Beard Oils

What are they, why do you need them and how do you use them?

By Ally McManus

For a while my boyfriend and TAT Beauty Magazine designer, Blake, has had difficulties with his beard. Don’t get me wrong – it has been growing – just lifeless, itchy and unhealthy. It often gets to an uncomfortable point where he has to shave it off and I’m left looking at what was a man and is now a 14-year-old boy. That was until Daniel approached us from TheGroomedManCo. and things started to change.

 

Daniel Mahony, founder of TheGroomedManCo. had the inspiration for his beard oil business when he travelled around the United States in 2013. “I had grown a fresh beard in November 2012 after Movember and decided to grow my beard longer than it’s ever been.”

 

Daniel explains that he was prone to dryness and flaking with his skin, so when he came across beard oil in New York, and loved it, he knew he had to recreate something for the Australian market. “I started it as a hobby, but it gained momentum with friends and the Melbourne community so I decided to take my home formula and work with Australia’s leading manufacturer of botanical oils and make it a business.”

The beauty of running a business in this day and age is that everything is online. This means that even if Daniel is based in Melbourne and locally creates his oils – it doesn’t limit his customers to solely Melbournians. “The world is your market,” he says. “It allows you to reach customers from all over the globe.”

I’m sure there are many of you wondering why beard oil is so important though, given men have lasted this long without it. But I can assure you that once you test out Man Mint, Morning Wood, Mangrove Citrus or Cloves Off, there’s no turning back.

 

“Our oils are made using pure to botanic oils, which are oils in their purest form. Natural oils are still pure, and great for you, but pure to botanical oils are the highest purity,” Daniel says. This means that the oils have an extended shelf life and they won’t loose their scent in the bottle as it empties.

 

But that’s not their only point of difference. “Pure to botanical oils, unlike ‘natural essential oils’ that only offer fragrance, deliver therapeutic benefits targeting inflammation, are antibacterial, anti fungal, can act as an emollient to treat skin conditions and so forth.”

 

For those that like Blake (before oil) experienced beard itching, using an oil is great at moisturising the beard and skin beneath it. “Beard oil stops the dreaded itch as it locks in moisture, eliminates dryness and flaky skin, strengthens and protects the beard hair, cleans and treats the beard, promotes healthy growing conditions, makes it smell great and softens the beard. Our oil is a lightweight, non-greasy formula.”

Daniel has a strong opinion on how natural his oils are. “I try to never use the word ‘all natural’. Yes, our products are chemical free, our products are vegan, not tested on animals. The word ‘natural’ has been flogged so much it’s really hard to tell what it is anymore. I want to coin the term ‘pure to botanical’, because when something is in its highest concentration due to not being processed, I consider it to be pure.”

 

Blake wasn’t the only one to try out the beard oils either. Kelly, our Chief of Staff at The Australia Times, got creative with the product as she didn’t have a beard of her own to test it out with.

 

“After smelling the mint beard oil, I decided not to give it to my boyfriend and use it in the tips of my hair instead! It worked so well in stopping frizz and made the tips of my hair maintain some shape. It smells beautiful too and easy to apply to damp hair and just towel dry; little effort in my daily routine for a nice result,” she tells me.

 

Blake’s older brother, Koby, was another road tester. He found its traditional use was good enough and particularly loved ­­­­­Mangrove Citrus. As soon as he applied it, he could already notice the difference in the feel of his beard. After only an hour of having the oil, Koby tells me “I’ve already put it on three times, it feels awesome”. Blake on the other hand adores Man Mint. “It’s a soft scent, but quite fresh and it feels really smooth to apply onto my facial hair,” he says.

 

And then it was my turn. I also found it was great for my wavy hair with exceptionally dry ends, but I found another place where it didn’t disappoint either – my eyebrows. I have very fair and thin brows, and a drop of the oil gave them that little extra nurture that those with pale hair and skin could always do with.

 

TheGroomedManCo. has already reached 32 countries worldwide, with America their biggest market outside of Australia. Daniel also donates 5 per cent of sales to various charities worldwide, and is also approved by the International Fragrance Association for quality, safety and for those enchanting scents available at the twist of a bottle.

 

So whether you’re a woman longing for a better groomed ‘bae’, a man searching for some quality face nurturing, or a lady looking to unconventionally hydrate her hair – it’s best you give Daniel a holla.

 

Find out more from the Beauty world in the TAT Beauty Mag.