The Babylonians
The first references to beard oil can be traced back to the time of the Babylonians (1800 BC – 500 BC). They used sesame seed oil to care for their beards. They did even more with their beards; the higher classes colored their beards with henna and further decorated it with gold dust. The beard was a real status symbol for them.
The Greek
The Greeks, on the other hand, used castor oil. They had the idea that their beards would grow faster because castor oil is full of fatty acids. This is the reason why castor oil is still used in various beard oils. Because olive oil is a product that is widely produced in Greece, it has long been thought that it used it, but nothing less is true.
The Romans
The Romans did indeed use olive oil in their beards. Most Romans had a clean-shaven chin, but they had a whole ritual for a young man’s first shave. The men who did grow a beard were convinced that olive oil made a beard grow faster.
The Indians
The Indians, or rather the Native Americans, used different types of oil to hydrate their beards during harsh winters. They had several types of oil at their disposal and they used them all.
The first commercial beard oil
During the Victorian era, there was a barber in London (1747-1823), Alexander Rowland, who sold an oil for your hair. Macassar oil was the name for this product. This oil was used by both men and women. When the hairstyle for men became shorter and the beards and mustaches experienced their heyday, the men started using the oil as beard oil for their beards and mustaches.
The basis for this oil consisted of palm oil and coconut oil. Ylang Ylang was used for the scent. A fragrance that you will often find in various products today. The combination of palm oil and coconut oil makes this a very thick oil and it isn’t asorbed very well into your hair. As a result, another company launched a product on the market under the name anti-macassar. A rug that you could put over the back of your chair so that the oil would not ruin your furniture.
The current beard oil market
Since 1930 we have seen more products appear on the market. They started to use lighter types of oil that do not weigh the beard and which are absorbed better into the hair and skin. Beard oil is currently an indispensable part of the barber’s assortment and there are so many (online) stores that can provide you with your beard oil needs. In the meantime you will find beard oil, beard balm, beard wax and many other care products. In principle, these are all basically the same. The biggest differences are in the applications. Wax is used for styling. Balm is often seen as a mix between styling and care.
We are a fan of the natural beard care products from Dutchbeards. But above all read more about where you can buy beard oil.