Good natural beard oil?

[ryanlogic]

Hey guys, I just thought of something I'd like to try to make for personal use.

I usually have a big long beard and I just recently cut it off because it was tangled, dry, and full of split ends. I'd like to make something that would help me maintain it better as I grow it out again so this doesn't happen again.

I'd like to make something all natural with essential oils for fragrance... where should I be starting?

 

[DeeAnna]

Ingredients list from the Texas Beard Co:

Base Oil Blend

Golden Jojoba Oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Avocado Oil
Essential Oil (Scent) Blend

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Ingredients list from Beard Brand:

Apricot oil
Grapeseed oil
Jojoba oil
Castor oil
Fragrance (essential oil blend)

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From the Art of Manliness:

Carrier oils will make up the bulk of your beard oil recipes. They’re a base oil that carries the more potent essential oils and dilutes them to make them more palatable for your skin. When not diluted, essential oils can actually cause irritation and burning.

There are a variety of carrier oils out there that provide different benefits, and most have just a faint scent (unlike the potent essential oils). My choices for carrier oils — jojoba, sweet almond, and coconut — were chosen mostly on availability, but they’re also the ones that are most common in beard oil recipes.

A few carrier oils and their benefits:

Jojoba – is similar to your natural human oils and is easily absorbed by your skin
Argan – makes skin softer and protects against signs of aging like wrinkles
Sweet almond – keeps inflammation at bay, which particularly helps prevent in-grown hairs
Coconut – one of the best natural moisturizing and hydrating products on the planet, great for dry environments
Hazelnut – helps prevent acne and eczema
Hemp seed – another moisturizing oil, helps prevent facial hair from becoming brittle

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/09/diy-beard-oil/

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From Mens Journal:

So what makes a beard oil good? To be sure, a lot has to do with the scent. The oil will live just beneath your nose, so it should be something you (and, just as important, the person you're intimate with) actually enjoy.

Beard oils are generally based on one of a few ingredients, such as grapeseed, jojoba, argan, or coconut oil, all of which are rich in nutrients and readily absorbed by both hair and skin. In addition, look for more specialized ingredients such as rosemary, hempseed, or safflower oil to address specific problems like beard itch, below-the-beard acne, and sensitive skin, without feeling greasy.

http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/best-beard-oils-to-tame-your-beard-20131112

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Susan from http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca explains that coconut oil is one of the best oils for hair. See:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/06/conditioner-adding-oils-coconut-oil.html
and
http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2012/02/question-what-oils-are-good-for-your.html

 

[DeeAnna]

As far as scents, I'd go with essential oils rather than fragrance oils. This is going to be on or near your facial skin and close to your nose, so I'd keep the fragrance light -- maybe 0.5% to 1% of the total mixture. Any of the elements of a classy aftershave, cologne, or shave soap would probably work great. Some ideas -- fir or pine needle, sandalwood (expensive!), cedarwood, mandarin (citrus), or a classic bay rum blend.

Argan oil is mentioned in the quotes I shared earlier -- I'm not too sure I'd use it, despite its reputation for being good for hair and skin. Argan has a distinctive "celery" odor to me -- not something I'd care to smell a lot.

Rosemary is another. In small doses, it's fine -- rosemary-mint and rosemary-lavender are nice combinations. But it's awfully pungent if used with a heavy hand.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

most of the carrier oil that you use within soap making can work . sorry to hear that you cut your beard. oil alone will not stop what happen before , yes it is a great add to a grooming regiment . hot oil treatment can add to the sheen of your beard just as daily washing can strip the natural oils out of your beard. i do not have a beard as long as yours but i never had a shave in my life , i just clip the split ends , wash it with soap once a week, oil it after drying it and i comb out the tangles once a week if i feel like it [tangle doesn't bother me ... i'm a hermit ]. i use almond oil , avocado oil, rose hip oil , olive oil, black current oil .... basically the oil will only add sheen to your beard , you would have to work it into the roots/follicle for it to be beneficial to the base and growth. i personally use a mixture of the oils i mention with a light light addition of mixed EO's .
try oils that are vitamin rich. // hope it helps you.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

wow....DeeAnna you got skills , by the time it took me to answer you got ahead of me
[ bless you ]

 

[DeeAnna]

Google is my friend!

Here's another recipe to give you some ideas: http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/education/recipes/mustache-wax-beard-oil-gift-sets.aspx

Also this SMF thread: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=42773

 

[ryanlogic]

Wow, great responses! Thanks everyone!

I went from no info at all to almost too much!

I wonder how hempseed oil would work? I ask because it seems reasonably priced. Anyone have experience with using it for hair?

Maybe a mix between hemp, argan and blackseed with some essential oils.

 

[DeeAnna]

Hempseed has a short shelf life. Blackseed has a pungent odor according to my notes (I've not used it personally) and argan also has a distinct odor.

Limited to these 3 oils, I'd use hemp as the main oil with blackseed and argan as secondary ingredients, and I'd keep most of the product in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life.

I personally would consider using deodorized coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil as the main ingredient in a beard or hair oil. Coconut oil has a long life, is inexpensive, has a light, absorbent skin feel, and is "substantive", meaning it chemically binds to hair for longer lasting benefits.

All that said, there are no "beard oil police" and no beard oil "rules" that I've noticed, so go for what seems best to you!

 

[ryanlogic]

Hempseed has a short shelf life. Blackseed has a pungent odor according to my notes (I've not used it personally) and argan also has a distinct odor.

Limited to these 3 oils, I'd use hemp as the main oil with blackseed and argan as secondary ingredients, and I'd keep most of the product in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life.

I personally would consider using deodorized coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil as the main ingredient in a beard or hair oil. Coconut oil has a long life, is inexpensive, has a light, absorbent skin feel, and is "substantive", meaning it chemically binds to hair for longer lasting benefits.

All that said, there are no "beard oil police" and no beard oil "rules" that I've noticed, so go for what seems best to you!

Lol I'm just feeling around in the dark here.

I don't want to make something that won't last. Isn't coconut oil very thick? Last time I purchased it, it was thick like crisco.

 

[DeeAnna]

Regular coconut oil melts about 76 degrees F, so when your house is cooler than that (mine is), yes, pure CO will be solid. But when you blend in other oils that are normally liquid, that will lower the melt temperature. When you apply pure CO to your skin, it melts quickly since your skin is quite a bit warmer than 76 deg.

Also you can use fractionated coconut oil (aka capric/caprylic triglycerides) which is always liquid at normal house and body temps.

 

[Mellifera]

I made a nice beard oil for my husband with argan oil, avocado oil, rice bran oil, and olive oil that I'd steeped propolis in. Propolis may help with hair growth, so why not, right? I use copaiba balsam as a very light, resinous scent.

 

[elixa]

I am trying to make homemade beard oil for my husband with the following combination Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil and Frankincense Oil not sure about the quantity can anyone guide me. My husband is interested in using this beard essential oil but this oil is a combination of more than 4 oils so I'm worried about the results and wanna make myself..