How to Use Coconut Oil for Beard Growth (13 Amazing Benefits)

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Let’s take a look at coconut oil and its benefits on facial hair – especially coconut oil for beard growth.

In the past couple of years, the craze for healthy living has soared to astronomical levels. Because of this, superfoods have gained popularity in the US and all over the world. One of the most common superfoods is coconut oil. Now, online stores and physical supermarkets are full of coconut products, and many are spending their cash on these products to improve their health or as cures for specific conditions.

Coconut oil has many benefits to the body, including your beard. Studies are ongoing, and discoveries are still being made regarding the said coconut benefits. In this article, we shall focus our sights on the amazing benefits of coconut oil for your beard. According to experts, coconut oil helps to stimulate healthy beard growth, nourish the skin and the hair follicles, and therefore has an impact on facial hair. Short version: it helps to hydrate the skin and the beard.

But before we get to the amazing benefits, let’s start from the basics:

What is Coconut Oil?

From the name, you can make an educated guess and say that it is oil derived from coconuts – which is true. However, the coconuts used are those grown in tropical countries. And despite the current rise in popularity, the use of coconut oil for health-related issues can be traced way back through history. Today, coconut oil is squeezed in large volumes and is available in all countries in the world.

Coconut oil is split into two categories;

• Refined coconut oil
• Virgin coconut oil

Virgin coconut oil has undergone minimal processing in comparison to refined coconut oil. Many of the commercial refining processes are omitted to preserve the flavor. On the other hand, given the intensive processing, refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor and smell. This makes it perfect for cooking but at the cost of flavor.

But before the recent craze, coconut oil wasn’t considered a superfood. This was because it is filled with saturated fats. Coconut oil is made up of 83% saturated fat. This number is insane, especially when you compare it to 14% saturated fats in olive oil. But why is this a big deal? Well, saturated fats are known to raise cholesterol levels, which are, in turn, linked to numerous health problems. Because of this, people tend to stay away from it. And in addition to this, the American Heart Association recommends that only 6% of calories consumed contain saturated fats.

But some take a different stand on the matter and have research to back up their claims. According to coconut oil enthusiasts and advocates, coconut oil does contain high levels of saturated fats. However, like other oils from the tropics, it’s high in lauric acid. This means that the saturated oil in coconut oil behaves differently than those of other foods. Moreover, they insist that coconut oil increases what experts call ‘good cholesterol’ and that the body breaks down coconut oil into energy very fast. It is because of this that fitness gurus advocate that you include coconut oil and coconuts in your weight loss regimen. But like with everything else, bear in mind that less is more. Also, note that a single serving of coconut oil contains 121 calories.

There are many sides to this story, and the funny thing is that there are legitimate studies to back every claim. Because of this, the health benefits of coconut oil in one’s diet aren’t quite clear. However, what is known for sure is that dietary patterns and lifestyle choices can greatly impact cardiovascular health.

For this article, our focus is on the benefits of coconut oil when applied topically like on the skin, facial hair, or beard. Grooming manufacturers all around the world praise the positive impact coconut oil has on skin and facial hair. This brings us to the heart of this piece – coconut oil benefits your beard.

Last update on 2024-08-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Coconut Health Benefits for a Manly Beard

As we’ve mentioned above, we are interested in dissecting the various ways coconut oil is useful in growing a healthy beard. And as you’ll see, there are loads of benefits. Come along the journey and discover priceless information that can potentially transform your beard into the envy of all men in the man cave.

1. Coconut Oil Deals with Beardruff

Since you have a beard, there are high chances you’ve had to deal with a beardruff. These are just like dandruff only that they are from the skin under your beard. And though it might be quite normal and is not a contagious condition, it still is embarrassing and a pain to deal with. When dealing with beardruff, coconut oil is one ingredient you want in your corner. It will moisten the skin underneath and keep it from drying up and later flaking.

2. Coconut Oil Is Tough on Bacteria and Fungi as Well

Coconut oil is known for its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Because of these properties, it helps in preventing the buildup of fungus and bacteria. Fungus and bacteria can lead to infections and other nasty conditions on your skin. And you surely don’t want your beard (the pride of your manhood) to be a home to these nasty little things!

