All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
A great beard starts with patience and a sense of adventure. But a great beard stays great because you have the right products—like, say, the best beard oil for your particular scruff. We’d go so far as to slot beard oil second to only a beard trimmer in terms of necessity, and a close second at that. Because whether you keep your facial hair at a precise 24-hour stubble or you go full hermit-mode (or anywhere in between), you need a beard oil in your arsenal. The best beard oils deliver a big dose of hair softening, skin protecting ingredients (usually a combination of natural oils) in a way that your regular facial moisturizer probably can’t.
See, most men know that their hair benefits from being taken care of properly: the best shampoos, conditioners, and styling products make a big difference. And yet, too often, men with beards inconveniently forget that their facial hair deserves just as much TLC. A great beard oil keeps those facial hairs from getting brittle and wiry. It softens the hair so you’re not scratching your neck like Tyrone Biggums, and keeps flyaways from, well, flying away.
The Best Beard Oils, at a Glance
- The Best Beard Oil Overall: Cremo beard oil, $13
- The Best Multipurpose Beard Oil: Beardbrand utility oil, $36
- The Best Beard Oil to Prevent Beard Dandruff: Stubble & ‘Stache beard oil, $26
- The Best Beard Oil for Big Beards: SheaMoisture beard conditioning oil, $8
- The Best Beard Oil According to Amazon: Honest Amish beard oil, $12
- The Best Beard Serum: Scotch Porter beard serum, $18
- The Best Beard and Face Oil: Blind Barber beard oil, $20
- The Best Hot Beard Oil Treatment: Proraso hot oil beard treatment, $18
- The Best Beard Oil + Pre-Shave Oil Combo: Davines pre-shave and beard oil, $28
- The Best Smelling Beard Oil: STMNT beard oil, $22
The best beard oils also prevent dreaded beard dandruff, particularly in winter, as your facial skin dries out. Your regular old cream-based facial moisturizers won’t make it through any sort of thicket, but with a little rubbing, beard oil slips to the root of the follicle and the surface of your skin relatively easily. Next thing you know, you’re growing a beard better than ever before, with nothing to worry about (aside from how to style it).
Read on for a bigger spotlight on beard oil benefits, as well as our picks for 10 of the best beard oils we’ve tested—and some FAQs on how beard oil fits into your beard care.
Beard Oil FAQs
Most beard oils come with quick instructions, and almost all are applied the same way. Put a few drops onto your fingertips, then massage it in, making sure you get up and under the follicles (and, of course, coating them as well). If your beard’s more than stubble-length, it’s a good idea to use a beard comb to pull the oil through the entire length of your beard—and to keep that beauty looking sharp. Use beard oil twice a day, after washing your face and beard, and after the beard finishes drying.
Preventing beard dandruff starts with changing your regimen—namely, introducing exfoliation products and moisturizing products that can get past a thick nest of facial hair. For exfoliation, look for physical scrubs (even a beard brush will work). For moisture, be sure to apply beard oil both morning and night. The beard oil will also soften and condition the facial hair to prevent itchiness. Oh, and a humidifier in your bedroom goes a long way in terms of preventing itchy, dry skin, especially in winter.
No, beard oil is not meant to help beard hair growth, whether that’s to make it thicker or faster. To be honest, we don’t know of much that can beyond, maybe, a beard transplant. Beard oil is here to make your existing beard hair softer and more cooperative, while also nourishing the skin beneath the beard—skin that’s often prone to dehydration and dandruff. It’s already doing a lot.
Beard oil is absolutely worth it, especially considering that some of the best options are under $15. Some costs less than $10. Make sure to note the size of the bottle, too, since some beard oils provide one ounce while others might provide as much as four ounces. Whatever the amount, beard oil is well worth it.
3 Reasons You Should Be Using Beard Oil
1. Beard oil tames the wildest whiskers
Like a top-ranked high school athlete, your beard coaching and conditioning to achieve greatness. The rich blend of essential oils in a quality beard oil will do the trick. Something heavy enough to keep strays in check, but light enough that it still absorbs quickly into the hair to avoid any greasiness.
2. Beard oil gives you an appealing scent
Most beard oils have a subtle scent, though it won’t be overpowering after absorbing into your whiskers. Perfume pros call it sillage—the ability to trail a scent—and a nice beard oil can pinch-hit in place of a cologne.
3. Beard oil is as much skin care as beard care
Beyond making your beard straight-up better—softer, smoother, sharper, and nicer smelling—beard oils can also double as pre-shave lubricants, post-shave nourishment, and standalone moisturizers to keep facial skin hydrated. That’s a lot of bang for a small bottle.
How We Tested
Here at GQ, an endless array of beardcare products and Grooming Awards hopefuls arrive at our door each week, including multiple beard oils. No product goes untested, but only a select handful get more than a few uses—the ones we keep coming back to are the ones we endorse. In the process, we'll test-drive the oils on beard hairs (both short and bushy) and on skin. A good beard oil should offer immediate benefits in its ability to tame strands and deliver a healthy shine, as well as long term benefits, like keeping skin nourished and hairs soft. We “live” in each one to see what might push it from best beard oil contender to title-holder—maybe a significant other notices that one smells nice, or that our beard is a little bit softer. Point being, every one of these beard oils nails the basic expectations and goes beyond.
