If there's one item in your skincare routine you're missing, it's beard oil. Whether you shave regularly or have been rocking a beard for years, it's the skin on your face that gets the least love.
Shaving can leave skin looking and feeling irritated, can cause in-grown hairs, and can trigger dark spots. And if shaving isn't part of your grooming routine, facial hair — and the skin underneath it — still needs hydrating. Dryness can lead to flakey skin and dull hair. Don't believe us? Try applying a serum to your beard and see the difference for yourself.
An effective beard oil will address these issues, but many of them can double as serums for your entire face and neck. Popular ingredients include jojoba, argan, and grapeseed oils, because of their hydrating properties. Application is straightforward: pre-shave, apply oil to ease razor glide; post-shave, apply over skin to fight irritation and nourish. For beards, apply over hair, morning and night (use additional drops for longer, thicker beards).
We scoured the market and found the best beard oils out there to protect your skin pre- and post-shave and keep your facial hair hydrated.
The Made-In-Italy Pick
For a medicine cabinet flex, cop Santa Maria Novella's Beard and Moustache oil, and it might just transport you to Italy, where the brand is headquartered. With a tobacco scent, this oil moisturizes facial hair, leaving it looking and feeling silky.
The All-Natural Pick
If paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, and fragrance-free are nonnegotiables for you, get acquainted with Port Products' beard oil. Grapeseed, argan, and Australian sandalwood are just a few of the essential oils formulated to treat the skin under your beard, as well as all over your face and neck. Apply a few drops all over face for a beard oil that doubles as a serum for your entire mug.
The All-Purpose Pick
If you're skeptical about introducing a separate product into your grooming routine to target your beard, start with a multi-purpose oil, like this one by Maapilim. Jojoba oil and sweet almond oil, among other ingredients, can be used for shaving, for hydrating skin, and even for the hair on your head.
For Beautifully Melanated Skin
Founder Michael James launched Frederick Benjamin (named after his grandfather) to address the needs of Black men and all men of color, like razor bumps, in-grown hairs, and hyperpigmentation. This beard oil doubles as a primer to ease irritation from shaving and acts as a hydrating oil for skin post-shave.
The Costs-Less-Than-Takeout Pick
With over a century of expertise in shaving, Gillette recently launched King C. Gillette (named after its founder), a line dedicated to facial haircare. Its beard oil is loaded with so many nourishing oils — including argan, jojoba, avocado, macadamia seed, and almond — that it can compete with your favorite serum.
The Medicine Cabinet Flex
From the brand that blessed us with some of our favorite candles is a beard oil that's equally as lust worthy. This vegan-friendly oil uses plant-based ingredients like sunflower, grapeseed, and jojoba oils that shield and nourish facial hair. And in true Le Labo fashion, it comes through with an alluring scent of bergamot and lavender that'll have you reaching for it on the daily.
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