# Beard oil recommendations?



## Kittish (Dec 11, 2017)

Did a forum search and didn't come up with anything hugely useful. Swiftcraftymonkey also came up blank. I'm looking to make a beard oil for DH. Anyone have a recipe they like for such a product? It's probably going to be left unscented, since he tends to either not like scents, or not be able to smell them at all. I do want it to be a liquid at room temp product, so he or I can pour a little into the palm of a hand and work it through his beard. 

I have... alot. Avocado, apricot kernel, babassu, coconut, canola, sunflower, olive, castor, meadowfoam, rice bran, and argan oils, liquid jojoba, lanolin, mango, cocoa, shea and kokum butters, beeswax, candelilla wax, vitamin E, a bottle of toasted sesame oil normally used for cooking (and it's YUMMY! though I'll part with a little for this if it adds nice effects)... Not even going to consider orange peel wax for this, the scent is too strong. Essential oils included for conditioning effects might be considered, but I'd have to run each one by DH first. 

I figured I would ask here first if anyone had a recipe they like to use before striking out on my own and making it up as I go. My first batch is going to be maybe an ounce or two, just to try things out. Actually, either way, I may well start off by trying each oil I'm considering individually over the course of a week or two.


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## Obsidian (Dec 11, 2017)

I don't have a recipe but I would use sunflower as a base. Its one of the few oils that can actually penetrate the hair shaft to help soften and protect. To that I'd add some avocado, argan and meadowfoam.
You really can't go wrong with lighter liquid oils, go easy on avocado as it can be heavy.

There are some simple recipes here too. https://wisebeards.com/beards/diy-beard-oil-recipes/
If you don't have fractionated coconut oil, use the sunflower for a sub.


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## BattleGnome (Dec 11, 2017)

I make 4oz batches, lasts the hubby about a year (when he actually uses it)

3oz fractionated coconut oil
.5oz hazelnut oil 
.5oz vitamin e
(Fragranced appropriately)

Swiftcraftymonkey doesn’t have any beard oil recommendations but she does have an article somewhere about how oils react to hair. Coconut oil has a small enough molecular structure to penetrate the hair shaft, most oils don’t. Olive oil seals the hair shaft and makes it shiny. Other oils don’t necessarily add too much to the mix. I use hazelnut because it’s supposed to be good for the skin/noncomedogenic and DH has had acne issues.


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## Kittish (Dec 11, 2017)

Thanks for the replies! 

Great link, Obsidian. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. 

Would regular coconut oil work just as well in your recipe, BattleGnome? I have plain coconut, but not fractionated. Or hazelnut, for that matter.

DH doesn't have any problem with acne, or seem to have particularly sensitive skin, so I should be ok without the hazelnut.

Hah! And the Similar Threads at the bottom have what look to be some useful conversations.  None of those threads showed up when I tried searching.

Okay, so going to try first, 

15 grams sunflower oil
5 grams argan oil
5 grams meadowfoam
4 grams jojoba
1 gram vitamin e (3.33% usage)


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## DeeAnna (Dec 11, 2017)

With that much coconut oil in BG's recipe, fractionated CO would be needed to keep the mixture liquid if you live in a place like Iowa where winter is actually winter.  If you live in a year-round warm climate, you might be fine with regular coconut oil.


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## Kittish (Dec 11, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> With that much coconut oil in BG's recipe, fractionated CO would be needed to keep the mixture liquid if you live in a place like Iowa where winter is actually winter.  If you live in a year-round warm climate, you might be fine with regular coconut oil.



Ah, that makes sense. Nope, coconut oil goes solid at room temp here in the winter.


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## BrewerGeorge (Dec 11, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> With that much coconut oil in BG's recipe, fractionated CO would be needed to keep the mixture liquid if you live in a place like Iowa where winter is actually winter.  If you live in a year-round warm climate, you might be fine with regular coconut oil.



Hey! Wait, I thought I was BG!?!

I use argan to supplement a fractionated coconut base.


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## lathered_up (Dec 12, 2017)

I  am  on the same bandwagon as those who have recommended argan and jojoba oils. Both light weight, but incredibly conditioning. Both are a bit expensive,  but  worth it  and a little goes a long way. I  made my brother  a beard oil a long time ago with argan, jojoba and fractionated coconut oil and he loved it!


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## Obsidian (Dec 12, 2017)

I've found fractionated coconut oil in the cooking section of the grocery store. Its not terribly expensive and has a lot of uses.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 12, 2017)

BrewerGeorge said:


> Hey! Wait, I thought I was BG!?!



Oops. My bad. :silent: 

I promise in the future I'll reserve "BG" for the original, authentic Brewer George. 

edit: I've been seeing liquid coconut oil in the grocery store lately, but it's labeled "liquid coconut oil" not fractionated. I have just noticed it in passing, and haven't read the label to get educated on what it is. Is this the same thing you're talking about, Obsidian?


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## Obsidian (Dec 12, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> edit: I've been seeing liquid coconut oil in the grocery store lately, but it's labeled "liquid coconut oil" not fractionated. I have just noticed it in passing, and haven't read the label to get educated on what it is. Is this the same thing you're talking about, Obsidian?



Yes, this is the oil I'm talking about. Its doesn't say fractionated anywhere on it, just that it stays liquid and is 100% coconut oil.


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## dibbles (Dec 13, 2017)

DeeAnna said:


> Oops. My bad. :silent:
> 
> I promise in the future I'll reserve "BG" for the original, authentic Brewer George.
> 
> edit: I've been seeing liquid coconut oil in the grocery store lately, but it's labeled "liquid coconut oil" not fractionated. I have just noticed it in passing, and haven't read the label to get educated on what it is. Is this the same thing you're talking about, Obsidian?



