6 Things To Look For In A High Quality Beard Oil
The men's grooming industry is flourishing, with new brands and products appearing on what would seem to be a daily basis. Whilst we're delighted that this shows an increase in interest for grooming, looking after oneself, it does also mean that the market is slowly but surely getting flooded with low quality products that - at best - don't do much for you, or at worst, potentially really damage your skin.
When there are so many options out there, how can the average consumer tell what’s good and what’s just a bit meh?
Follow these top tips to make sure you’re getting the best beard oil experience. The last thing we want is for someone’s first experience with men’s grooming products to be a negative one.
ON THE OUTSIDE
There are several indicators of a good quality beard oil from the packaging alone.
1) Label Compliance
Firstly, the labelling can indicate whether or not the brand is following cosmetic compliance regulations. For example, if the ingredients list is written in plain English instead of the internationally recognised INCI names, this is an indication that the manufacturer or brand doesn’t understand or comply to cosmetic regulation. If their packaging is not compliant, then their product might not even be safety tested and could potentially be harmful. Best not to take the risk:
The INCI names (standing for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) are internationally recognised, and ingredients for cosmetic products must be listed in this form. That doesn’t mean that brands can’t also indicate elsewhere what’s in their products in plain English, but if these latin-esque botanical names don’t feature anywhere, it’s probably safe to avoid it.
2) Fragrance allergens
Falling also into the labelling compliance category, fragrance allergens are something I see overlooked in a surprising number of products, from fragrances to oils and skincare. Unless the formula is unscented, contains only hypoallergenic essential oils such as cedarwood and vetiver, or if the manufacturer is using a special allergen-free “Parfum”, there’s a high chance the product will contain a number of fragrance allergens.
These fragrance allergens need to appear on an ingredients list, as failure to do so can result in somebody who has allergies to these fragrance compounds to have a severe reaction. If the brand hasn’t clearly stated the allergens on the ingredients list, anyone affected could rightfully claim compensation for their negligence.
Most people will not have any adverse reactions to fragrance allergens, and some people will be allergic to other compounds that don’t feature on the approved list of allergens that need to be legally declared.
What do fragrance allergens look like? The most common ones are linalool, limonene, eugenol, geraniol, citral, cinnamal, coumarin, benzyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl salicylate, cinnamyl alcohol, farnesol… - the full list can be found here.
Good example: Cocos nucifera oil, Prunus armeniaca kernel oil, Avena sativa kernel oil, Limnanthes alba seed oil, Isoamyl laurate, Simmondsia chinensis seed oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus annuus seed oil, Isoamyl cocoate, Piper nigrum fruit oil, Citrus limon peel oil, Litsea cubeba fruit oil, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Bad example: Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Almond) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Jamaican Black Castor) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) kernel Oil*, Vitamin E , Cedrus atlantica wood (Cedarwood) Oil, Salvia Sclarea flower (Clary Sage) Oil*, Lavendula Augustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit (May Chang) Oil,Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil*,Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Oil
As a rule of thumb, if something contains something citrussy (orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit) - the allergens Limonene and/or Citral should WITHOUT FAIL appear on the beard oil label, as they appear in such high concentrations that their declaration is mandatory.
In this “bad example”, the formula contains multiple citrus extracts, as well as floral extracts - and should definitely feature multiple fragrance allergens. If there’s not a fragrance allergen in sight, be very sceptical. This is the sign of an unreputable brand who does not respect their legal responsibilities.
3) Packaging
Good quality packaging can make all the difference to a good beard oil. If the label is made of flimsy paper, it will tarnish and rub off if any oil spills on it. Not a great look! Low quality plastic bottles can actually be degraded by certain essential oils, which is why we always package our beard oils in glass bottles. Pumps or pipettes are both valid dispensers, but you can tell by the look and feel of a product if the packaging is cheap!
Not all plastic bottles are bad, but look out for recycling information on the packaging as this too should be indicated. A brand that also cares about every aspect of their product down to the recyclablity of the packaging is a brand that cares about their customer and is in it for the long haul!
ON THE INSIDE
4) Formulation
The biggest factor in the quality of your beard oil is the presence of a high-quality natural antioxidant. Few vegetable oils (such as meadowfoam seed oil) are naturally rich in antioxidants, but for the most part with few exceptions you want your beard oil formula to include either “Tocopherol” - Vitamin E - or “Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract” - a rosemary extract that is known to be a potent antioxidant.
Some essential oils such as cinnamon, clove, and thyme are rich in phenols which have been shown to provide good antioxidant activity in oil-based formulas. However, these essential oils are not present in high enough concentrations in safe formulas for them to have a notable antioxidant effect.
What happens when your formula doesn’t include an antioxidant? It goes rancid.
What does that mean? Oil formulas don’t get contaminated by bacteria as there’s no water for bacteria to grow in. However, oils can easily oxidise and break down, creating compounds like aldehydes and peroxides which can be undetectable in the early stages but eventually end up smelling nasty.
This rancidity is not just unpleasant to smell, but it can cause skin irritation and encourage premature skin aging. So without an antioxidant your product has a shorter shelflife and won’t last as long once it’s been opened. There’s a good chance your oils have already started to go rancid when you buy them if they don’t contain any antioxidants!
Prolong the shelf life of your beard oil by storing it in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight.
5) Greasy feel
When a beard oil has not been formulated with the end consumer in mind, products can often be sticky, unpleasant to use, or leave a noticeable oily residue on the hands after use. Some oils, such as castor oil, are notoriously thick and gloopy, and on their own take a long time to sink into the skin. It’s important to use a combination of natural carrier oils so that the finished product isn’t too unpleasant to use.
There are plenty of natural ingredients that can be used to counteract the greasy nature of these oils, such as squalane and isoamyl cocoate (derived from olives and coconuts respectively).
6) All filler no killer
A good beard oil does so much more than just make beard hair smoother - we wrote another blog on that here. Beard oils are an opportunity to nourish the hair follicle to improve hair growth and health, and give the skin underneath the beard some TLC to help prevent any dryness and discomfort.
Look for ingredients such as jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis), rice bran oil (Oryza sativa), hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa) and andiroba oil (Carapa guaianensis)* for providing additional benefits to the skin and hair. These oils can exist alongside your more basic carrier oils such as sweet almond oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) and coconut oil (Caprylic/capric triglyceride) but provide a more well-rounded formula that will help keep your hair and skin in good condition.
*the list is endless - you can also look up meadowfoam, poppy seed oil, rosehip oil, tamanu oil, thistle oil, borage seed oil, pumpkin seed oil and loads loads more. If you want to deep dive, I recommend looking up information on www.aromantic.co.uk as a trusted source of information.
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So there you have it - 6 things to look out for in a quality beard oil, or rather, how to spot a bad one!
