This easy DIY Beard Oil recipe is a must if you have facial hair. Not only is it a conditioner for beard hair, but it also doubles as an incredible face oil that will replenish the skin whether it’s under a beard or not! This homemade beard oil contains natural oils and is safe for all skin types. Making your own beard oil is a natural and easy way to take your skincare and grooming to the next level. If you’re going to grow a beard, let’s make it healthy!
Are you ready to make the best beard oil possible? The key ingredients in this formula are intended to soften and tame facial hair leaving the beard looking healthy, maintained and sharp. Let’s face it, beards can look unkempt, dirty and lazy if you don’t take care of them properly. This is where a beard oil comes in.
While this DIY is aimed at beards, it’s definitely multi-purpose. This recipe could be one of those Swiss Army Knife products! Plus, it smells so amazing, you’ll want to find ways to use it in more places than just your beard! Read on to find out how!
Why Use Beard Oil?
The purpose of beard oil is to condition and tame the hair of a beard. It can also soothe the dreaded beard itch.
A beard oil is also good for nourishing the skin underneath, preventing beard dandruff and other skin problems.
Beard oil adds shine to the beard which gives the hair a healthy, clean look.
The skin under the beard is often neglected, but it needs care – if the day comes when the beard is gone, it would be a shame to reveal forgotten, ugly skin underneath! Not to mention, dry skin can be itchy and uncomfortable, so a nourishing oil can not only keep dry skin flakes at bay, but also make skin feel healthy, smooth, and free of any discomfort.
Related Post: DIY Beard Balm
Is it cheaper to make your own beard oil?
Depending on where you source your ingredients, making your own beard oil is much cheaper than buying one already made. In my research, store bought beard oil ranges from $10 to $30.
I love getting my oils from Mountain Rose Herbs but I also use Amazon when I can find pure, organic oils. In total, it costs about $90 (including shipping) to buy all the ingredients I’ve listed in this recipe. Roughly, these ingredients will give you 8 bottles of beard oil making each bottle about $11. You will have enough essential oil and vitamin E oil left over for future DIYs.
If you want to make your own beard oil a little cheaper, skip the organic jojoba and organic apricot kernel and you can save about $12 making each bottle under $10. Buying non-organic oils is not what I recommend, but it’s better than avoiding a DIY because of cost.
Why DIY Beard Oil?
You probably know that there are harmful chemicals and fillers in the majority of women’s beauty products, but we can’t overlook the questionable ingredients that men use too!
This DIY beard oil is so simple yet so effective. Don’t go to a store and buy a men’s skin/beard oil that is expensive and most likely full of fillers like water, fragrance, preservatives and inflammatory oils that do nothing for the skin. This DIY is a pure, potent concoction meant to deliver goodness to hair and skin. Plus, it’s as simple as adding oils to a bottle.
One thing I had in mind when I made this recipe is that men probably aren’t going to be fooled by something that’s too greasy and doesn’t absorb quickly, so I chose dry oils that absorb quickly and still nourish the hair and skin . I also chose essential oils that have a darker, woodier scent that won’t overpower a man. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a man who wants to smell like a geranium, but you never know….
Speaking of smelling good – check out my Aftershave recipe – it takes seconds to make and is essential after a close shave!
Which natural oil is best for beards?
There are many carrier oils that would work well in a beard oil. Sweet almond oil, argan oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, and fractionated coconut oil are just a few that would work well.
In this recipe, we will create a medicated beard oil. I have chosen deeply nourishing oils with a high content of essential fatty acids as well as a special blend of essential oils that will give the oil a calming yet masculine aroma.
I chose jojoba oil as my base oil for several reasons. Jojoba oil is known to be the closest vegetable oil to our skin’s natural oil. The skin responds well to it and usually absorbs it quickly. It is also non-caesogenic which means it does not clog pores. Jojoba is technically a liquid wax which makes it super nourishing without being greasy. This is why I use it as a key ingredient in my Hair Pomade recipe.
I added apricot kernel oil because it’s light and absorbs quickly while still being a great choice for beard hair care.
Vitamin E oil adds a little extra nutrition and is rich in age-defying antioxidants! It also helps extend the life of your beard oil. However, it can be expensive and hard to find, so it is an optional ingredient in this recipe.
