Everyone wants a great beard. But getting one can be a bit of a trick. Whether your hair grows in naturally thick and well-shaped or thinner and in need of encouragement, everyone wants something that takes your look to the next level.
By this point, you’ve almost certainly heard about the many and varied benefits of coconut oil. But it can be hard to tell fact from fiction.
After all, if you believe the rumors, coconut oil is somewhere between ambrosia of the gods, and the waters of life.
While there are many applications of coconut oil we could talk about, here we’re going to focus on its effect on your beard. We’ll touch on some other things, like skin health and coconut oil in your diet, but only as they can impact your beard’s growth and health.
- What is Coconut Oil?
- Coconut Oil for Your Beard
- Natural Conditioner
- Reduce Split Ends
- Help Your Beard Grow Faster
- Does Eating Coconut Oil Help Your Beard
- As a Shaving Cream Replacement
- Reasons Not To use Coconut Oil as a Beard Oil
- Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Oil for Your Beard
What is Coconut Oil?
This may seem like a simple place to start, but it’s important. There are plenty of oils and butters and other grooming products on the market that aren’t what they seem. Fortunately, coconut oil is usually just that, oil from coconuts.
There are different types of coconut oil, however, depending on how heavily processed that oil has been. The most common type of coconut oil for skin and hair (and beard) health is extra virgin coconut oil.
Extra virgin means that the oil was processed without chemicals or high heat.
It also means that this oil is a lot closer to the original plant than the more heavily processed versions. It should be solid at room temperature, but it melts in your palm. It should smell like coconut. It’s also a bright white color when it’s solid.
Coconut oil is also one of the fattiest oils, almost entirely made of lipids. It’s a medium-chain fat, with high concentrations of amino and fatty acids that help it be absorbed further into your skin/hair.
All types of coconut oil, extra virgin, and the more refined types are made up of mostly triglycerides and saturated fats. Yes, those are the kinds that you’ve been warned against eating since you were a little kid.
While that type of fat is associated with higher levels of cholesterol (and so might not be a good idea to add to your diet for the sake of a beard), it’s unclear whether the fats in coconut oil have the same problem. That’s because while these fats are the same type as other saturated fats, they aren’t in the same structure.
The science is far from finalized, but there are some indications that the shorter medium- instead of long-chain fats, combined with coconut oil’s unique blend of amino and fatty acids, could be healthier and easier for your body to process.
Why it’s Important
Why does all of this matter? Well, two reasons. For one thing, it’s important to know what kinds of products are going to deliver the best results. Extra virgin coconut oil works and acts differently than more processed versions.
Pure coconut oil tends to work better than coconut oil which has been blended with other plant oils and doesn’t need any fillers or additives. You should always check the ingredients list to make sure you’re buying 100% pure coconut oil. Especially if you’re also planning to add this ingredient to your diet.
It’s also important to know how coconut oil can impact your health. This is one oil that many experts recommend eating, as well as using topically, to get the most benefits for your skin and hair.
But, since we don’t entirely know whether coconut oil, especially in large amounts, is healthy, it’s important to moderate how much you eat.
Coconut Oil for Your Beard
Now that we’ve gotten all that information out of the way, let’s talk about your beard. Specifically, is coconut really as good for your beard as people claim it is?
Overall, we’d have to say that it’s a pretty impressive natural product. Here’s why.
Natural Conditioner
One of the first things you’ll notice when you start using coconut oil in your beard is that it’s a natural conditioner. It’s effective for pretty much all hair. Yes, that means that you can use coconut oil to condition the hair on top of your head too.
There are a few different thoughts on how to effectively use coconut oil as a conditioner. Regardless of the method you use, you only need a small amount of coconut oil. About a dime-sized dollop (when solid) is plenty.
Yes, even the thickest beards only need a small amount of coconut oil.
If you have a thinner or shorter beard, you might need even less.
Wash Out Method
One of the most common ways to use coconut oil as a conditioner is the washout method. This means that you only have coconut oil in your beard for a short time. It’s a good option for men who use other styling products or a beard balm regularly.
It’s also a good option if you don’t like the smell of coconut oil, don’t want to add shine to your beard through the day, or tend to have naturally oily hair and skin.
Spread the oil over both hands and spread it through your beard starting at the ends of your hair. You’ll want to massage it slowly through your beard until it’s worked through to your skin.
Most men benefit from leaving the coconut oil on their skin, but if you don’t like the texture, or are prone to acne, you may want to avoid getting too much on your skin.
Leave the coconut oil in your beard for 5 minutes to half an hour.
Wash out with warm water. If you usually use a beard shampoo or other grooming products when you wash your beard, you can still use those products as normal.
