So, you’ve decided to grow your facial hair out… If you want your beard to look, feel and smell its best, you’ll have to invest some time in its upkeep by developing a proper beard care regimen.  If you haven’t already, in addition to washing, conditioning, and trimming your face bush, make sure to add a good beard oil to your line up!

 

Why beard oil?

Beard oil will keep your whiskers soft, supple, shiny, and smelling good—and keep your significant other loving your whiskers as much as you do (read: tickles are nicer than scratches!)

What is beard oil exactly?

Beard oil is an oil mixture for softening your beard made up of two types of oils: essential oils and carrier oils.

Essential oils are natural oils that are extracted from plants and carry the fragrance, or the “essence”, of those plants.  These oils have been used throughout time for medicinal or aromatherapy purposes because of their natural healing properties.  Essential oils are potent compounds which could irritate or even burn your skin, so they should not be applied directly to your face, and this is why they are usually combined with carrier oils.

Carrier oils, or base oils, are oils used to dilute or “carry” the essential oils to keep them from irritating your skin.

Popular essential oils for beard care:

• Cedarwood
• Cypress
• Eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sandalwood
• Tea Tree
• Thyme

Common carrier oils:

• Almond
• Argan
• Avocado
• Castor
• Coconut
• Grapeseed
• Jojoba
• Olive

There are a number of beard oils out on the market to choose from, like Happy Jake’s Beard Oil, Jack Black’s Beard Oil, and Shea Moisture for Men Shea Butter Beard Softener & Skin Protector; but if you’re feeling adventurous, you could also make your own at home.

 

DIY Beard Oil

To make your own beard oil, you’ll need:

Small 1 oz (30 mL) bottles;

A funnel;

The essential oil whose scent you like the most;

Your carrier oil of choice;

An eye dropper (if your bottle of essential oil does not come with its own dropper).

 

Buy some small 1 oz (30 mL) bottles to hold your oil once it’s made (or even slightly larger bottles, like the ones you use for your carry-on liquids when flying, if you want to make a bigger batch);

Use a funnel to pour 1 oz (30 mL) of your carrier oil into a bottle;

Use your dropper to add 3-10 drops of your essential oil (depending on how strong it smells) to every 1 oz (30 mL) of carrier oil;

[You don’t have to stick to one essential oil and/or carrier oil: you can play around with different blends of oils to create your own signature beard oil.  For example, you could mix 1/2 oz (15 mL) of one carrier oil with 1/2 oz (15 mL) of another, and then add a couple of drops of 2 or more essential oils.]

Mix the oils together by shaking the bottle for about 30 seconds; and voilà– you’ve got your own beard oil!

 

How often should you oil your beard?

Oil your beard at least once a day: after washing and conditioning your beard, pour a few drops on to your fingers and massage into your beard and the skin underneath.  Use a brush or comb to evenly distribute the oil throughout your beard.

Enjoy spoiling your beard with some oil!

 

Sources:

Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, 2012.

The Art of Manliness, “DIY Beard Oil”: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/09/diy-beard-oil/#disqus_thread

Beard Mountain, “Beard Oilcyclopedia Part 2: Essential Oils and How to Make Beard Oil”: http://beardmountain.com/beard-oilcyclopedia-part-2-essential-oils/

The Manliness Kit, “What is Beard Oil and Why You Should Care”: http://manlinesskit.com/what-beard-oil-why-should-care/

The Manliness Kit, “DIY: How to Make Beard Oil. Quick & Easy Recipes” http://manlinesskit.com/diy-how-to-make-beard-oil-quick-easy-recipes/

Swanson Vitamins, “Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Beginner’s Guide to Using Essential Oils”: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/natural-health-tips/essential-oils-aromatherapy-guide

What oils/blends do you use to spoil your beard?