Bearded men were turning heads long before The New York Times declared facial hair fashionable. There’s just something about a well-groomed guy that makes you stop and stare. You’ll also notice when there’s a hair askew, or the way the not-so-sexy scruff feels against your face.
Luckily, there’s a product to help with that and it’s called beard oil. Packed with conditioning ingredients like jojoba oil, grapeseed oil and argan oil, Dove Men+Care hair expert Jason Schneidman believes it is essential for maintaining facial hair.
“Most men don’t believe they need to use any products at all,” says Schneidman. “Men should take care of their facial hair as much as they take care of the hair on their heads.”
If you’re still not convinced that you need to add beard oil to your daily routine, here are three tips from the celebrity groomer that will make you a believer.
Beard oil moisturizes facial hair and the skin beneath.
Beard oil is hydrating to the skin and helps soften and tame beard hair, which means it also does double-duty as a styling agent. According to Schneidman, the ideal beard should look shiny and groomed — not dusty, flaky and shaggy.
The best time to apply beard oil is right after washing your face.
Schneidman recommends putting on beard oil first thing in the morning after showering or cleansing. “This way, your hair follicles and pores are open and can easily absorb the oil,” he adds. “Caring for skin, particularly cleansing and moisturization, is crucial, especially if you live in a cold or dry climate. We tend to think ‘more is better,’ but just a few drops of most things is plenty.”
Rub the beard oil into your hand, then massage it throughout your beard like this:
If your beard is longer, use a comb to make sure the product coats every hair and moisturizes your skin.
Beard oil keeps facial hair flake-free and smelling fresh.
Thanks to moisturizing oils, a little beard oil is just enough to tame those flyaway hairs and eliminate flakes (a.k.a. beard-druff). And with so many musky/woody essential oils like cedarwood and sandalwood, Schneidman points out that this often overlooked product also acts as a natural cologne.
Get to grooming, fellas! See our top beard oil picks below.