Why a Carrier Oil Blend is Important for your Beard
"Nice beard!"
If you're the type of guy that takes pride in his beard, hearing those 2 simple words is undoubtedly enough to boost your ego and perhaps even make you blush (don't worry big guy, we won't tell.)
And while beard compliments are always great to hear, the reality is that not all bearded gentlemen will hear them. That's because maintaining a strong, healthy, compliment worthy beard is no easy task.
It takes time and a little bit of effort.
That's where beard oil comes in.
A great beard oil will not only dramatically improve the look and feel of your beard, but it will also improve beard health, strength, and can even increase growth. Wins all around.
But what constitutes the difference between a great beard oil, and an okay beard oil?
The answer? Carrier oils.
Every beard oil on the market is formulated using 1 or more carrier oils. These carrier oils are full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that help soften, moisturize and protect the beard.
If you take the time and do a little bit of research, you will quickly realize that there are a ton of different kinds of carrier oils available. Each one offering its own unique properties and characteristics.
While some carriers are great at penetrating the hair shaft to help moisturize the beard, other carrier oils sit on the surface of the beard and act as a sealant that locks in moisture, softens, and even adds a bit of shine.
With this information in mind, you may be wondering if using multiple carrier oils on your beard is better than using just one single carrier oil.
The answer? Unequivocally, yes.
A well balanced blend of carrier oils will address the many needs of your beard and the skin underneath far better than a single carrier oil can.
A carrier oil blend is a lot like a football team. Each player brings their own unique set of skills to the table that make the team as a whole much better.
As intriguing as it might sound, you wouldn’t want an entire football team consisting only of running backs. Sure you will have plenty of speed and athleticism, but who the hell is going to block or throw the ball downfield?
The same concept goes for beard oil. A well balanced blend of carrier oils is going to offer a much broader spectrum of benefits for the beard than a single carrier oil can. This not only equates to a softer, healthier beard, but it also means that your beard oil is going to last much longer throughout the day without having to reapply. In the end this helps save time, money, and effort. You certainly can’t go wrong with that.
Which Carrier Oils are Best for Beards?
The truth is this question has no right answer. There are so many excellent carrier oils for the beard that it would be impossible to narrow it down to just one.
You also have to consider the fact that no 2 beards are alike. Every man’s beard (and skin) is unique and different. Choosing the right carrier oil is largely contingent on the specific needs of your beard and the skin underneath.
If you happen to be very prone to acne and oily skin for example, you might choose to avoid carrier oils that are known to be comedogenic (clogs pores).
On the flip side if you happen to suffer from dry skin and beard dandruff, you will likely benefit from carrier oils that penetrate into the skin and help moisturize.
Choosing the right carrier oil, or blend of carrier oils, all comes down to personal preference and need.
Which Carrier Oils Does The Bearded Grenade Use?
Beard health is one of our many passions here at TBG. It’s because of this passion that we spent months researching, studying, and testing countless carrier oils and carrier oil blends.
Our goal was to formulate a beard oil that not only smoothed and softened the beard, but also moisturized, nourished, and improved overall beard health and appearance.
Here's a closer look at the carrier oils we use in our beard oil:
Meadowfoam seed oil
Meadowfoam seed oil originates from right here in the USA, and is a heavyweight in the world of carrier oils when it comes to benefiting the beard. Think Mike Tyson in his prime when he was kicking everyone's ass.
Meadowfoam seed oil is derived from the seeds of the meadowfoam flower (limnanthes alba), and is actually one of the most recently researched oils to go into commercial production for topical use. I.e. it hasn't been around for that long.
While many carrier oils have been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years, meadowfoam seed oil really got its start in the 1970's when it was discovered that it made a great alternative to sperm whale oil — which became banned for use in the United States in 1972. Sperm whale oil was commonly used in cosmetics and skincare products due to its ability to mimic the skin's natural sebum. Once the use of sperm whale oil became illegal in the US, skin and hair care companies sought alternative oils that could offer many of the same great benefits for the skin and hair. Enter meadowfoam seed oil.
Aside from its pretty interesting backstory, meadowfoam seed oil stands out as an excellent carrier oil for the beard due to its unique properties and characteristics. Consisting of over 98% long chain fatty acids, meadowfoam seed oil is excellent at smoothing and softening the beard, while also acting as an emollient that helps lock in moisture and hydration. This not only helps keep your beard looking its absolute best, but it also improves the health and strength of your beard; effectively reducing the likelihood of breakage and split ends.
Another thing we really like about meadowfoam seed oil is its very long shelf life (over 3 years). This not only makes it a very easy carrier oil to work with, but what's even more awesome is the fact that meadowfoam seed oil actually increases the lifespan of every oil that's blended with it. Simply put, meadowfoam seed oil acts as an all-natural preservative for our beard oil blend. Pretty damn cool if you ask us.
