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Even If You’re Not Shaving Right Now, You Should Be Using Beard Oil
Whether you're going full-on lumberjack or just maintaining a mustache, it's time to add a decent beard oil to your grooming routine
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We’re just going to say it: growing out your beard is not an excuse to be lazy. There are many reasons why people skip shaving — convenience, lack of time, sensitive skin, to name a few — but even if you’re letting your facial hair grow, it’s important to still keep things well-groomed and well, hygienic.
Part of a good grooming routine includes a good facial moisturizer, but if you have a beard, you should be reaching for a good beard oil too. Just as you would slather on the lotion for your skin each morning, you should also be hydrating your beard.
What You Need to Know About Beard Oil
Ingredients: The latest beard oils are all made from natural ingredients (think shea butter, jojoba oil and beeswax) that help to nourish your beard and skin. Some of the picks on our list contain Moroccan Argan oil too — one of the most popular and sought-after ingredients in skincare because of its moisturizing properties and silky smooth texture.
How to Use: Pour a few drops of the oil into the palms of your hands and between your fingers. Then slowly rub the product into your beard, making sure you work it all the way down to the skin. The best beard oils are lightweight and non-greasy, so they won’t weigh down your beard or leave a sticky residue.
Benefits: The best beard oils help to keep your beards soft, smooth and moisturized, and they’ll help condition your skin too. Most importantly, a good beard oil helps to keep your facial hair manageable. Ever try combing — or worse, running your fingers — through a coarse, unruly beard? It’s not long before you get tangled up in thick knots of hair that are brittle to the touch. Dry, damaged hair doesn’t look good on the top of your head — it won’t look good on your beard either. The best beard oils condition your beard, to eliminate knots, and help restore luster and shine.
A high-quality beard oil also helps to tame frizziness, especially if your beard tends to grow outwards, rather than vertically or straight down. Apply the beard oil to the strands of hair, then slowly comb them down. Have a shorter beard, stubble or a mustache? The best beard oils are versatile enough to be used on any style, helping to condition and control your facial hair.
1. Leven Rose Beard Oil
This Leven Rose beard oil uses jojoba oil and Moroccan Argan oil to keep your beard healthy, soft and tangle-free. Moroccan oil is one of the most sought-after ingredients in the skincare industry, and it does wonders here to restore lustre to your beard, and to moisturize the sensitive skin underneath. The two ingredients also help to get rid of itching and beard-ruff — no flakes here!
This product is best used daily. Use immediately after showering when beard is still damp. Massage into beard and skin and let dry naturally.
PROS: Just two ingredients; no fillers, artificial fragrances, additives, parabens or GMOs. The company says the dark bottle and glass seal help to extend the shelf life of the product, protecting the oil from exposure to UV light and oxidation.
CONS: If you have very thick hair or a longer beard, you may want to consider another product on the list.
2. Bossman Beard Oil
While most beard oils are light and thin, this jelly beard oil works by using the thick texture of jelly to better bond to your follicles and skin. What you get: a more moisturized frame (and less unruly beard) for a longer period of time.
Bossman says its beard oil not only helps to maintain your mug, but also helps to promote beard growth and volume. If you suffer from a thinning beard, this product could help stimulate the hair follicles for longer, thicker growth.
The jelly oil is made with natural ingredients like avocado oil, shea butter and beeswax. It comes in a warm, masculine scent, that mixes sandalwood and vanilla with bergamot, patchouli and frankincense accents. Put this oil on in the morning and you can skip cologne for the day.
PROS: Thick, nourishing formula.
CONS: Jelly texture may not be for everyone. This comes with a masculine scent; sensitive noses may prefer an unscented beard oil.
3. Viking Revolution Beard Oil
If you’ve got a gnarly beard, you’ll want to reach for this Viking Revolution Beard Oil. Made from Argan and jojoba oils, a liberal application helps to smooth out frizz, reduce beard-ruff, and restore softness and shine to your beard.
The oil is lightweight and non-greasy so you can really work it into the strands of your hair without weighing them down. This beard oil is also fragrance-free, making it ideal for sensitive noses.
PROS: Viking Revolution says it uses 100% organic oils for its formula.
CONS: Some people with bushier beards say they had to re-apply during the day to keep their beards groomed.