Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What Makes a Good Beard Care Product?
3. What Does “All-Natural” Actually Mean?
4. Here’s Exactly Why You Should Never, Ever Put Synthetic Beard Oil On Your Face
5. What are the Benefits of All-Natural Beard Oils?
6. What Does “Organic” Actually Mean?
7. Is It Possible For a Beard Oil to be “All-Natural” but Not “Organic”?
8. What are the Benefits of Organic Beard Oils?
9. How Do I Properly Use Beard Oils and Care for Your Beard?
10. Where Can I Purchase All-Natural, Organic Beard Oils?

For a true beardsman, few things are more important than keeping your beard healthy and full. 

You spent considerable time and effort letting your hair follicles fly. And you’ll be damned if you let your handsome mane turn into some tangled, dry tumbleweed.

Unfortunately, resources on how to care for your beard often tend to miss the mark. You might spend hours digging through various articles trying to find the best beard care products that actually work. But here’s the thing: proper beard grooming techniques don’t need to be a mystery. 

While every beard is different in size, color, texture and fullness, there’s one universal truth when it comes to beard care: always start with using the right products. 

What Makes a Good Beard Care Product?

“Organic” and “all-natural” aren’t just buzzwords meant to sell to hippies. 

When it comes to finding good beard care products, organic, all-natural oils offer much more than their non-organic counterparts. For one, natural products ensure you’re keeping your beard clear of artificial chemicals that can damage the hair and ultimately leave your beard feeling rough and brittle. You’ll also find that the natural scents  - such as vanilla sandalwood, gingerbread and mandarin cedarwood - provide a more subtle musk, where synthetic oils can be overbearing in scent. Finally, using organic beard care products is the more environmentally friendly choice.  

What Does “All-Natural” Actually Mean?

If this definition sounds basic, that’s because it is: “all-natural” simply means all of the ingredients can actually be found in...well...nature. 

To be more specific, natural ingredients can be broken down into 3 categories:

• Florals (like rose, tulip and hydrangea)
• Botanicals (like cedar, citrus, and rosemary)
• Musks (animal scents such as musk deer, duck and even crocodiles)

But perhaps the easiest way to define “all-natural” is to tell you what it is not.

If a product is all-natural, that means it does not contain any synthetic chemicals. Seems simple enough, right?

Well, it would be if the FDA hadn’t approved lumping all the nasty chemicals injected into perfumes and oils under one, seemingly innocuous term: fragrance. 

That’s right: unless you’re savvy to the FDA’s ruling that listing out synthetic materials resulted in businesses divulging their “secret formulas,” you’d probably have no idea you’re lathering your face with potentially dangerous chemicals.

Maybe you’re thinking: 

Okay, calm down there pal. How could a couple drops of “unnatural” beard oil be dangerous?

Let me explain.

Here’s Exactly Why You Should Never, Ever Put Synthetic Beard Oil On Your Face

Remember Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone slapping his dad’s aftershave on his cheeks and screaming in agony from the burn? 

Well that’s kind of what it’s like to be using synthetic chemicals on your beard, except your beard can’t dramatically yell out. It just has to sit there and take it, knowing you’re doing potentially permanent damage (and risking your health). 

Maria Rodale shared some startling facts about synthetic chemicals on HuffPost:

“Environmental Working Group (EWG) researchers found more than 75 percent of products listing the ingredient “fragrance” contained phthalates (THAL-ates) which have been shown to disrupt hormone activity, reduce sperm counts, and cause reproductive malformation, and have been linked to liver and breast cancer, diabetes, and obesity.”

If protecting your sperm count isn’t enough of a reason to go all-natural, then consider this:

Synthetic chemicals actually soak up the natural oils of your beard, leading to dryness, flaky skin and a brittle beard.

So, if you’re not going to do it for your own health and well-being, do it for your beard.  

What are the Benefits of All-Natural Beard Oils?

Even if beard health doesn’t sell you on using all-natural beard oil (which, let’s be honest - that should be enough to get you on board), there are a number of other benefits to using all-natural beard care products over synthetic.