It’s still a good idea to use a beard balm or other moisturizing product through the day when you’re using the coconut oil wash out conditioning method. But you may find that you need less of your other products after a few times using coconut oil as a conditioner.
You can use this method of conditioning your beard however often you wash your beard. If you take a shower every day, it’s a good idea to also condition your beard every day.
Leave-In Method
The leave-in method is very similar to the washout conditioning method. The biggest difference is that you do need to use a little less coconut oil (most of the time), and you probably shouldn’t use this conditioning method every day.
2-3 times a week is plenty for most men.
You’ll also want to reduce the amount of other moisturizing beard products you use. That doesn’t mean stop using them entirely, but you won’t need as much as you normally would.
You also won’t be able to keep the coconut oil off your skin with this method. As it spreads through your hair and is absorbed, it will also get absorbed by your skin.
Using this method, you can basically treat the coconut oil like any beard oil. But, it’s likely to get absorbed more quickly than most beard oils.
That’s because of those amino acids in coconut oil. Partially because of the effect of the acids, and partially because they contain nutrients that your hair and skin really need, the amino acids help the oil sink into the hair shaft.
It also means that coconut oil by itself is an effective way to nourish your whole hair strand, not just the outside of each shaft.
Work the coconut oil into your beard (and other facial hair) just like you would a beard oil. But instead of setting a time limit on how long the coconut oil can stay in your hair, you just leave it.
Results
Regardless of which method you use, you should expect to see results relatively quickly. Your beard will have a little more shine almost immediately, even if you’re washing the coconut oil out. Over time, you’ll also notice that your beard is less likely to get tangled.
Coconut oil will also help smooth out your beard hair, making it softer and less scratchy. You’ll feel a difference, and your partner will too!
Reduce Split Ends
One of the biggest barriers to growing out your facial hair is damage and split ends. When your hair is drying out and not getting the nourishment it needs, it becomes more brittle. That means that over the normal course of daily life, your beard can break off and have problems.
Split ends can also make your beard itchier, not to mention that they don’t look good. While no one is going to get up close to your beard looking for split ends, they will notice that it’s hard to control and shape it.
Coconut oil helps in a few ways, preventing and helping to reverse the damage to your beard.
For one thing, a thin layer of oil (or beard wax) will help prevent your beard from getting damaged in the first place. Drying, heat damage, and even just dirt and abrasions will all have to go through a thin layer of protective oil before they can hurt your beard.
It’s also incredibly moisturizing, which we’ve already talked about. That’s what makes coconut oil a good facial hair conditioner.
Coconut oil also has a lot of the nutrients your hair needs. Putting coconut oil on your beard will help give it some additional strength and flexibility.
That extra strength and flexibility will make it easier to style and shape your beard.
Help Your Beard Grow Faster
This use of coconut oil is really a combination of the benefits we’ve already talked about, plus it’s added benefits for your skin.
Just like coconut oil provides a lot of moisture and nutrition for your hair, it has similar benefits for your skin.
Your hair follicles need nutrition and protection just like your hair does. These cells live near the top of the living cells in your skin and have a relatively thin connection to your circulatory system. But they’re reliant on proper oxygen flow and getting nutrients from your circulatory system.
Giving them an extra boost, via coconut oil, can help keep your skin and hair follicles healthier.
Since our hair follicles go through a multi-step growing process, keeping them healthier will help your hair follicles stay in the growth phase longer. You’ll also get healthier hair growing from healthy hair follicles.
While your beard’s natural growth rate can’t be changed, you can use coconut oil to help avoid some of the problems that commonly slow your beard down.
Does Eating Coconut Oil Help Your Beard
Coconut oil is one of those things that people have been treating as a superfood for a while. But, while coconut can help your beard applied topically, the jury is out on whether adding it to your diet is a good idea.
People like to add coconut oil to everything from smoothies to coffee. Cook with it everything from eggs to stir fry.
So, there are a few reasons why eating coconut oil could help your beard, and a few reasons it might not.
We’ve already mentioned that coconut oil has a lot of the nutrients your beard needs. Those same nutrients will benefit your whole body when you eat it.
While fats usually don’t have a ton of nutrient value, fats derived from plants have at least some of the same nutrients that you’d get from the whole plant.
In this case, you’ll get some vitamin A and K, along with a bunch of amino acids, and some of the fat your body needs.
But, remember how we mentioned that the fats in coconut oil are mostly triglycerides and saturated fats? While there is some reason to think that coconut oil might break down easier than other saturated fats, it’s still not a good option for people who already have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
As a Shaving Cream Replacement
Shaving cream is all about having plenty of moisture and making sure that your razor glides smoothly through your facial hair without catching or nicking your skin.
