Rubbing liquid into your beard is a bit of a foreign concept, and so applying beard oil for the first time can be something of a nervy prospect.
Are you doing it properly? Have you put on too much or too little? Am I meant to use my hands or something else?
These are all questions that race through the mind when putting this weird beard substance to work, but questions we hope to answer with clarity and accuracy in this handy step-by-step guide to beard oil application.
It’s time to put an end to beard oil anxiety and get confidently conditioning your way to a sleeker, more stylish and stress-free mass of facial hair!
Applying Beard Oil: The Steps
Step 1 – When
The best time to use beard oil is after showering or cleaning your beard.
You might even want to include just washing your face in this criteria.
That’s because washing your beard can actually have incredibly drying effects on its roots, stripping the hair of all moisture and increasing the risk of beard dandruff, coarse feel and dry itchy skin.
Therefore, immediately replenishing and hydrating the beard after washing is an absolute must.
Taking a shower also opens up your pores, meaning it’s at this time when your beard is at its most accepting and absorptive to beard oil.
Before any application begins, you’ll want to make sure your beard is almost completely dry by patting off excess moisture with a towel.
This is because water and oil famously do not work in tandem and if your beard is too wet on application, the oil will not effectively be absorbed.
Step 2 – How Much
Most beard oils come with a specific application nozzle, either in pipette* or dropper form, which allows you to dosage out small quantities of oil rather than accidentally slobbering a bucket load all over your mug.
The big issue here is knowing how much is too much, as otherwise, your beard will just turn into a greasy, disgusting mess.
How much you should be applying tends to be based on how long your beard is, as the longer the hairs, the more moisture they draw away from the face, resulting in drier, itchier skin below the beard surface. Then when there’s no longer any moisture to draw from, the ends of the hair simply die or become split.
For standard beards just a few months into their growth, our advice is to start by applying just 2-3 drops.
You can then add an extra 1-2 drops for every 3 months of beard growth.
Example Table
| 1-3 months beard growth | 1-3 drops |
| 3-6 months beard growth | 2-5 drops |
| 6-12 months beard growth | 4-6 drops |
| 12 months + beard growth | 6-10 drops |
Once you know how many drops you need, simply squeeze them into your palm and then rub your hands together, spreading the oil evenly across your palms and fingertips.
Once that step is complete, you’re now ready to rub the oil into that fine facial shrubbery of yours!
*If using a pipette isn’t a doddle for you, you may accidentally squeeze too much into your palm from time to time – but don’t be tempted to just wing it and apply the excess, as you’ll come to regret it when your beard still feels a little slimy 4 hours later.
To avoid the issue, just use short, quick squeezes to apply one drop at a time!
Step 3 – Applying To Beard
Although this may seem like the easy bit, it’s important that you spread the oil throughout every nook and cranny of your beard to get the best results.
So that you hit every crucial spot, try and follow this more precise method:
1. Stroke your palms along the sides of your beard, left and right, to lightly cover the lower cheek area.
2. Now brush a palm down the front side of your face, lightly covering the moustache and chin.
3. Now run both hands up through the bottom of your beard underneath the chin, you’re fingers acting as combs. This is effectively running your hands through the thickest and bulkiest part of the beard to ensure it gets the moisture it needs.
4. Finish by lightly stroking your moustache with your fingertips to coat them in a small amount of oil.
5. Then to evenly distribute the oil and ensure it reaches the skin, use a comb and move it downwards through the moustache and beard.
6. You’re finished! Once the oil is evenly distributed you can begin grooming or styling your beard into the shape you see fit!
Issues To Avoid
Using beard oil doesn’t have to be as scientific as we’ve just laid out and provided you’re doing something that works for you – it doesn’t really matter how exactly or how often you apply it.
To prevent any slacking or accidentally over greasing your chops every once in a while though, it’s best to always keep these main pointers in mind when you are using beard oil:
- Refrain from using more drops than is needed
Because no one wants to be sporting a greasy, sopping beard on the regular. - Don’t forget to comb
While combing might seem like a take it or leave it activity, neglecting to spread the oil evenly can leave you with clumps of oil in the beard, which will leave you with patches of dry, while encouraging dirt and discomfort in the areas of clogged up oil. - Don’t pour or pipette oil directly to face
Oil can clog your pores when used to excess, so applying it directly to the beard or face is likely going to lead to spots, acne and blemishes. You’ll also struggle to then distribute it evenly around your beard! - Quit using unsuitable oil
Everyone’s skin and hair is different and so whatever reason, someone else’s dream beard oil might have an opposingly negative effect on your own skin and hair. If this is the case, don’t wait around for the end of an awkward phase – the oil obviously doesn’t agree with you and so repeated use is just going to lead to more rashes and other issues. - Don’t apply oil to wet beards
Make sure your beard has been patted dry after showering before applying beard oil, as any excess water left in the beard will simply repel the oil and prevent it from being absorbed, resulting in a waste of your product and an unreplenished dry beard.
