Beard Oil Composition
Beard oil tends to be made up of primarily two kinds of oil: carrier and essential.
Carrier Oils are your product’s base and so should make up the bulk of your product. They are also the most important to get right, as they are what provide the moisturising effect to your beard.
They also ‘carry’ the essential oils, preventing them from causing direct irritation to your skin.
The most important thing to look for in a carrier oil is something that’s non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores and will be easily absorbed.
Essential Oils are then very much an added extra to make your beard smell nice or provide some added nutrients or goodness to the beard. These of course though can have a huge impact on whether the beard oil is for you or not, as you obviously want something that’s going to smell nice as opposed to overpowering!
When looking for a great essential oil, you ideally need it to be from a natural source, as artificially produced scents are more likely to cause irritation. The key giveaway is to watch out for the word ‘fragrance’ in the ingredients, which suggests artificial ingredients!
It’s vital to always look at the composition of carriers to essential oil within your product, as different percentages of each can be a benefit or negative based on your skin type.
Ingredients To Look Out For
In terms of carrier oils, the list is almost endless, but more often than not, these are the main players:
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil is one of the most popular carrier oils because it is a liquid wax that is the most effective oil for replicating skin’s natural oils (sebum).
It’s often used to control oily skin and acne problems by providing your face with oil, teaching your face to produce less.
It contains a lot of fatty acids and is high in Vitamin E and B, meaning not only is it great for sensitive skin, but it also provides it with healthy nutrients! These nutrients reduce inflammation, improve skin moisture and elasticity as well as rid the skin of free radicals! Jojoba is also a known antifungal and anti-bacterial agent too!
As it closely replicates sebum, it also won’t feel too greasy.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an increasingly chosen beard oil ingredient as it has a high concentration of fats, which moisturise the skin. It also contains antibacterial acids and Vitamin E to improve skin elasticity.
Grapeseed Oil
Similar to jojoba in terms of it’s anti-acne properties, grapeseed oil is popular thanks to it’s odourless qualities and collagen, which improves skin structure.
Argan Oil
Taken from the kernels of the Moroccan Argan tree, this oil is another that’s filled with Vitamin E and fatty acids. It’s famed for its super hydrating and moisturising properties, meaning it’s often a top pick for those with sensitive and dry skin.
Sweet Almond Oil
Often used in tandem with other oils as opposed to in it’s own, sweet almond oil is beloved due to it’s beard growth promoting properties and incredibly rich source of vitamins.
Apricot Kernel Oil
A great moisturising agent, this will both hydrate the skin and soften the beard
Castor Oil
Something of a conditioner for beard hair, castor oil is an antibacterial oil which similar to almond oil can help beard growth. It also contains the fatty acids and rich Vitamin E content found in jojoba oil.
Matching Oil With Skin Type
Pouring oil all over your face without doing a bit of digging first is a recipe for disaster. You can read all the positive product reviews in the world, but if the beard oil you buy is wrong for your face type – you’re skin isn’t going to respond kindly!
First you need to consider your skin and beard type, which usually falls into these categories:
Dry skin and itchy beard, oily skin and greasy beard or a combination.
If your skin is relatively insensitive, you may just be suffering from beard issues, such as dull in colour or bristly and coarse.
Based on this skin and beard type criteria, you can then begin picking a carrier oil better suited to you.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the best match-ups based on skin type:
Oily, acne-prone or sensitive skin – Jojoba, Grapeseed
Dry skin/itchy beard – Argan
Normal skin (no sensitivity) – Sweet Almond
Dry and sensitive skin/beard – Apricot Kernel
It’s also wise to always go with something containing Aloe Vera if you’re particularly prone to inflammation or rashes as this will help heal and soften!
Easy Application
How easy an oil is to apply usually depends on its consistency. While oil suggests they are going to be almost entirely liquid, some can teeter toward the edge of gels, which of course makes them much harder to apply.
Ideally, you want a product which revitalises your beard in just a few drops, meaning you won’t have to slather your beard to the point where it looks greasy.
Scent
While choosing a beard oil with a satisfying fragrance may seem like a doddle, it’s easier said than done.
First off, you need to avoid going for oils which feature man-made unnatural fragrances. For example, an unusual and complicated scent like rum or chocolate is likely to have had lots of chemicals and less kind ingredients thrown into it to achieve it’s smell.
Therefore it’s best to stick to scents derived from wood, fruit and spices.
If you wear cologne or have a sensitive snozzle, you also don’t want the smell of your beard oil to make you faint or clash with the other enticing whiffs you’re giving off, so it’s best to go with a product which promises a lighter, subtler scent or go with something with no smell at all!
Your Environment
Depending on the current climate, your beard oil selection could be severely impacted.
If you live somewhere dry, windy and cold, your beard is clearly going to dry out far quicker and so you might want to choose something with more longevity and higher hydration properties. Alternatively, you might just want something more portable you can bring with you everywhere!
Hot climates alternatively cause things to be a little greasier and so you may want to use a beard oil which controls shine in hotter weathers.
Bottle Size
If you’ve got a particularly large bit of facial fur, you may need to apply a few drops of oil throughout the day!
A smaller bottle size will obviously mean less product and longevity, but you’ll be able to sneak it into your pockets or rucksack more easily.
Bottle Cap Style
This might not seem like an important aspect of your beard oil, but it can help drastically when it comes to dosage and reducing mess.
Pump style tops make it easy to control how much oil you use, as do dropper tops.
Price
Beard oils can get mighty expensive sometimes, but even for the most luxurious and caring products, you shouldn’t have to pay more than £20.
We’d suggest paying somewhere between £10 and £15 for a high-quality product which will last you a long time.
