Does Beard Growth Oil Work?

While hair loss is fairly common among men, beard hair loss is seemingly less common and less studied. And that means fewer answers to questions like: Does beard growth oil work?

The scientific community generally agrees that good beard care is about nourishing and moisturizing your hair follicles, as well as preventing problems like dry skin and beard dandruff. While there are plenty of options for beard care available in stores, there’s no miracle product on shelves today that can do all of it — and that includes beard growth oil.

Below, we explain why these supposedly promising products might come up short on scientific support and suggest some other options if you’re worried you’re losing facial hair.

Some of the natural ingredients used in beard growth products like oils, supplements, and beard balm have been shown to promote healthy hair growth in some limited animal and human research. These products may also help soften beard hair, which is usually rougher than the hair on your head.

Still, experts don’t have enough information to declare what natural oils — or how much of them — will give you a healthy beard.

In other words, it is hard for scientists to conclusively or confidently say that if you use beard oil, you’ll see better hydration, less dryness, and reduced patchiness. 

Beard oils claim to reduce breakage and increase growth, but the claims made by the companies that produce them can often seem misleading when you look at the facts. While many companies offer high-quality products with the intention of creating the best beard oil, the reality is that most ingredients in these products lack substantial scientific support.

Some of the ingredients used in beard oil have been shown in limited and small studies to offer benefits, but little of the research has been corroborated by follow-up studies.

To put it simply, there’s not a lot of evidence that these things work, and there’s even less information about the correct ways to use them.

Beard oil is a topical formula that can be applied to the beard and the skin beneath it to promote healthier growth. 

While every beard oil has slightly different ingredients, most claim to combine natural ingredients, vitamins, and other nutrients to offer hair health benefits. For example, beard oil may contain vitamin E and other essential nutrients for hair care. Beard growth oil also may keep your beard hydrated — acting as a conditioner without drying out your facial hair.

A quality beard oil may include more than one oil in the “secret formula,” but common ingredients include:

• Jojoba oil

• Castor oil

• Argan oil

• Peppermint oil

• Tea tree oil

You may also see carrier oils like coconut oil, seed oil, and almond oil listed.

But because these products (and their claims) are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it’s often unclear what the mechanism of action of each ingredient is supposed to be. Many beard oils contain many of the same hair oils that product makers have used in their shampoos, oils, and conditioners.

If you want to get the most out of your beard growth oil, despite its lack of conclusive evidence, apply it right after a shower. When your hair is clean and still slightly damp, it can absorb the oil more effectively. If you live in an especially dry climate, you may need to apply the product twice a day to keep your beard hydrated and well nourished.

One of the most straightforward risks of using beard oil is that it may irritate your skin and, in doing so, affect your beard’s growth. Beard oil ingredients also can cause allergic reactions. 

While beard growth oil can sometimes help moisturize the skin under your beard, the products can also clog pores and increase your reliance on skincare products.

Allergic reactions might include:

• Burning sensations

• A frequent beard itch

• Redness and tenderness at the site of application

Coupled with the unproven nature of the alleged benefits of beard oil, you may decide that using these products does more harm than good.It’s a personal choice, for sure.

There are currently way more remedies for head hair loss than beard hair loss. 

The FDA has not yet approved a full beard medication or treatment. While a dermatologist might suggest things like biotin, derma roller treatment, or topical minoxidil to deal with a patchy beard, these are typically recommended because they’ve shown promise in making the hair on a person’s scalp more healthy.

For instance, topical minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution have been shown to be effective treatments for causes of hair loss like male pattern baldness. However, research has not yet connected them to beard benefits.

Further, beard alopecia is also a complicated condition, and while it can sometimes be a result of male pattern baldness, it can also be due to other, rarer forms of hair loss.

If you’re experiencing facial hair loss or noticing your beard is thinning, there are a number of potential causes that could be contributing. Unfortunately, beard oil is likely not the solution.

Don’t get us wrong — there are many potential benefits to be harnessed from the ingredients in beard oils, but research is far from conclusive: There’s little guidance around the most effective ways to use them or how much of them to use to see results.

While beard hair loss is a less common and less well understood condition than head hair loss, it’s something that a healthcare professional can help you understand, diagnose, and treat. So if you’re seeing more of your jawline than you’d like, connect with an expert today to start down the right path of hair loss treatment.