What is beard oil and why use it?

There’s nothing like having a magnificent mane to keep you warm in the winter and looking suave in the summer. However, the difference between a nicely groomed beard and an unkempt mess is quite significant.

Many bearded men will tell you that using beard oil is their secret to having a luxuriously soft and healthy beard.

So what exactly is beard oil?

As you’ve probably already gathered by the name, beard oil is a product made to go on your beard that comes in the form of an oil. It’s sort of like a leave-in conditioner, for your beard.

According to Dove Men + Care expert, Jason Schneidman, “Most men don’t believe they need to use any products at all...”

“Men should take care of their facial hair as much as they take care of the hair on their heads.” 

• Source

Whilst there are plenty of styling and beard care products out there, beard oil offers a simple and affordable way to keep your beard nourished and looking great.

Why do people use beard oil?

• Moisturizes and conditions your facial hair and skin.
• Helps to promote growth and reduce patchiness.
• Softens your beard.
• Makes it easier to comb.
• Reduces itchiness which can be a nuisance during the early stages of growth.
• Prevents beardruff (like dandruff, but in your beard).
• Replaces your skin’s natural oil (sebum) which gets depleted as your beard grows longer.

How to apply beard oil

It is generally best to use beard oil straight after showering to lock in nutrients and help prevent your beard from drying out and getting scruffy during the day. However, you can use it at any time you like.

 

Steps:

1. Place a few drops of beard oil in the palm of your hand. 3-9 drops is normally sufficient, but this can vary depending on the length and condition of your beard. Use what feels comfortable for you.
2. Spread it evenly across both hands and massage into your beard.
3. Start at the tips of your hair and work your way down to the roots and skin.
4. Use a comb to spread the beard oil through your mane for styling and to ensure that it is evenly distributed from root to tip (optional).
5. Voila - enjoy the rest of your day, knowing that you have the sexiest darn beard out there!

What should I look for in a quality beard oil?

There is no shortage of options to choose from. When we look at beard oils, we tend to split the products into two categories based on what they are made from:

1. 100% natural ingredients.
2. Contains synthetic additives.

It’s best to find one that is made from quality natural ingredients. Natural beard oils tend to contain a blend of plant oils (known as carrier oils) and essential oils (distilled essences from various parts of plants).

Carrier oils are predominantly made up of fatty acids such as Omega 3, 6 and 9. When looking at the various carrier oils available, an important factor to keep in mind is the comedogenic scale. In short, this basically looks at how likely an oil is to clog your pores - the higher the number (maximum 5), the more likely it is to clog. It’s best if the ingredients in your beard oil have a rating of 2 or less.

Essential oils are potent, generally have a strong aroma (think lemongrass or peppermint, for example) and need to be sufficiently diluted to be safe on the skin. Essential oils are most commonly extracted by using steam to distill the essence from various parts of plants (leaves, stems, flowers and bark are where most essential oils come from). Each cell in these plants contains a tiny amount of essential oil that is used to protect the plant and keep it healthy, among other things.

Essential oils are also used to provide other health benefits such as antibacterial protection (e.g: mānuka oil), promoting hair growth (e.g: peppermint oil) and soothing irritation.

The Ultimate Beard Oil

We make a premium beard oil, which you can find here. This was developed over the course of about 9 months. We started by researching what the best beard oils contain and why, and continually tested new blends & improved until we ended up with what is a masterpiece in itself.

The result: probably the best beard oil in the world...

Alongside all the important health benefits listed above, our beard oil is made to keep your beard hygienic (beards are dirty…). By adding East Cape mānuka oil which offers powerful antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, it is designed to condition, heal and protect your beard.

 

Manuka Essentials is a Kiwi company that makes premium natural cosmetics using mānuka essential oil as a key ingredient. Our long term goal is to help bring native forest back to New Zealand by creating demand for native plant extracts and supporting environmental activities around the country. Learn more about our vision here.