Growing a beard is a unique and very personal experience. And for some of us, that experience can be burdened with inconveniences like dry and itchy skin, or unruly beard hairs. But luckily, there’s a great beard care product that can help make the beard growing journey feel like an enjoyable ride.
Beard oil can help keep your hair hydrated and healthy, while also taking good care of the needs of your skin. But what does beard oil do? Read on to find out more about this indispensable beard care product.
Let’s take a look at the benefits as well as how to use beard oil. Read on to find out when to use it, how much to use, and how to make the most out of your investment.
What Is Beard Oil?
Let’s start off with the basics. What is beard oil? Well, beard oil is a specially formulated oil that’s designed to keep your skin and beard in top form.
Beard oils are made out of carrier oils and essential oils. Carrier oils condition, moisturize, and soften your skin and beard hair. Essential oils may have some anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, but they’re usually included in the recipe because they smell nice.
Good quality oils contain natural ingredients that nourish, hydrate and protect your facial hair. Using beard oil can also help keep your sink healthy and moisturized, which goes a long way toward fighting against the irritation and itchiness of those initial beard-growing stages.
Common carrier oils
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Argan oil
- Almond oil
- Grape seed oil
- Castor oil
- Apricot kernel oil
- Sunflower seed oil
Common essential oils
- Peppermint
- Sandalwood
- Lemon
- Orange
- Bergamot
- Vanilla
- Cedarwood
- Roman chamomile
- Cinnamon
- Apple
What Are The Benefits of Using Beard Oil?
You might be wondering why bearded men with experience recommend that you apply beard oil. Well, beard oil helps with a lot of things.
Helps Soften The Beard
Facial hair has a completely different structure than your scalp hair. Your beard hair follicles tend to be thicker and more porous. This means it loses moisture more quickly, which can cause it to dry out and feel rough to the touch.
Beard oil is chock-full of precious oils with hydrating and conditioning properties. These ingredients will help attract moisture and lock it inside the hair fibres, making your beard feel softer and look 100 times better.
Reduces Beard Dandruff
Beardruff or beard dandruff can have a lot of causes. The most frequent one is seborrheic dermatitis, a skin condition caused by the body’s reaction to a pesky yeast called Malassezia, but also linked to skin lipid composition and individual susceptibility.
Keeping your beard and the skin underneath it moisturized are key steps in reducing beardruff’s unpleasant consequences. Beard oil works great for that because it prevents dry facial hair and protects the skin’s natural oils.
Keeps Your Skin And Facial Hairs Moisturized
Applying beard oil is the facial hair equivalent to drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Beard oil contains ingredients that attract water molecules to your skin and facial hair, then seals them in to prevent moisture loss throughout the day.
This is super important because dry skin can lead to flaking, irritation and itchiness. Also, dry hair fibres can become unruly and tangly which can cause problems like split ends and beard curling. In addition, keeping your skin hydrated helps with beard growth and prevents facial hair loss.
Makes Your Beard Look Fuller
Good beard oil will also have conditioning properties. This means that the surface of your hair will be smoother while the inside will be hydrated. What you end up with is an improved texture and manageability of your whiskers that leaves your beard looking fuller and well-groomed.
Makes Your Beard Smell Awesome
Smelling great and having others notice it can be a huge confidence booster. And since our sense of smell is strongly linked to our memories, wearing the right fragrance can even brighten your day or help you feel more centred.
Beard Oil Stops And Prevents Itching
If you’ve ever tried growing a beard, you know that it itches, especially during the first stages of beard growth. Your beard itches because your skin doesn’t produce enough sebum to moisturize your face, so the outermost layer of skin cells dries up, dies, and exfoliates. This microscopic layer of dead skin cells gets trapped in your beard, leading to annoying outbreaks of itchiness.
Beard oil hydrates your face, keeping your skin cells in good health. In addition, beard oil also helps remove the dirt, debris, dead skin cells, and other pollutants that may be trapped underneath your facial hair.
## What Are the Ingredients Used in Beard Oil?
Most beard oils contain a variety of plant-based natural oils that are either carrier oils or essential oils. These ingredients are a great source of nutrients and vitamins and also act as moisturizing and conditioning agents.
Essential Oils
As the name suggests these types of oils contain the essence of a plant. Essential oils are not only used to create a product’s unique fragrance. Depending on the type of plant it’s extracted from, essential oil can have numerous properties and act as a moisturizer, a natural antiseptic or a natural antifungal.
Carrier Oils
These ingredients create the base of a product and are extracted from the fatty components of plants, most often the seeds and nuts. Carrier oils are used to dilute very concentrated and potent essential oils and help distribute them into your skin and hair.
Carrier oils also have moisturizing properties, they provide your skin and hair with nutritious fatty acids and they contain vitamins that help keep your skin healthy. Some great examples are Jojoba oil, Abyssinian oil, argan oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil.
When You Should Use Beard Oil?
You should include beard oil in your daily grooming routine. We recommend you apply beard oil at least once per day, as soon as you start growing a beard.
If you live in a dry climate or your daily activity involves being exposed to pollution, dirt, winds, or high doses of UV light, we recommend that you apply beard oil twice a day, in the morning after you wash your face and before bed to prevent itchiness.
How Much Oil To Use
Beard Length | How Much Beard Oil To Use |
Up to 1” | 2 - 3 drops |
1” - 2” | 3 - 4 drops |
3” - 4” | 4 - 6 drops |
4” - 6” | 6 - 8 drops |
6” - 9” | 8 - 10 drops |
9” - 12” | 10 - 12 drops |
Over 12” | As needed |
## How to Apply Beard Oil?
Follow these easy steps and remember that a little goes a long way when it comes to applying beard oil.
- Always start with a clean canvas. Use your favourite beard wash to make sure that you’ve cleared away any dead skin cells, dust or grime-like food and drink particles.
- Dry your beard using a soft towel. Use gentle patting motions to prevent hair damage. You should apply your beard oil when your hair is moist but not wet.
- Put a couple of drops of oil into the palm of your hand then spread it evenly on your fingers. The number of drops will depend on the length and texture of your beard. We suggest starting with just two to three drops, then adding some more if needed.
- Use your fingers and then a beard comb to help evenly distribute the product throughout your beard.
How Often Should You Use It
There is no magical formula for beard care. In fact, every step should be tailored to your own needs, because you’re the only one who knows what’s best for your skin and facial hair. As a general guideline, you can use beard oil daily after your morning shower or whenever you start your day. However, beard oil can also be incorporated into your nighttime beard care routine.
How Long Does It Take for Beard Oil to Take Effect?
There’s no definitive answer to this question because the time it takes for beard oil to work depends on how hydrated or dehydrated your skin is. If your skin is hydrated, you will notice your beard hair softening in as little as a couple of days.
If your skin is severely dehydrated, you may notice the softening effects only after two weeks or more.
However, beard oil doesn’t produce side effects unless you’re allergic to one of its ingredients, so you can apply it for a long time without any worries.
Which Is The Best Beard Oil Product?
We recommend that you apply beard oil once or twice per day, every day. Our specially formulated Day Liquid Tonic is designed to protect your beard from the damaging effects of UV radiation and pollution, so you can wear it like an armour throughout your day.
Our Night Liquid Elixir nourishes and moisturizes your face overnight. This is the perfect product for those who struggle with beard itchiness and dandruff.
Keep Your Skin and Beard Hydrated With a Beard Oil Worthy of Legend
Check out The Beard Struggle’s collection of products & guides to help you get an amazing Viking beard.