THE IMPORTANCE OF BEARD OIL AND WHEN TO USE IT.
The world of beard oils can be a little bit daunting at first, particularly if you are new to growing a beard. A good beard care routine can make a huge impact on your bearded journey but unfortunately there is a lot of bad advice out there and often people spend years getting it all wrong.
So let us begin with the basic of the worlds most popular beard care product.
WHAT IS BEARD OIL AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
Our skin produces natural oil called sebum which is there to offer care for our skin and hair. With beards being so dry and coarse, they can tend drain the natural oils before they get a chance to offer much use or purpose. By the time you then throw in a few showers or beard washes, you can strip away even more of the sebum.
A ‘good’ beard oil is designed to not only replicate our skins natural oils but to also offer extra care to our skin and beard. This is why it is so important to be careful of the products that you use. An oil with only a couple of ingredients will usually offer less than a product with more but it also comes down to the quality of the oils within a mix.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEARD OIL?
As previously mentioned a beard oil is designed not only to replicate our skins natural oils but to also offer added bonuses. If you have already begun your beard journey you may well have experienced or heard of the dreaded itch! This occurs because of the beard taking all of those natural oils away, which can cause the skin to dry out and become irritated.
Using a good product will help to prevent this as well as to offer many other benefits such as to moisturise and soften the skin, relieve the itch and help against closed or damaged pores.
THE HISTORY OF BEARD OILS
Believe it or not beard oils have been around for an extremely long time! Records date back as late as Ancient Mesopotamia where sesame seed oil was big at the time. There is evidence of beard oil use all over the world from the ancient Greeks who used castor oil and Egyptians who were also big on dying the beard, to native Americans who would use castor, almond or grapeseed oil. The British were among the first to begin mass production in the form of Macassar oil.
During the 20th century better alternatives were becoming available and along with the knowledge of what other populations and generations had been using, it began to lead to the more specialist mixes that we have today.
HOW TO APPLY BEARD OIL
While it is important to remember that beard oil also benefits the beard, its main purpose is to help with the skin. It is for this reason that the majority of beard oils come with a pipette. The pipette can be used to apply the oil to the skin and can then be massaged in with the tips of your fingers. Apply a little to begin with and then apply more if needed. The ideal amount will simply soak into the skin and leave little oily residue.
The oils do offer a lot for the beard however they will not soak into your beard as well as they soak into your skin and pores. This is why you see so many men with extremely shiny beards and a lot of stained light collars. A little oil for the beard is fine but be careful not to use too much as this can potentially clog your pores and cause some irritation.
My advice would be to apply oil twice per day. Ideally in the morning and then again in the evening.
HOW TO DECIDE WHICH BRAND TO USE
The best way around this is to ask on beard groups ands forums, check reviews and message the brands directly. Find a brand that offers a good product, a scent range that suits your taste, that offers honest advice and that feels a good fit for you and your personality.
TAKE THE LEAP!
Now that you know the basics it is time to try some products and begin your journey. The bearded community is a wonderful thing and is full of some amazing people. Enjoy learning about your beard and seeing how products can help but never feel embarrassed to ask for advice. We all had to begin somewhere and most of us made many mistakes along the way.
Growing a beard is not a competition, it is a journey. The size of the beard does not matter! It is the quality of the beard and its health that will make you. I will also do follow up blogs on many other products such as balms, butters, waxes and washes. So please feel free to like and follow Beard Manners to see more and future content.
Now go on and enjoy it……..welcome to the bearded community!