How to use beard oil—and how often you really need it.

Your beard is a major part of your identity, shaping your look and adding grit, class, or charm to your appearance. But it also doubles as your face’s shield. It protects your skin from the sun, absorbs sweat, catches crumbs, and more. 

With all they do for us, it’s only fair that we return the favor and treat our beards to the care they deserve. That means proper trims, careful washes, and, of course, regular applications of beard oil. 

Beard oil keeps your facial hair hydrated, fluffy, and looking its best. But if you don’t know how to use beard oil properly, your hair can end up greasy, wet, and matted. 

Discover the when, why, how, and how often of beard oil for a stronger, healthier beard.

Why beard oil is essential.

A healthy, well cared for beard leaves a lasting impression. But so can scraggly, patchy facial hair, for all the wrong reasons. 

Using beard oil helps fortify your beard, improving its texture and appearance and protecting it as much as it protects you. In fact, applying the right amount of beard oil at the right times prevents:

• Dryness – When hair lacks moisture, it can feel tough, wiry, and wholly unappealing. Dry hairs are no fun to rub up against, are harder to trim and maintain, and, generally, don’t improve on their own. What these dry hairs need is moisture, and they won’t get it from the drips of water you spill onto your beard. Beard oil, on the other hand, is a key way to add extra hydration to your facial hair and prevent desert-like dryness.

• Itching – With dryness comes itching. Not only is itching uncomfortable, but it’s also embarrassing to constantly scratch at your face, hoping to find relief. Since itchiness is often caused by beard dryness, regularly applying beard oil can help prevent the annoying sensation and leave your face feeling fresh.

• Beard dandruff (beardruff) – Another major cause of beard itchiness is dandruff. Beard dandruff isn’t just simple dry skin falling loose and getting caught in your beard; it’s actually a somewhat mysterious condition commonly caused by dermal yeast. While doctors haven’t nailed down all the sources of beardruff, they have learned how to treat it: Beard oil is an essential part of beardruff treatment, especially when harsher treatments leave your facial hair tough and dry.

In addition to preventing a variety of beard issues, routinely using beard oil also:

• Softens your hair – Hard, coarse beard hair is a bummer, it feels scraggly and can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, beard oil softens hair in several ways. It has antibacterial and antifungal qualities, preventing buildup that can leave your beard feeling crusty. It also lubricates hairs, allowing them to detangle and fluff up more easily. Similarly, beard oil forms a coating over hair shafts, effectively sealing the cuticle and keeping moisture inside. 

• Improves your ability to shape your beard – Crusty, coarse beards are difficult to deal with. As hard as you try to shape and style them into your preferred appearance, they always want to go back to their original position, puff up, or resist movement. Even waxes can’t tame the coarsest and crunchiest of beards. But when you soften and separate your strands with beard oil, they become much easier to mold into your desired design. 

Ultimately, beard oil is as essential as the oils it’s made from. 

What happens if you skip beard oil?

With all of the above in mind, it’s obvious that beard oil is a must. But let’s look at a hypothetical situation: What would happen if you skipped it?

When you skip using beard oil, your beard becomes tough and coarse, leading to:

• Sharp, dry hairs that can irritate your skin – Sharp, dry hairs can twist around and turn back toward their follicle, leading to nasty ingrowns. Ingrown hairs are more common after a fresh shave, but they can happen to bearded guys as well. Men with big beards may be even more susceptible, as it can be difficult to identify a single ingrown in a sea of other hairs. Luckily, beard oil softens tips, reducing your risk of developing ingrowns and other irritations. 

• A patchy beard appearance – Tough, dry hairs are more prone to breakage, especially when they're split or damaged. When dry hairs fall off your face in clumps, they can cause unsightly gaps in your beard. Patchiness can be a major problem for many beard growers, but with the right oil, you can achieve a fuller, more complete look.

• Flaky, itchy beard dandruff – As mentioned, beard dandruff is a skin condition common under many men’s facial hair. Not only are little white flakes embarrassing, but the peeling skin can also be itchy, causing you to scratch and claw at your face.

