While I’ve never grown a beard myself, plenty of men in my life have! Whether it’s your husband, dad, or brother, here are some great options for the best beard oil. These help nourish the skin and soothe irritation and inflammation, all while providing a nice scent.
They make great stocking stuffers or gifts. And if you feel like making your own, here’s my DIY beard oil recipe.
What is Beard Oil and How to Use It
A healthy beard starts with a good grooming routine. And if you (or your significant other) did No-Shave-November this year maybe you’re looking for a way to maintain that beard. More and more men use beard oil for stronger hair, healthier skin, and a nice-looking beard.
Regular soap can cause dry skin as it’s not really made for facial hair. And it’s important to moisturize the skin, but lotion can be awkward to apply on the beard area. So how do you care for beard hair and the skin underneath?
After washing the face with a beard wash or soap, follow it up with hydration from some beard oil. These feature specific carrier oils (and often essential oils) to maintain both beards and skin underneath. Usually, all you need are a few drops massaged into the skin and beard. Longer beards need a little more product.
The Best Ingredients For Beard Oil
Beard oil has exploded in popularity recently so you’ll find plenty of beard oils on the market. Some of them though have synthetic ingredients that can irritate the skin, cause beard itch, or have unknown long-term health effects. Other brands use artificial fragrances which are known to cause issues like hormone imbalance, cancer, headaches, skin irritation, and more.
The best beard oil has a blend of natural carrier oils (and sometimes essential oils). Ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil are great for skin, but are too solid for a liquid beard oil. You can get unscented versions, but essential oils also provide some hair and skin benefits. Here are some good options to look out for and what they do.
- Jojoba oil – Mimics our skin’s natural oils for quick absorption. Jojoba is anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and high in vitamins and minerals for healthy skin. It also has antioxidants to fight against skin aging and damage.
- Vitamin E oil – A natural antioxidant that fights against free radical damage. It also helps extend the shelf life of oil-based products.
- Argan oil – Rich in linoleic acid and vitamins A and E. Linoleic acid reduces inflammation and acne while protecting the skin’s moisture barrier.
- Castor oil – Speeds hair growth (a lot!), reduces inflammation, and soothes damaged skin. Has fatty acids that may help prevent hair loss. Helps hydrate skin and discourage unhealthy bacteria that can cause breakouts. Increases hair shine and may help prevent split ends.
- Meadowfoam seed oil – This luxurious sounding oil has a unique fatty acid profile with a very long shelf life. It’s an emollient to help soften and smooth skin, prevents moisture loss, balances oil production and minimizes blemishes.
- Essential oils – Popular beard oil options include sandalwood, peppermint, tea tree, cedarwood, rosemary, and lavender. These have a wide variety of benefits like being anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial. They also promote hair growth and keep skin healthy. If the skin is very sensitive or damaged, then essential oils can further irritate it.
Why Use a Natural Beard Oil?
Here are several ways that a good beard growth oil can help improve beard and skin health.
- Can help patchy beards by improving hair growth. They work on beard hair and bare skin to encourage healthy growth.
- Helps longer beards stay tangle-free. After applying follow up with a beard comb for best results.
- Makes coarse beard hair feel softer.
- Nourishes the skin underneath the beard to help prevent dryness, itchiness, dandruff, and breakouts.
- Strengthens hair follicles for less hair loss and breakage.
The Best Beard Oil
The best beard oil for men depends on what you’re looking for. Of course, you’ll want something that gives you a healthy beard, but natural ingredients are important too. Some beard oils work well but they have harsh ingredients that can irritate skin or expose it to toxins and endocrine disruptors.
The following beard care options have nourishing ingredients and they work well. So guys can have better beards, healthier skin, and be kissably soft.
Toups & Co | Beard Oil
I’ve used Toups & Co for years and I’ve always been impressed with their products. More importantly, I love that they’re non-toxic and have good for your skin ingredients.
Their beard oil helps hydrate and nourish the beard area. It features ingredients like castor oil and argan oil to boost hair growth and fill in patchy areas. Plus it smells like a Douglas fir tree forest.
