Sometimes it seems like there’s a new panacea out every week. Most of them are overblown bunk. With so many things you can buy for your facial hair, it’s rough trying to figure out what works. Tea tree oil has long been touted for many ailments and uses, but is it the real deal? Fortunately, there’s actual evidence behind tea tree oil for beards. I did the research, so you don’t have to. Here’s everything you need to know about using this excellent natural on your facial fur.
Can I Use Tea Tree Oil for Beard Growth
Men are always searching for that perfect product to boost growth. After all, who wouldn’t want an epic beard? Fuller, longer, more stylish, or healthier, everyone has their own desire where the beard is concerned. Will tea tree oil help you grow a better beard?
The answer here is a little complicated. I can honestly say both yes and no. If you’re looking to increase the hair growth, then the answer is ‘not exactly.’ Tea tree oil on your beard won’t physically make your hair grow faster. Moreover, it can’t give you more follicles or thicker hair. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that in spite of the hype, tea tree oil is excellent for your beard, it’s just not going to cause growth. However, by helping moisten the hair, it will keep your beard softer. Softer means it’s easier to style and trim. Plus, tea tree oil is great for your skin. I’ll get into the details of that later in the article, but mainly it can help keep your hair follicles clear. That means less ingrown hairs and more beard growing out.
Tea Tree Oil is for Beard Dandruff
Let’s talk about beard dandruff. First of all, it’s not a myth, as some men think. Dandruff is very real, and it looks awful in addition to being itchy and clogging pores. All that trouble can lead to a beard bummer. Luckily, this is one ailment that tea tree oil on your beard can help clear up.
There’s nothing wrong with being a sexy silver fox, but snow-beard is not a good look. I’m happy to report that you don’t have to put up with beard dandruff anymore. Tea tree oil can help you kick the flakes out for good.
You may be hesitant after hearing too many stories about ‘natural’ products that don’t live up to the hype, and hat’s sensible. However, there’s scientific evidence to prove that tea tree oil works on dandruff.
Beard Dandruff
Perhaps you’ve used tea tree oil before, for dandruff on your head. Dandruff on your face is no different. Like your scalp, your beard can be prone to flaky skin, but what causes dandruff in the first place?
Though there can be other causes, most dandruff comes from Malassezia globosa. What that means is that there’s a fancy term for a yeast-like problem. Sadly, some people are more prone to dandruff than others. In fact, about twenty percent of people will suffer from some form of dandruff in their lives. Whether you get it on your scalp, face, or both, it’s the same thing, and you can use tea tree oil treatments for both.
Malassezia globosa eats the sebum on your skin. Sebum is a natural byproduct your body makes to keep hair and skin from drying out. Then the Malassezia globosa produces oleic acid as a byproduct.
Your body treats oleic acid like an allergy. Hence, you produce excess skin cells to act as a buffer, and that is where dandruff comes from. The extra skin cells slough off in groups as flakes. The result is the snowy looking flakes that make your face, scalp, and shirt look bad.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil to Fight Dandruff
Before we go any further, I cannot stress this strongly enough: DO NOT USE PURE TEA TREE OIL! Like everything else, including water and air, too much of a good thing can be bad news for you. You need to keep the tea tree oil out of your mouth and always choose a reputable diluted form of tea tree oil.
I suggest you try a beard shampoo with tea tree oil. The peppermint and tea tree Beard Wash Shampoo by Ranger Grooming Co. from Leven Rose is outstanding. Plus, it’s paraben-free and has a great smell and a nice tingly feeling on the skin. To get a bottle and get rid of your dandruff, click here.
To wash the flakes away, follow the directions on the bottle. There’s no need to overdo things. One wash (no repeat) should be enough. It may be a few days before you start to see the full results. Make sure you keep the shampoo out of your mouth and rinse thoroughly.
Follow up by drying your beard completely and using beard oil. Then use a good beard balm to help style and a mustache wax if you prefer it to finish off your look. Additionally, always use boar bristle brushes on your facial hair for best results when styling. You can get my favorite ZilberHaar boar bristle and pearwood beard brush by clicking here.
