{homemade} beard oil

For the new year, I thought I would grow a beard.

Not!  Lies, all lies.

I made beard oil as a gift for Jared’s birthday, which is what was in the fan{tache}tic box.  These days Jared has a full beard he keeps trimmed fairly short, but it’s pretty wiry and I thought beard oil would be a fun gift that he wouldn’t buy for himself.

Here’s how I made it:

Almond Oil–good for the beard and the skin underneath.  Enough to fill your container (this was about a .5 ounce for me).

Apricot Kernel Seed Oil–you could also use jojoba oil, or add a little Vitamin E oil, but I had a tiny bit of Apricot Kernel Seed Oil  left in the house (I used 23 drops–it’s what I had left:), and I was all about using what I already had.  I wouldn’t use jojoba as the primary base oil, because I think it would be pretty heavy and greasy.

2 drops Black Pepper Essential Oil–warm and spicy, black pepper helps increase circulation.  It is very potent (I know we’re talking about essential oils and they’re all potent, but black pepper is especially powerful).

15 drops Cypress Essential Oil –woody and nutty, cypress is a strong astringent and is frequently used in men’s skin care.  I wanted this oil to “lead” the beard oil.

3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil–it’s minty, of course!  Besides a little tingle on the face, peppermint oil actually helps other oils be more effective.  Among all the other cool things it does, peppermint also helps with itchy skin.

2 drops Melaleuca Essential Oil–also known as tea tree oil, melaleuca is another warm and spicy does-it-all essential oil.  It has great antimicrobial properties and is also excellent for the skin.

To make the oil, simply add all the drops of essential oils to a dropper jar.  Add almond and apricot kernel seed oil, close lid, and shake.  You’re done!

To use: drop two or three drops into the palm of your hand, rub hands together, and then massage into facial hair.

Jared really likes it–it moisturizes his beard and skin, but it’s not greasy.  Win!

I used the essential oils I had on-hand–the only thing I had to buy for this little mixture is the dropper jar and almond oil.  Customize it to the beard in question, and enjoy a face that’s treated well!

ps: inspirational recipe found here.

pps: all of the essential oils I used for Jared’s beard oil are doterra oils (except for the peppermint).  I think they’re a little pricier than other brands, but they are certified therapeutic grade, a very high quality, and Jared’s mom is a product consultant with doterra (yeah, all those oil properties I was talking about earlier I didn’t even make up!) so I stay in the loop with doterra and I really like their oils.  Doterra obviously doesn’t know I exist, I just wanted to let you know what I was using (if you’re interested in buying doterra, feel free to contact Jared’s mom here).