The 8 Best Beard Oils for Black Men Reviews & Guide 2023

It’s important to take good care of your facial hair whether you have a massive beard like James Harden or neatly trimmed scruff like Drake. As you’ve realized, the whiskers on your chin are not the same as the hair on your head. They are coarser and prone to acne and ingrown hair, so beard products for Black men need to be conditioning and non-comedogenic.

The best beard oils for Black men meet those two requirements and more. Moreover, Black-owned brands have developed beard oils that strengthen brittle strands, soften the beard, and reduce inflammation in the skin. They may even help fill in a patchy beard with the growth stimulators like rosemary, castor oil, and pumpkin seed.

What to look for in a beard oil

Obviously, you’ll take a pass on products with ingredients that trigger your allergies. Artificial fragrances fall into this category for some people. (Besides, who wants beard oil that clashes with their cologne?)

You might get more mileage out of a Black-owned grooming brand like Scotch Porter or Frederick Benjamin. SheaMoisture used to fall into this category, but unfortunately, they were bought out.

If you have sensitive skin, choose a beard oil with fewer ingredients, no fragrance, and no preservatives. Acne-prone complexions do best with lightweight oils like grapeseed and argan.

Lastly, look at the container the oil comes in. Do you prefer a pump top or an eyedropper? Is it the right size to go in your gym bag or carry-on?

Now, keep reading to see in-depth reviews of the best beard oils for Black beards.

The best beard oils for Black men	Highlights
Scotch Porter Smoothing Beard Serum	From a Black-owned brand Features jojoba and avocado seed oils Pleasant masculine fragrance of sandalwood and musk Free from petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, silicones, and phthalates
Frederick Benjamin Easy Primer Skin & Beard Oil	Pre-shave oil that doubles as beard oil, face moisturizer, and scalp conditioner Blend of avocado, grapeseed, soybean, and olive oils Non-greasy and lightweight From a Black-owned brand
NATURE BOY Beard Oil No.1	Rich blend of macadamia, jojoba, argan, grapeseed, and coconut oils Conditions, repairs, stimulates growth, and prevents beard dandruff From a Black-owned brand Subtle masculine scent from essential oils
MARLOWE. Beard Oil Conditioner for Men No. 143	Fragrance-free, odorless Tames unruly beards and gives them a natural sheen Large bottle lasts for months Cruelty-free, with no parabens or phthalates From an American brand that supports Clean the World
Bulldog Mens Skincare and Grooming Original Beard Oil	Cruelty-free beard oil with vegan ingredients Packed with antioxidants and fatty acids protect the skin and hair against harsh environments Dries to a matte finish, provides light styling ability
SheaMoisture Beard Conditioning Oil	Features Fair Trade shea butter with grapeseed, maracuja, and castor oil Lightly fragranced with essential oils Softens the beard, leaves a natural finish, lightweight and non-greasy No mineral oil, phthalates, parabens, or petrolatum
Cremo Revitalizing Beard Oil	Calms itching, softens coarse beards Conditions the skin and hair, keeps them smelling fresh all day Prevents dandruff and may stimulate hair growth Available in a variety of fragrances No parabens, petrolatum, or mineral oil
Honest Amish - Classic Beard Oil	Handcrafted beard conditioner made with natural, organic, sustainable plant oils No chemicals, no synthetic ingredients Non-comedogenic, may stimulate hair growth American-made

Best Beard Oils for Black Men in 2023

Scotch Porter Smoothing Beard Serum

Black-owned brand Scotch Porter makes one of our favorite beard oils. They call it a “serum”, but it’s based on avocado seed and jojoba seed oils. Both of these natural ingredients are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids for a thick, shiny, healthier beard.

In fact, it’s designed to soften coarse hairs and fix a patchy beard. It absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy. Plus, it avoids questionable ingredients like parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, mineral oil, PEGs, and silicones.

The masculine fragrance blends sandalwood, musk, carnation, and oakmoss with a hint of vanilla. Fair warning: the scent is rather strong and is noticeable for hours.

If you use one or two pumps a day, the bottle should last 2 to 3 months.

Pros:

• From a Black-owned brand
• Features jojoba and avocado seed oils
• Pleasant masculine fragrance of sandalwood and musk
• Free from petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, silicones, and phthalates

Cons:

• Strong fragrance

Frederick Benjamin Easy Primer Skin & Beard Oil

This brand’s founder was determined to help Black men find the right products for their grooming needs. Not only that, but the company’s managed to make life easier for a lot of guys. Why? Because this isn’t just beard oil, it’s also an excellent moisturizer for the hair and face.

The blend of grapeseed, avocado, soybean, and olive oils is surprisingly not as greasy as you’d imagine. It’s lightweight and fast-absorbing, softening both the skin and beard in a matter of moments. There’s a manly scent, too.

Now, you can stop there or apply it as a pre-shave oil to prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs. (We saw that some men also use it outright for shaving instead of shaving gel or cream).

Pros:

• Pre-shave oil that doubles as beard oil, face moisturizer, and scalp conditioner
• Blend of avocado, grapeseed, soybean, and olive oils
• Non-greasy and lightweight
• From a Black-owned brand

Cons:

• Not unscented

NATURE BOY Beard Oil No.1

Here’s another Black-owned beard product with a long list of benefits. First, there’s no artificial fragrance. The refreshing scent is all-natural, but it doesn’t have the typical nutty or earthy smell of plant oils. Instead, it uses essential oils for a subtle scent that makes your face smell good and still allows you to wear cologne.

Next, it contains no mineral oil, preservatives, or alcohol. It offers tons of nourishment for your beard and skin with macadamia, argan, jojoba, grapeseed, and coconut oils. Put a couple of drops in the palm of your hand and massage it through your beard. It strengthens the hair follicles, stimulates skin repair, and even prevents beard dandruff.

