Beard oil is a popular product for beard moisturizing and conditioning. If you look closely at the ingredients on many popular beard oils, you might find that many of them share one common ingredient – coconut oil. Because of this, many have gone straight to the source and started applying refined or unrefined coconut oil directly to their beard. In this article, we investigate coconut oil for beard care, examining the benefits, drawbacks, and proper application techniques.
What is Coconut Oil and Why Use for Beard?
Coconut oil is harvested from the “meat” of mature coconuts. It is an edible oil, but has become quite popular for other purposes as well. This includes the primary focus of our article – virgin coconut oil for skin and hair care. Specifically, we will be focusing on coconut oil as an easy DIY beard oil recipe.
Beard oil is an oil that is meant to hydrate and moisturize the skin and the facial hair. It’s moisturizing properties help to prevent dry skin, clear dandruff, strengthen facial hair, and “tame” the knots and tangles that are typical of a dry beard. Because the primary ingredient in beard oil is often coconut oil, many have gone straight to the source as a low-cost alternative to the popular tonic.
Coconut oil touts many of the same hydrating and moisturizing benefits as beard oil. Below, we will examine these benefits in turn and also look at some drawbacks, including why you might prefer beard oil vs. coconut beard oil.
Coconut Oil Benefits
First up, we’re taking a look at the various benefits that coconut oil offers for your beard health and appearance. These benefits can basically be split into two categories – benefits for your skin and benefits for your facial hair. The moisturizing and nourishing properties of this oil have different applications for both of these areas, so let’s take a look at both in turn:
Coconut Oil for Your Beard Hair
Of course, if you’re using coconut oil as a beard oil substitute, you’re probably most concerned with the benefits of your facial hair. Luckily, there are a few noteworthy benefits.
Moisturize & Hair Health
The top reason that people turn to any sort of beard oil is to care for and maintain a healthy beard. Think of your beard hair like the hair on your head. You shampoo regularly and treat your head hair, why wouldn’t you do the same for your beard?
First up is that coconut oil keeps your beard hydrated and strong. Hydrating the hair on your face actually softens it, which makes it less prone to damage and promotes health beard growth. Soft hair also looks and feels great.
Coconut oil coats your hair with a protective layer of oil, which keeps it hydrated all day. No need to worry about your hair drying out and cracking.
Dandruff & Loose Hairs
Next up, coconut oil addresses two of the most common problem areas with a beard. That is beard dandruff and loose hairs. These two beard components are responsible for much of the trademark “beard itch” that can come with a thicker beard or a growing beard.
Coconut oil penetrates the beard right to the roots, allowing you to comb away dandruff and any loose hairs that might be irritating your skin or causing knots and tangles. By combing this away, you’re left with a beard that looks natural and feels great.
Appearance
Finally, perhaps the most important factor to many, coconut oil helps you have your beard look its best. By protecting and nourishing the hair, and combing out all of the imperfections such as dandruff and loose hairs, you are left with a soft, full beard that looks healthy and clean.
Additionally, once you have cleaned and straightened your beard, you are free to style it however you want. You can simply comb it into place, or you can use various styling products like a beard balm to achieve a truly unique look.
Coconut Oil for Your Skin
The benefits of coconut oil don’t stop at facial hair, as this is an excellent product for your skin as well.
Skin Health & Itch
The primary benefit of coconut oil for your skin is unquestionably its hydrating properties. If you find that dry skin is a common problem, then an effective moisturizer is the answer. This can be a particular problem with beards, as it’s easy to forget about treating the skin that is hidden by hair growth.
Coconut oil gets right to your pores and hydrates your skin. No more dry skin which might produce dandruff, and no more of that classic beard itch. Keeping your skin healthy has obvious benefits, as your hair grows from your skin!
Because your skin stays hydrated and healthy, you avoid some of the problems associated with dry skin. This promotes health beard growth, which might help to minimize razor burn and ingrown hairs.
Scent
Aside from appearance and feel, coconut oil also smells great. It has that natural coconut scent, which means it acts as a cologne for your face. It is soaked up by your skin, and will leave you smelling fresh all day!
Coconut Oil Drawbacks
Of course, as with any product, it isn’t all positive. In this section, we look at some of the drawbacks of coconut oil, including how it might compare to a formulated beard oil. We hope to give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision.
Will it Help My Hair Grow Full?
Let’s address the big rumor first. There is a common misconception that by adding oils to strengthen your beard hair, you can actually help them grow faster and fuller. There are many beard oils that tout these benefits. Simply put, it is not true.
There is no science to support that any sort of beard oil will actually help your beard grow fuller, and that includes coconut oil. We recommend you avoid any products that claim this benefit.
Pores
While coconut oil is effective for moisturizing and hydrating your skin, it is still an oil, and it still has the potential to clog your pores. If you are particularly susceptible to clogged pores or to acne, then it may not be a good idea to apply to your skin, or you might want to apply less often. You may have experienced a similar problem with face creams or moisturizers. Everyone’s skin reacts differently to different cosmetic products, and this is the unfortunate downside of coconut oil for some.
Beard Oil vs. Coconut Oil
The main difference between beard oils and simply using coconut oil is that beard oil contains a mixture of essential oils and carrier oils. The carrier oil acts to dilute the essential oil so that the user can benefit from both oils. Often, the carrier oil in beard oil is coconut oil. Therefore, by using pure coconut oil, you aren’t receiving the benefits of essential oil. Often, the essential oil contains vitamins and nutrients that benefit your skin, and also is responsible for that classic “musky” scent of beard oil.
How to Use
To round out this article, we’re going to give you an application guide for using coconut oil on your beard and face. After all, it is only effective if you use it properly.
Before You Start: Get a Proper Container
One of the main differences between beard oil and coconut oil is that beard oil comes in a container that is specifically designed for a beard application. Beard oils are measured in “drops”, which means that many containers come equipped with a dropper that allows you to properly measure the appropriate amount of oil.
If you are using coconut oil for your beard and face, you should buy a vessel that contains a dropper, and transfer the oil before use. This makes it so much easier to measure and use the oil. You can purchase tinctures with droppers online.
Step 1: When To Apply
It is best to apply coconut oil right after you have showered or washed your face with warm water. Try to get your beard mostly dry before applying, but leave it a little wet. The warm water helps to open your pores so that your skin can fully benefit from the effects of the coconut oil.
Depending on your comfort level and the dryness of your skin, you can apply the beard oil as often as once a day. Most users apply between once a day and once every two to three days.
Step 2: Application
Start by measuring out beard oil by adding drops to your palm. Aim for 2-3 drops for a short beard, 5-7 for a medium beard, 7-10 for a long beard, and over 10 for a very long beard. The more you apply, the more you will know what level you are comfortable with.
Rub the oil into your palms. Start with your fingertips and apply right to the roots. Make sure the oil gets right onto your skin, and that you apply all over. Then, take your full palms, and run them over your beard, flattening it so that it falls naturally.
Step 3: Style and Comb
Once your coconut oil is properly applied, you are free to style it however you want. Simply run a comb through it for a natural look, or go wild with styling products!
