Beard Oil 101: How it works and the proper way to apply

There's something about well-groomed bearded men, right? They make you stop and stare, you can't help it. Beards have been around since ancient times, sometimes they're a hit, sometimes they're not. It has something to do with how groom they are, it makes a difference. How can you achieve a well-groomed look? Two words, Beard Oil. Have you used it? Does it work for you? Have you noticed that growing a healthy beard is not so easy? You need beard oil.

Before we tell you the benefits of beard oil, how you can apply it and what beard oil to choose, we're going to go talk about its history. When and where was it used first? Today applying beard oil to conditioned and moisturize your beard may seem like a hip trend but it's not something new, this dates back to ancient times. If you think about it, it makes sense because men have been growing a beard since the very beginning and growing a beard is hard work so they had to do something to maintain it groomed.

Let's start with ancient Mesopotamia, have you seen and pay attention to Babylonian art? Have you noticed the amount of detail in the ornate beards they portrait? It's kind of hard to miss, just by looking at it we can tell that men back then took great care of their facial hair. Their facial hair was long, thick, luxurious and intricately styled. The upper-class in ancient Mesopotamia dyed their beards with henna and powered them with gold dust, and for added flair, they wove ribbons and thread through it.

Beard oil can be traced all the way there, This beard worship (the meticulous way of styling it with tongs and curlers) would have taken a toll on the facial hair, so they would have to have used some kind of beard oil to avoid damage. It is believed they used sesame oil (available in the area), which is a base moisturizer that also kills lice and repairs damage. 

The Greeks also took very good care of their facial hair. When a boy started to grow facial hair, he wasn't allowed to cut his hair until his beard had grown. It was a sign of manhood and a tribute to Apollo. They used castor oil to keep their beards healthy. Castor oil was used specifically for hair development and to maintain its healthy appearance, and due to its high concentration of fatty oil, it made the hair grow faster

Beard oil was also used in the Roman Empire. Romans didn't characterize for growing facial hair, they preferred a more clean-shaven look but, a boy's first shave was a big deal, it was ritualized as a religious ceremony. That is why they liked to rub olive oil into their facial hair when it started to grow, so come shaving time, they will have thicker and nicer beards.

Native Americans also used some kind of oil for their beards. They had to grow them to help keep their faces from freezing when brutal winters hit areas where they were leaving. To keep their winter beards moisturized they used a combination of castor oil, sweet almond, and grape seed oil. 

Bear oil, as we know it today, had a precursor that became very popular during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Macassar oil was used in beards and mustaches and became a staple in men's cabinet. It was a thick concoction of coconut oil, palm oil, and ylang-ylang oil. Men loved it but it had a downside, because of its thickness it tended to rub off and ruined the upholstery.

Thanks to a resurgence of beards in pop culture, a bearded man now is perceived as confident, manly, reliable and wise. Not bad, huh? But here's the catch, you have to do some beard maintenance, you have to keep it healthy and attractive, otherwise, it won't compliment the perception. Beards are naturally wild, facial hair is flat, not cylindrical like to one that grows in the head. That's why a beard can grow in unpredictable directions. It's important that you take care of it with the right products. Enter beard oil. 

Think of beard oil as a leave-in conditioner for both your facial hair and your skin. Beard oil helps to hydrate your skin and helps to soften and tame your beard hair, making it easier to style it. The result is a beard that looks shiny and groomed not flaky, dusty and shaggy.

Beard oils have many compounds but the most typical ones include mixtures of jojoba, argan and castor oil paired with a fragrance. Some will also include natural fruit extracts like avocado and pomegranate and some also use coconut and almond oil.

Beard oil can make your beard look healthy, you'll be able to manage it more easily, it can also help repair dry or brittle hair follicles and it can even help the skin underneath your beard. The market offers many choices of beard oil that sometimes it gets confusing and you really don't know what'll work for you. To narrow it down for you, we have compiled a list of 10 recommended beard oils available today. Check them out and choose the one that can work for your beard.

