Most of the time, guys shave their beards off because they just become too itchy. And, nobody has time for that. But, with a few tweaks to your normal routine and the addition of beard oil, you just might be able to weather the storm and keep your luscious beard! So, without further ado…
BEARD OIL: THE BENEFITS
First and foremost, let’s talk a little bit about the benefits of using beard oil. You’ve probably been there before: that point where the itching in your beard just needs to stop. And, no matter what you do, you just can’t find any relief. Enter beard oil! The reason why you have itching in the first place is due to dryness of the skin. For whatever reason, the skin that your beard is growing out of is dry. And, dryness equals itchy which equals misery. No Bueno.
Beard oil is used as a moisturizer for your skin. It helps to hydrate the dry areas and, in turn, soften and “tame,” if you will, the hair there. Read: this will alleviate the itch. Yesssss!
WHICH INGREDIENTS SHOULD I LOOK FOR?
First off, you want to keep it as natural as possible. Let’s face it: if you’re going to put a chemistry set on your face, the odds of it helping more than hurting are not good. So, stay with more natural ingredients, like the ones we use in our beard oil.
ARGAN OIL
This helpful oil has been used to treat things like infections of the skin, bites, and rashes because it is high in vitamins A and E, as well as rich in Omega-6 fatty acids and antioxidants. Because of these things, it has natural anti-inflammatory properties, which benefits you if you’re feeling that itch in your beard. Hello, healthy skin!
JOJOBA OIL
This oil has been around for many, many years and has been used for its non-toxic and non-irritating (aka. hypoallergenic) benefits. It most closely resembles the waxy substance called sebum that is already produced in the body, so it works well to condition the skin without irritation. Additionally, it has been used to help dry skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.
SWEET ALMOND OIL
Everybody’s on the almond train by now, as almonds add healthy fats to our diets, as well as protein. But, how can it help ease the itch? Also hypoallergenic, sweet almond oil is so gentle, it can be used to ease a baby’s dry skin. And, because of its richness in vitamin E, it is widely used as an antioxidant to protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
SO, HOW DO I APPLY IT?
First off, you have to take inventory of both your skin as well as how thick and long your beard is. Smaller beards or goatees will need less, like 1 or 2 drops, whereas longer beards will need anywhere from about 3-5 drops for a medium length beard to 6 or more for a longer one.
And, you’ll need to figure out if your skin is naturally oily. If you’re reading this article, you probably have some itch, which means your skin is somewhat dry. Try the suggestions above, based on your beard length. From there, you can tweak the amount of drops you use over time.
TIMING
The best time to apply beard oil is when your pores are open, and can therefore use the oil effectively. So, try to apply it is right after you’ve gotten out of the shower. Just make sure to towel your face off first – remember that a sopping wet face and oil are not going to mix. You’ll most likely only need to do this once a day, but you can use beard oil more often, if you’d like.
PUT THE DROPS ON YOUR HANDS AND…
Rub your palms against each other to evenly distribute the oil.
THE MOTION
Neck first. Rub the oil around the neck, into the hairs of your beard as well as into your skin. Continue this as you move from your neck upwards, into the rest of your beard, followed by your moustache. You want the majority of the oil in your beard, with only a little bit left for your moustache.
MASSAGE, MASSAGE, MASSAGE
We won’t tell anyone that you actually enjoyed the face massage you gave yourself. Keep massaging the oil around until you feel like you’ve gotten your beard and moustache pretty good.
GROOM
Finally, use a comb to tame your beard back into place. This also helps to redistribute any of the oil that you missed putting through your beard with your hands. Score!