INGREDIENTS: Jojoba oil, olive oil, castor oil, argan oil, essential oils of orange fruit extract, copaiba resin, pink grapefruit peel oil, Amyris bark oil, Douglas fir branch/leaf oil, ho wood oil, key lime peel oil.
Crunchy Betty | Shaving Days Argan Beard Oil
I’m a huge fan of Crunchy Betty’s Kokomo deodorant and everything she makes. This beard oil is formulated to soften and nourish the beard while moisturizing the skin underneath. It also helps stimulate hair growth without leaving skin feeling greasy. The Argan Beard Oil smells like cedarwood with floral and citrus undertones.
Get Crunchy Betty Shaving Days Argan Beard Oil here
INGREDIENTS: Argan oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, hexane-free castor oil, cedarwood essential oil, bergamot (bergaptene-free) essential oil, rosemary essential oil, lavender essential oil, ylang ylang essential oil
Monster & Son | Beard Oil
This beard oil comes in two different scents, lemongrass and cedarwood or frankincense and sandalwood. It’s made with essential oils and both versions provide hair and skin benefits. Monster & Son uses organic, cold-pressed oils for maximum potency. It also features meadowfoam seed oil, which is great for skin but harder to find in beard oils.
Get Monster & Son Beard Oil here
INGREDIENTS: Argan Seed Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Olive Seed Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Vitamin E Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Frankincense (Cedarwood Oil, Lemongrass Oil).
Honest Amish | Classic Beard Oil
Handcrafted in the USA, Honest Amish uses a blend of 14 natural and organic oils. It’s designed to strengthen the beard and maintain healthy hair follicles for better growth. Honest Amish also nourishes the skin underneath to avoid “beardruff” while adding a nice shine. Their classic version has a sweet, woodsy smell.
Get Honest Amish Classic Beard Oil here
INGREDIENTS: Extra Virgin Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil, Refined Organic Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Virgin Organic Apricot Kernel Oil, Kukui Nut Oil, Virgin Organic Argan Oil, Golden Organic Jojoba Oil, Cedarwood Essential Oil, Clove Bud Essential Oil, Star Anise Essential Oil, Grapefruit (Pink) Essential Oil, Lavender (Bulgarian) Essential Oil, Organic Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil, Organic Peppermint (Arvensis) Essential Oil *certified organic essential oils
Pura D’or | Beard Oil For Real Men
This beard oil keeps it simple while still effective. The main ingredients are hair friendly argan and jojoba oil with added essential oils for extra skin benefits. The naturally occurring vitamin E helps reduce itchiness. Pura D’or’s oil combination helps keep pores clear and eliminates dead skin cells to minimize acne and ingrown hairs.
Get Pura D’or Beard Oil For Real Men here
INGREDIENTS: Argan kernel oil, jojoba seed oil, sandalwood oil, grapefruit peel oil, bergamot fruit oil. *all certified organic
Badger | Bergamot and Vanilla Beard Oil
Badger is my go-to for a lot of skincare products thanks to their clean ingredients. Their blend not only has a lovely earthy, citrusy scent but it’s packed with nourishing ingredients. They’re formulated to soften, moisturize, protect, and condition the beard. Plus the oils and natural extracts are light and non-greasy.
Most beard oils come in a dropper bottle, but I like Badger’s unique wide pump top bottle too.
Get Badger Bergamot and Vanilla Beard Oil here
INGREDIENTS: Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Babassu Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Bergamot Oil, Organic Pomegranate Extract, Sunflower Vitamin E, Organic Vetivert Extract, Organic Sandalwood Oil, Organic Cardamom Oil, Organic Black Pepper Oil, Organic Vanilla Extract & Organic Myrrh Extract.
Other Beard Products to Try
Don’t just stop at beard oil! A beard wash formulated especially for the beard area can help prevent dryness and irritation from regular soap. You can make your own natural moisturizing shampoo bar or get one here from Morocco Method.
Beard balm or beard butter nourishes in much the same way but these products are thicker. They can also feature moisturizing ingredients like cocoa butter, mango butter, and shea butter that are too thick to use in beard oil. Badger balm sells a good beard balm conditioner here.
What kind of products do you like to use on the beard? Mama’s what are your favorite ways to keep your significant other’s beard soft and healthy? Leave a comment and let us know!
