We’ll show you how to make beard oil in four simple steps with this DIY beard oil recipe that’s easy to customize.

DIY beard oil
Photo by: Erik Valind

One staple of our self-care routine, no matter the season? A multi-purpose hydrating face oil to lock moisture in—and help the bearded among us keep our facial hair game going strong. Etsy is brimming with some of the best beard oils around to be sure, but there’s something undeniably satisfying about crafting a signature scent that’s all your own, if you have an afternoon to spare. This also makes a great DIY gift for the dad, brother, or significant other in your life. Read on for our foolproof beard oil recipe and learn how to make a custom-scented blend for yourself or your favorite bearded bud.

What you need to know

Any great beard oil recipe first calls for just a handful of easy ingredients—but each one is essential to the process. Here’s a bit more about what you’ll need to make this beard oil at home, as well as why we’ve chosen each key ingredient (plus ideas for how you can customize the recipe to fit your own scent, or personalize it to your loved one).

What are carrier oils?

Carrier oils are a base oil used in skincare and aromatherapy recipes that dilute the essential oils and help “carry” the moisturizing properties of each ingredient deeper into the skin. Carrier oils are most often made from the kernels, nuts, or seeds of a plant, or by pressing the flesh of a plant to express its oils.

The most popular carrier oils used in skin care contain either no scent, or a mild scent that does not interfere with the essential oils used in the recipe. Examples of great carrier oils for homemade beard oil include: argan oil, apricot kernel oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, hazelnut oil, and avocado oil. Skip using a carrier like olive oil as it more easily turns rancid. Note that not all carrier oils blend together seamlessly, so it’s important to follow a recipe before mixing and matching the many possible options.

Best essential oils for a beard oil recipe

The best essential oils contain more than a great scent (although that’s important too), and contain other nourishing and healing properties for your skin. These are a few popular scents in DIY beard oil recipes.

  1. Clove
  2. Bay rum
  3. Frankincense
  4. Sandalwood
  5. Tea tree
  6. Cedarwood
  7. Orange
  8. Rosemary
  9. Lemon
  10. Lavender
  11. Bergamot
  12. Cinnamon

Note that essential oils are potent and should never be used at full strength. Instead, use carrier oils as your base and your selection of essential oils as a small part of the overall beard oil.

Our DIY beard oil recipe calls for a classic mix of bay rum and clove oils, but we highly encourage mixing any complementary essential oils and fragrances that speak to you.

DIY beard oil at a glance

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Beginner

DIY beard oil supplies

Beard oil recipe: How to make DIY beard oil

Step 1: Fill dropper bottle with "carrier" oils

DIY beard oil recipe step 1: filling dropper bottle with

Add equal parts argan oil, fractionated coconut oil, and apricot kernel oil (a great blend of carrier oils) to your 1-oz. glass dropper bottle, leaving a little room at the top for the essential oils. If your oil bottles do not have easy-pour spouts, plastic pipettes make it easy to measure and transfer oils into the glass dropper bottle.

Step 2: Customize the scent

DIY beard oil recipe step 2: customize the scent
DIY beard oil recipe step 2: customize the scent

Now it’s time to create a custom scent. We used clove bud essential oil (3-5 drops) and bay rum fragrance oil (1-3 drops) to make ours, but you can use any combination that suits your taste. Add scents just a few drops at a time until you reach a fragrance combination you like.

Pro tip: Essential oil scents tend to develop over time, so it's helpful to test each combination on your skin by rubbing a few drops of each blended scent between your palms first.

Step 3: Secure cap and shake to combine

DIY beard oil recipe step 3: shake to combine

Once you’ve created the beard oil scent that’s best for you, cap the dropper bottle and give it a gentle shake to mix.

Step 4: Label and enjoy

DIY beard oil recipe step 4: label your bottle
DIY beard oil recipe step 4: label your bottle

For the last step in this best-of beard oil recipe, don’t forget to add a custom label to your finished oil and include a note with the following instructions: To apply, shake the bottle, warm a few drops of oil between palms, and apply to clean facial hair. Now your DIY beard oil is ready as a thoughtful gift or to apply the next time you’re ready to condition your beard.

Finished DIY beard oil bottles

Project by Julie O’BoyleAleksa Brown, and Clare McGibbon. Photographs courtesy of Erik Valind