We've put together a list of some of our favorite beard balms for sensitive skin to help you narrow down the search and find the best beard balm for you.
At a Glance:
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Best Overall: Wild Willies Hemp Beard Elixir
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2: The Art of Shaving Premium Beard Oil
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3: Billy Jealousy Beard Oil
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4: Baxter of California Beard Oil
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5: Scotch Porter Smoothing Beard Serum
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6: Shea Moisture Beard Conditioning Oil
Table of Contents
What to Look for in Beard Oil
The benefits of beard oil are that they nourish and moisturize facial hair and can protect your beard from dandruff and flaky skin. They can be used alone or with other beard care products to help you keep your beard and skin hydrated and healthy.
However, not all beard oils are made the same, and they are not all ideal for different skin types, especially those who struggle with beard dandruff, inflammation, irritation, skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, or acne-prone skin.
A good beard oil for sensitive skin should contain natural active ingredients like essential oils, vitamins, and powerful antioxidants. Some beard oils even include anti-inflammatory properties and promote healing.
The best ingredients for sensitive skin include:
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Shea Butter: Shea Butter is used for keeping beards soft and smelling nice. It also helps to prevent dryness and itching on your face.
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Coconut Oil: Coconut oil helps with acne-prone and oily skin.
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Sweet Almond Oil: Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which helps to keep your skin healthy and smooth.
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Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties that help to fight off bacteria and reduce redness and irritation.
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Jojoba Oil: Jojoba oil is great for adding moisture to the skin and will not clog pores.
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Castor Oil: Castor oil is known to soothe irritated skin, and it contains Vitamin A, which promotes healing.
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Argan Oil: Argan oil is made from nuts and is high in Vitamin E, which is great for treating eczema and psoriasis.
Let's dive into it!
Wild Willies Hemp Beard Elixir
Best Overall
The Hemp Beard Elixir by Wild Willies is our number one choice of beard oils for sensitive skin because it allows you to grow a thicker and fuller looking beard without chemicals, preservatives or any artificial fragrances. It’s made from hemp seeds, which have been used by humans for centuries because of its powerful nutrients that are good for the body and skin.
It’s a lightweight beard oil that helps to increase blood circulation, provides moisture, and nourishes beard hair and the skin underneath. It's rich ingredients like hemp seed oil aid with facial hair loss, thinning, and breakage, as well as treat skin irritations such as redness, itchiness, inflammation, eczema, and acne.
Consumer Review:
"It does not disappoint! Hemp Beard Elixir is the real deal. All you need is a few drops and rub it in. Makes my skin feel good and makes my beard look smooth and healthy. Super clean smell too!"
Pros
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Helps with brittle, thin, and dry facial hair
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Easy to apply with no greasy residue
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Natural ingredients to nourish sensitive skin
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No preservatives, colorants, or chemicals (when possible)
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10% Discount for subscription
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Made in the USA
Cons
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Can only be purchased on the company website
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Only one scent option
Best Feature
Natural ingredients at an affordable price.
Price & Rating
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Price: $19.97 for a 1oz bottle
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Rating: 4.9 ⭐️ (39 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for men who need intense moisture in their beard and facial hair but want to use something with natural ingredients.
The Art of Shaving Premium Beard Oil
High-End
The Art of Shaving Premium Beard Oil in Black Pepper & Cedar may be above average in price than some other beard oils, but they make up for this with the blend of ingredients and sleek packaging. It's packed with 99% natural ingredients like jojoba, primrose, and avocado oil are ultra-moisturizing and soothing to the skin. This beard oil will help reduce dry skin and itch, without clogging pores or causing additional irritation.
Consumer Review:
"The black pepper and cedar beard oil is easy to use and helps to moisturize my beard. It has a pleasing scent, and it's easy to apply with the included dropper it can also be used with a comb for people with longer beards."
Pros
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Scent is highly rated
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99% natural ingredients
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Easy to apply
Cons
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Higher price point than other beard oils
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Scent can be overpowering for some
Best Feature
High-quality beard oil from the ingredients to the packaging
Price & Rating
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Price: $34.00 for a 1oz bottle
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Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ (43 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for those who want to spend a little more on high-quality ingredients and have a product that looks good enough to be used as decor.
Billy Jealousy Beard Oil
Best Scent
If you don't want to wear cologne but still want to smell good, the Billy Jealousy Beard Oil is for you -- the scent is a mix of black pepper, sandalwood, and vanilla. This beard oil hydrates and protects your facial hair and skin from dryness and flakes by using nourishing ingredients like soybean oil to promote healthy hair growth, jojoba oil with natural antimicrobial properties, and avocado oil that's high in Vitamin E to strengthen and soften hair.
Consumer Review:
"If you have used any of Billy Jealousy’s products you know how well made they are. While I have other products I use on my beard as well, this alone will leave your beard feeling nice and soft and the skin feeling healthy. Bonus? Devil’s Delight smells incredible, and my wife thinks so too!"
Pros
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More product than other beard oils
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Scent customers rave about
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Key ingredients help to moisturize, nourish, and grow beard hair and skin
Cons
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Scent wears off after a few hours
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Not all-natural
Best Feature
Larger product size is great for longevity or men with long, thick beards.
Price & Rating
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Price: $24.00 for a 2oz bottle ($12.00 per oz)
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Rating: 4.6 ⭐️ (811 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for men who want to smell like they are wearing cologne without buying additional products.
