There’s a reason they’re called essential oils and not somewhat important oils.
It’s because they’re essential.
But what are these oils exactly essential for?
Well, we’re glad you asked… Essential oils benefit your stress levels, skin health, sleep pattern, and, yes, your beard growth.
But with so many different types of essential oils, it’s hard to know which ones are actually impactful.
That’s why we decided to create the ultimate guide to understanding essential oils for your facial hair. You’ll learn about the specific types of essential oils, carrier oils, as well as how to use them.
Now, let’s get to learning.
Types Of Essential Oils For Beards
As we said, there are a wide range of essential oils on the market.
However, they’re not all beneficial for your beard.
Below you’ll find which ones work best and others that you could avoid.
Lavender Oil
If you’re like us, the first thing that reminds you of lavender oil is a trip to the spa.
It’s soothing, relaxing, and did we mention it has a wide range of benefits for your beard?
Well, it does.
Lavender essential oil is rich in antiinflammatory properties to help calm inflammation or redness.
So, if you’ve recently used a product that doesn’t agree with you, lavender oil can help soothe your skin.
Additionally, lavender oil can help heal your skin. So, if you’ve nicked yourself shaving, don’t worry, lavender oil can help.
That being said, while lavender oil is beneficial in many ways, it’s not ideal for beard growth.
Peppermint Oil
But, if you are looking for beard growth, you might want to try peppermint oil.
That’s because it’s a well-known essential oil for promoting hair growth.
Also, peppermint oil smells like the holiday season, and, let’s face it – who doesn’t love that?
Peppermint oil has been proven to increase blood circulation when applied topically. That means the nutrients in your body can travel more freely – which helps form new hair follicles.
Furthermore, even if new hair follicles don’t grow, peppermint oil will thicken and strengthen the existing ones.
The results of peppermint oil are a fuller, healthier, and Christmas-smelling beard.
Peppermint oil can also fight off that miserable beard itch – learn how here.
Rosemary Oil
You probably know rosemary from cooking.
But like all the essential oils on this list, it’s full of other benefits as well.
Just like peppermint oil, rosemary essential oil will increase blood circulation to stimulate new beard hair.
It’s also a strong antioxidant with antiinflammatory properties that help calm and soothe your skin beneath your beard.
Finally, it will keep that dangerous beard dandruff at bay, so you can focus on what’s really important – growing that badass beard.
Cedarwood Oil
Cedarwood oil is a popular ingredient in colognes.
After using it, you’ll understand why. Seriously, it smells fantastic.
That’s not all, though.
Cedarwood oil helps to maintain your skin – keeping it fertile for new growth.
It will also regulate how much oil your body produces. This helps keep the skin underneath your beard blemish free.
But it doesn’t just end there.
Since it’s popular in aromatherapy, cedarwood can also reduce stress and help you achieve a deeper sleep.
For that reason, it’s recommended to apply it before bed.
Tea Tree Oil
No, it’s not for a hot cup of tea… It’s for your beard.
Tea tree oil may just be one of the most popular essential oils.
That’s thanks to its antifungal, antiinflammatory, and antibacterial properties.
Like peppermint and rosemary oil, tea tree oil also increases your blood circulation – which, as you know now, promotes hair growth.
For this reason, it’s used in a wide variety of skin care products, shampoos, and beard oils.
Speaking of beard oils, our Underdog beard oil is full of 13 beard-healthy essential oils. Take a peek here.
Sandalwood Oil
You’ll recognize sandalwood from its scent.
It’s another popular ingredient used to give skincare products a woodsy, masculine scent.
But that’s not all it does!
It also reduces any hair and skin irritation – thanks to its antiinflammatory properties.
With your beard and skin returned back to their normal state, new hair follicles are encouraged to grow.
While you might not see as much hair growth compared to essential oils like tea tree, peppermint, or lavender, sandalwood still packs a punch.
Clary Sage Oil
Sage is another popular herb for cooking.
Clary sage oil, however, is ideal for aromatherapy, beard care, and skin care.
It uses a compound called linalyl acetate that’s also found in lavender oil to stimulate new hair growth.
But, clary sage oil doesn’t just help new hair. It also strengthens and thickens your existing strands – making your beard look more full.
When it comes to aromatherapy, clary sage oil is a perfect pick.
Inhaling small amounts helps relieve stress, promote sleep, and even acts as a natural antidepressant.
Common Carrier Oils
We’ve covered essential oils, but what about carrier oils?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, what is carrier oil?
We’re glad you asked.
A carrier oil is exactly what it sounds like: an oil that carries essential oils to your skin. When used alone, essential oils can be too strong for your skin and cause irritation or redness.
But with a carrier oil, the risk of an adverse reaction significantly decreases.
Now, let’s cover some of the most common carrier oils.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is easily one of the most versatile oils around.
You can use it in cooking, baking, skin care, and hair care. But as a carrier oil, coconut oil is a lot more than just a delivery vehicle.
In fact, it comes with its own set of benefits.
From providing deep moisture all the way to reducing hair breakage, coconut oil is a wonder ingredient. It also has antifungal properties to reduce dandruff or beard itch.