Pros:

• Rich blend of macadamia, jojoba, argan, grapeseed, and coconut oils
• Conditions, repairs, stimulates growth, and prevents beard dandruff
• From a Black-owned brand
• Subtle masculine scent from essential oils

Cons:

• Not unscented

MARLOWE. Beard Oil Conditioner for Men No. 143

If you’re looking for a truly fragrance-free beard oil, pause here. The ingredients are simple: safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oil. Somehow, it’s completely unscented.

What’s more, the oil doesn’t build up or make the beard feel weird or smell rank by the end of the day. It adds a tiny bit of sheen that looks natural, and helps it maintain a soft, touchable texture.

Reviewers say the oil eliminates itching and makes it easier to style their beards. Moreover, the three-ounce bottle lasts for months.

Happily, the formula is cruelty-free and contains no parabens or phthalates. It’s made in the USA by a brand that supports Clean the World, the organization that helps people stay healthy with soap and other resources.

Pros:

• Fragrance-free, odorless
• Tames unruly beards and gives them a natural sheen
• Large bottle lasts for months
• Cruelty-free, with no parabens or phthalates
• From an American brand that supports Clean the World

Cons:

• None

Bulldog Mens Skincare and Grooming Original Beard Oil

Bulldog is a certified cruelty-free brand that makes vegan-friendly products. Its beard oil contains no artificial fragrance, color, or parabens.

The formula includes aloe and green tea as well as nutrient-rich plant oils like sunflower, sweet almond, coconut, and argan. Since it’s full of antioxidants and vitamins, it defends the skin and hair against harsh environmental conditions.

Furthermore, this affordable beard oil gets top marks from online reviewers. They like the lightweight texture, matte finish, and the way it makes a beard easier to groom.

Pros:

• Cruelty-free beard oil with vegan ingredients
• Packed with antioxidants and fatty acids protect the skin and hair against harsh environments
• Dries to a matte finish, provides light styling ability

Cons:

• It may disappear from the bathroom cabinet – we’ve heard stories about women borrowing this beard oil to take care of split ends and tame frizz

SheaMoisture Beard Conditioning Oil

If you’re familiar with SheaMoisture, you may already know it uses Fair Trade Shea butter from Africa. It used to be a Black-owned brand, but it was purchased by Sundial. At least the CEO is African-American, and he’s vowed to continue providing grooming products that the Black community can trust.

This beard conditioner mixes shea butter with maracuja, grapeseed, and castor oil for the ultimate beard softener. It doesn’t cheat with mineral oil or petrolatum, and doesn’t poison the formula with phthalates or parabens. Even the light fragrance comes from essential oils, not perfumes.

As you might guess, it’s lightweight and doesn’t clump the hair together or leave it greasy. Instead, it conditions and leaves a natural finish behind.

The oil comes in a no-mess pump top bottle. On the downside, remember to wipe off the top every once in a while because it tends to get a little gunky.

Pros:

• Features Fair Trade shea butter with grapeseed, maracuja, and castor oil
• Lightly fragranced with essential oils
• Softens the beard, leaves a natural finish, lightweight and non-greasy
• No mineral oil, phthalates, parabens, or petrolatum

Cons:

• The pump bottle is easy to use, but needs occasional wiping

Cremo Revitalizing Beard Oil

Does your beard itch a lot? This soothing beard oil solves the problem with rosemary and eucalyptus. These potent ingredients are naturally antimicrobial, and interestingly, linked to hair growth. They join vitamin E and other natural oils like sunflower, avocado, jojoba, coconut, argan, cedarwood, and spruce. (Yes, we just gave you the full list of ingredients).

The result is a multipurpose conditioner that’s good for short and long beards alike. The lightweight texture keeps the hair smelling clean and fresh all day long while it conditions the skin, too.

However, if you’re not a fan of the fir-like fragrance, we suggest trying Tea Tree Mint, Citrus and Oak, or Palo Santo with cardamom.

Pros:

• Calms itching, softens coarse beards
• Conditions the skin and hair, keeps them smelling fresh all day
• Prevents dandruff and may stimulate hair growth
• Available in a variety of fragrances
• No parabens, petrolatum, or mineral oil

Cons:

• Not fragrance-free, but scented with essential oils

Honest Amish – Classic Beard Oil

This handcrafted beard oil comes from western Pennsylvania. We doubt it’s made by the Amish, but the headquarters are located in a little town kind of in the middle of nowhere.

The brand sells its oil worldwide. The immense popularity comes from the fact that it’s pure and simple, yet effective. There are only eight ingredients, all of which are plant oils. The base ingredient is avocado oil, but it’s accompanied by pumpkin seed, which is excellent for hair growth. Of course, there are no synthetic ingredients. Everything is 100% natural, sustainable, and organic.

Reviewers say that it’s the perfect beard oil for Black men with semi-coarse facial hair. Furthermore, the non-comedogenic formula contains no coconut oil, and that’s good news for guys with acne-prone skin.

Pros:

• Handcrafted beard conditioner made with natural, organic, sustainable plant oils
• No chemicals, no synthetic ingredients
• Non-comedogenic, may stimulate hair growth
• American-made

Cons:

• None

Conclusion

These days, there is a wide variety of beard oil suitable for Black men. In this article, we explored Black-owned beard products and other brands worth noting. We made recommendations for the best beard conditioners as well as help for itchy and patchy beards.

We hope our reviews helped you find the grooming products you need today. If you’re pleased with your new beard oil, we’d love to get your feedback. Feel free to drop us a comment below.