Below are ways in which you can use sunflower oil to benefit your beard. Plus how you can combine it with other oils to make your own beard oil.
So, is sunflower oil good for beard growth? Sunflower oil for beard grooming will moisturize the skin under the beard and control dandruff. Sunflower oil is also good for those who have acne-prone skin or skin prone to irritability. Sunflower oil for beard growth will promote the production of beard growth hormone testosterone.
Unfortunately, despite grapeseed oil being good for beard and even boosting beard growth hormone, if you can’t grow a beard, sunflower oil or any other oil for that matter will not help you grow a beard.
Unless you have been diagnosed with low levels of testosterone, then combining grapeseed oil with other testosterone-boosting foods may help you grow a beard.
Table of Contents
Sunflower oil for beard
What is sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is generally extracted from the seeds of the sunflower plant. There exist different types of sunflower plants and each type produces a different form of sunflower oil-based on ingredients.
The process of extraction of sunflower oil is via cold processing. The color of sunflower oil also known as sunflower seed oil ranges from amber yellow to clear.
What makes sunflower oil good for beard
Non-comedogenic
Sunflower oil is non-comedogenic which makes it a great carrier oil for beard oils. It absorbs quickly and will not clog pores, making it a great carrier oil for those who have sensitive acne-prone skin.
Wound healing
Based on this study
conducted on animals, sunflower oil is beneficial towards healing wounds faster when applied topically. These wound healing properties can be attributed to one of its components called oleic acid.
So, for those who suffer from acne or develops rashes after shaving sunflower oil can help take care of those issues.
Moisturizer
Some of the problems that you will encounter once you decide to grow a beard can be solved by making sure your beard is always moisturized.
One of the compounds of sunflower oil that is in high concentration is called linoleic acid. Linoleic acid maintains your skin’s natural barrier preventing moisture from escaping when applied topically. Sunflower oil’s anti-inflammatory properties make it good for dry skin under the beard.
However, when compared with coconut oil in terms of moisturizing power coconut oil carries the day. Sunflower oil does not penetrate the beard fibers efficiently like coconut oil as shown in this report. However, when the two are combined they can make a good moisturizer for the skin beneath and for the beard.
Good for sensitive acne prone skin
Studies show that sunflower oil can protect the skin from bacteria when topically applied.
Based on the study referenced above, when sunflower oil was topically applied to premature infants it led to a reduction in their mortality as a result of infections they acquired from the hospital such as sepsis.
Therefore, if you have acne-prone sensitive skin, you can comfortably use sunflower oil as it will not clog your facial hair follicles and it will also help you fight acne problems.
Can potentially boost testosterone
Testosterone and DHT combined with genes are responsible for beard growth. While most men have the same levels of testosterone, there are men who have clinically low levels of testosterone.
Given that the hormone controls the growth of the beard when it is converted to DHT. A low concentration of the hormone will result in poor beard growth.
While you may not be able to grow a beard if genes are against you unless you use minoxidil, you can correct low levels of testosterone in the body.
Leading a healthy lifestyle, and eating testosterone-boosting food, will help your body increase its testosterone levels and may help you grow facial hair.
Sunflower oil is one of the oils that can boost the levels of testosterone in the body when consumed.
The main components of sunflower oil include
- oleic acid
- vitamin E
- sesamol
- linoleic acid
Based on studies, sesamol the same compound found in sesame seeds oil has been proven to increase the levels of testosterone in the body.
However, sunflower oil contains high levels of Polyunsaturated fats which have been proven through various research to decrease the levels of testosterone in the body. Therefore, despite having ingredients that boost testosterone, sunflower oils can also decrease testosterone.
For this reason, I would recommend using sunflower oil for beard grooming alone, rather than consuming it for boosting testosterone.
Antioxidants
As shown above, sunflower oil contains vitamin E. Vitamin E has been proven to help protect the skin from adverse effects of the sun and free radicals, for example, wrinkles and premature aging.
Adding sunflower oil in your beard oil can come in hard towards protecting your skin from the harmful sun rays.
How to use sunflower oil for your beard
The first step you should follow before using sunflower oil is performing a patch test.
A patch test helps you establish whether you are allergic or not. Perform a patch test by applying a small amount of sunflower oil to the back of your ear overnight.
In case, you have an allergic reaction, you should not use sunflower oil, but if you do not experience any allergic reaction, you can proceed.
Instead of applying sunflower oil on your beard alone, you can mix it with other natural oils to benefit your beard further.
For sensitive acne prone skin, use sunflower oil with a lighter oil such as Jojoba oil or argan oil.
For softening your beard, mix sunflower oil with jojoba argan and coconut oil.
For promoting growth, you can mix sunflower oil with castor oil and peppermint oil.
Conclusion
While sunflower oil will not help you grow a beard where there are non. It can help you take care of your beard, especially if you have sensitive acne-prone skin. The anti-microbial properties of the oil will help you fight acne and bacterial infections.
Combined with other essential oils, sunflower oil will provide more benefits when used to groom your beard.
