Feel Like a Natural Woman
Human skin produces a lot of natural oils known as sebum. These natural oils have an important job in moisturizing and protecting your skin. It also helps keep our hair healthy and strong. When we wash ourselves with modern soap, our skin and hair get stripped of these oils. That’s what conditioners are actually for – replacing lost natural oils.
Primarily, beard oils are a conditioner for the beard. It protects beard hair, feeds it with vitamins, and keeps it soft. Typically beard oil contains vitamins A, D, and E. It also usually contains linoleic and oleic acids.
On top of this base oil component, many beard oils also have additional components that may promote other functions. For example, there may be scents, anti-bacterial mixtures, or anti-inflammatories.
Are You Happy with Your Current Carrier?
Beard oils are, by volume, mostly made from a carrier oil. The carrier oil is the bit that is meant to condition the skin and beard. Typically the carrier oil will be made from something like coconut, jojoba, grapeseed, or saffron.
The other main component is one or more strong chemical compounds – usually an essential oil, an absolute, or an extract. These substances are usually so strong that you can’t apply them directly. Very small quantities are therefore added to the carrier oil, which makes sure that the dosage coming into contact with your skin is a safe one. Applying that stuff directly to skin can actually cause serious chemical burns and skin irritation, so obviously never do that.
It’s All In The Wrist
So how do you apply beard oil? It’s actually not that hard. The trickiest decision you’ll have to make is how much of it to use. Because the thickness and length of each beard is different it will take you a little while to figure out how much to use in your own case. Generally it is a good idea to start with a small puddle in the palm of your hand about 0.7 inches across.
Its best to apply your beard oil directly after you’ve had a wash; usually after your morning shower. Beard oil should be applied daily in this way and not only in emergencies. That way you can maintain your beard’s health over the long run. Not just for a weekend of partying.
Take the little puddle of oil and spread it between the fingers and palms of both your hands. Apply it evenly throughout your whole beard. You should also massage it into your skin.
After you have worked it into your beard and skin sufficiently, you’ll probably want to brush or style it right away. Your beard should be nice and compliant just after absorbing the oil.
Balmy and Waxy
Apart from beard oils, there are two other products that go in beards – balms and waxes. Beard waxes are a type of grooming aid. It also protects the beard by sealing in the good stuff. For the most part however, wax is used as a way to keep a beard in check and keep flyaway hair strands from popping up. Like oils, beard wax can be scented. It is usually made from beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter, and scented oils. If you work or spend time outside, especially in bad weather, beard wax can help protect your beard from damage caused by nature.
Beard balm is perhaps somewhere between beard wax and beard oil. Like beard oil, it conditions your facial hair, but like wax it provides styling hold. It can’t do either job as well however, and is better for the care and maintenance of shorter beards.
By A Hair
Well, that is all the basic knowledge you need to complement your beard care. If you thought that trimming and combing your beard alone was enough to have a modern beard, well I’m sorry to disappoint you. Still, you can’t argue with the results. If you’re going to grow a beard that doesn’t look like it belongs on a caveman, using beard oil or another similar product is an absolute must.
