What is Beard Oil? The Beard World's Most Asked Question

Alex Cutler

Great question. Read out to find the answer, as well as a few things you probably didn’t know about beard oil.


Beard oil has gone from a small, cult following to a near-on essential addition to any self-respecting bearded bro’s daily routine. Knowing what it is, what is does, and what it’s made up from, however, will help you to make better buying decisions and ensure you’re reaping the most benefit from your beard oil possible.


In this piece, you’ll find information on: 


  • What is beard oil? – we’ll cover the basics of what beard oil is.

  • What does beard oil do? – so you know exactly why you need it.

  • What’s in beard oil? – to give you a vital heads-up on which ingredients to look out for – and which to well and truly steer clear of.


What are you waiting for? Read on to find the answers you need.


Beard Oil Basics:  Beard oil is a nourishing product designed to keep facial hair and the underlying skin healthy, soft, and itch-free.

 Benefits of Beard Oil:  It mimics sebum oil, moisturizing the skin and promoting healthier beard growth, preventing issues like itchiness and split ends.

 Key Ingredients:  Beard oil primarily contains carrier oils (e.g., jojoba, argan) that moisturize and essential oils (e.g., cedarwood, peppermint) that add scent and additional skin benefits.

 Carrier Oils:  These dilute essential oils and have specific benefits, such as reducing inflammation and strengthening beard hair.

 Essential Oils:  Provide fragrance and skin benefits, like reducing acne and irritation, and are typically derived from natural sources like plants and seeds.

So, What is Beard Oil?


This is a great place to start for any bearded dude looking to take their face mane to the next level. You want to be catching looks in public, not turning heads away at a mess of dishevelled, unhealthy hair on your face.


Luckily for you, there’s a product for that. Beard oil is, well, an oil that’s jam-packed with nourishing ingredients, each boasting unique but essential benefits. If your beard is looking a little dry, not growing at the rate you’d like, or maybe even developing the fearsome beard itch, beard oil is the product for you.


The natural oils contained within nourish the hair on your face, as well as the underlying skin, leaving your beard feeling fresh, looking great, and touchably soft.


A man applying beard oil

Okay, but What Does Beard Oil Do?


Surrounding your hair follicles are tiny little sacs known as sebaceous glands. And in turn, these glands produce – you guessed it – sebum oil.


Sebum oil is gold dust to hair growth and strength, as it’s packed with everything your beard needs to stay healthy. Unfortunately, the prehistoric purpose of a beard wasn’t to look great (in fact, it was most likely to protect a face against the elements and soften scratches from bushes). As a result, sebum oil is in finite supply.


When your hair gets to a certain length, there’ll no longer be enough sebum oil to keep your beard in top condition. It’s at this point where the skin underneath your beard is going to start shouting at you, voicing its complaints by becoming itchy and producing flakes – known as beardruff. To get it back on track, you need extra help.


This is what beard oil does. Biologically, it’s the best replacement to sebum oil for your beard, and it’ll moisturize the underlying skin, keeping it happy and ensuring continued, healthier beard growth. That means no more itching, and no more dreaded split ends.


Right, So What’s in Beard Oil?


Great question, and if you’re conscious about the stuff you put in your body or, more importantly, on your face, it’s one you’ll want to know the answer to.


Beard oil is comprised of two primary ingredients –  carrier oils and essential oils. They both provide different functions to the composition of your beard oil. Here’s where they both come in:


Carrier Oils


Carrier oils are mostly used to dilute essential oils, making them safe to apply to the skin. Plus, if you were to buy a 10ml bottle of beard oil made solely from essential oils, it’d cost you a pretty penny.


Carrier oils are derived from natural substances, such as plants, nuts or seeds. The carrier oil that’s used in your beard oil can have a huge impact on the overall composition, as well as the effects you can expect to see from it.


Some of the most widely-used carrier oils are:


  • Jojoba oil – easily absorbed and similar to sebum oil.

  • Sweet almond oil – reduces skin inflammation.

  • Argan oil – makes your skin & hair softer and healthier.

  • Hemp seed oil – moisturizes your skin and strengthens beard hair.


Essential Oils


Essential oils are natural components usually found in plants, nuts and seeds. When you peel an orange in your hands, for instance, the citrusy scent and substance left on your hands is an essential oil. As a result, the majority of essential oils (and carrier oils) are obtained by pressing.


When concentrated, essential oils produce powerful scents, as well as a host of benefits to your beard. Some of the most commonly used essential oils are:


  • Cedarwood oil – you’ll see this literally everywhere, and it helps to reduce acne.

  • Eucalyptus oil – this wonderful essential oil reduces skin irritation.

  • Peppermint oil – works to refresh and moisturise the skin.


So there you have it – your quick-action guide on what is beard oil. For more information on what you should do once you’ve picked up one of the lovely beard oils above, check out our post on how to apply beard oil. 


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