Way back in September of 2013, I wrote a post about what it was like to lose my beard oil virginity. I’ve come a fair distance since Beard Oil & Its Ramifications, and I thought this might be a good time to revisit the issue. My beard is not as friggin’ huge as it was back in September. My beard is like a bramble patch, and I’m still in the process of figuring out if there’s a low-hassle way to mitigate that. I don’t really mind having a face that looks like there’s a pubic bush growing out of it, as long as I can keep my chin-hedge properly clipped.
Beard oil doesn’t help with that. I have discovered that I like how it changes the feel of the beard, and I am very intrigued by the scent possibilities. It should be clear that in general, I’m cheap, and I’m picky. Know that before reading on. I’ve done a bit of research, and here’s what I’ve tried out so far:
Queen Bee Trading Company All Natural Beard Oil
My friend Jerika recommended this one to me, at $10 (plus shipping) it’s about as inexpensive as you can find beard oil, and it has a pleasant but unassuming woodsy scent. I’ve been using it as my daily beard oil, and it’s done the job very well. You can also place a custom order request and get pretty much any scent you’d care for. The order came with a sample of the coffee-scented oil, and I was a big fan.
Odin Spiced Mead Beard Oil by Bath Sabbath
By far the brand closest to my black heart. Everything Bath Sabbath makes is metal-themed, and they’ve got bitchin’ graphic design. I couldn’t pass up trying their Odin beard oil ($10 plus shipping). If you like sweeter & more floral scents for your beard, a stronger scent, or a beard oil that’s a bit thicker than standard, make a run for this. Spiced Mead is right on for the description. Think wildflower honey, drinking from mead horns while outside, in the dark, something slavers. I was contacted by the proprietor after leaving my Etsy review, and she said she’d send me a sample of her upcoming Cernunnos scent.
Tree Ranger Beard Oil by Beardbrand
I just recently received this beard oil, and though it’s normally out of my price range ($25 plus shipping) I got a good deal on it from Huckberry. I like its woodsy scent, the cedarwood & pinewood essential oils are a good combo, but it’s definitely less viscous (it arrived frozen) than any other oil I’ve tried, and doesn’t come with a dropper. This means it is getting used up really fast. Unless you’re super picky about the types of oil used and its sourcing, you can get a similar product for significantly less in a variety of places.
The Carpenter by Dream Beard
This was one of the samples that I got in my first attempt at beard oiling. It was my favorite, so I bought a proper bottle ($15 plus shipping). The name is spot on. It smells like a woodshop. What’s not to like about that?
The Gentleman’s Beard Grooming Kit by First Olympian
I felt like I took a big gamble with this, but it definitely paid off. This amazing grooming kit (£94) came with 4 travel-sized oils (Hermes, Ares, Zeus, Eros), trimming shears, and a badass wooden comb. Each of the oils smell good enough to eat, and kind of leave everything else I’ve reviewed so far in the dust. Seriously the best stuff I’ve tried. I’ll have to use it parsimoniously.
Combs
I knew I needed a decent wood comb for the beard, the Conair comb I’ve been using for my hair for a billion years ain’t got what it takes to clear a swath through my tangle, and I wanted something wooden to absorb the excess oil. I bought a cheap neem wood comb from Amazon and it’s done a great job. I wanted to find something a bit better quality and made in the USA, if possible. All I could scrounge up at the time was Sierra Legacy Hardwood Combs. What I got was a great comb, but not for my beard. Now I’ve stumbled across a few other beard comb options, but haven’t picked anything yet.