First, let’s run down the basics. What exactly is beard oil?
Beard oil is meant to be used to moisturize your facial hair and the skin underneath. It keeps the hair on your face healthy but also keeps your skin from drying out and producing dandruff or itching in your beard.
Beard Oil Ingredients
Before we can understand what beard oil does and how exactly it works, let’s break down what beard oil actually is. Beard oil is primarily a mixture of two types of oil – carrier oil and essential oil.
You may have heard of carrier oils if you are familiar with cosmetic products. Carrier oils are called this because they carry or dilute other ingredients in the substance. In the case of beard oil, the carrier oil dilutes the essential oils, so you can evenly spread them across your beard. The carrier oils also contain many of the moisturizing properties found in beard oil.
Popular carrier oils include coconut oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, and almond oil. All offer slight differences in their benefits, but most of these benefits include hydrating and nourishing properties.
Beard oils are around 90% carrier oils, which dilute the rest of the formula, the essential oils. Essential oils all contain various benefits. In beard oils, their most noticeable property is adding that woodsy, earthy scent to your beard. Like the carrier oils, they also contain numerous moisturizing properties. Popular essential oils include sandalwood, tea tree oil, and cedarwood.
What Does Beard Oil Do?
Now that we have covered how beard oil is made, let’s check out what it does. A quality beard oil actually has numerous benefits for both your skin and for beard care.
Let’s start with the most common question that is probably asked about beard oil what does it do to your beard? Fortunately, there are actually a few benefits to any beard care product, and that is maintaining a strong and healthy beard.
It helps to think of beard oil like a beard shampoo. We treat our head hair regularly, so why wouldn’t we do the same for our facial hair? Beard oil keeps a beard hydrated, smooth, and healthy-looking, and it does so in a few ways.
First of all, beard oil really helps the appearance of your beard. Rubbing some beard oil through your beard will add that healthy shine that everyone with a beard desires. Think of how conditioner gives your hair that gorgeous shine, oil can act as a sort of beard conditioner.
In the process of rubbing in the beard oil and combing it out, you also remove any loose hairs or beard dandruff that may be in your beard. This does wonder for not only the appearance of your beard but also for removing all the things that give your beard that trademark itch. Many assume that an itchy beard is caused by the beard itself when actually it is completely preventable with a solid beard-care routine.
Once your beard is smoothed out and the loose hairs are taken care of, you can style your beard however you want. It really helps to tame a wild beard before you add your own styling touch.
The next major benefit of applying beard oil is what it does for your skin. Let’s face it, when your sensitive skin is covered up by a beard, it might a bit tough to stay focused on proper skin care. Not only are the problems invisible, but you might not even notice them at all, especially if you have a thicker beard! Beard oil works down to the roots and keeps your skin hydrated and fresh. No more dry skin, and no more itch.
Beard oil also smells great! The musky, woodsy smell of the essential oils acts almost as a cologne for your face. Not only will your beard look great, but your face will smell great as well. It really rounds out the rugged, manly appeal of nice beard oil.
The Rumors Surrounding Beard Oil
If you noticed, we left out a major benefit that so many wishful thinkers like to associate with beard oil and that’s hair growth. While we’d love to tell you that beard oil stimulates hair growth and helps you achieve that full, luscious beard, but the science simply isn’t there. There is no science to support that beard oil directly helps with quicker hair growth.
While this is unfortunate to hear, we are trying to keep this article as accurate and informative as possible. It’s best to focus on the numerous benefits that beard oil does provide. So while it may not promote hair growth, you can still achieve a fuller look by properly caring for your beard and ensuring that everything lays flat on your face. Straightening out the knots can leave your facial hair with that full, consistent look.
How to Apply Beard Oil
Now that we’ve addressed what beard oil does and what it’s made of, it’s time for a quick primer on the practical applications of this substance. Here is a guide on how to properly achieve the numerous benefits that beard oil provides. After all, you only reap the rewards if you use it properly.
Remember: Make a Routine
Before we jump into a step-by-step for effective use of beard oil, remember to create a routine that works for you. This means when and how often you will be tending to your beard.
It really comes down to how often you require the use of beard oil. If you have more facial hair, have dry skin, or live in a drier climate, you may require daily use. However, if the opposite is true, you may only need to apply once every few days.
The best time to apply beard oil is right after you wash your face with warm water. Warm water opens your pores, which allows the beard oil to penetrate into your skin and you can better receive its beneficial properties.
Step 1: Dry Your Beard
After you’ve washed your face and are ready to start your beard-care, be sure to dry your beard so that it is almost completely dry. This allows the beard oil to sink in and not get washed away by the water. It also allows the warm water to keep your pores open so they can absorb the beard oil.
Step 2: The Application
The amount of oil you use depends on the length of your beard. Try 3 drops for a short beard, 5-7 drops for a medium beard, and up to 10 for a long beard. Of course, as you do this, you’ll settle on an amount that is comfortable for you.
Take the oil and rub it into your palms. This spreads it evenly, which allows you to apply it evenly on your beard. Start with your fingers and really rub it into the roots of your beard. This gets the oil right onto your skin for a maximum moisturizing and nourishing effect. After you’ve rubbed it in, take your palms and rub them evenly across your beard, going with the grain to straighten and smooth everything out.
Step 3: Combing and Styling
If you don’t have a proper beard comb already, we suggest you get one. Because once you’ve treated your beard with beard oil, you need to put on the finishing touches to get your beard looking its best. Combing your beard straightens it out, and also helps your beard look fuller and healthier. And of course, you can comb it to achieve whichever look you want!
Combing a beard is a rather precise process, but it’s not difficult. Start by going against the grain so that you catch any knots and also remove any loose hairs. Once your hair is tangle-free, go with the grain to smooth everything out and give your beard that natural drop. The result is a full, healthy-looking beard!
While this may seem like a lot of work just to achieve a good-looking beard, you actually would be surprised at how quick this process can be. It is all about establishing a routine. Make this a regular part of your self-care routine, and eventually, you’ll be on auto-pilot!
Final Advice: Do What’s Comfortable
You came to this article to learn what exactly beard oil does. We covered that and more. As you can see, beard oil has all sorts of appeal, from the aesthetic to the wide range of skin and hair health benefits. It’s important that you find a beard oil that works for you, and that you work it into your routine. The more you do it, the more you will know how much to apply for that comfortable shine, look, and moisture-level.
We are confident that following our advice will have your beard looking its best!