Meadowfoam seed oil benefits:
- Smoothes and softens the beard
- Helps strengthen beard hairs
- Acts as an emollient that helps lock in moisture and hydration
- Helps prevent beard breakage and split ends
- Acts as an all-natural preservative by increasing the shelf life of oils blended with it
- Helps increase beard oil fragrance longevity by trapping aroma compounds
- Adds a healthy shine to the beard
- It's very lightweight and non-greasy
- Very low comedogenic rating (won't clog pores)
Argan oil
In our opinion no beard oil is complete without plenty of argan oil to help moisturize and protect the beard. Derived from the kernels of the argan tree, argan oil is probably one of the most well known, and most sought after carrier oils in the world due to its awesome ability to nourish and protect the skin, hair, and of course the beard.
Unlike most other carrier oils that can be obtained from around the world, argan oil is endemic to Morocco and is only exported from this small country in North Africa.
While argan oil is typically one of the more expensive carrier oils available, its price is easy to understand when you consider the awesome benefits and the labor intensive extraction process required to obtain the oil. Believe it or not, the process of extracting argan oil from the kernels is still largely done by hand in many of the small co-operatives in Morocco. This process is not only incredibly arduous and time consuming, but it's also very expensive in regards to labor.
With all the time, effort, and money that goes into extracting argan oil, you'd imagine that there's gotta be something pretty damn special about it to justify all of this work, right?
Well in our opinion, the hype is definitely real when it comes to argan oil. Commonly referred to as "liquid gold", argan oil contains an absolute shit ton of beneficial vitamins and nutrients that help strengthen and improve overall beard health — which is exactly why we prominently feature it in our beard oil blend.
Here's a quick look at the primary nutrients found inside argan oil: oleic acid (omega-9), linoleic acid (omega-6), and vitamin E
Here's a few more awesome characteristics of argan oil: It's non-greasy, it absorbs quickly, and it is non-comedogenic (won't clog pores). In fact argan oil gets the lowest score possible (0) on the comedogenic scale. This means that it will absolutely not clog pores.
Benefits of argan oil:
- Moisturizes and softens the beard and skin
- Penetrates the beard and skin to deliver nutrients and moisture
- Helps strengthen and protect the beard
- Helps prevent and eliminate beard dandruff (beardruff)
- Helps fight beard breakage and split ends
- Gives the beard a healthy shine
- It's non-greasy
- It's non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is derived from the seeds of a shrub (simmondsia chinensis) commonly found in the southwestern United States. Interestingly enough, jojoba "oil" is not really an oil at all. It's actually a wax that has the texture, feel, and consistency of an oil, but is in fact a true liquid wax.
Misnomers aside, jojoba oil is simply one of the best carrier oils for the beard due to its highly moisturizing properties. In fact jojoba oil mimics the skin's natural oil (sebum) better than any other carrier oil. This similarity not only helps keep the beard soft and nourished, but it also moisturizes the skin which helps to prevent annoying beard dandruff.
Aside from being an awesome moisturizer, jojoba oil is packed with vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for our beards, including: vitamins A, D, E, chromium, copper, zinc, and omega 6 & 9 fatty acids.
Benefits of jojoba oil:
- Highly moisturizing for the beard and skin
- Helps prevent beard dandruff
- Full of vitamins and minerals that help strengthen beard hair
- Helps prevent beard breakage and split ends
- Acts as a sealant that locks in moisture
- Low comedogenic rating (unlikely to clog pores)
- Non-greasy
- Gives the beard a healthy shine
Rosehip oil
Known as the "oil of youth", rosehip oil originates from Chile and has been used for thousands of years for its cosmetic and medicinal benefits.
Many people mistakingly believe that rosehip oil is derived from the rose flower, but it's actually extracted from the seed pods or "hips" of the the rose plant. Another common misconception many people have is that rosehip oil smells like roses - it doesn't. It actually has very little natural odor similar to most carrier oils.
We include rosehip oil in our carrier oil blend due to its excellent benefits for the skin. Packed with long chain fatty acids, rosehip oil helps soften the skin by locking in moisture and hydration. This not only creates an optimal environment for healthy beard growth, but it also helps prevent beard dandruff and annoying beard itch.
Interesting fact:
Rosehip oil is considered a “dry oil”, which simply means it is lightweight, non-greasy, fast absorbing, and doesn't leave any residue on the skin or hair.
Benefits of rosehip oil:
- Moisturizes the skin
- Helps promote healthy beard growth
- Helps prevent beard dandruff
- Helps eliminate beard itch
- Has been shown to stimulate beard growth
- It's non-greasy, lightweight, and absorbs quickly
- Very low comedogenic rating (won't clog pores)
Pomegranate seed oil
When it comes to beard care, the pomegranate is not to be overlooked. Grown all around the world, pomegranates are known for their sweet and juicy seed coverings known as arils.
Within these arils, is an edible seed that contains some of the most beard beneficial oil in the world.
