How and When to Use Beard Oil – Your Complete Guide
A thick, healthy-looking beard never goes out of fashion. Beards, in addition to being a timeless symbol of masculine beauty unique to each gentleman, also come with multiple health benefits. A well-groomed and nourished beard acts as a natural filter, protecting the face from UV rays and keeping dust away from the skin.
So how do you achieve a healthy and well groomed beard? Among the diverse line of men’s grooming and skincare products available in the market, beard oil stands out as a must-have for keeping facial hair neatly groomed and moisturized all day long. Keep reading this detailed guide on how and when to use beard oil to discover amazing insights you may not have encountered before.
What is Beard Oil?
Beard oil is one of the essential products in men’s grooming to support beard growth and maintain its health. This leave-in product helps hydrate and moisturize the beard, hair follicles, and underlying skin. Its combination of ingredients is designed to mimic sebum, a natural oil produced by the human body, preventing beards from becoming flaky or wiry while soothing itchy beards, beardruff, and irritation.
Comprising of carrier oils such as apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, castor oil, and avocado oil, along with essential oils like lavender oil, tea tree oil, and vitamin E, beard oil provides a refreshingly long-lasting fragrance and hydration to your beard. The added benefits of antioxidant properties of beard oil help repair damaged follicles and promote new cell generation while increasing blood circulation to keep the beard from brittleness and breakage.
Why Should You Use Beard Oil?
Beard oil is a cosmetic product for male grooming, and even a small amount can significantly help hydrate, nourish, and treat damaged hair follicles, which eventually often result in enhanced beard growth. When sebum oil is stripped away in the shower due to chemicals in soaps or face wash, it’s the natural ingredients in beard oil, such as Jojoba oil and Castor oil, that compensate for this loss of sebum. This keeps your beard hair from becoming dry, brittle, and wiry. Some of the key areas where beard oil plays a vital role include but are not limited to:
- Treating itchiness and beard dandruff
- Addressing insufficient hydration of the beard and underlying skin
- Maintaining longer beards
- Encouraging beard growth
- Preventing split ends
- Reducing skin flakiness
- Styling beards
- Achieving a neat and well-groomed look
What are the Benefits of Using Beard Oil?
Investing in premium beard oil as part of your beard grooming routine can provide you with a range of benefits. Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of beard oil.
Moisturizes and Nourishes
One of the main benefits of beard oil is to moisturize your beard and provide sufficient hydration to the skin underneath. Natural oils like Jojoba oil and Argan oil in beard oil are the best healing moisturizers that nourish your skin well and promote healthy beard growth, resulting in a shiny, soft healthy beard.
Helps to Curtail Beardruff (Beard Dandruff)
Dandruff occurs when the skin is too dry. If you’re dealing with a new beard and experiencing flaky and irritating skin underneath, beard oil is the ideal solution. A blend of premium oils in beard oil addresses the issue of dreaded beard dandruff by providing proper nourishment and moisturization to both your beard and skin.
Provides a Soft and Shiny Look
Beard hair is naturally rougher in texture than the hair on your head. The blend of carrier and essential oils softens coarse beard hair and gives it luster for a stylish look. Beard oil helps to manage and style your beard. It tames flyaway hairs and makes styling easier.
Pro Tip: Find products containing argan oil for a beard shine that’s natural looking and not too flashy or dull.
Adds Subtle Fragrance
The fragrance of essential oils in beard oil leaves your beard with a refreshing scent round-the-clock. When buying beard oil, you can choose your favorite fragrance, whether it’s from essential oils or synthetic chemicals.
Promotes a Healthy Beard
Regular use of beard oil helps prevent beard hair breakage, giving it strength and conditioning boost, while soothing your underlying skin for a healthy, moisturized, itch-free beard. Consistent use of beard oil also prevents hair loss, resulting in healthier growth and thicker beard.
When Should You Start To Use Beard Oil?
A good beard oil should be your close companion in your beard care routine. The best time to start using beard oil is when the dark stubble on your face grows into a short beard of about two weeks. Short facial hair tends to be coarse, and you may experience itching and irritation on your skin. Beard oil can help ease the new growth itch.
When to start using beard oil also depends on factors such as the climate, the thickness of your beard, the length of facial hair, your skin type, your hair type, and your personal preference.