Bulldog offers a bargain beard oil with all soothing ingredients. It's got aloe, which is very soothing, green tea which apart from being soothing smells delicious, and camelia oil, a nourishing oil plant containing fatty acids. The combination of these ingredients makes this beard oil ideal for your beard. It'll help you nourish it and it'll be easier to tame it.

The next recommendation is for those of you who just started growing a beard and are aiming to make a good job. 

If you're searching for an oil that's all-natural then Mountaineer Brand should be your choice. Mountaineer Brand contains natural oils that will help you restore your beard's overall look and it will help promote hair growth. It will also hydrate your skin. It's recommended for new beards or stubbles. Works best on short beards  

Referred by Honest Amish as "Better than oil", this beard oil contains seven important oils that can help you improved hair growth and skin health. It's ingredients like jojoba oil and avocado oil help nourish your facial hair and skin. It also contains Kukui nut oil, a key ingredient that apart from nourishing it'll help with your hair growth. A non-sticky, non-greasy formula that'll make your beard look healthy and groomed.

Baxter offers a beard oil that is fast-absorbing and it won't leave your beard with a greasy look after applying. It contains avocado oil and vitamin E, nourishing ingredients that will help soften the coarse hairs on your beard and keep it from becoming dry.

Beard oil with unique ingredients that will soften and hydrate your brittle facial hair. It can make your beard shine too. Those unique ingredients include marula oil which is a fantastic moisturizer without being greasy. It also includes Kalahari melon oil which is great for hydrating and regenerating weak and brittle hair, It'll cost a little more than other beard oil but it'll be worth it.

BEARDOHOLIC values quality over quantity and that's what they deliver. This beard oil is made of 100% natural ingredients that include essential oils like argan, jojoba, almond, castor, wheat germ, and grape seed, and for fragrance, pine oil. This combination will help you stop beard itch, completely eliminate beardruff and il will moisturize the skin underneath your beard. With continued use, you'll have a stronger and healthier beard.

This beard oil by Ranger Grooming is recommended for those of you who are dealing with itchiness, beardruff, irritation and slow hair growth. Its two main ingredients: jojoba and Morrocan argan oils will help to keep your skin moisturized and your beard looking softer and well-groomed. 

Cremo Revitalizing beard oil is recommended for beards of varying lengths because it would help you restore your beard's natural moisture, it'll make it softer, less itchy and healthy growth. The main base consists of ingredients like jojoba and argan, and you get to choose between three aromas: forest blend, mint blend and unscented.

This beard oil has a distinctive and very pleasant scent, actually, customers loved it. It's rum-scented with some coconut after notes... sounds very appealing. Apart from the particular scent, it will maintain your beard in healthy conditions. It will soften it to make it more manageable taming away all those pesky fly-away beard hair.

Originally from Italy, this beard oil is recommended for those men sporting long and thick beards. It will nourish and protect them. The ingredients responsible for protecting those long beards are the walnut and macadamia nut oils. Infused also with eucalyptus, menthol, avocado, and sunflower seed oil it will penetrate deeply into your facial hair to soften, smooth and moisturize it.

Now, if you don't want to buy beard oil, then don't... you can make your own! The fact is that it's pretty easy to make your own, you'll need to gather the necessary carrier and essential oils, mix them together and voila! Want to experiment with one? Here's a recipe you can follow.

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce jojoba oil
• 1/2 ounce avocado oil
• 1/4 ounce almond oil
• 1/4 ounce Apricot oil
• 16-20 drops Texas Cedarwood essential oil
• 7 drops Orange essential oil
• 7 drops essential Tea Tree oil

In order to keep your beard and the skin under it healthy and moisturized you need to properly apply the beard oil. How can you do that? Start by applying the oil directly to the skin under your beard. How much to apply will depend on the length of your beard and your personal preference, but the recommended amount is 4 or  5 drops. Once you have a nourishing thin layer of oil on your skin you can start to work it on the rest of your beard. For those of you sporting longer beards, it's recommended that you use a comb to distribute the oil evenly and not miss any hairs.

Here's a video you can use as a reference.

Guys in order to make your beard attractive, you have to do some maintenance. Beard oil can help you with that helping keep your beard healthy and well-groomed. So, start applying it!