• A more pure scent. Your face shouldn’t smell like a Yankee Candle. You’re a man. Yes, you want a clean, well-kempt beard that doesn’t smell like beer, but it also shouldn’t smell like birthday cake either. All-natural oils mean an all-natural scent that better aligns with your primal manliness than any of the junk being peddled by synthetic beard oil companies.
• More considerate of our animal friends. We’ve all seen the pictures and movies of animals cooped up in cages by monsters scientists using them for testing reactions to new synthetic chemicals. Do you really want to be contributing to that?
• Many (like Lovely Beards) contain Vitamin E. This powerful antioxidant protects your beard and skin from sun damage and promotes healthy, strong beards.
• Natural Beard Oils have a Rich History. Dating all the way back to Mesopotamia, beards have been cared for using all-natural products. Why mess with a good thing?

Now that you know all the benefits of using an all-natural beard oil, let’s shift gears and look at organic oils. 

What Does “Organic” Actually Mean?

For a product to qualify as “organic,” it needs to meet certain requirements. Those requirements vary slightly depending on the product (i.e. beard oil and milk don’t necessarily have to check all the same boxes), but generally speaking, here’s what “organic” means:

• Grown without using man-made fertilizers
• No use of pesticides or growth regulators
• No genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Here’s a great summary from the USDA:

“Overall, organic operations must demonstrate that they are protecting natural resources, conserving biodiversity, and using only approved substances.”

Is It Possible For a Beard Oil to be “All-Natural” but Not “Organic”?

In theory, yes, but chances are you won’t find too many products like this. 

Think about it: “all-natural” means no synthetic ingredients. But that doesn’t guarantee those ingredients were grown in an environment that would meet the criteria to qualify as organic. 

Again, it’s unlikely, but possible. The more likely scenario is that something is labeled as “all-natural” but still contains synthetic materials. That’s why it’s important to always read your labels before purchasing.

What are the Benefits of Organic Beard Oils?

Much like the harmful chemicals in synthetic beard oils, non-organic beard care products run the risk of exposing you and your luscious beard to harmful materials.

But even beyond that, non-organic products are just downright irresponsible. Organic means long-term sustainability for farms with better soil, no water pollution and the promotion of biodiversity. 

And let’s not forget the impact on the climate. You’re going to need that beard to stay warm during the arctic tundra that’s bound to overtake North America if more businesses don’t start thinking about sustainability and preventing climate change.

How Do I Properly Use Beard Oils and Care for My Beard?

Hopefully, by this point, you understand why using all-natural, organic beard oils makes sense. Your beard will thank you, the environment will thank you, your significant other will thank you. 

But now that you know the right product to use, it’s time for Part II of “Demystifying Beard Care,” where the focus is how to actually use the products and perfect your beard grooming routine.

1. Trim. Shaping your beard before you shower means you get the chance to wash off any loose hair. 
2. Take a Shower. You reek, dude. Just kidding, but you really do want to bathe. Lather that bad boy up with some shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Pat your face carpet semi-dry with a towel, leaving a little moisture in there for the next step.
3. Apply Beard Balm. This article focused on beard oil specifically, but snagging a good beard balm for conditioning purposes is just as important. (Like our oils, Lovely Beard’s balm is also 100% organic and natural).
4. Time for Beard Oil. After the balm, take a few drops of the oil in your palm and run your hands through your beard to apply the oil.  
5. Prepare to Dazzle. You look good. Now go get ‘em tiger.

Where Can I Purchase All-Natural, Organic Beard Oils?

Congratulations - you now know all the secrets of great beard care. See, that wasn’t so difficult, was it?

No more scouring the web for answers or new techniques. No more wondering whether it’s worth going for an all-natural, organic product. No more feeling ashamed that you’re contributing to bad ju-ju for the environment. 

There’s only one question left and that’s:

Where the heck can I buy this stuff?

Lovely Beards offers an entire line of all-natural, 100% organic beard balms and oils to get your beard care game in tip-top shape. In natural scents like black pepper and nectarine mint, your beard is going to be looking and smelling amazing in no time. 

Shop Lovely Beards balms and oils here. And, if you’re looking for a gift for that special man in your life, check out our gift box.