Beard Oil: The Ultimate Guide

This ultimate guide to beard oil answers every question you have about beard oil, including:

• What is beard oil?
• What are the benefits of beard oil?
• How does beard oil promote beard growth and thickness?
• Will beard oil help reduce itchiness and dandruff?
• What ingredients are in beard oil?
• Are beard oils scented or unscented?
• Is beard oil suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin?
• How do I apply beard oil?
• How often should I apply beard oil?
• How much beard oil should I use per application?
• How long does it take to see results from using beard oil?
• What is the shelf life of beard oil?

WHAT IS BEARD OIL?

Beard oil is a men’s grooming product that helps hydrate, nourish, and soften facial hair by moisturizing the skin beneath the beard. Beard oil is formulated with a blend of carrier oils, such as jojoba and castor oil, and essential oils that add fragrance and a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your skin and beard.

Here is how beard oils work: your skin produces a natural oil called sebum. Sebum coats your beard hairs, helping to hydrate, nourish, and protect the hair shafts — making it critical for your beard’s overall health, condition, and appearance. But sebum gets stripped away in the shower by water and the detergents found in soaps. The ingredients in beard oils help replenish the sebum lost due to showering, preventing your beard from becoming dry, brittle, and wiry.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING BEARD OIL?

There are five main benefits of using beard oil:

• A healthier, stronger beard: when your beard becomes too dry, the hair shafts become more prone to damage and split ends. Beard oil hydrates beard hair, reducing breakage, split ends, and damage.
• A softer beard: dry hair and split ends make your beard feel rough. That dry, damaged hair is equally uncomfortable on your face. The beard hairs stay moisturized and feel softer to the touch by using beard oil.
• Reduced itch and dandruff: an itchy beard and/or dandruff in your beard indicates that the skin on your face is too dry. Beard oil hydrates the skin beneath your beard, soothing itchiness and helping stop skin flakes from developing.
• A better-looking beard: a moisturized beard gives off a shiny, healthy appearance.
• A better-smelling beard: beard oils come in an assortment of fragrances. Finding beard oil fragrances you like is one of the best things about having a beard.

HOW DOES BEARD OIL PROMOTE BEARD GROWTH AND THICKNESS?

Beard oil promotes beard growth and thickness by helping your beard and skin stay healthy, conditioned, and hydrated. This allows your beard to grow to the full potential of your genetic capabilities, giving it a thicker and fuller appearance.

Some companies claim their oil helps stimulate beard growth, but little scientific evidence supports these claims. Beard growth is determined by genetics, and topical products like beard oil can’t change your beard-growing DNA.

WILL BEARD OIL HELP REDUCE ITCHINESS AND DANDRUFF?

Yes, beard oil helps prevent and stop itching. An itchy beard is usual within the first few weeks of growth. During this time, the hairs curl and poke back into the skin. Beard oil helps reduce this early beard itch by softening the beard hair, making the tips less likely to irritate your skin.

If you are beyond the first few weeks of beard growth and are experiencing itchiness and beard dandruff, that is a sign that the skin beneath your beard is too dry. Beard oil helps reduce this itchiness and dandruff by moisturizing the skin and beard hair. Using a stiff-bristled boar’s hair beard brush will further help exfoliate your skin and evenly spread the oil over the shafts of your beard hair.

If you have excessive flaking and itching that you can't get under control, you may have seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition that many men have and treat quickly. Still, it won't go away unless you treat it correctly. If you’ve tried caring for flaking alone to no avail, speak with your doctor or dermatologist.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN BEARD OIL?

Beard oils are made up of a combination of carrier oils and essential oils.

Carrier oils: these ingredients condition, moisturize, and soften your skin and beard. Jojoba and castor oil are two of the most widely used carrier oils. You’ll find these two ingredients in a majority of beard oils. Other commonly used carrier oils include abyssinian oil, babassu oil, coconut oil, argan oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and apricot kernel oil.

Essential oils: these ingredients add fragrance to beard oils. Many essential oils also contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

ARE BEARD OILS SCENTED OR UNSCENTED?

