7 min read / 23 March 2023 / Laura Garvin Gomez
Best Essential Oils for Beard Growth and Thickness
If you're struggling to get your beard to the optimal level, these oils could help set you on the right path.
Growing a beard can sometimes be trickier than it seems.
For some men, long and thick beards come as second nature, but this isn't necessarily the case for everyone.
Beards are naturally charged with sebum - a moisturizing oil that helps keep our skin and hair in top form - but sometimes, even that isn't enough to fully make the most out of potential beard growth.
One thing that can help in the process is the added use of essential oils. Filled with plant-powered benefits, oils have been used by men for centuries to help give their beards a little extra lift.
We're detailing some of the best essential oils for beards, what carrier oils you'll need to mix them with, and how you can incorporate them into your day-to-day.
What are essential oils?Essential oils are natural products, derived primarily from plants and fruits. They are commonly extracted from their botanical via steam distillation or cold pressing, and can carry many benefits for our minds and bodies. When applied topically, essential oils can help with everything from wound healing and pain relief to acne and hair growth. In recent years, scientists have been discovering more and more beneficial oils to help keep our locks in good form. |
Why use essential oils for beard growth?
Some men like to incorporate the use of oils in their beard simply to help keep it feeling smooth, shiny, and well-groomed.
Others use oils to tackle issues like "beardruff" - beard dandruff - and dry skin in and around the beard area.
For most though, the primary appeal falls on its ability to boost the hair follicles to their very longest and thickest capabilities. Thankfully, essential oils can help with all three of these common uses.
What are the best essential oils for beard growth and thickness?
We've broken down a list of some of our favourite essential oils for beard growth and why they work.
1. Rosemary essential oil
When it comes to producing results for hair growth and thickness, rosemary oil for hair has taken the cake for several years now.
Recently spiraling into popularity, this oil has been proven to increase thickness in the hair thanks to its ability to boost blood circulation [1] throughout the skin and the hair follicles.
A 2015 study [2] also noted rosemary oils effectiveness at boosting hair growth in patients with testosterone-related hair loss, meaning the benefits of the oil could work great for beards, too.
Learn more about the benefits of rosemary oil for beard growth.
2. Peppermint essential oil
Fresh and minty, peppermint oil not only provides your beard with a comforting tingly sensation, but also helps to facilitate its growth over time.
Just like rosemary, peppermint oil can successfully boost circulation [3] around the hair follicles to promote better growth and thickness.
Peppermint oil is also naturally anti-inflammatory, which means it may be able to help with those stubborn cases of "beardruff" as well as any irritations to the skin underneath.
3. Tea tree essential oil
Coined "the medicine cabinet in a bottle" by many aromatherapists, tea tree oil can do a whole lot more for your beard than simply help it grow.
Tea tree's main benefits are against dandruff, with a 2002 study [4] showing a forty-one percent improvement in subjects who used the oil for a total of four weeks.
The beneficial properties don't end there, however. One of tea tree oil's most powerful components is terpinene-4-ol, which is filled with antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties for the skin.
Using this oil on your beard can therefore not only help with minor cuts or inflammation in the area, but can also keep your beard free from flakes and safe from nasty bacteria.
4. Cedarwood essential oil
The earthy aromas of cedarwood oil are great for use in your own beard oil.
They also carry a heap of useful benefits, with a 1998 study [5] highlighting the impact of a cedarwood massage on sufferers of alopecia areata - a condition that causes hair loss.
Cedarwood oil can soothe the skin underneath your beard and provide it with a healthier environment for sleek, smooth locks.
5. Lavender essential oil
Whether you've used essential oils before or not, there's a high chance you've heard of lavender oil.
That's because its wealth of benefits are second to none, and hair growth is one of the many that have been scientifically proven [6] to work.
The strong antimicrobial properties of lavender can also help keep your beard, and the skin underneath it, free from harmful organisms.
What are the best carrier oils for beard growth?
The thing with essential oils is that, sadly, they can't be used all on their own.
While they work great for dropping straight into a diffuser, these naturally potent oils can do more harm than good if they're slapped onto your beard without proper dilution.
Thankfully, there are tons of carrier oils out there that not only help make your essential oils safe, but also contain many of their own benefits for beard growth and health too. We've listed some of our favourites below.
1. Castor oil
Castor oil is top of the list when it comes to making your beard look sleek and healthy.
Filled with healthy fats and nutrients, castor oil can moisturise beard hair, strengthen its roots, and improve the speed of growth [7].
It can also boost the effectiveness of any other products you put in your beard, so it's definitely a worthy asset if you want the best look possible!
Learn more about the benefits of castor oil for beard growth.
2. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a major buzzword in the wellness industry, and for good reason. Just like many of its other benefits, coconut's impact on hair health has been significant over recent years.
One 2015 report discovered that coconut oil has very strong similarities to our natural hair proteins - like keratin.
These similarities can help to protect your beard hair from losing structure and can also enrich it with essential nutrients to avoid damage or frizz in the future.
On top of this, coconut oil has also been proven [8] to significantly reduce dandruff on the scalp, meaning these effects could easily translate to any flakes appearing below your beard.
Learn more about the benefits of coconut oil for hair and beard growth.
3. Jojoba oil
While it may have a funny name, there's nothing comical about the powerful effects of jojoba oil.
Jojoba is packed full of healthy fats like vitamins C, B, copper, and zinc - all of which are considered vital for the growth of hair tissue and for protection against irritation.
Jojoba oil is also a great moisturiser, and can even bind itself effectively to fine or thin hair thanks to its lightweight consistency.
Learn more about the benefits of jojoba oil for hair growth and more.
How to use essential oils for beard growth
When using essential oils and carrier oils on your beard, there are a few key steps to follow for the best and safest results.
- Wash your beard with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Using a separate dish, add your carrier oil base (you won't need a lot for this - just around 10ml).
- Add 5 drops of your chosen essential oil and mix well.
- Gently massage the oils into your beard hair and onto the skin underneath.
- Leave for a few hours, or overnight, and wash out with warm water.
If you're wanting to make more pre-mixed oil to use on your beard at any time, make sure you're following the right dilution rate for safe application.
Using essential oils on your beard is a great way to naturally boost growth, maintain shine, and develop an overall healthier look.
As with any topical essential oil use, remember to always dilute your oils with a carrier oil. To be on the safe side, we recommend performing a patch test before use on your beard, too.
Overall, enjoy the many benefits that frequent application of these oils can provide you with.
References
[1] Winai Sayorwan et al. (2013)Effects of Inhaled Rosemary Oil on Subjective Feelings and Activities of the Nervous System https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3700080/
[2] Yunes Panahi et al. (2015) Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25842469/
[3] Daniel H Craighead et al. (2016) Topical menthol increases cutaneous blood flow https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27131832/
[4] Andrew C Satchell et al. (2002) Treatment of dandruff with 5% tea tree oil shampoo https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12451368/
[5] I C Hay et al. (1998) Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9828867/
[6] Boo Hyeong Lee et al. (2016) Hair Growth-Promoting Effects of Lavender Oil in C57BL/6 Mice https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843973/
[7] Semchin Munkhbayar et al. (2016) Role of Arachidonic Acid in Promoting Hair Growth https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737836/
[8] Rituja Saxena et al. (2021) Longitudinal study of the scalp microbiome suggests coconut oil to enrich healthy scalp commensals https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86454-1