3. Coconut Oil Is a Powerful Moisturizer

We’ve pointed out how coconut oil is a great partner against beardruff because of its moisturizing properties. Now we should mention that it just doesn’t hydrate the beard. It also works to hydrate the skin. Because of this, you must massage the coconut oil deep into the beard – deep enough to get to the hair follicles and the skin under the forest of hair on your chin.

4. Stimulates Beard Growth

This is a great benefit for those who are unsatisfied with their beard growth and its health. A normal beard grows at a steady pace. If yours is growing too slow, coconut oil advocates advise the application of coconut oil to encourage beard growth both in thickness and length.

In addition to this coconut oil nourishes and heals the skin and in the process stimulates the growth of a healthy beard. You see, having healthy skin means you’ll have minimal irritation as the hair breaks out on the skin’s surface. Moreover, coconut oil is known for preventing wild hairs from growing. Generally speaking, when your skin is healthy, your beard is healthy as well.

5. Coconut Oil Improves Your Beard’s Look

Coconut oil will give your beard a healthy shine and in the process give it an attractive appearance. The shine will not be too much (unless you get carried away and overdo it). Some men praise coconut oil, saying it gives a better beard shine than argan oil and jojoba oil. In addition to the shine, the moisturizing properties will ensure the hairs don’t entangle, form knots or split at the ends.

As your beard grows longer and thicker, it also becomes increasingly difficult to manage. Avoiding stray hairs and other ‘hair quality’ problems will make it easier to style.

6. Coconut Oil Increases Beard Growth Hormones

Scientists say that dihydrotestosterone and testosterone are the hormones responsible for the growth of your beard. Having higher levels of these hormones can help you grow a longer and thicker beard.

Additionally, you have a higher chance of growing a beard at an early age if the hair follicles in your chin are sensitive to DHT and testosterone.

On the other hand, men that have scalp hair follicles that are sensitive to testosterone and DHT have higher chances of experiencing baldness in comparison to those who don’t. It’s because of this that men with bald heads (or its onset) are capable of having long thick and full beards.
But now the question is, how does coconut oil fit into the puzzle?

Well, studies reveal that coconut oil prevents damage to testosterone hormones through oxidation. Lab rats used in the studies were fed on a diet high in coconut oil. After some time, they showed higher activity in enzymes that increase testosterone production.

7. Coconut Oil Softens the Beard

Given the powerful conditioning and moisturizing properties, it doesn’t come as a surprise that coconut oil softens beard hair. The benefits of having a soft beard are that it breaks less and sustains less damage. Additionally, it’s easier to style and shape.

8. Coconut Oil Helps Ease Shaving

While coconut has numerous benefits to beard growth, it also makes the beard easier to shave. For one, it softens the hair follicles and the skin before you pass the blade through. Want to go hardcore – check out our men’s straight shaving razors reviews.

Also, coconut oil can act as a DIY shaving cream. This is mainly because of its lubrication properties, which help the blade to glide over the face. Lastly, virgin coconut oil can be used as a post-shave routine since it softens and hydrates the skin and has healing properties as well. Last but not least, it has a naturally pleasant smell, unlike some of the synthetic aftershaves on the market (hint: get the best aftershave balm instead).

9. Coconut Oil Prevents Balding

In all honesty, a verdict hasn’t yet been passed on the benefit of coconut oil in preventing hair loss. However, many are in agreement that it contributes greatly to overall hair growth. In light of this, there’s a study that shows coconut oil can prevent or reverse hair damage that’s caused by overexposure to saltwater, the sun, particular hairstyling chemicals, and daily grooming.

The study revealed that participants who applied coconut oil to their hair experienced a minimal loss of hair protein in comparison to those who didn’t. Believe it or not, protein loss is common in men who use hair products and treatment often, or those who heat, comb or straighten their hair regularly.

Experts believe the benefits of coconut oil in regards to retaining protein hair care because it’s a type of lauric acid. Lauric acid attracts proteins that help it to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft than most common oil treatments.

10. It Helps in Burning Calories

The triglycerides in coconut oil increase the calories burnt by 5% each day. But this is assuming you use coconut oil in the specified amounts.

