How to Apply Beard Oil

The five most common oil mistakes: too little product, applied to a dry beard, only to the hair (not the skin), not warmed first, and no brush after. Fix those and you're 90% of the way to the beard you want.

1. 1

   Beard should be damp, not soaking

   Right after a shower, towel-dry to just barely damp. Damp hair absorbs oil dramatically better than dry hair.

2. 2

   Use enough — but not too much

   Rough guide: 3 drops for stubble, 5 for 1–2 inches, 8 for anything longer. If the beard looks slick or greasy after 10 minutes, you used too much.

3. 3

   Warm it between your palms

   5 seconds of rubbing your hands together. Warm oil spreads evenly and absorbs faster.

4. 4

   Skin first, then hair

   Press palms into cheeks and jaw, work oil into skin with fingertips. Then rake it outward through the hair.

5. 5

   Brush to finish

   A boar-bristle brush distributes oil to strands you missed and trains the direction of growth. 60 seconds is plenty.