Luckily, all of these issues can be prevented with a little beard oil—if you know how, when, and how much to use.

How to use beard oil (step-by-step).

So, how do you use beard oil properly?

It’s best to apply beard oil when you’re fresh out of the shower. Your beard is clean, your pores are open, and, instead of locking dirt and debris into your hair, you’re locking in moisture.

To make sure you make the most out of your application, follow these steps:

1. Dry your beard with a towel or blow-dryer, or wait until it dries naturally. The hair should still feel slightly moist, but definitely not dripping. Excess water can cause beard oil to slip off, affect its absorption, and waste your stash.

2. Pour three to six drops of beard oil into your hands, depending on the length, size, and dryness of your facial hair. 

3. Massage the beard oil into the skin underneath your beard initially, gently working it onto your face with the tips of your fingers.

4. Spread the beard oil upward through your hair, rubbing it from root to tip until it works its way into your beard.

While you may feel a little oil in your beard after use, it shouldn’t feel greasy, wet, or messy. Soon, it should fully absorb, leaving your facial hair fluffy, soft, and looking its best.

How often should you use beard oil?

How often to use beard oil ultimately depends on the length of your facial hair:

• Short beards – If you prefer a trim, nearly-shaven look with a bit of stubble or short, even hairs, use beard oil daily or, for particularly short styles, every other day.

• Medium to long beards – If you’ve graduated past stubble to rock a full, fluffy beard, use beard oil at least once per day. If your beard is particularly long or dry, apply it twice per day for maximum effects.

Your climate also dictates how often you should apply beard oil. For instance, drier areas can cause your facial hair to feel dehydrated and stringy more often, meaning you need more frequent beard oil applications. 

Feel out the right amount for you, but remember: Using beard oil too often is a major mancare mistake to avoid.

Beard oil mistakes to avoid.

While beard oil is a must for all facial hair aficionados, there are a few common mistakes many men make when using it:

• Applying too much – Three to six drops are plenty. Applying more causes excess oil to build up in your beard, leading to a matted, greasy look that’s as unappealing as dry hair. Too much beard oil can also cause your skin to become oily, which, in turn, can lead to skin conditions like acne, irritation, and redness.

• Applying to dirty, dry hair – When you apply beard oil to dirty, dry hair, you lock in grime instead of moisture. Beard oil also has a harder time absorbing into hairs that are clogged with sweat, grease, and debris. While beards shouldn't be dripping when you bust out the oil, they should be freshly cleaned and relatively moist.

• Skipping the skin beneath the beard – Beards can absorb your skin’s natural oils, zapping moisture from your face and catching it in your hair. They also hold grime and grease up against your skin, leading to potential dryness and irritation. Ensure you get the area beneath your beard just as you do the beard itself: It needs that beneficial moisture, too.

Another pitfall common among beard growers and men in general is getting the wrong grooming and skincare solutions. Cheap, unreliable brands load their products with alcohol, fragrances, and other ingredients that can irritate and dry out your skin and hair. 

Go with a trusted supplier for all your beard oils and other grooming essentials: MANSCAPED®.

Oil up with MANSCAPED®.

Now you know how to use beard oil, but do you know where to get high-quality, pure beard oil that will actually hydrate your hair?

MANSCAPED®’s Beard Oil is made from sweet almonds and jojoba seeds, free from irritating parabens, phthalates, and dyes. It’s dermatologically approved for sensitive skin, restores moisture, and leaves your beard with just the right amount of shine. Pair it with our Beard Shampoo to get all the crud out of your crevices and our Beard Balm for sensational styling, and you’ll be looking, feeling, and smelling fresh—from shower to slumber.

For beard products, personal grooming, and other men’s care essentials, make it MANSCAPED®.

Sources: 

Yale Medicine. Itchiness, Acne, and Skin Irritation: How to Solve Your Facial Hair Problems. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/beard-mustache-skin-problems. 

National Library of Medicine. Hair Oils: Indigenous Knowledge Revisited. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9231528/.