Professional advice: A single carrier oil will go a long way when it comes to smoothing, taming and conditioning beard hair. So if you’re a minimalist or trying to save money, grab a bottle of jojoba oil and call it a day!
Best Essential Oils for DIY Beard Oil:
Thanks to the blend of rosemary, balsam fir and bergamot essential oils, this beard oil has a woody smell with a hint of herbs and citrus. It is also cooling and so refreshing to the skin.
I added rosemary because it has such an organic herbal smell and is a great oil to increase blood flow which in turn will help the beard grow!
Also, Balsam Essential Oil (scots pine or douglas fir work well too) is a powerful anti-aging antioxidant.
Bergamot is added because I love it – and it’s the smell of Earl Gray tea! Its light fragrance has a hint of citrus that brightens the balsamic/pine oil musk.
Other masculine essential oils that would be great choices for men’s recipes are eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, patchouli, clary sage, sandalwood, cedar, and vanilla. Cedar and patchouli in particular have musky notes that pair well with lavender, lemon and tea tree which have lighter notes.
If you have sensitive skin, frankincense, lavender and tea tree are very gentle oils. If you are concerned, you can reduce the amount of drops in the beard oil or skip the essential oils altogether.
I like to get my essential oils from Herbal treatment the Mountain Rose Herbs.
Essential oils for beard growth and thickness:
Rosemary and cedarwood are excellent essential oils that are known to aid in hair growth. In fact, both have been shown in several studies to encourage hair growth. So much so that I’m including it in my Brow Serum on Steroids recipe!
This study shows how effective cedarwood, rosemary, lavender and thyme essential oils are in regenerating hair from alopecia.
According to this study, Rosemary oil performed well with minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment, but with less scalp itching as a side effect.
Tea tree can also be helpful as it can help remove dandruff by making the hair follicle stronger.
Castor oil and black cumin oil are carrier oils that can help thicken hair.
For studies, recipes, and more, check out my post on Oils That Promote Hair Growth. It includes a hair growth serum that would double as a beard oil if you want to encourage more facial hair growth.
What you’ll need to make a DIY beard oil:
Materials
- 1 tbsp Organic Jojoba oil
- 1 tbsp Organic apricot kernel oil
- 1/4 tsp. Vitamin E Oil *optional*
- 5 drops of Rosemary Essential Oil
- 3 drops essential oil of balsam or pine
- 3 drops Bergamot Essential Oil
Tools
- Glass Dropper Bottle (blue or orange glass bottles help protect from direct sunlight))
- Small Funnel
Instructions
- Using a small funnel, add all ingredients except apricot kernel oil to a 1-ounce glass dropper.
- Top up with apricot kernel oil.
- Replace the cap and shake to mix.
If you have extremely dry skin and beard hair, I also have a beard balm recipe you might like.
Is a Beard Oil Preservative Necessary?
Because we don’t use water-based ingredients, we don’t have to worry about this beard oil going bad. So if you wanted to make a bigger batch, you absolutely can.
The shelf life of this beard oil is about 6 months. Possibly more.
Related Post: Cedarwood Detox Mask
How to use a beard oil:
- Massage 3-5 drops into beard and/or mustache.
- Optional: Use a beard comb to distribute the oil evenly and smooth and tame the hair.
- This beard oil is meant for daily use.
DIY Beard Oil is a multi-purpose personal care product
Like I said, this is a multipurpose oil for those of us who don’t have beards in our lives! It is excellent for a scalp treatment. Again, it encourages hair growth and nourishes the scalp to help fight dandruff. Plus, it tones and tones the hair follicles!
You could and should use it all over the face. It is the perfect face oil for skin that is dehydrated and rough.
You could also use it as a hair care treatment by massaging 3-5 drops into the hair.
You know, after re-entering the single world – I’m not really into “real life” men enough. I think I’ll stick with my BF Noah from The Notebook. I’m sure he would appreciate my beard oil. Just kidding, sort of. Actually not at all. Update: No longer single and found a man with a beard who loves this beard oil!
Ladies- this is a great beard oil recipe and would make the perfect gift. And if your man doesn’t have a beard, I guarantee he could use a face oil in his routine!
xx, Jenny