11. It Helps You Feel Fuller for Longer

Now we know that this is more in the weight loss category, but we feel it’s necessary to point it out. In addition to speeding up the burning of calories, experts say that it helps to keep you from feeling hungry and consequently from eating a lot.

Again all these benefits are tied to the medium-chain triglycerides (also called MTC). Men who consumed these triglycerides were recorded to consume 256 fewer calories in comparison to men who didn’t.

12. Coconut Oil Helps to Protect the Skin

We’ve reviewed the benefits coconut oil has for the skin under the beard which is easily irritated and dries up quickly. It’s therefore not shocking to learn that its benefits spread out to the skin all over the body. When coconut oil is used on individuals with dry skin, the moisture content improved and therefore eczema was soothed.

Part of the reason why coconut oil is beneficial to the skin is that it contains vitamin K and E. These help in repairing broken skin and reducing flaking in the process. Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant that provides the skin with solid protection from harmful UV rays from the sun. It also helps to treat skin inflammation.

On the other hand, Vitamin K treats conditions like stretch marks, spider veins, circles, scars, dark scars, and eye bags. Moreover, it contributes to healing bruises, wounds, and parts of the skin damaged after surgery. Often physicians apply vitamin k to their patients after surgery to bring down the swelling and soothe the bruising.

Since it offers protection from harmful UV rays, coconut oil can also double up as sunscreen. However, it is mild and offers a thin layer of protection in comparison to sunscreen sprays and lotions.

13. Coconut Contributes to Improved Dental Health

Oil pulling is a type of Ayurvedic medicine that has recently regained popularity in cities and nations around the world. For years, it was used to improve dental health. When you swish coconut oil in your mouth for only 20 seconds, experts believe that it will pull the harmful bacteria. You will spit out the bacteria along with the tablespoon of coconut oil.

Last update on 2024-08-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Things to Remember When Using Coconut Oil on Your Beard

Less Is More

You don’t have to drown the skin or beard in coconut oil. The skin indeed absorbs coconut oil fast.

However, there’s only so much oil the skin can absorb. Apply a little coconut oil at the start and only add when you feel the beard and skin craving for more.

Also, you should note that the amount you use on your beard is determined by the length and thickness of your facial hair. As such, the amount that works for your friend’s beard will not necessarily work for you.

Coconut Oil Is an Ingredient in Many Beard Products

Different people use coconut oil differently. After all, the end justifies the means, right? As we pointed out earlier, you can add coconut oil to your food if you don’t fancy using it topically. But if using it in your diet is a little too much for you, then you can buy a beard balm infused with coconut oil.

Related reading: What is Beard Balm & Who Should Use It?

Beard balm helps in moisturizing facial hair. And though many men think beard balm is an alternative to beard oil, it’s not. Actually, for best results, you should use both. Also, don’t make the mistake of confusing beard wax with beard balm. Beard wax has the strongest hold because it contains beeswax as an ingredient.

If you love creating things, you can follow one of the many homemade beard balm recipes available online. Choose one with coconut oil. You will save money and create a product that will protect your beard and facial hair and give it an attractive shine.

Applying Coconut Oil to the Beard Is Easy

Adding coconut oil to your beard is a relatively easy process. However, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it. One of the things men do that’s a no-no (and we’ve already pointed out) is applying a lot of coconut oil in one go. Before you get the right amount, you will have to do some bit of experimenting. As such, you should start with a small amount and increase it only if necessary.

To guide you through the right application method, here are some steps to follow:

1. The first and most important step is ensuring your hands are clean. Also, you should clean your beard before applying coconut oil.
2. You don’t need to heat the oil. Rubbing it between the palms will do. It will provide the right amount of heat for a warm application.
3. Start applying the oil at the tips of the beard and work your way to the roots and the skin
4. Massage the oil into the beard for a couple of minutes. Ensure you work all parts of the beard, and you get to the skin. Leave the oil on you for several minutes to allow it to seep into the skin and provide hydration and nourishment to your beard.
5. If you wish, you can use the oil as your conditioner. Massage the oil into the beard and then comb it through thoroughly with a beard comb.
6. You can also add other essential oils like nutmeg oil and peppermint oil to your beard. Moreover, you can add jojoba and almond oils to help boost your beard’s appearance and growth. Jojoba oil soothes the skin and unclogs your hair follicles. On the other hand, almond oil prevents itchiness and dryness.
7. Use unrefined virgin oil to treat scalp and beard hair problems
8. Use a beard brush and/ or beard comb consistently. It helps in pulling out the brittle and dry hair while leaving healthy hair behind.