You can learn more about coconut oil, its benefits, and how to properly use it right here.
Jojoba oil
We love a beard oil that contains jojoba oil, (like True North).
It’s another deep moisturizer that provides long lasting hydration for your hair and skin.
This added hydration helps keep your facial hair strong and resistant to breakage or environmental damage. That means, while you’re receiving the growth benefits from an essential oil, jojoba oil is keeping your hair strong.
Seriously, you can’t go wrong here.
Castor oil
Castor oil used to be thought of as one of the best oils for hair growth.
However, there’s little evidence to actually prove that.
That being said, castor oil is a fantastic carrier oil. It has rich moisturizing benefits as well as the ability to reduce irritation.
That makes it the perfect carrier oil when you’re first using an essential oil.
But what else is it perfect for?
Argan oil
If you’re looking to double down on your beard growth, you should be used argan oil.
While most carrier oils don’t have hair growth benefits, argan oil does.
In fact, a study found that argan oil increases cell production when applied topically. That means you’ll have a thicker, fuller, and stronger beard.
Additionally, argan oil moisturizes the beard – softening, smoothing, and reducing any frizz.
We’re not saying argan oil is magic, but it certainly isn’t your run-of-the-mill carrier oil. Learn what else it does here.
Avocado oil
Who doesn’t love avocados?
They’re great on toast, a burrito, and even your beard (and no, not after you spill it into your beard)...
Avocado oil is a natural humectant – meaning it draws in moisture from the air and seals it into your beard. That provides you with a smoother, well-hydrated, and frizz-free beard.
And we didn’t even mention that it will also be prickle-free.
So if you’re using avocado oil, say goodbye to that cactus textured beard and hello to a softer, stronger, and more healthy beard.
Almond oil
Almond oil, also called sweet almond oil, is popular in beard oils (you can find it in our top-selling product).
It’s an emollient – meaning it provides moisture retention that fills in gaps on a cellular level.
Over time that makes your beard softer to the touch and tangle free.
Almond oil is also rich in vitamin E, a well-known vitamin that increases hair strength, thickness, and possibly new growth.
So, if you’re looking for a true multitasker, use almond oil as your carrier oil.
Pumpkin seed oil
We’ll be honest, pumpkin seed oil is one of the less popular carrier oils on this list.
But that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective.
In fact, this study found that pumpkin seed oil increased hair growth by up to 30% for men with patterned baldness.
Furthermore, it has moisturizing properties that will leave your beard feeling lighter and softer.
However, compared to the other carrier oils, pumpkin seed oil doesn’t prevent dandruff, soothe irritation, or stop itchiness.
So, if that’s something you’re dealing with, we’d recommend using a different carrier oil.
How to Use Essential Oils for Beard Growth
Now that you’re familiar with the most common carrier and essential oils, you need to know how to use them.
Because let’s face it, what’s the point of knowing which oils to use if you don’t know how to properly apply them?
Diluting Essential Oils
Before applying any essential oils to your beard or skin, it’s paramount to dilute them.
That is, of course, what the carrier oils are used for.
For any topical use, it’s recommended to only use a 3% concentration of essential oil.
We know that seems like a low amount, but, trust us, you don’t want to overdo it and have any burning, stinging, or irritation.
Here’s an easy three step process to dilute your essential oils:
Step 1: Add 15 to 20 drops of your preferred essential oil into a jar. We recommend starting with 15 drops and only use more if you feel you need it.
Step 2: Add six teaspoons of the carrier oil of your choice to the jar.
Step 3: Gently mix the two oils together until they’re well combined.
Now, it’s time to apply it.
Applying Essential Oils
You’re all ready to go.
You’ve picked out which essential oil you’re using, which carrier oil, but now comes the question: how much do I need?
Well, it all depends on the length of your beard.
Here’s a table to help answer that question.
| Short beard | A few drops (2-3) |
| Medium length beard | 4-5v drops |
| Long beard | 6+ drops |
Now, all you need to do is apply it. You’ll find some instructions below.
Step 1: Gently wash your beard using beard soap and water.
Step 2: Pat your beard dry until it’s damp. For bigger beards, you can use a blow dryer on the lowest setting.
Step 3: Drop the recommended amount of oil into the palms of your hands.
Step 4: Rub the oil between your hands.
Step 5: Gently massage the oil into your beard (just like how you would apply beard oil). Start at the top and slowly work your way to the tip of your beard – ensuring you’ve covered it entirely.
If you don’t want to use your hands to apply oil to your beard, you can also use a beard brush. Luckily, we’ve got just what you need.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it.
Essential oils can seriously increase the health and appearance of your beard.
Not to mention they also act as an all-natural cologne.
While you can mix and match with any essential oil and carrier oil, here are a few combinations we recommend:
- Tea tree oil and coconut oil
- Peppermint oil and argan oil
- Lavender oil and almond oil
However, essential oils aren’t the only product you should be using in your beard.
If you want the best growth, shape, and appearance, you should be using a beard balm.
Created after our best-selling beard oil, our Underdog beard balm is prime for taming flyaways, softening your beard, and providing deep moisture. Check it out here.