Eucalyptus oil has a scent that most people find appealing. While this may seem promising at first, there are some oils that should be avoided, particuarly antiandrogenic natural oils. I did some research to find out whether eucalyptus oil is good for beards.
So, is eucalyptus oil good for beards? Eucalyptus oil does not help beard growth, so it should not use for this purpose. Four of the components of eucalyptus oil have been proven to be anti-androgenic and estrogenic. This means that when you use eucalyptus oil for beard growth, it will suppress your androgen receptors which are responsible for facial hair growth.
Related content: Coconut oil for beard
Table of Contents
Eucalyptus oil: what is it?
Eucalyptus oil is derived from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree through distillation. Despite, originating from Australia the tree has now been grown all over the world.
Eucalyptus oil for beard growth
Before we move into what makes eucalyptus oil a bad beard oil growth ingredient, let debunk a myth.
Well, the growth of a beard is solely stimulated by two factors, your genes (androgen receptors) and testosterone. How responsive your genes are to testosterone will greatly determine the extent of your beard growth.
If your genes (androgen receptors) are highly receptive to testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT), you will be able to grow a beard effortlessly and vice versa.
Any product that promises to help you grow a beard should in theory help. They work by increasing by:
- Increasing your level of testosterone (in case you have clinically low testosterone levels)
- Increase the receptiveness of your genes (androgen receptors) to beard growth hormones (testosterone and DHT)
- Promoting blood circulation in your face
- Helping nourish your beard i.e proteins, vitamins among others.
Any product that goes against those guidelines should be avoided at all costs when looking to grow a beard. More so, any product that hinders the action of beard growth genes and beard growth hormones.
Scientific evidence to support beard growth products
Research (click here to learn more) conducted on tea tree oil and lavender oil found that these two natural essential oils have some ingredients that are anti-androgenic and estrogenic.
When pre-pubertal boys used products with both lavender and tea tree oil
they developed man boobs. Interesting right?
Well eucalyptus oil contains the following ingredients
- eucalyptol
- 4-terpineol
- d-limonene
- and alpha-terpineol.
Some of the ingredients found in both tea tree oil and lavender oil are all found in eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptol takes about 70% of the eucalyptus oil ingredients.
These ingredients were the ones that were found to have anti-androgenic and increasing estrogenic receptor effects among the young boys.
Given the skin’s ability to absorb products, you can now understand why using eucalyptus oil for beard growth is a bad idea. Eucalyptus oil will suppress your androgen receptors and reduce their receptiveness to beard growth hormones. Hence, stunting the growth of your beard.
While beard oils and natural essential oils will not grow you a beard with the exception of Peppermint oil which has been proven to promote hair growth.
You should strive to use products that do not impede the growth of your beard. Even peppermint oil will not grow a beard where genetics cannot grow some unless you use minoxidil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does eucalyptus oil block DHT? Eucalyptus oil does not block DHT but rather suppresses androgenic receptors to DHT and promotes estrogen receptors.
How do you use eucalyptus oil for beard growth? You should not be using eucalyptus for beard growth, research shows that eucalyptus oil suppresses androgenic receptors which are responsible for beard growth.
Conclusion
While some beard oil companies use eucalyptus oil in their beard products to add scent. Research shows that eucalyptus oil is not for your beard as it will suppress the androgen receptors that help your beard grow. You should strive to avoid beard products that have tea tree oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil, amla oil, or any other oils that either blocks DHT or suppresses androgen receptors.