How Often Should Coconut Oil Be Used?

You can use coconut oil daily. It can form the best beard care daily routine. However, once a day is enough. You can choose to do it when you wake up or when you prepare for bed.

You Can Add Coconut Oil to Your Diet as Part of the Routine

Last update on 2024-08-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Eating or drinking coconut oil is safe. It’s also considered an effective way to improve beard and facial hair health. It will help boost beard growth and help you stay in shape. However, ingesting the oil once a day is more than enough.

Some ways to add the oil to your diet include adding a tablespoon to your coffee every morning. You can also opt to cook with it. Also, you could add it to your smoothie or spread it on your toast. However, remember that coconut is high in saturated fats. If this is a concern for you, olive oil is a perfect cooking alternative.

Ways Coconut Oil Is Produced and Extracted

Oils used for bead care have a similar extraction process. Coconut oil is no different. Below are the different extraction methods used:

The Dry Process

Dry processing is the most common coconut oil production method. The process starts with drying the coconut meat and later dissolving it in solvents to extract the raw oil. However, oil extracted using this method isn’t safe for human consumption.

Wet Process

This process involves using raw coconut. There’s no drying required. However, this process results in the loss of large amounts of oil

RBD (Refined Bleached and Dehydrated)

This process is similar to the drying process. The only difference is that a hydraulic process is used to obtain the oil from dried coconut meat

Hydrogenation

This is similar to RBD with an added step of reheating the extracted oil. Refined coconut oil is produced through RBD and hydrogenation methods.

Fractionation

This process entails breaking fats and separating them from coconut oil. The process is useful in extracting acids and fats that are used in different products.

Coconut Oil Best for Beard Growth

Virgin coconut oil is the perfect coconut oil for the beard. And actually, it’s the only type of coconut oil that can be applied to facial hair. This is because it doesn’t contain additives that cause skin irritations or make the beard brittle and dry. If this is your first time shopping for coconut oil to use on your beard, ensure that the product is unrefined, virgin, organic, perfume, and additive-free. If possible, choose ECO-certified products. This certification guarantees you that the oil is environmentally friendly.

We shall bring to a close our guide on coconut oil and its beard health benefits by pointing out that it’s not a miracle solution. Though there are loads of research that support its positive effects on beard growth, facial hair, and health, you shouldn’t view it as a product that will reverse, cure, or prevent beard hair loss.

But on the flip side, it guarantees to strengthen your beard and nourish the skin. If you have patchy skin, you might have to look into other beard grooming solutions for uneven beard growth.

FAQ Coconut Oil for Beard

What Kind Of Coconut Oil Is Good For Beards?

The ideal coconut oil for a beard is virgin coconut oil. This kind of coconut oil is not overheated and as a result, it still has many of the indigenous coconut benefits. Though it costs more than other types, it is worth every dime.

Does Applying Coconut Oil On The Face Cause Facial Hair Growth?

Hair does not grow or grows because of what is happening (or is not happening) under the skin. What you apply to the skin does not have much impact. Coconut oil for beard, conditioners, and lotions used does not impact the growth of hairs on the face or other body parts.

Do Beard Growth Oils Work?

Though beard oil does not make your facial hair grow any faster, it improves its health as it goes through the growth stages. For healthy beards, it’s important that the skin underneath is healthy as well—beard oil work to reduce dryness and prevent dandruff.

What Stimulates Beard Growth?

According to coconut oil enthusiasts, you can improve beard growth by applying coconut oil for beard. It will improve growth in both length and thickness. In the process, coconut oil also heals and nourishes the skin.

Is Coconut Oil Good For Your Face?

Coconut oil is good for the skin under your beard and not your face. This is because coconut oil for a beard can clog your pores, especially if you have skin prone to acne or oily skin. But if you have dry skin, coconut oil is perfect.

Conclusions

Now that we have established that coconut oil for beard works and will improve its health you might want to take a look at some products that will probably fit your needs.

Last update on 2024-08-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API