How to Use Beard Oil: Drops, Timing and Technique
The WizardWizard's Journal, Entry #1,365. I left a new apprentice alone in the workshop for eleven minutes. When I came back, a full 1 oz bottle of my beard oil was empty and his chin was shining like a freshly scrubbed cauldron. He'd read "apply generously" on some other brand's box and taken it as a dare. He spent the afternoon leaving greasy thumbprints on my spellbooks.
So let me save you the same afternoon. Here's how to use beard oil the right way: after a shower, towel-dry your beard until it's damp. Put a few drops in your palm (2 to 4 for a short beard, more as it grows), rub your hands together, work the oil into the skin first, then pull it through to the ends and comb it. Do it once a day and adjust from there. That's the whole spell. The rest is fine print: drops for your length, morning or night, signs you've overdone it, and how long a bottle lasts.
- Use beard oil after a shower, on a beard that's towel-dried and damp, not dripping.
- Start small: 1 to 2 drops for stubble, 2 to 4 for a short beard, 4 to 6 for medium, 6 to 10 or more for long.
- Warm it in your palms, work it into the skin first, pull it through to the ends, then comb.
- Once a day is the starting point. Greasy? Cut a drop. Still dry by afternoon? Add one, or a small dose at night.
- By my estimate, a 1 oz bottle is roughly 600 drops, so about 4 months at 5 drops a day.
When to apply beard oil: right after the shower
The best time is a few minutes after you get out of the shower. Your beard is clean, the skin underneath is clean, and the hair is still a little damp. A damp beard spreads oil further than a dry one, so the same few drops cover more ground.
Damp is not the same as wet. If water is still dripping off your chin, the oil slides around on top of it and a good share ends up on the towel.
Skipped the shower? A dry beard is fine. Plan on one extra drop.
Beard oil before or after a shower?
After. Anything you put on before the shower goes down the drain with the shampoo. Shower, towel-dry, oil. In that order.
How many drops of beard oil to use
This is where my apprentice went wrong, so I keep the formula on the workshop wall. Treat these as starting points. Beards vary in thickness, and droppers vary in drop size.
| Beard length | Roughly | Drops to start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stubble | Under 1/4 inch | 1 to 2 | It's mostly skin at this stage. More on beard oil on stubble. |
| Short | 1/4 to 1 inch | 2 to 4 | Where most people should start. |
| Medium | 1 to 3 inches | 4 to 6 | Comb it through or the middle stays dry. |
| Long | 3 to 6 inches | 6 to 10 | Apply in two rounds so you don't drop half of it. |
| Very long | 6 inches and up | 10 or more | Give the ends extra attention. |
Coarse or curly hair, dry air and winter heating can all push you a drop or two higher. Start low anyway. You can always add a drop. Taking one back out means a towel and some wounded pride.
How to use beard oil, step by step
- Drops go in your palm, not on your face. Pour onto your beard and it all lands on your chin. Ask my apprentice.
- Warm it. Rub your palms and fingers together for a few seconds so the oil coats both hands.
- Skin first. Push your fingertips through the hair and work the oil into the skin: cheeks, jaw, chin, then under the jaw and down the neck. That skin is where tightness and flakes usually start.
- Then the hair. Pull your hands down and out through the length. The ends get whatever's left, which is usually just right.
- Mustache last. One light pass with what's on your fingertips. It sits right under your nose, so a little goes a long way.
- Comb it through. A comb spreads the oil evenly and finds the patches your hands missed.
Long or unruly beard? Follow the oil with a little balm for hold. Here's how to use beard balm without turning it into helmet hair.
How often should you use beard oil?
Once a day is where I'd start almost anyone. Give it a week, watch how your beard and skin feel by late afternoon, then adjust.
- Dry winter, heated rooms, coarse hair: keep the morning dose and add a small one at night, 1 to 3 drops.
- Oily skin or a humid summer: use fewer drops, or go every other day.
Change one thing at a time. If you cut the drops and switch to nights in the same week, you won't know which one did the work.
Morning or night?
Both work. They do different jobs.