Coconut oil can serve a lot of the same purpose, without all the fuss and time of applying a shaving cream. Plus, you can see your face under coconut oil, unlike under most shaving creams.
The glide of the oil works to prevent most skin nicks and other problems that can occur while shaving. Since it’s an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, it’s also a way to help keep your skin and razor a little more sanitary.
Reasons Not To use Coconut Oil as a Beard Oil
While we’ve talked about some of the benefits of coconut oil, it isn’t for everyone. There are some reasons that coconut oil might not be the right beard moisturizer for you.
It Can Cause Acne
While coconut oil is a common facial moisturizer, it doesn’t work for everyone. Coconut oil, like many other oils, can cause acne instead of preventing it. It can clog your pores and make it easier for pimples and other forms of acne to form underneath.
That isn’t true for everyone, but if you’re already prone to acne, you might want to avoid this particular oil.
However, coconut oil also has mild anti-fungal and mild anti-bacterial properties. So, the coconut oil can also help prevent acne caused by harmful microbes. It’s a mixed bag, and there isn’t a good way to predict how your skin will react.
If you’re concerned about your skin and getting acne from using coconut oil, try to find a small and less visible patch of skin to test the oil on.
It will take about 2 weeks to know for sure if the coconut oil works for your skin and hair.
Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Oil for Your Beard
How often can I use coconut oil?
Coconut oil is safe to use every single day. Especially if you’re washing it out every day. Even if you leave it on your beard longer, coconut oil will mostly be absorbed into your beard and skin in less than an hour.
That will help cut down on the oily shine and leave a healthy glow instead.
But, if you have oily skin or facial hair, you may want to use coconut oil a little more sparingly or even not at all. That’s because coconut oil is very similar to the oils your skin naturally produces and can make problems caused by those oils worse.
Ultimately, how often you can use coconut oil is very individual. Some people apply coconut oil several times a day, while others break out with a single-use.
At a minimum, you should try to apply topical coconut oil at least once a week to see results.
Can you mix coconut oil with other oils?
Yes! If you buy commercial beard oil, you’re likely already using a blend of oils. It might even already contain coconut oil since the ingredient has become a lot more popular in personal grooming products recently.
You can mix coconut oil with almost any other oil, but you should try to make sure that the oils you use on your beard and face are safe for your skin. These can include other natural plant oils, olive oil, avocado oil, almond oil. Some people also use mineral oil, though there are pros and cons.
One of the best options is jojoba oil. Both jojoba oil and coconut oil are very close to your skin’s natural oils, filled with beneficial nutrients, and easy to absorb for the best moisture.
Can you add essential oils to coconut oil?
Yes! Just like many beard oil companies add essential oils to their products, you can too. Essential oils can add scent, and other benefits to the oil you’re already using in your beard.
We don’t recommend adding essential oils you aren’t familiar with, and you should test the coconut oil and essential oil blend on a small patch of skin before using it on your whole beard.
Essential oils like rosemary, tea tree, lavender, mint, chamomile, and others can also work to boost your beard’s growth, reduce itchiness, and make your beard overall easier to manage.
Are there any products I can’t use if I’m putting coconut oil in my beard?
No. But you may find that you don’t need as much of your other products, or that you don’t need some of them at all.
A lot of the products designed for your beard are designed to act as a moisturizer. Since coconut oil has the same function, you ultimately may not need your other products as much.
You should also be wary of having too many products in your beard at once. Most of the time multiple sets of ingredients won’t matter, but you can start to look too shiny, greasy, or have other problems.
You can also get product buildup, cause rashes, or get beard dandruff if you have too many products on your beard all the times. It can reduce the airflow to your skin, which causes problems.
Can I use coconut oil anywhere else?
Yes. You can use coconut oil in the hair on your scalp, on your face, and pretty much anywhere that needs moisturizing. Pay attention to your reaction to the oil. While coconut allergies are rare, not everyone’s skin likes this oil.
Coconut oil can also be used as a massage oil, to work out sore muscles, to soften calluses, and to treat dandruff and dry skin.
Final Thoughts
Coconut oil might not be the beard savior we’ve all been looking for. But, it’s still a quality product with a lot of benefits for your beard and hair. Whether you wear it daily, or only as an occasional treatment, you’ll be able to see a difference in your beard.
We think that this is a good product for men who are looking for a softer, shinier, and more manageable beard. But it may not be a good choice for men who deal with acne and other skin problems.
It’s your decision to add coconut oil into your diet, it can also help your beard grow in faster, stronger, and healthier overall. But it can cause other problems with your health that might not be worth it.
So, we can encourage you to try coconut oil. This oil might be a wonderful addition to your grooming routine, or it might not be the right oil for you. Only you can find out.