What We Looked For
The best beard oils feel soothing on the skin (without causing blemishes) but not too greasy in the hair, absorbing quickly and leaving follicles with a soft, healthy luster that catches the light and makes you look like a god in your selfies. They should either smell neutral or terrific, because of course. We’re fine with formulas that aren’t 100% oils—sometimes you’ll see one listed as “beard serum”—so long as the product is clear about its ingredients and delivers the goods.
The Best Beard Oil Overall
- Base oils: Argan, jojoba
- Why it’s great: Low-cost, high performance
Cremo is reliable for its low-cost, high-performance beard and shave formulas. That's the case in this no-BS recipe thanks to the marriage of argan and jojoba oils. Given the price, we wouldn't blame you if you stopped reading here and just added Cremo to your cart.
The Best Multipurpose Beard Oil
- Base oils: Crambe abyssinica, jojoba, babassu, castor
- Why it's great: It’s from the best beard brand in the ‘biz—the name even says so. (And GQ even confirms so.)
Beardbrand is aptly named, given they sell some of the most trusted, effective beard products in an extremely crowded category. A recent re-brand saw the company ditch a slew of beard oils for this single, effective solution—a 4-oz. product that acts as a beard oil, hair oil, face oil, pre-shave oil, and post-shave oil. You could probably find other uses for it, too.
The Best Beard Oil to Prevent Beard Dandruff
- Base oils: Argan, jojoba, castor
- Why it’s great: Nixes itching and flaking
Beard dandruff is a real pain, but Stubble & 'Stache's blend combines sunflower and hemp seed oils to nourish the cheeks and chin just as much as the beard itself. This one promises more than soft skin, too: we found it left hairs noticeably softer, which was deeply appreciated by our partners.
The Best Beard Oil for Big Beards
- Base oils: Grapeseed, sunflower, olive, castor, shea butter, maracuja, argan, coconut, sweet almond, jojoba
- Why it's great: Look at that roster of oils—and the low cost to boot!
Blessed with the kind of beard that rivals Jake Gyllenhaal or James Harden? Meet your new favorite ingredient, shea butter. SheaMoisture, a brand dedicated to making products that work well for natural Black hair (but not only Black hair), created this concoction to make sure your beard stays moisturized and healthy—no matter how thick.
The Best Beard Oil According to Amazon
- Base oils: Argan, jojoba
- Why it’s great: Terrific value
We agree with the army of nearly 28 thousand reviewers on Amazon: Honest Amish's beard oil checks all the boxes and it's a steal. You get two ounces—instead of the usual one ounce—at a price that's less than most of the competition. That wouldn't be much of a value if the product wasn't any good, but it features eight oils in its blend, with the necessary argan and jojoba at center.
The Best Beard Serum
- Base ingredients: sunflower seed oil, canola oil, castor oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, candelilla wax, sunflower seed wax
Why it's great: A denser product than most runny oils, this serum gives added control to beard styles, too.
Not all beard oils are purely oil. Serums tend to blend oils with ingredients that add a little something extra. In Scotch Porter's case, the brand adds wax for a denser product that boosts shine and more easily tucks in stray beard hairs. Choose from three delicious scent options, and rest assured that this serum revives dry or coarse hairs.
The Best Beard and Face Oil
- Base oils: Argan, jojoba, pumpkin seed, avocado
- Why it’s great: Offers guys with dry skin some full-mug moisture
Blind Barber's beard oil actually works wonderfully all around your face, making it perfect for anyone whose dry skin needs replenishment and protection. We like mixing a couple drops into a matte hair styler, too, in order to dial up our hair's definition.
The Best Hot Beard Oil Treatment
- Key oil: Eucalyptus leaf
- Why it’s great: Brings the luxe barbershop treatment home
A hot oil treatment deeply nourishes your beard, letting you DIY a bit of the barbershop experience. Heat up the product as well as your skin and beard, then wear the treatment for 15-20 minutes. Rinse, and voila: you have instantly softer scruff. Proraso’s product also helps open the pores and extract the natural oils in your skin, working in tandem with that sebum to give you a weekly superboost.
The Oil for Sensitive Skin
- Base oils: Sweet almond, jojoba
- Why it’s great: Perfect for beard growth and removal
Lots of beard oils can double as pre-shave oils, and vice versa, but few are designed specifically for both. By using sweet almond oil in its blend, Davines targets inflammation, and combines the ingredient with jojoba oil for a skin-and-beard-soothing result.
The Best-Smelling Beard Oil
- Base oils: Argan, sunflower, rapeseed, jojoba, sweet almond
- Why it’s great: A blend of 14 oils nourishes, and delivers a crisp citrus finish
STMNT’s GQ Grooming Award-winning product packs all the hydrating superpowers of its counterparts—14 oils in a single blend!—while its citrusy scent pairs perfectly with your favorite summer cologne. (It's worth noting that all of STMNT's products smell beyond incredible.)
Plus 8 More Beard Oils We Love
F. Miller
Beard and Hair Oil
Anthony
Pre-Shave + Beard Oil
