Beard oil may be a product that has revolutionised the beard industry, but it can be both brilliant and frustrating in equal measure when it comes to it’s constantly changing and ultimately lax rulebook.
A relatively new addition to the grooming world, it’s only natural that we beard oil novices want to know the right methods and practices to get the best out of our beards. However, actual routines and procedures feel hard to come by and the answers that are available always seem head-swimmingly unspecific.
This is especially the case when it comes to answering how often we should be using the stuff.
“As much or as little as you want!”… “Whatever suits you!” … “Once a day or three times a day – it doesn’t matter!” … These are just some of the annoyingly vague responses you might hear in regard to the beard oil frequency question.
But the reason for this non-specific approach is because while there is a precise and deliberate routine out there for everyone – it’s unfortunately you who’s got to find it.
Where one application a day is enough for some, for others it will have little to no effect. Everyone’s beard is unique and finding out how often you require beard oil is often a case of experimentation.
Rather than go through all that trial and error though – and wrestle daily between taming a dead winter bush or petting a wet, dirty dog – we thought we’d put this guide together to help you find the right frequency for your personal beard and help you nail down a beard care routine that finally feels right.
If you take into account all these factors below, finding the line between dry and greasy should never be a problem again and you’ll finally be able to use your oil with precision and confidence!
Factors That Affect Your Beard Oil Routine
Minimum Use
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a bit of a greaseball or have a face like the Sahara, we recommend that everyone with a wealth of whiskers adheres to a rate of one beard oil application per day to start with.
You can perhaps skip days you aren’t planning on leaving the house, as this will save you money on solution, but the daily application of oil will otherwise bring huge benefits when it comes to solving dead or split ends, preventing dandruff and giving your beard an overall healthier appearance.
How Often You Shower
We’re not interested in getting into a debate here about how much you need to shower per week – all we know is that how often you do should dictate how frequently you apply beard oil.
The heat and steam in a shower plus any of the products you use to clean your beard will almost certainly have an incredibly drying effect on your face, stripping your facial hair of moisture.
It’s therefore a wise decision to apply beard oil directly after, as this will help condition the hair and replace any moisture that has been lost. If you apply the oil immediately after drying, it will also make styling and combing the beard a heck of a lot easier!
If you’re the sort to shower once every morning, this probably won’t affect your minimum daily use routine, but on days where you workout/exercise and need a wash – you may find an extra application goes a long way.
The Climate/Current Season
Believe it or not, weather conditions and temperatures can have huge impacts on the health of your skin and beard.
In seriously hot and humid climates, beards can become dry and damaged by the sun, which means they will often rely on more regular beard oil use to keep them conditioned and hydrated.
The humidity of hot weather can also make your moist beard a breeding ground for bacteria, sweat and dirt too, which means more frequent showers and in turn more regular use of beard oil.
Opposingly, windy and icy weather can also have a drying effect on a beard, increasing the likelihood of dead ends and a coarse-feeling fuzz. This may see you needing to reapply some moisture after battling the elements, meaning carrying your beard oil on your person might be wise in colder months.
In short, Summer and Winter can be very taxing seasons for bearded blokes, which make extra doses of beard oil a common occurrence.
However, if you’re someone who works mainly indoors in controlled environments, you might find that you feel little to no difference in the texture and condition of your facial hair.
Your Beard Oil Quality
Sometimes choosing the wrong beard oil can have a confusing effect on how much beard oil you think you need per day.
For example, if you’re burning through a 30ml bottle of beard oil in under a fortnight, chances are you either have an unfathomably dry beard, or you’re just using really poor-quality beard oil.
To save money, cheap and poorly-made beard oils often supplement the substance with water and synthetic materials. This causes the oil to be fairly thin in quantity, requiring multiple uses per day and requiring you to spend vast amounts of money on beard oil over a shorter period of time.
The key then is being able to spot a high-quality beard oil – one which will last you about a month and has long-lasting hydrating effects throughout the day.
Our recommendation would be to choose one that promises only natural and plant-based ingredients, with any carrier oils clearly identified. (These tend to be things like jojoba oil and grapeseed oil).
This means you should always be scanning the ingredients list to guarantee you select a better quality product and it goes without saying that you should avoid anything clearly containing a lot of untrustworthy sounding chemicals.
Once you’ve nabbed yourself a reliable beard oil, you should notice the need for applications dramatically decrease closer to the daily use base rate, with extra applications as and when you need.
In Conclusion
So, with all the factors above accounted for, we finally have a recommended routine for bearded blokes who are new to the art of beard oil!
At a minimum, you should be applying a few drops of beard oil to your facial fuzz once a day, plus any extra top-ups to account for any losses of moisture through washing or climate changes!
Following this guideline should prevent you from ever over greasing your grizzly and will also help reap the most reward from your chosen beard oil products!