Packed with punicic acid, which is unique only to pomegranates, pomegranate seed oil has been found to strengthen hair follicles by stimulating circulation and improving blood flow to the site of application. When used regularly, pomegranate seed oil can improve beard hair growth, thickness and fullness.
Aside from stimulating growth, pomegranate seed oil is also highly moisturizing which helps smooth, soften, and detangle coarse beard hair.
Interesting fact:
Believe it or not, it takes more than 200 pounds of pomegranate seeds to produce just 1 pound of oil.
Benefits of pomegranate seed oil:
- Helps stimulate beard hair growth
- Smoothes and softens coarse beard hair
- It's non-greasy
- It's non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
Watermelon seed oil
In our opinion watermelon seed oil is one of the most underutilized carrier oils in the world, especially when it comes to beard care.
Originating from South Africa, watermelon seed oil is cold pressed from watermelon seeds that have been left to dry outside in the sun.
The extracted golden oil is packed with beard beneficial vitamins and nutrients that strengthen the beard, soften, and even help promote healthy beard growth.
Here's a closer look at what's inside watermelon seed oil:
Linoleic and oleic acid, omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, and E, and a slew of beneficial minerals, including magnesium, iron, copper, and potassium.
Aside from watermelon seed's beard benefits, it is also great for the skin underneath the beard as well, helping to moisturize, prevent beard dandruff, and relieve annoying beard itch.
Benefits of watermelon seed oil:
- Packed with vitamins and nutrients that strengthen beard hair
- Helps prevent beard breakage and split ends
- Helps prevent beard dandruff
- Helps relieve annoying beard itch
- It's lightweight, non-greasy, and fast absorbing
- It's non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
Castor oil
Derived from the castor bean, castor oil is an extremely versatile oil that offers a ton of benefits for the beard. It's one of the thickest carrier oils available, and because of this, helps with beard styling and even helps control annoying flyaway hairs.
Another awesome benefit of castor oil is that it has been shown to increase hair growth by stimulating the hair follicle. And while it's probably not going to work miracles for guys with bad beard genetics, it can in time help improve overall thickness, fullness, and appearance with regular use. Castor oil is also non-greasy and safe for most skin types due to its very low comedogenic rating.
Benefits of castor oil:
- Thick consistency helps with beard styling
- Has been shown to stimulate hair growth
- Acts as a sealant that helps lock in moisture
- Very low comedogenic rating (won't clog pores)
- Non-greasy
- Gives the beard a healthy shine
Passion fruit seed oil
Also known as maracuja oil, passion fruit seed oil is derived from the passion fruit (clearly) and is one of the best carrier oils in the world when it comes to moisturizing the skin.
A common misconception about beard oil is that it's only intended to soften and moisturize the beard hairs themselves. But the truth is, beard oil is also intended to be massaged into the skin underneath the beard to help moisturize, prevent beard dandruff (beardruff), and even help eliminate beard itch.
We chose to include passion fruit seed oil in our beard oil blend because it absolutely kicks ass when it comes to keeping the skin underneath the beard happy and healthy.
Containing over 72% linoleic acid, passion fruit seed oil is one of the best sources of this essential fatty acid on earth. it's also very high in antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, and phosphorous.
Benefits of passion fruit seed oil:
- Highly moisturizing for the skin and beard hair
- Helps eliminate beard itch
- Helps eliminate beard dandruff
- Acts as an emollient that helps lock in moisture
- Non-greasy
- Very low comedogenic rating (won't clog pores)
Vitamin E (D-Alpha-Tocopherol)
Vitamin E, also known as d-alpha-tocopherol, is commonly known for its powerful antioxidant effects, but did you know that it also offers a ton of benefits for the beard and skin when applied topically?
Natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopherol) is derived from vegetable oils and is actually a group of 8 fat soluble vitamins and not just one single vitamin.
We include vitamin E oil in our beard oil blend thanks to its awesome beard benefits, but it's also worth noting that vitamin E also offers a bunch of additional benefits for the body that make it an excellent oil for many hair and skin applications.
When applied to the beard, vitamin E acts as a powerful moisturizer that smooths and softens coarse hair. It also strengthens beard hairs helping to prevent breakage and split ends.
Another awesome benefit of vitamin E is its ability to fight beard dandruff and help relieve beard itch. One of the most common complaints amongst new beard growers is itchiness. If you are suffering from annoying beard itch, applying a beard oil that contains vitamin E should offer plenty of relief.
Also, similar to meadowfoam seed oil, vitamin E oil acts as a natural preservative which increases the lifespan of oils that are blended with it.
Benefits of vitamin E:
- Smoothes and softens coarse beard hair
- Moisturizes beard and skin
- Helps strengthen and protect beard hair
- Helps prevent breakage and split ends
- Helps prevent beard dandruff
- Helps relieve beard itch
- Gives the beard a healthy shine
- Acts as a natural preservative