DIY Homemade Beard Oil and Balm (2 Most Popular Recipes)

Sporting a well-tamed beard is the latest trend in men’s styling. Be it well-trimmed stubble, a goatee or a fully grown Bandholz, facial hair adds more masculinity to your appearance. Some of you may grow a beard occasionally as part of a social cause, such as Movember and No-Shave November.

Plus, a lot of women find men sexier with stubble. After all, who doesn’t swoon at the sight of Ryan Reynolds or Tom Hardy with a beard, right?

Sometimes though, your beard can start to look a little dull or unkept. A little like having a bad hair day that continues until you do something about it. It’s important to groom your beard regularly and give your facial hair the nourishment required to keep it soft and glossy.

To maintain a healthy beard, one of the prerequisites is using a beard oil or balm. If you have an extremely unruly beard, you may be tempted to invest in commercial beard oil or pomade.

But do you know you can quickly whip up DIY homemade beard oil and balm at a fraction of the cost? All you need is an enriching carrier oil, a blend of woody- and earthy-smelling essential oils, and a beard to use it on.

Besides adding a healthy sheen to your beard, beard oil will stimulate hair growth, reduce dry and itchy skin, soften the hair and impart a faint masculine scent to your stubble.

If you are ready to try your hand at making a DIY homemade beard oil and balm; read on to follow our two simple recipes.

Method 1: Beard Oil

Beard oil is fairly simple to make. You can use oils like argan, jojoba or avocado oil as the carrier oil.

We chose to use avocado oil because it mixes well with other carrier oils creating a lighter. Make sure you buy a good quality organic avocado oil for this recipe to reap all its benefits. Avocado oil also has natural anti-inflammatory properties, aids in calming down acne, psoriasis and calms down inflamed itchy and flaky skin. It is also known to be a natural SPF for blocking UV rays. It absorbs quickly into your skin and doesn’t leave your beard too glossy. Plus, avocado oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E oil also known as the “skin vitamin," boosts hair growth to give you a denser and healthier beard. Avocado oil is also great for the skin.

The essential oils used in this recipe are vetiver, fir needle and cedarwood which all have a range of benefits for your skin and well being. Vetiver and cedarwood have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that kill the bacteria and pathogens hiding in your facial mane. Fun fact, vetiver is also an aphrodisiac!

Fir needle oil has anti-bacterial properties as well. It helps to detoxify the skin which helps you flush toxins out of your scruff. It also helps to fight against acne, eczema, and flaky skin as well. Besides their health benefits, they impart a subtle and pleasing scent to the beard oil.

 Things you’ll need:

• Avocado oil (nourishing carrier oil) – 2 tablespoons
• Vetiver essential oil (prevents premature graying) – 2 drops
• Fir needle essential oil (boosts hair growth) – 1 drop
• Cedarwood essential oil (promotes hair growth) – 1 drop

Step 1. Mix the essential oils into the carrier oil

• Pour 2 tablespoons of avocado oil into a small container.
• Add 2 drops of vetiver essential oil.
• Add 1 drop each of fir needle and cedarwood essential oils.
• Mix it well.

Step 2. Store the beard oil in a dark-colored bottle

• Transfer the oil blend to a dark-colored dropper bottle using a small funnel. Since essential oils are highly volatile, exposure to light can reduce their efficacy.
• To use it, rub a few drops of the DIY beard oil between your palms twice daily. Smoothen out your beard with the oil.

The shelf life of this DIY homemade beard oil is up to 6 months when stored in a dark and cool place.

Method 2: Beard Balm

A DIY homemade beard balm will keep your beard looking sleek throughout the day.

The beeswax used in this recipe gives the pomade its waxy texture. The coconut oil and shea butter provide the necessary nourishment to the hair follicles and also deeply moisturize your skin.

Now allergies to beeswax are not all that uncommon. Most people affected by this allergy already know about their sensitivity to it, mainly because beeswax is present in many skin care products. A suitable alternative for beeswax would be Candelilla wax for allergy sufferers, and since it is derived from a plant, it’s a great option for vegans as well.

This beard balm contains a blend of essential oils loaded with skin and hair benefits that give it a sweet aroma as well.

Things you’ll need:

• Beeswax (waxy texture) – 1 tablespoon
• Candelilla wax (Substitute for beeswax) - 1/2 tablespoon
• Shea butter (softens skin and hair) – 2 tablespoons
• Extra-virgin coconut oil (carrier oil; nourishes skin and hair) – ¼ cup
• Lavender essential oil (soothes skin) – 2 drops
• Orange essential oil (antiseptic) – 1 drop
• Vanilla essential oil (for fragrance) – 2 drops
• Cedarwood essential oil (treats acne) – 2 drops

Step 1. Melt the beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler

• Assemble a double boiler over the stove.
• Put 1 tablespoon of beeswax pellets in the double boiler.
• Add 2 tablespoons of shea butter.
• Add ¼ cup of extra-virgin coconut oil as well.
• Melt the ingredients completely on low-medium heat.
• Carefully remove the hot bowl from the double boiler.

Step 2. Add the essential oils

• Add 1 drop of orange essential oil,  2 drops of lavender, vanilla, and cedarwood each. If you have sensitive skin, reduce the quantity to 1 drop each.

Step 3. Mix well & store the balm in a shallow container

• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Transfer the oil blend to a shallow tin container.
• Allow the blend to solidify completely. You can place it in the refrigerator to solidify it quickly.
• To use it, take a small amount of the balm on your fingers and swipe it over your beard to shape it up once daily.

The shelf life of this DIY homemade beard balm is up to 6 months when stored in a dark and cool place.

Tips for making beard oil and balm at home

• Wash your beard every day with a facial cleanser. Food crumbs, dirt and other impurities that get stuck in your beard can lead to itching and breakouts.
• When trying to grow stubble, do not trim the hair for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Once your beard grows out evenly, trim it weekly to maintain the shape.
• If you prefer a clean-shaven look better, you might want to give our homemade aftershave spray a try.
• To boost hair growth, consume more lean meats, nuts, egg yolks, milk, and leafy vegetables.
• Use some aloe vera gel in case of razor bumps after a clean shave. Aloe vera gel is a great calming agent, but it does not prevent ingrown hairs.
• Exfoliating with a sugar or salt scrub can help days after shaving. In the presence of ingrown hairs melt an aspirin with warm water and press against the affected area with a cotton ball. Tea tree oil and black tea bags are also great natural remedies for ingrown hairs as well.