Beard oils are available in both scented and unscented options. Both options will provide the same benefits to your beard and skin, so the choice of scented or unscented comes down to personal preference.

Scented beard oils contain essential oils made with natural or synthetic fragrances. Beard oil fragrances vary from brand to brand and there are seemingly endless options to choose from. Finding a fragrance that you enjoy is one of the most rewarding aspects of having a beard. Some men like to have multiple fragrance options and vary which ones they wear from day to day. It’s important to note that because the fragrances in scented beard oils are often derived from plants, they can cause allergic reactions or skin irritation.

Unscented beard oils contain no added fragrances or essential oils and are formulated with only carrier oils. If you prefer a natural scent, don’t want to cover up another fragrance you are wearing, or have sensitive skin that may be irritated by added fragrances, unscented beard oil is a great option.

IS BEARD OIL SUITABLE FOR ALL SKIN TYPES, INCLUDING SENSITIVE SKIN?

The ingredients used in a particular beard oil determine its suitability for your skin type. The comedogenic scale below can help you know if a beard oil's ingredients suit you. The comedogenic scale rates ingredients from 0 to 5 on how likely they are to clog your pores and what skin types they work with.

0 - won’t clog pores at all
1 - very low likelihood they will clog pores
2 - low likelihood
3 - moderate likelihood
4 - fairly high likelihood
5 - very high likelihood of clogging pores

Essential Oil	Comedogenic Rating	Skin Type
Abyssinian Seed Oil	0	Most Skin Types
Almond Oil, Sweet	2	Dry, Sensitive, Acne-Prone
Apricot Kernel Oil	2	Combination, Dry
Argan Oil	0	Most Skin Types
Avocado Oil	3	Dry, Acne-Prone
Babassu Oil	1–2	Most Skin Types
Baobob Seed Oil	2	Most Skin Types
Black Currant Seed Oil	0–1	Dry, Sensitive
Castor Oil	1	Most Skin Types
Coconut Oil	4	Very Dry, Best for Body Use
Cucumber Seed Oil	1	Most Skin Types
Elderberry Seed Oil	1–2	Most Skin Types
Emu Oil	1	Most Skin Types
Grapeseed Oil	0–1	Most Skin Types
Hemp Seed Oil	0	Most Skin Types, including Oily/Acne-Prone
Jojoba Oil	2	Most Skin Types, including Oily/Acne-Prone
Mango Seed Oil	2	Most Skin Types
Olive Oil	2	Dry, Acne Prone
Palm Oil	4	Very Dry, Best for Body Use
Peach Kernel Oil	2	Dry, Sensitive Skin
Pomegranate Seed Oil	1	Most Skin Types, especially Mature
Pumpkin Seed Oil	2	Most Skin Types
Rosehip Seed Oil	1	Oily, Acne Prone
Safflower Oil (High Linoliec)	0	Most Skin Types
Sesame Seed Oil	3	Dry, Irritated
Shea Oil	0–2	Very Dry
Sunflower Seed Oil	0–2	Most Skin types
Watermelon Seed Oil	0–1	Most Skin Types

Note: the comedogenic scale is just one of many factors that help us predict how your skin will react to an ingredient. Ingredients derived from plants and fruits are often allergenic, but this is a potential side effect with all cosmetic products — not one that is solely exclusive to beard oil. Some people may experience allergic reactions to ingredients used in beard oils. Fragrance blends found in beard oils can also cause irritation for people with sensitive skin. Always spot-test a new beard oil to ensure your skin doesn’t react to it.

HOW DO I APPLY BEARD OIL?

Applying beard oil is easy. Use the following three steps:

1. Dispense the oil into your hand and then warm it between your palms.
2. Apply the oil to the skin beneath your beard and then onto the hair.
3. Use a boar’s hair beard brush or beard comb to help evenly distribute the oil and shape your beard.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I APPLY BEARD OIL?

How often to apply beard oil depends on your beard length, hair type, and skin type. The climate also influences the frequency with which you use oil. At a minimum, you should apply beard oil daily. But if you have a longer beard, coarse beard hair, dry skin, or live in a drier climate, using beard oil more than once a day can help better moisturize your beard.