Treat Beard Rash with Tea Tree Oil
Unless you’re allergic to tea tree oil, then using it on your beard will help cut down on beard rash. Of course, there are some other things you should do in addition to treating the symptom. Most beard rash is a combination of lousy shaving techniques and dry skin. Alternately, it may be that you have especially sensitive skin. However, it can also result from an infection or ingrown hairs.
Happily, fixing a beard rash is relatively simple. First, stop shaving for now. Unless your job requires a clean shave, a little stubble won’t hurt. Merely giving your skin a break can help cut down on that unsightly rash while you work on other ways to stop the redness. Moreover, if sensitive skin or unfortunate shaving techniques are the only culprits, you’ll discover it quickly. Follow the rest of the steps laid out below to get rid of that unsightly and annoying rash.
Steps to Get Rid of Beard Rash With Tea Tree Oil
Since it’s effective on numerous different problems, you’ll find plenty of products for your beard that contain tea tree oil. Picking out the right one isn’t too tricky. However, it’s crucial to pinpoint the problem first. You can’t fix an issue if you don’t know what it is.
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Stop Shaving
Sure, I already said this, but not shaving can help you narrow down the possible sources of the rash. When it’s razor burn or ingrown hairs, you need to change the way you shave. First, give your skin a few days to heal naturally.
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Shave Right with Tea Tree Oil Shave Gel
Use a high-quality multi-blade razor and remember to shave with the grain and not against it. Add a shaving gel with tea tree oil like Salon Blissful Tea Tree Shave from Amazon. To check prices and availability, click here. The gel acts as a buffer between your skin and your razor, and the tea tree oil helps soothe and moisturize your skin. It works as an anti-inflammatory and antifungal.
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Moisturize Daily
Beards are great for stopping sunlight, but you still need a daytime moisturizer with SPF to help protect your skin. At night switch over to a sensitive skin moisturizer for your skin type. Additionally, if you prefer, you can use an antiwrinkle cream with moisturizers to help prevent signs of aging. Regardless of the brand, make sure you moisturize thoroughly at least twice a day.
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Rash Creme
If the rash is an allergic reaction, then you may want to work some gentle hydrocortisone creme into your skin. Don’t worry about getting rash creme in your beard. It shouldn’t do any harm. However, since the keratin in your beard isn’t alive, it also won’t do anything for the beard itself.
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Wash Up
Keep your beard clean. Sometimes acne or Folliculitis Barbae can look like a beard rash when, in fact, they are both something else. Acne scrubs are pretty standard and easy to find. If that doesn’t work, it could be a different problem.
Folliculitis looks a lot like acne, but the root cause is different. The cause is roots. The follicles are where the source of your hair grows. When hair follicles get inflamed, it can cause this rashy looking problem.
Tea Tree oil is a common ingredient for both acne treatment and folliculitis. Keeva Organics makes a great acne cream that includes tea tree oil. You can try some out for yourself by clicking here.
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Ask A Pro
If the usual fixes aren’t working out for you, then maybe it’s time to see a dermatologist. Obviously, if you try something that makes your skin worse, you should stop right away. Sadly it’s not always enough. When in doubt, see a specialist. A good dermatologist can help you find the cause and solution to your beard rash woes.
You Can Also Use Tea Tree Oil on Beard Itch
An itchy beard can feel like a huge problem. It’s almost impossible to ignore a severe itch. Fortunately, even a super annoying itch could have a straightforward fix. Especially in winter, when the weather is dry, skin gets dry too.
Before you reach for the good stuff, make sure you’re minimizing your dry-skin risk factors. First, use a humidifier in winter to help keep the air in your home from getting too dry. Second, make sure you’re using skin products designed to moisturize.
Whether it’s acne medicine or just shampoo, check the labels. Switching to better moisturizers when the weather is dry will help keep you comfortable all year. Also, always doublecheck to make sure your itch isn’t a more serious problem. Dry skin is an easy fix, but psoriasis or even lice require a very different solution. Even something as wonderful as tea tree oil isn’t right for every problem.