A morning dose keeps your beard tidy and soft all day, and that's when the scent counts, because people are near you. A night dose has hours to sit on the skin while nothing is rubbing against it, which is handy when your face feels tight in winter. If you oil at night, use a smaller amount and give it ten minutes before your face meets the pillowcase.
My own habit is a full dose in the morning and, from November to March, a couple of drops before bed.
Signs you're using too much, or too little
Your beard will tell you within a day or two.
Too much: the beard looks wet or shiny ten minutes later, strands clump together, your fingers are still slick an hour on, and your collar or pillowcase is picking up marks. Fix it by blotting with a dry towel today and cutting one or two drops tomorrow.
Too little: the beard still feels wiry after you've combed it, the comb snags, the ends look frizzy, or the skin feels tight or flaky by afternoon. Add a drop, and make sure you're actually reaching the skin and not just glossing the surface.
One caution. Our beard oils like The Wizard and The Barkeep contain sweet almond and argan oil, which come from tree nuts, so check with your doctor first if you have a nut allergy. For anyone trying a new oil, a patch test is smart: one drop on your jaw, wait a day, and stop if it turns red or itchy.
How long does a 1 oz bottle of beard oil last?
This is my estimate, not a lab measurement. A 1 oz bottle holds about 30 ml, and a typical dropper drop is roughly 0.05 ml, which works out to around 600 drops. Your dropper and your squeeze will change that.
| Drops per day | Estimated time per 1 oz bottle |
|---|---|
| 3 | About 6 months |
| 5 | About 4 months |
| 8 | About 2 and a half months |
| 12 | About 7 weeks |
Keep the cap on tight and keep the bottle out of hot cars and sunny windowsills. If you'd rather not run out at all, that's what the Fable Army subscription is for.
Common beard oil mistakes
- Oiling the hair and skipping the skin. The skin is half the point.
- Spraying cologne into a freshly oiled beard. Oil first, then spray your neck or chest. More on pairing beard oil and cologne.
- Using a bottle that smells sour or sharp. Oil goes stale. Toss it.
- Expecting it to grow hair. Beard oil softens the hair and helps keep the skin under it comfortable. For the full picture, read what beard oil actually does.
Which beard oil to start with
Knowing how to use beard oil matters more than which bottle you pick. Still, since you asked the Wizard, here's my shelf.
- The Wizard Beard Oil. 1 oz, $18.99. Cauldron Brewed Bourbon, Arcane Buttercream and Orange Zest Sparks. My own formula, built on castor, coconut, sweet almond, argan and jojoba oils with a fragrance on top. It's warm and a little sweet, a good everyday scent.
- The Adventure Pack. $29.99 for five best-selling beard oil samples: The Hero, The Wizard, The Marksman, Dr. Wolf and The Distiller. A good way to practice your drop count while you figure out which scent you'd wear every day.
- The Barkeep Beard Oil. 1 oz, $18.99, no added fragrance. If scent bothers your skin or your household, this is the honest pick.
You can see the rest of the characters in the beard oil collection.
FAQ
Do you put beard oil on a wet or dry beard?
Damp is best. Towel-dry after your shower until the beard is damp but not dripping, then apply. A dry beard works too. You may just need an extra drop.
Should I use beard oil before or after a shower?
After. Anything you put on before the shower goes down the drain with the water. Shower, towel-dry, then oil.
How many drops of beard oil should I use?
About 1 to 2 drops for stubble, 2 to 4 for a short beard, 4 to 6 for medium and 6 to 10 or more for a long one. Start at the low end and add one drop at a time.
Can you use beard oil every day?
Yes, once a day is the usual starting point. If your beard feels greasy, use fewer drops or skip a day. If it still feels dry, add a small second dose at night.
Do you rinse beard oil out?
No. Beard oil is a leave-in product. It comes out the next time you wash your beard.
One last thing
Entry #1,366. The apprentice came in the next morning, counted three drops out loud, warmed them, worked them in and combed. His beard looked like a beard instead of a spilled potion. I've added a line to the workshop rules in large letters: count, then pour. He still owes me a bottle.
Your beard, your story.
ā The Wizard