HOW MUCH BEARD OIL SHOULD I USE PER APPLICATION?

The amount of beard oil you use per application depends on the length of your beard. The chart below gives our recommended beard oil usage based on beard lengths.

Beard Length	Drops of Beard Oil	Frequency
< 1” of beard growth	2–3 drops	daily
1”–3” of beard growth	3–6 drops	daily
3”-6” of beard growth	6–8 drops	1–2x per day
6”-9” of beard growth	8-10 drops	1–2x per day
9”–12” of beard growth	10-12 drops	1–2x per day
> 12” of beard growth	As many as you need	1–2x per day

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO SEE RESULTS FROM USING BEARD OIL?

You can expect to see immediate results from using beard oil. The main benefits of using beard oil — adding hydration and fragrance to your beard — will take effect immediately. It may take up to a few weeks of consistent use before the softening and conditioning effects become apparent — especially if you have a longer beard.

WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF BEARD OIL?

The shelf life of beard oil varies between brands depending on the ingredients and preservatives used. Look for a number on the package followed by the letter “N” to let you know how long the product will stay good from the time it is first opened. For example, 9M would mean the shelf life is 9 months. The shelf life number on the package is the minimum length of time that the product has been tested for stability in color, texture, and smell. When stored at a stable temperature and not exposed to direct sunlight, the actual shelf life of beard oil can be longer than the number indicated on the package.

Shop Beardbrand Utility Beard Oil

DISCOVER BEARDBRAND BEARD OIL

Beardbrand Beard Oil has been around for close to a decade and is one of the most trusted oils among beardsmen. We recently changed the name to Utility Beard Oil because our award-winning blend isn’t just the best beard oil on the market — it’s also an amazing hair oil, skin moisturizer, pre-and-post-shave oil, and under eye serum. Check out the rundown on the ingredients that make Beardbrand Utility Beard Oil the only oil you’ll ever need:

Jojoba Oil: The chemical structure of jojoba oil resembles sebum—that all-important oil your body naturally produces—making jojoba oil an all-around banger of an ingredient for keeping dry, itchy skin at bay.

Abyssinian Oil: Abyssinian oil is lightweight and absorbed quickly into hair and skin. Loaded with fatty acids and vitamins, Abyssinian oil helps improve hair texture and hydration. Oh yeah, all those antioxidants have been shown to reduce inflammation and slow down the effects of aging.

Castor Oil: Castor oil forms a protective barrier on the skin, preventing too much moisture from escaping. It's also great for preventing split ends and softening hair while adding a healthy shine.

Babassu Oil: Babassu oil is antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. Its moisturizing qualities help restore hair elasticity and health and aid in the prevention of water loss. Plus, this stuff is non-comedogenic (fancy talk for “doesn’t clog your pores”).

Learn more about all the ways to use Beardbrand Utility Oil by reading the Top 10 Ways to Use Utility Oil.

BEARDBRAND BEARD OIL FRAGRANCES

Old Money Utility Beard Oil combines 23 fragrance notes — including aged oak, amber, and ylang ylang — to create a rich and complex scent that evolves throughout the day. As a fragrance, Old Money is right at home surrounded by rich mahogany, your favorite worn leather chair, a glass of whiskey, and a cigar.

Tree Ranger Utility Beard Oil will leave you pining for more. This blend of refreshing eucalyptus, fresh pine, and sweet, sweet cedarwood takes root in your beard, hair, and skin and says, “that man is a trailblazer.” In other words, Tree Ranger keeps you smelling like you just hiked through a Pacific Northwest Forest.

Temple Smoke Utility Beard Oil is a mystical blend inspired by the rich fragrance of oud incense. It has deep and warm layers with an earthy, smoky undertone. The complementary notes of palo santo, frankincense, and patchouli create a rich and long-lasting blend. This resinous and smoky fragrance is perfect for a temple retreat or hastily retreating from a temple.

THE WRAP-UP

Have more specific questions about beard oil, or need some grooming and style advice for your beard? Text "STYLE" to 512-879-3297 for a free personalized style consultation. We’ll be happy to help you out.

Keep on Growing.

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