The Ultimate Guide To Using Beard Oil Like a Boss
While shaving daily is tiring and irritating, many men avoid learning how to grow a beard because beard maintenance seems overwhelming. Facial hair grooming becomes this vicious cycle — you don’t wanna shave because it takes time and is hard on your skin, but if you don’t shave, you’re left with a scraggly, unkempt beard.
A single product greatly eases the transition between daily shaving and beard growth: beard oil. Whatever your facial hair vibe, learning how to use beard oil ensures your transition from freshly shaven into #BeardGoals territory is seamless.
Beard oil versus beard balm and wax
Beard culture is a little intimidating. There are so many grooming products for facial hair, and it’s expensive to choose the wrong one. Here’s a breakdown of the main product types and what they’re used for.
- Beard oil contains essential and carrier oils — the former nourish beard follicles, while the latter encourage growth. Beard oil is the lightest option of the three, designed not to weigh facial hair down.
- Beard balms contain the same nourishing ingredients as beard oils but have a thicker texture and are intended for fuller, longer beards. Because they’re heavier, they help catch flyaways. They also absorb slower, typically lasting longer than oils.
- Beard wax is the thickest option, nourishing while also molding facial hair.
Benefits of beard oil
They don’t call them “essential oils” for nothing — the ingredients in the best beard oils quickly saturate facial hair strands, providing the following benefits.
- A better-looking beard: Moisturizing your beard makes it softer, shinier, and more pliable. If your beard’s not looking as handsome as you’d like, try using beard oil.
- Hydrated skin: The natural oils in beard care products also nourish the skin underneath and surrounding your beard.
- Less skin irritation: Dry skin doesn’t just feel bad — it flakes and causes beard dandruff. And scratching makes dryness and itchiness worse. Using beard oil quickly improves this discomfort.
How to apply beard oil
Beard oil is an easy addition to your daily routine — follow these five steps for a happier, healthier beard.
1. Take a warm shower
Since beard oil also moisturizes skin, the best time to apply it is right after a shower, when your pores are open and receptive. If you don’t have time to shower, wash your face with warm water to enjoy the oil’s full effect.
2. Dry your face and beard
Oil and water don’t mix. Make sure your face is patted dry before applying beard oil so it absorbs properly.
3. Pump it into your hand
Depending on your beard’s length, pump 1–3 drops of beard oil into the palm of your hand. With time, you’ll understand how thirsty your beard is, but one pump should be plenty for the first couple months.
4. Massage it into your beard
Rub the oil in your palms to warm it up. Then, massage your beard thoroughly, moving from roots to ends.
No need to waste it — if you have extra oil on your hands, apply it to your face (first testing a small patch to ensure it doesn’t irritate your skin when applied directly). Many quality beard oils use vitamin E, which protects your skin from the effects of sun exposure by scavenging free radicals.
While you may think an oil-based product would leave you feeling greasy and clogged, many products use non-comedogenic ingredients that stay out of pores. Of course, if your skin type’s more acne prone, check the ingredients. Comedogenic ingredients like coconut oil, cocoa butter, and lanolin may not agree with you.
5. Brush it
Time for the finishing touches — use a tool like a beard brush or comb to smooth flyaways and shape your beard.
When to use beard oil
The best time to put in beard oil is before bed to gain uninterrupted absorption. Now, if you think you should use beard oil every day, first make sure your beard actually needs it this often. Whenever introducing a new skincare product into your routine, start slowly, making sure your skin and hair react well to the newcomer. If all goes well, increase use until you find a balance between the time you have each day for facial hair grooming and the health of your beard.
The best beard oils
Here are three of our favorite beard oils to kick off your grooming routine.
1. HIMistry’s 3-in-1 Argan Beard and Shave Oil
This beard and shave oil is made with a rich combination of natural oils, including argan, almond, grapeseed, and jojoba, to replenish moisture to your skin and hair. It leaves your beard smelling great while preventing free radicals from clogging pores.
2. Golden Grooming Co. Beard Oil
Healthy beards grow from healthy skin. Golden Grooming Co.’s all-natural beard oil contains the best ingredients for thick beard growth and healthy skin. The intoxicating blend of tea tree oil, citrus, and peppermint makes this one of the best-smelling beard oils on the market.
3. Blesswell Conditioning Beard Oil
This luxury blend sets the gold standard with a non-greasy formula that tames and smooths facial hair. The formula contains natural oils that soften and condition beard hair to promote growth and nourish skin.
Your best beard
Knowing how to use beard oil is a giant step toward achieving your facial hair goals — now to decide whether to grow out that handlebar mustache…
For more beard grooming tips and tricks, turn to the Flip community. You’ll find candid and informative reviews about all the products you’re interested in so you can feel confident and excited about this new step in your skincare routine.
