Okay, I have a confession to make...
Back when I started growing a beard in my early 20's I thought it was the worst thing ever and to be quite honest, made me wonder why men who had beards would put up with this dry and itchy feeling on their face all day.
Sure I was growing a beard to be "cool", but I was constantly irritated by how uncomfortable the entire process was. So needless to say, I would grow a beard for a couple of months and then shave it off after I had enough of the discomfort. Wash, rinse, and repeat several years later, I am now a proud beardsman that discovered that this extreme discomfort could be easily avoided with just a simple product:
Beard oil (or beard balm)!
So here's the deal:
I fell into the trap, like many men, and felt it was just one of those things that you need to buckle down and "be a man" and deal with it. Even worse, I used to think beardruff (i.e. dandruff on your beard), was just one of those things.
However, while a little older and fortunately a bit wiser, I was able to finally discover the benefits of beard oil and balms. Beard oils and balms help to completely get rid of beardruff and that dreaded beard itch of which, will make growing an epic beard even more comfortable than before.
That's why I want to talk about beard oils and balms in this post, and specifically some of the great ones that Mountaineer Brand offers that rank right up there with some of the best on the market.
While we will cover a few important aspects of beard oils and balms in just a minute, it’s important to understand why your beard may feel dry, itchy, and perhaps even experience the occasional occurrence of beardruff.
To understand beardruff, we need to take a closer look at what is happening on the surface of your skin.
At the base of every single one of your beard follicles you have these tiny little glands called sebaceous glands. These tiny glands produce an oil naturally throughout the course of a day called sebum oil. Sebum oil's main role for your body is to primarily keep your skin well nourished and moisturized.
With the moisture provided by the sebum oil, your skin will appear smoother and much more comfortable.
But here's the kicker:
As your beard begins to grow out, the hair follicles of your beard will absorb more and more sebum oil. What's worse is that your sebaceous glands are finite in size. Therefore they are unable to increase the production of sebum oil as your beard gets longer.
Therefore as more and more sebum oil is required from your beard as it lengthens, there will be a point that it just simply can't keep up and your beard will start to dry out your skin.
The first signs of the need for a beard oil or balm will be the follicles feel a bit more brittle in nature (typically a month worth of growth). Shortly after brittleness, you will then want to itch your beard, then ultimately followed up with flaking of your skin.
So how does a beard oil or balm work?
To get right to the point, beard oils and balms will deliver a plethora of moisture that supplement your sebaceous glands.
To further understand this process, it’s important to look at what’s listed on the side of the label:
Core Ingredients Within Beard Oils and Balms
The majority of any beard oil and balm will contain a carrier oil of sorts.
Take for instance the Mountaineer WV Timber beard oil. The core carrier oils listed include grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, and castor oil. These carrier oils deliver a much needed splash of moisture and nourishment to your skin and beard.
Scent wise, carrier oils by themselves are largely muted scents, typically evoking very light nut or seed tones.
These oils are completely all natural and are typically safe for most skin types - although when introducing any new product to your daily regimen, it’s always important to do an allergy patch test prior to application.
So for just about any given beard oil on the market, the mixture itself will largely contain about 90% carrier oils and the remainder will be essential oils.
Unlike carrier oils, essential oils are the life of any beard oil mixture.
Therefore if you are looking for a beard oil with a rich mixture of clove and citrus, then this one by Mountaineer will make a fine selection. On the flipside, if you are feeling adventurous and try something new - check out WV Coal in order to get a unique blend of sage, peppermint, and patchouli.
As you can see scents for beard oils and balms go all over the place and is definitely an area of your grooming routine that you can really have fun with.
Now if you are not a fan of scented products, that's completely fine too! There are beard oils for every nose, including unscented ones.
But look:
Scents are only one side of essential oils and their reasoning for being in beard oil to begin with.
While carrier oils may provide some awesome hydration benefits, essential oils are going to also deliver an additional level of skin care benefits. For instance, peppermint oil is a completely all natural way to help ward off the prevalence of acne along with helping to promote hair growth. To find out the benefits of any essential oil is easy - just simply search "[essential oil] + benefits" and check out what these oils can do!
So, Where To Go From Here?
As you can see from above, the two core ingredients found in both balms and oils will help to provide a new level of comfort when growing a beard.
Simply put:
These all natural ingredients work to provide the moisture necessary to grow out an epic beard and a plethora of other skin care benefits through the use of essential oils.
If you are on the fence about investing in a beard oil or balm, don't hesitate any longer. Pick up an awesome beard care product from Mountaineer Brand today!
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