skin Patch Test: We recommend always doing a skin patch test with any new product. Just rub a small amount on the inside of your arm and let that sit for a few hours. If you experience any redness, itchiness or irritation, then discontinue use. Some carrier oils are derived from nuts so those with severe allergies should read the ingredients labels carefully and practise diligence. Those with sensitivity to fragrance may be better served with an unscented product.

Conclusions

If there is only one product you use when growing and maintaining a beard, beard oil should be at the top of your list. Your beard and skin should feel comfortable and irritation free. Using beard oil as a part of your daily grooming routine is essential for a healthy looking beard.

Everything You Need to Know About Beard Oil