When you have a magnificent beard you have to look after it, and making your own Beard Oil is just the tip of the iceberg.
I have been purchasing different oils for a while now, and i will get round to reviewing a few of them quite soon, but in the meantime, i thought lets make it from scratch.
If you want to watch the video of the process it’s right here.
Benefits
There are a number of benefits to using a beard oil which i will highlight below
- It is a great moisturiser for your skin and beard.
Beard Oil is great for hydrating the skin and as a result makes your beard more manageable. When you grow a beard the hair absorbs moisture from the skin, so it can begin to dry out. Moisturising can help with this.
- Prevents Itch and Dandruff
Dry and Broken skin leads to beard itch. Especially in the first few months of growing it out. Beard Oil helps prevent this.
- Tames that flyaway hair
Beard Hair does whatever the hell it wants. Using Beard Oil makes the hair way more manageable. Especially with Curly Beards. It just allows combing to be a lot less of an ordeal.
- That Smell!
Many Beard Oils are Scented and they can be amazing. Nothing better than a fresh smelling beard. This is generally done with essential oils.
- Helps your Beard grow
Because your nourishing that hair, it prevents split ends and helps the hair follicle become stronger. If you find your hair grows patchy, beard oil promotes healthy skin and can help the hair grow better.
The Components
My favourite bit to be honest. Learning what the components are, what they do and putting them together.
Carrier Oils
The main component of Beard Oil. It is usually a relatively odourless, and ‘carry’ the essential oils. If you just used undiluted essential oil you may really irritate and burn your skin, so don’t do it!
The carrier oils of choice for me i’ll list with the range of benefits.
Jojoba – Similar to your natural oils and easily absorbed
Castor – Full of Awesome Fatty Acids and Minerals
Sweet Almond Oil – Keeps Inflammation at bay and helps prevent ingrowing hairs.
Essential Oils
These are natural compounds found in plants, and they are very potent. They have medicinal and therapeutic benefits.
above all some are just primarily used for their scent.
I have a selection of about 6 to have a play with and see what i can make.
When using essential oils, use them sparingly!
Other Bits
Amber Dropper Bottles for the finished product. the Amber colour keeps the UV rays from spoiling the oil.
3ml droppers to make sure you get the oil in the bottles.
Making the Incredibly Awesome Beard Oil
The Recipe i will be loosely following.
This will make up a 30ml bottle of product with a dropper. Scale it up or down as you wish. This is a really subtle one, notes of early morning coffee and a little woody. It really mellows throughout the day to a fresh scent.
Carrier Oils
Sweet Almond – 24ml
Jojoba – 2ml
Essential Oils
20 Drops of Coffee Essential Oil
10 Drops of Sandalwood Essential Oil
1 Drop of Palmarosa Essential Oil
4 Drops of Vitamin E Oil
Other Required Parts
First of all lets get the bottles sterilised. I did this in a pan of boiling water. Put them in when the water is warm, and let them come up to boiling point and remove.
Next, get your Carrier Oils Ready to go. Either way you do it, get your carrier oils mixed together. If your doing a big batch, do it in a jug, or if your doing one offs, mix it directly in the bottles.
I used 3ml plastic droppers to measure as best as possible. Using a different dropper for each oil so no cross contamination.
After your carrier oils are in, start adding your essential oils one by one, and in small amounts as you really don’t want to overdo it.
The problem i found with the essential oils, are that some are thicker than others, and more difficult to mix in properly. I found this with the peru balsam. Although the smell was lovely and mellow, it didn’t make it in for the mixing reasons. I’ve been looking at heating up the oils to allow a more fluid process. Maybe next time.
Finally give it a good shake!!
When i find or create a good recipe, i’ll be adding it into the blog and linking it here.
Applying the Oil.
Applying the oil is pretty simple. Depending on the length of your beard (quick guide below) get however many drops you need and massage into your beard. Get right in there, underneath, down the sides and don’t neglect the tache!
1 Months Growth – 2-3 drops a day
1-3 Months Growth – 3-5 drops a day
3-12 Months Growth – 5-8 drops a day
12 Months + 8 drops and up a day.
This is a rough guide, and changes from beard to beard. Use what you think is right.
That’s pretty much it. I hope you enjoy reading this, and give making your own a go. Drop me a comment if you want. How do you apply your oil? How much? Do you make your own or do you have a favourite brand? What’s your favourite recipe?
About Me.
I’m Gareth, a 38 year old IT contractor, Photographer, Optimist, Blogger and Maker/Restorer of things.
Trying to make my life as full as possible with learning experiences, and helping others along the way.
I love cooking, making, restoring/upcycling boxes, doing fun stuff with my family, photography, giving myself skills and learning something new everyday.
Please note, there are affiliate links dotted throughout the post. These will give me a very small advertising percentage and help keep the blog and channel running.
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