Simple DIY Beard Oil Recipe
My husband often benefits from my crafty endeavors that I create for my family around the house and farm. However, there is one recipe on the farm that I make purely for him, and that is this simple DIY Beard Oil.
What is Beard Oil?
A beard oil is a simple solution made for conditioning and caring for a person’s beard and the skin underneath. It’s a great option to add softness to the beard, as well as giving the beard hair a nice luster and a pleasant scent. It also helps repel the dreaded “beard itch” that beard-sporters often experience.
It isn’t used to shape a beard or mustache the way a pomade or wax will.
If your bearded fellow is looking for something simple to add to his grooming routine to protect his skin and give his facial hair a healthy glow, this is it.
What Supplies Do I Need to Make Beard Oil?
I love beard oil because it takes very little to make it, and you can customize it to your own personal preference. Honestly, you can whip some together in about two minutes and it will cost less than a dollar (including the bottle!) to make about a month’s worth of beard oil.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Carrier oil (see below to learn what oils might work best for your man)
- Essential oils (see list below for more specifics)
- Glass dropper bottle or similar
- Vitamin E oil (optional, but acts as a natural preservative to keep your beard oil good longer)
What Carrier Oils Work Best for DIY Beard Oil?
A carrier oil is the base oil that “carries” your essential oils. Really the carrier oil is doing all the leg work here and the essential oil is just for a little added benefit.
When selecting your carrier oil, find out what kind of skin your bearded person is rocking under that mane. Do they tend to have oily skin? Dry skin? Acne prone? Sensitive skin issues? Knowing the skin types of your bearded fellows will help you determine which carrier oil will work best for them.
Please use oils that have been processed for use in skin/body care and be aware of any nut allergies your bearded person has.
Dry Skin
- Apricot oil
- Rosehip seed oil
- Argan oil
- Squalene oil
- Avocado oil
Sensitive Skin
- Sesame oil
- Oat oil
- Jojoba oil
- Baobab oil
- Apricot oil
- Sea buckthorn oil
- Evening primrose oil
- Rosehip seed oil
- Argan oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Avocado oil
Oily Skin or Acne Prone
- Hemp seed oil
- Marula oil
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Tea tree oil
- Jojoba oil
Somewhere in Between
- Sweet almond oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Sesame oil
Carrier Oils to Avoid
- Coconut oil (known to clog pores and irritate acne-prone skin)
What Essential Oils Should I Use in a Beard Oil?
Unfortunately, the sky isn’t the limit here as essential oils used on the skin in this way should be selected carefully.
While an orange and citrus beard would smell divine, using citrus essential oils can be very irritating to the skin, especially when exposed to direct sunlight. Here are some essential oils that are a good option, as well as some to avoid.
Essential Oils That Are Good for Beards
- Tea tree essential oil (great for acne-prone skin)
- Cedar essential oil
- Eucalyptus essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Chamomile essential oil
- Patchouli essential oil
- Vanilla absolute essential oil
- Geranium essential oil
- Rose essential oil
- Ylang-ylang essential oil
Essential Oils to Avoid
- Citrus oils in general
- Lemon essential oil
- Orange essential oil
- Bergamot essential oil
- Cinnamon essential oil
- Clove essential oil
- Lemongrass essential oil
- Peppermint essential oil
- Jasmine essential oil
- Oregano essential oil
Safe Essential Oil Dilution
I have found that in the homestead/crunchy/essential oil-using community, essential oils are often WAY overused in recipes. Meaning they suggest much higher dilution rates of the oils than is recommended as safe.
The standard and safe dilution rate (shared by many different distributors, but I like Mountain Rose’s explanation and calculator) is 1–2% depending on the oil.
Pregnant people and children should never use above a 1% dilution rate—if it is in fact a safe essential oil for them to be using.
Assuming your bearded person is not a child or pregnant, for this DIY beard oil recipe, you will be using a 2% dilution rate.
This means if you have a 1 oz dropper bottle like I do, then you will add 12 drops of oil MAX.
How to Make Simple Beard Oil
The first thing to do is to select your carrier oil and essential oils of choice. It’s a pretty small bottle, but you can certainly make your own essential oil blends from the lists above as you choose.
Add 6–12 drops of essential oils TOTAL.
As an option to add conditioning and extend the shelf life of your beard oil, put in two drops of vitamin E oil.
Next, top off the bottle with your single carrier oil. Fill it just to the top of the shoulder so you don’t displace a bunch of oil when you put the dropper back in.
Give it a good shake.
You’re done!
To use, apply a few drops either directly on the beard or on the palm of your hands, and then massage into the beard.
For best results, store in a cool, dark place for up to six months. If your house gets really warm during the summer, you might want to store it in the fridge or use it up faster as the heat will make the oils spoil.
Can I Make a Big Batch and Save It for Later?
That depends on how fast your bearded person will use it. I find that a 1 mL dropper bottle will last my husband about a month—a little goes a long way!
The tricky thing about carrier oils is that they can go rancid fairly quickly. If you make a larger batch, there is a chance it might spoil and smell kind of funky before he gets around to using it.
So, it’s a good idea to make them as needed, one bottle at a time, unless you have a large group of folks to use up your entire batch of beard oil.
I find that the larger bottle of oil (16 oz) will stay nice for about 6 months once opened. So make sure you use it up for beard oils or other recipes like in a homemade herbal balm, stretch mark cream, or roller bottle.
Medicinal Beard Oil
If you want to up the efficacy of your beard oil to address other skin conditions (such as eczema, super-dry skin, acne, etc.) you can first infuse the carrier oil with herbs, and then use it as the base for the beard oil.
Experimenting with your own beard oil recipe is a great way to add to your guy’s beard care routine on a budget, and it makes the perfect gift for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, etc.!
