Avoiding Acne While Using Beard Oil: Tips and Tricks

Suffering from an acne breakout?

We feel your pain.

Seemingly coming from nowhere, there are few things that can rock the confidence of a man quite like surprise acne.

But if you’ve been struck down by spots and pimples, you might be wondering…

Does beard oil cause acne?

The answer is a little more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no,” but don’t sweat - we’ve got your back.

In this article, we’re going to jump into beard oil and acne, assessing the potential causes, other side effects you need to look out for - and what you can do about them. Read on to find out more.

We’ll start with the basics — what is beard oil?

Beard oil is a beard care product that's earned its place in the bathroom cabinets of beardsmen the world over - and for good reason.

Beard oil is typically made from a combination of:

• Carrier Oils:  Such as jojoba oil, argan oil, and sweet almond oil.

• Essential Oils: Like tea tree oil, peppermint oil, lemon oil, and rosemary oil.

Thanks to its advanced moisturizing properties, beard oil can soften, smooth, and tame your beard. It also calms irritation, itchiness, and promotes a thicker and fuller beard.

In short, beard oil is key to growing a healthy beard —  learn more about its benefits and disadvantages right here!

If beard oil is the hero when growing a healthy beard, acne is the enemy — or maybe the evil stepsister.

Either way, acne can hinder beard growth — so it’s important to learn what causes it and how to avoid it. We’ll cover all of that below.

Dirty skin and clogged pores both cause acne. In fact, they’re two of the most common causes.

Dirt, dead skin cells, and excess oil sit on top of your pores, clogging your pores and hair follicles. This leads to an outbreak of whiteheads, pimples, and blackheads.

Of course, there are also other things that cause acne. Here are a few other reasons you might have acne breakouts:

•  Hormones: That’s nothing new… During puberty, your body starts to produce more oil.

•  Stress: Additionally, higher levels of emotional stress have a direct effect your oil production — again, causing another breakout.

•  Diet: Turns out our moms were right. Lay off the greasy burgers and sweets, they’re giving you pimples!

•  Skincare Products:  Anything you put on your face can cause acne. That’s why all-natural products have taken over the market.

Many people don’t know that not all acne is the same. In fact, there are three different types of acne. Find out more below.

Comedonal acne is the first type of acne. While it sounds fancy, it’s not. It just means “clogged pores” — see, you don’t have to be a dermatologist to understand skincare!

For most people, comedonal acne is the most common. It’s what we mentioned above, caused by excess oil, skin cells, and bacteria.

The second type of acne is  inflammatory acne.

Compared to comedonal, inflammatory acne is caused by harmful bacteria and free radicals — DNA and lipid damaging molecules.

The final type of acne is nodulocystic.

Nodulocystic acne refers to deep breakouts that are painful to the touch and often leave scarring. Typically, this type of acne is heredity for people with sensitive skin.

Not all beard oil is one and the same, but many have similar ingredients.

Below we’ll cover ingredients to look for, and ones to avoid.

Here are a few ingredients commonly found in beard oils that benefit your skin and prevent acne.

• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is one of the most popular hydrators in skin care products. It draws water from the air and traps it in your skin. Cool, right?

• Argan Oil: It’s another popular moisturizer, but, did you know argan oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties as well?

• Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil is an all-around multitasker. It promotes hair growth, prevents dandruff, and fights acne —  learn more here!

• Peppermint Oil: Finally, peppermint oil can soothe itching and fight all kinds of bacteria. Plus, it smells great.  Check out what else it can do!

And while these are the good ones, there are ingredients to avoid as well. Learn exactly which ones to stay away from below.

• Synthetic Fragrances: Synthetic fragrances kill. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but they’ll certainly burn if you have sensitive skin.

• Sulfates: Sulfates (also called SLS), are the chemicals responsible for deep cleaning your skin. However, regular use can cause inflammation.

• Cocoa Butter: Yes, it’s a powerful hydrator… Yes, it also clogs your pores. This is mostly found in beard butters, but it's sometimes used in thicker beard oils to help provide a bit of hold.

• Drying Alcohols: Alcohol is used in plenty of skincare products. However, it drys out your skin, removing all oils — even the healthy ones.

We’ll be honest, there’s a lack of research about beard oil and acne.

So does beard oil cause acne? Well, not exactly…

That’s because it’s highly dependent on the beard oil you’re using, your skin type, and your environmental factors.

Let’s get a bit more into it.

Since we just went over the good and bad ingredients in beard oil, we won’t do it again.

What we will say, is that high-quality beard oil will easily absorb into your hair and skin — leaving your pores unclogged.

If you need help searching for a beard oil that works for your skin, we’ve got a list of  20 high-quality options. Or, shameless self-promotion incoming, you can cut out the middleman and shop our products.

Formulated with high-quality natural ingredients and made in the USA, if it's got the MEAN BEARD brand on it, we're behind it.

Shop MEAN BEARD

When picking a beard oil, make sure it’s safe for your skin type.

This is especially important if you have sensitive skin, dry skin, or acne-prone skin.

For sensitive skin, look for a fragrance-free product. Or, if you still want to smell good, look for beard oils that use essential oils. These let you enjoy the scent without the burn (and yes, we mean a literal burn).

For dry skin, you want an extra-nourishing beard oil. Look for heavy humectants with big moisturizing benefits. These include ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil.

And with acne-prone skin, find a product with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Look for ingredients like tea tree, peppermint oil, and, again, argan oil to soothe your skin!

Of course, the best thing you can do to prevent acne is to pick the best beard oil for your skin.

However, we’ve got a few other tricks up our sleeve… And no, they’re not rabbits.

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re not treating your skin right, you’re going to have acne with or without beard oil.

I mean, you’re old enough to know that dirt will clog pores.

Thankfully, a skin care routine is pretty easy to establish.

Just wash your face, beard, neck, and gently pat it dry.

That’s when you can apply the beard oil — massaging three or four drops into your beard.

Additionally, you can use beard oil post-shower. Just make sure your beard is damp, not wet (or else you’re just wasting product).

It’s recommended to follow the same skincare routine in the morning and night. That way, your beard stays as moisturized and healthy as humanly possible.

If you don’t have a beard brush yet, do yourself a favor and  pick one up!

Not only are beard brushes the perfect styling tool, but they also remove dead skill cells and dirt from your pores, helping to reduce acne.

Did we mention it feels good too?

So treat yourself to a gentle beard massage with a beard brush.

Yes, we’ve mentioned it a few times, but it’s really that important.

If you struggle with acne, adding a heavy beard oil to your skin isn’t going to help.

Instead, you need something lightweight, with a non-comedogenic formula (a formula that doesn’t clog your skin).

It may sound silly, but we swear, it’s not.

Odds are, your pillowcase is a cesspool of bacteria (see, not so funny anymore).

To keep your beard free from acne-causing bacteria, wash and change your pillowcase on a weekly basis.

Additionally, always make sure your beard is clean before going to bed. That way your pillowcase can stay clean as long as possible — and your beard can stay bacteria-free.

Now that you know how facial hair and acne are related, hopefully you can better deal with beard acne.

It’s time to let go of those dreaded pimples that are holding you back from your footlong beard. Instead, use high-quality products that are fighting alongside you.

And… we know exactly where to find them.

We’ve got everything to get you started, from beard oils, beard balms, to beard brushes.

The best idea, though?

Set yourself up completely, with every beard care product you need.

You can find Mission Beard’s products here.