Baxter of California Beard Oil
Intense Moisture
Baxter of California's Beard Oil is exactly what you need if you have extremely dry, coarse, or thick facial hair. The quick-absorbing formula adds a natural shine and leaves your beard feeling soft and hydrated. Squalane and avocado oil moisturize the hair and skin, while Vitamin E oil helps promote healthy hair growth.
Consumer Review:
"Relatively expensive but worth it. The scent is not too strong and is very pleasant. The oil is of a runnier sort, rather than the thick and sticky of some, and leaves my beard silky and hydrated all day. By far the best beard oil I've used."
Pros
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Lightweight consistency
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Helps with dry or irritated skin
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Small amount of salicylic acid
Cons
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Artificial fragrance
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Recommended to be used twice daily
Best Feature
Salicylic acid helps aid in acne-prone or overly oily skin.
Price & Rating
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Price: $28.00 for a 1oz bottle
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Rating: 4.4 ⭐️ (348 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for those who have thick, coarse facial hair and trouble skin.
Scotch Porter Smoothing Beard Serum
Smoothing
Scotch Porter's Smoothing Beard Serum adds moisture and shine while taming pesky flyaways and frizz all day. It contains avocado seed oil to penetrate the hair shaft and deeply moisturize, rather than just coat the hair. Jojoba seed oil is full of vitamins C, B, E, copper, and zinc, which promotes hair thickness and growth.
Consumer Review:
"Keeps my beard moisturized and smelling great. I like that the scent lasts all day. Smells like an expensive cologne."
Pros
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No animal ingredients or testing, paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, silicone-free, and petrolatum-free, and contains no PEGs, mineral oil, or synthetic colors
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Larger bottle size at an affordable price
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Discount for subscription (can be cancelled any time)
Cons
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Scent can be too strong
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Artificial fragrances
Best Feature
Natural oils and botanicals help smooth unruly facial hair all day.
Price & Rating
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Price: $17.99 for a 1.7oz bottle ($10.58 per oz)
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Rating: 4.6 ⭐️ (538 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for men with unruly, coarse beard hair.
Shea Moisture Beard Conditioning Oil
Budget-Friendly
SheaMoisture's Beard Conditioning Oil is perfect for smoothing and hydrating your facial hair without breaking the bank. The blend of maracuja oil and shea butter moisturizes and softens your skin and beard without leaving it greasy or weighed down.
Consumer Review:
"The product worked for me. I like the scent and manageability of my beard. No more dry skin and the price was better then some of those other brands. Been using it everyday and I still have almost a full bottle."
Pros
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Affordable price (2 pack option available)
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Largest bottle size offering the most product
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No parabens, no phthalates, no mineral oil or petrolatum
Cons
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Not the best for thick, coarse hair
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Some problems with packaging leaking were reported.
Best Feature
Comes in a larger size than most other beard oils.
Price & Rating
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Price: $9.47 for a 3.2oz bottle ($2.96 per oz) / $18.99 for pack of 2 ($2.97 per oz)
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Rating: 4.6 ⭐️ (2,917 reviews)
Recommendation
Best for those who want a quality smoothing and conditioning oil at an affordable price point.
Hemp Beard Elixir
$ 14.00
Hemp Seed Oil contains the most natural source of essential fatty acids. Meaning it’s able to absorb easier into the skin leaving your beard feeling moisturized and nourished with an all-natural ingredient. … Read More
How to Pick the Best Beard Oil for Sensitive Skin
When shopping for beard grooming products, there are several things to consider.
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What do you need the product for?
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Do you want something all-natural or chemical-free?
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What type of skin do you have? Dry, oily, combination, sensitive?
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What kind of hair do you have? Coarse, thin, fine, thick?
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How much money are you willing to spend?
If you have sensitive skin, you'll want to look for beard oils that contain natural ingredients and botanicals. It's important to avoid artificial ingredients and chemicals as much as possible because they can cause irritation or breakouts. It's also important to ensure you will not have an allergic reaction caused by any ingredients.
You also want to avoid products that contain alcohol, which will strip your skin of its natural moisture. Alcoholic products tend to leave behind a sticky residue that can clog pores. This can lead to acne and blackheads.
Finally, choose a beard oil that contains essential oils. Essential oils are known to soothe irritated skin and calm redness. They're also great for keeping your face hydrated throughout the day.
The Bottom Line
Before you buy any beard oil, make sure you know what you're looking for. You don't want to end up with a product that doesn't work for you.
Our favorite beard oil for sensitive skin is by far the Wild Willies Hemp Beard Elixir because it has been formulated to help keep your skin healthy and smooth along with taming and conditioning even the most unruly beard hair.
The golden Jojoba oil ensures that all the crucial ingredients stay in your skin and don’t wash away, like some water-based products do. And the fatty acids in hemp seed oil stop eczema in its tracks and revitalizes skin and hair to a healthy state—which is exactly what a good beard oil should do.
Some others to consider:
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Best High-End Product: The Art of Shaving Premium Beard Oil
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Best Scent: Billy Jealousy Beard Oil
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Best for Intense Moisture: Baxter of California Beard Oil
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Best for Smoothing: Scotch Porter Smoothing Beard Serum
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Best Budget-Friendly Option: Shea Moisture Beard Conditioning Oil
Hemp Beard Elixir
$ 14.00
Hemp Seed Oil contains the most natural source of essential fatty acids. Meaning it’s able to absorb easier into the skin leaving your beard feeling moisturized and nourished with an all-natural ingredient. … Read More
