The best beard oils for silky soft facial hair
Tame your mane with these brilliant beard oils
All products are chosen independently by our editors. Luxury London may earn commission on items purchased.
Though often overlooked, whether you boast a modest smattering of stubble or a full, bushy beard, taking good care of your facial hair should be a crucial step in your grooming routine – no matter how low-maintenance you might claim to be. Fortunately, as beards have transitioned from a hipster-led trend to a widely accepted aesthetic choice, a crop of male grooming brands have sprung up to ensure the beards of the world remain smooth, soft and in tip-top shape. And the simplest way to do so? Invest in a cracking beard oil.
Should I use beard oil?
Not merely a salve for your stubble, packed with fragrant, nourishing oils and extracts, a good beard oil can have a transformative effect, improving beard condition and health and leaving your facial hair more manageable and soft to the touch, while cleansing, nourishing and soothing the skin. “It improves the surface condition of your facial hair but, equally, moisturises the skin that is otherwise forgotten about during skincare regimes,” says Tasos Kyriakidis, beard expert at Ruffians Marylebone.
How do I use beard oil?
Simply apply a few drops to your hands and smooth over your beard immediately after showering for best results, says Kyriakidis. “The warmth and vigorous activity of washing the beard opens the cuticles and softens the skin, leaving it able to absorb the beneficial qualities contained within the oil.” Incorporating this one step into your grooming regimen has huge benefits for your facial hair, including increased thickness and manageability, and greater softness and shine.
What should I look for in a beard oil?
Each brand has its specific strengths, with a variety of nourishing ingredients blended into every bottle, but if you ask Kyriakidis, “simplicity is best.” Essentially, look for natural or plant-based formulas with hydrating and protective floral, citrus and essential oils as well as gentle but exfoliating extracts and acids, to help clear up and prevent pesky ingrown hairs. Vitally, avoid anything silicone-based that can trap bacteria and pollutants, causing blemishes and irritation.
Here’s our pick of the best beard oils for healthy, happy facial hair…
Acqua Di Parma Barbiere beard oil
Infused with a fragrant blend of pumpkin, sunflower, sweet almond and grape seed oil, as well as extracts of rosemary and sambucus nigra flower, Acqua Di Parma’s Barbiere beard serum works to tame unruly facial hair, leaving it smooth and free from knots. Apply after cleansing to keep your beard neat, tidy and soft
Aesop Shine hair and beard oil
Aesop’s sell-out hair and beard oil is scented with petitgrain, jojoba and borage seed oils for a fresh, citrussy fragrance. Formulated for coarse, dry, frizzy, thick and wavy hair, this silicone-free serum softens and nourishes hair with essential fatty acids, leaving your beard smooth and lustrous with no oily residue or build-up left behind.
Anthony Pre-Shave + Conditioning beard oil
Enriched with targeted natural ingredients, Anthony’s pre-shave and conditioning beard oil is a multitasking marvel. Free from parabens and formulated for all skin types, it contains rosemary and basil oils to soften stubble and beard hair, while a nourishing combination of calendula, Vitamin E and olive works to hydrate and condition skin.
Kiehl’s Nourishing beard oil
Lightweight and fast absorbing, this nourishing beard oil from Kiehl’s contains exfoliating salicylic acid to help keep ‘beardruff’ (yes, that’s beard dandruff) at bay. Blended with pracaxi oil, cedarwood, sandalwood and eucalyptus essential oils for an earthy, fresh aroma, this serum leaves your beard silky smooth while soothing and hydrating the skin.
Le Labo beard oil
Want facial hair that smells as good as it looks and feels? Le Labo has you covered with its plant-based beard oil. Formulated with sunflower for protection, grapeseed for smoothing, jojoba for nourishment and an aromatic blend of bergamot, lavender, violet and tonka bean, this beard oil promises to tame even the unruliest of facial hair, leaving it moisturised and smooth.
Ruffians Argan beard oil
Formulated with just five natural ingredients following years of hands-on experience across its Edinburgh and London barber shops, this hydrating beard oil won Ruffians a best in class facial hair gong at GQ’s Grooming Awards 2021. UK-made, vegan and silicone-free, it’s infused with conditioning botanicals including antioxidant-rich argan oil, tea tree and citrus extracts, vitamins and omega-rich essential oils that work to protect from environmental damage while cleansing the beard, rejuvenating the skin and nourishing and supporting hair health.
Tom Ford Conditioning beard oil
You can’t do much better than Tom Ford for a truly indulgent grooming routine. Fragranced with the brand’s iconic oud wood scent, this lightweight serum is blended with Vitamin E, almond, jojoba and grapeseed oils for a formula that conditions and nourishes, leaving the facial hair smoother, softer and easier to manage.
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