Once you’re sure it’s just a regular itch that you’re having trouble scratching, grab that beard oil. Many men are under the impression that good beard oil is only for the hair. However, beard oil can help soothe the skin, as well. Any oil with tea tree oil will do double duty, but you may want to hold off on using tea tree finishing products on your beard, at least until you finish reading this article.
Beard Fungus: Is It Real & Will Tea Tree Oil Help
Okay, I know you’re probably chuckling over this one. You may even have a goofy mental image of a guy with a green beard. Unfortunately, beard fungus is a real possibility. It’s more common in moist climates, but it can happen to anyone. Again, tea tree oil can help rescue you from this embarrassing beard condition.
More than just fungus, bacterial infections can happen to beards too. Anywhere that water can combine with spores or bacteria; there’s a real risk of beard irritation.
Don’t go running for your razor just yet. Beards may actually help keep some nasty bacteria off your face. In addition to preventing skin cancer by blocking the sun, a good beard can help keep you from getting sick and cut down on allergy problems.
How To Treat Beard Fungus & Bacteria with Tea Tree Oil
Tinea Barbae is a particularly pesky bacterial problem that causes itchy and scaly skin. Men who sweat excessively and those with pets are especially prone. However, it is also common in men with diabetes. If you haven’t had a diabetes screening, you should go get checked out, even if you own a pet too. This is one condition that you shouldn’t treat with tea tree oil.
After checking with your doctor, make sure to keep your skin and beard dry. Never share towels to avoid spreading the infection and keep a small hand towel just for your face. Wash your face towel often. More importantly, ask your physician about controlling this problem.
If the issue is fungal, then tea tree oil can help here too. A diluted solution, no more than about 5-10% tea tree oil, is perfect for beard fungus. Make sure you wash thoroughly with a good beard shampoo, then treat with a few drops of the oil.
Brush your beard with a boar bristle brush to spread the oil evenly, but make sure not to get the oil in your mouth. After that, keep your beard clean and dry. Treat with the oil only until the fungus is all gone, then switch back to a non-tea tree beard oil.
Tea Tree Oil Risks
Anything as useful as tea tree oil is bound to have some downside as well. The benefits can outweigh the risks, but you should always be careful and follow all the directions on your tea tree products. Also, avoid overusing tea tree oil products. Choose one or two for the symptoms you have, but don’t go crazy with the ‘more is better’ idea. In this case, it’s not!
Perhaps most important of all, make sure you never ingest any tea tree oil. It’s great on the outside of your body, but inside it’s toxic. Call poison control at 1-800-222-1222, or contact them online immediately if you swallow tea tree oil.
If you’re young and growing your first beard, or you’re especially sensitive to testosterone and estrogen, tea tree oil isn’t the answer for you. Tea tree oil is a potent androgen receptor antagonist. That means it makes your hair less likely to grow.
Used in moderation, especially by men who have full beards, it’s not a problem. However, you should think of it the same as you might a prescription from the doctor. Use tea tree oil only when you need it, and then stop. If you plan to use it long term, make sure you talk to a doctor or naturopath who is familiar with tea tree oil, and it’s side effects.
You don’t need to skip out entirely on this outstanding natural solution, be careful, and stay informed. If you have any side effects, stop right away. Don’t trust the companies who make your hygiene products to hold themselves to a medical safety standard. Realistically hygiene products aren’t regulated by the FDA, so while they can be very useful for at-home treatment, they aren’t the same as an actual dermatologist or doctor’s prescription.
Final Thoughts
Men who prefer a natural solution over a prescription bottle swear by tea tree oil for their beards. You can certainly use it as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and a great go-to for dandruff. However, too much of a good thing can be bad for your health. Equally important, don’t buy into overblown claims.
There’s no reason to miss out entirely. Tea tree oil can be an outstanding solution to many of your beard woes, but I wouldn’t recommend using it in everything all the time. The potency should be enough to help solve plenty of beard problems. Once you’ve cleared up the issue, stop treating it.
Tea tree oil won’t fix every problem, but it’s worth trying out. Like all naturals, you shouldn’t expect miracles, and always remember to vet the source and check the reviews before you buy.