Here's a thread where we mulled this over. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63676&highlight=fractionated+coconut


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## SunRiseArts (Dec 13, 2017)

Obsidian said:


> I've found fractionated coconut oil in the cooking section of the grocery store. Its not terribly expensive and has a lot of uses.


 
I have seen it at Walmart.


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## Zany_in_CO (Dec 13, 2017)

Here's a "nothing-but-the-oils" Beard Oil Base that my guys like that you can tweak to your heart's content. You can buy a 4-oz sample to try first... also, EBC has a line of men's hair care products that you may want to check out. Good company to do business with. They are in CA and shipping is fast.

https://essentialsbycatalina.com/beard-oil-base


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## beehappy76 (Dec 14, 2017)

I make a beard oil and my men customers really like it.  The base is 1/2 organic jojoba oil and 1/2 organic sweet almond oil with a few drops of vitamin e.  I have two different essential oil blends that I use. Even my hubs likes and uses it!


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## artcarheather (Dec 14, 2017)

Very interested in this. My first husband had a technique for taming his beard that involved Ivory soap and a lot of careful combing. His beard was always very smooth. I suggested this to a friend who had an out of control curly beard and he was also able to keep his in check this way. However, my current husband has a rougher textured beard (Jewish) and it did not work at all for him. I suspect that is in part how interested he is in combing his beard in a particular way but also the rougher texture. Does anyone here have information on beard oils for a Jewish or even African American man? I'm not trying to reduce the curl– just soften some and tame it.


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## Phteven (Dec 18, 2017)

Obsidian said:


> I don't have a recipe but I would use sunflower as a base. Its one of the few oils that can actually penetrate the hair shaft to help soften and protect. To that I'd add some avocado, argan and meadowfoam.
> You really can't go wrong with lighter liquid oils, go easy on avocado as it can be heavy.
> 
> There are some simple recipes here too. https://wisebeards.com/beards/diy-beard-oil-recipes/
> If you don't have fractionated coconut oil, use the sunflower for a sub.



That is a great article.   I use beard oil every day, but have never considered making my own.   I’m definitely going to try a few of these recipes.  These beard oils are very expensive.

Edit:  reading the article through again, I got a kick out of the typo in the header for the recipes: “recipe & insturctions”.


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## Chispa (Dec 19, 2017)

I get wicked beard-druff and normal moisturizers do nothing to it. My skin gets angry red, scaling and itchy. A google search of the symptoms yields a truly frightening world of facial yeasts, tiny insectoid parasites, and expensive steroid plus antifungal treatments.

I make a equal proportion blend of fractionated coconut, jojoba, and avocado oil and it settles my skin overnight. The oil blend is light and soaks in very quickly without feeling greasy. 

I have tried substituted argan oil for the avocado, and it still works, but I don't feel like it works quite as well as the avo.

I have tried grapeseed oil in the mix and it gives me pimples.

I haven't tried any scents in it, for me its more about the medicinal properties.


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## Phteven (Dec 19, 2017)

To the guys who have beards, how do you clean your beards?  Do you use soap or shampoo?  Conditioner?  A good beard oil is only part of the formula.


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## Saffron (Dec 19, 2017)

Hi Kittish,

You can also add some castor oil, even if only 5%, if you want to give the beard a nice glimmer or shine. 

Check out http://www.lovinsoap.com/2017/08/crafting-your-own-unique-beard-oil/


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## BrewerGeorge (Dec 19, 2017)

Phteven said:


> To the guys who have beards, how do you clean your beards?  Do you use soap or shampoo?  Conditioner?  A good beard oil is only part of the formula.



Just face (bar) soap, but my beard is more 1970's length than it is 1860's length.


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## Traumabrew (Dec 19, 2017)

You should have done this for Movember.

I make a beard oil using: 1.5 oz fractionated coconut oil, 0.5 oz jojoba, 0.5 oz argan oil and 0.5 oz tamanu oil ( you can reduce the tamannu oil if you want/need as it does have a green tint) and vit E (tocopherol). I use an EO blend of fir and sandalwood, sometimes add Bergamot for a citrus hint. You can go plain.

Remember beard oil is for both the hair and skin.


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## BrewerGeorge (Dec 19, 2017)

Ugh, I can't see how you can stand to have that tamanu smell right up next to your face all day.


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## BattleGnome (Dec 20, 2017)

Phteven said:


> To the guys who have beards, how do you clean your beards?  Do you use soap or shampoo?  Conditioner?  A good beard oil is only part of the formula.



My husband uses a beard shampoo. He used to use a brand called “beard guys” but now uses a brand called “broo” (with umlauts on the o’s). I don’t trust myself with anything resembling a shampoo yet, syndets still intimidate me.


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## toxikon (Dec 20, 2017)

Reading this is encouraging me to give beard oil making a try! It's good excuse to start dabbling with EO blends and I do have a few willing beardy test subjects. Seems fun.


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## Ivanstein (Dec 20, 2017)

Chispa said:


> I get wicked beard-druff and normal moisturizers do nothing to it. My skin gets angry red, scaling and itchy. A google search of the symptoms yields a truly frightening world of facial yeasts, tiny insectoid parasites, and expensive steroid plus antifungal treatments.
> 
> I make a equal proportion blend of fractionated coconut, jojoba, and avocado oil and it settles my skin overnight. The oil blend is light and soaks in very quickly without feeling greasy.
> 
> ...


Have you considered some tea tree oil? That stuff works wonders on...uhh..."guy fungus" or athlete's foot. Maybe a bit of it in the beard oil would banish the little beasties?

Just a thought.


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