Pro Tip: If you notice dryness, itchiness, dandruff, or breakages, it’s time to start using beard oil.
Tips for Choosing the Right Beard Oils
With the variety of beard oils available in the market, it can be challenging to choose the right one. Here are a few things to consider about beard oil to make your choice easier.
Check the Ingredients
It’s preferable to choose a beard oil that contains natural ingredients such as jojoba oil, argan oil, and apricot kernel oil. These ingredients reduce irritation, soothe the skin, and provide nourishment to the hair.
Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and avocado oil are rich in fatty acids and known for their hydrating properties and abundance of beneficial nutrients. Essential oils like tea tree oil, with its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, help cleanse and protect your skin. The overall blend of these natural oils provides a solution to various beard problems in just a few drops.
Consider your Skin Type
Always choose beard oil that is tailored to your skin type. If you have sensitive skin, avoid synthetic fragrance beard oils. Instead, opt for products with natural ingredients. Non-greasy oils are better for short beards, while richer oils are more suitable for longer beards. For dealing with itching and dandruff, use hydrating beard oils.
Choose Scents Wisely
The best beard oil not only keeps your beard healthy but also leaves an enchanting scent to please your (or your partner’s) senses. However, if you have sensitive skin or allergies to perfumes and essential oils, you can choose unscented beard oil.
Step-by-Step Guide on How to Use Beard Oil
The application of beard oil is very simple since it is one leave-in cosmetic for beards, and can be typically applied once or twice a day, depending on the condition of your beard and skin, and climate factors. If you have extremely dry skin or live in a dry climate region, you may need to apply beard oil twice a day. If you have oily skin or the weather is humid, using beard oil on alternate days is a good option.
The effectiveness of beard oil increases manyfold if applied appropriately and with consistency. It’s ideal to apply beard oil after a hot shower for better absorption. In the below-mentioned step-by-step guide, you’ll discover a few helpful tips to properly nourish and moisturize your beard. You can apply beard oil with your fingers or use a beard brush for better results. Here’s how:
- Take a few drops of beard oil and rub it in the palm of your hands to warm it up.
- Massage beard oil into a damp beard (not wet) in a downward direction.
- Ensure you apply beard oil to your entire beard and the underlying skin.
- For those of you with longer and thicker beards, use a beard comb for even distribution of beard oil and exfoliation of the skin simultaneously.
- Style as per your personal preference.
If you are new to beard care products, you might be unsure about how much beard oil is enough for one application. Here’s a guideline:
- For a five o’clock shadow, one drop is more than enough.
- Stubble needs only 1-2 drops.
- A medium-length beard requires 3-5 drops of hydration.
- A fully-grown beard needs 5+ drops of beard oil.
When to Apply Beard Oil
You can use beard oil as needed and according to your personal preference. The usage of beard oil may need to be adjusted based on the climate and your individual skin type. If you want to protect your beard with beard oil, here’s a suggested beard care routine you can follow:
- After a nice hot shower, apply beard oil thoroughly to the freshly cleaned, dry beard and the underlying skin, and you’re ready to start your day.
- Make sure to pat your beard dry after a hot shower, as this opens the pores and allows for better oil absorption. Massage the oil well from the roots to the tips of your beard and then style it.
- Beard oil makes your facial hair more manageable. Don’t forget to apply beard oil before styling your whiskers when heading out. Take the desired amount of beard oil and apply it using a beard brush for a neat look.
- When you’re in a hurry for an event, simply clean your beard with a hot towel and apply beard oil for a healthy, shiny look. Style it with a beard comb according to your preference, and you’re good to go.
- Before bedtime, take a warm shower and generously apply beard oil to both your beard and skin to wake up with the softest beard ever.
Conclusion
Beard oil is nothing short of a one-stop solution for addressing most of your beard-related issues, including ingrown hairs, beardruff, itching, and dullness. Now that you know how to use beard oil and understand its overall effectiveness, apply the beard oil as soon as your whiskers start growing, typically after a week or so of shaving.
Even if you have a medium to full-length beard, a fast-absorbing beard oil is essential to keep it moisturized, voluminous, and free from itchiness or dandruff in the long run. To sum up this detailed guide, there’s no harm in having beard oil as an essential part of your grooming kit. Start using it now and see the difference for yourself!
