Carrier Oils – What are they and what do they do?
I know, I know, I sound like a broken record when I complain about having a beard and the “itch” that comes along for the ride. Every beard is unique as we are: My beard needs oil--it craves it! When I first learned about beard oil, I remember driving immediately to my local supermarket, purchasing a bottle, and applying it in the car before heading home. Almost instant relief ensued. I recall rain coming down on my car, keys not even in the ignition, and exhaling a big sigh of sweet relief. Anything probably would have been better than nothing at that point. As I grew in knowledge of beard products and tested probably more than anyone really needed to, I started wondering what each carrier oil does, and why I was putting it on my face.
First off, lets understand what a “Carrier oil” is. Kindly note, I'm not a doctor just an IT nerd who is fairly good at Google. Carrier oil is a term that was given to oils that can have nearly no odor, are typically plant-based, and are capable of “carrying” essential or fragrance oils. They also can carry various nutrients and benefits for skin and hair. Carrier oils are the base oils that are used in many cosmetic products and in the essential oils you may find in grocery stores. They are what makes up massage oils, go into many lotions, balms, and more. Oils used for these purposes are generally skin-safe and have various benefits. The oils we use are high quality, natural, and organic carrier oils. Not all are created the same, and have different properties like thickness, color, aroma, shelf life, and comedogenic scale ranking.
Now your wondering, what the heck is a comedogenic scale? This is super important in understanding what is in the product your putting on your face or body. I personally have very sensitive skin. This is probably why I keep hammering on the relief I felt when I first discovered beard oil. Over time, the use of various products would clog my pores, some would maybe not be as effective at itch relief, and some may cause unwanted acne breakouts. The comedogenic scale rates a carrier or base oil's ability for that oil to clog your skin's pores. The ratings are from 0-5: 0 having no pore clogging properties to a 5 which has a high probability of clogging your pores. The great majority of the oils we use are rated 0-2.
At Bearded Coast, we use 9 different carrier oils in our unique blend. Why do we use that many different types of oil you ask? Well, this is because every carrier oil has different properties that can be beneficial to your beard. We picked these specific oils because after trying every carrier oil possible, we found they worked best in our beard. So, over the next few months we tried blend after blend until we found the best beard oil recipe we possibly could. Below we have a breakdown of the oils we use with their comedogenic scale rating and their main benefits for your beard:
- Hemp Seed Oil: Fantastic for inflammation of the skin, and it will not clog your pores!
- Coconut Oil: We use fractionated oil which is highly nourishing for the skin and truly works wonders on conditioning the hair. It also is better at not clogging pores than virgin coconut oil which has a 4 rating.
- Castor Oil: High in linoleic acid which can help promote hair growth by increasing blood flow to your hair’s roots. It is also super antibacterial and anti-fungal.
- Sweet Almond Oil: Great dry skin moisturizer.
- Apricot Kernel Oil: High in fatty acids and Vitamin E. Helps strengthen and hydrate dry hair.
Comedogenic Scale Rating: 2
- Jojoba Oil: Super rich in Vitamin E and is close to your skin’s natural sebum.
Comedogenic Scale Rating: 2
- Argan Oil: Rich in Vitamin E, and linoleic and fatty acids. It is great for dry skin and hair.
Comedogenic Scale Rating: 0
- Avocado Oil: Excellent for the skin due to it containing Vitamins A, B, D, E and beta carotene.
Comedogenic Scale Rating: 3
- Meadowfoam Seed Oil: Helps to lock in moisture and gets deep into the skin.
Comedogenic Scale Rating: 1
Whew! That is plenty of technical information for this week, but we really felt passionate about sharing it. If any of you have questions about our products, or even general beard questions we are always happy to answer them. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to engage in conversation with us. Until next time, be stoked. Your beard is!
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~Bearded Coast
