Esquire's Favorite Beard Oils in 2025

Walk into any NYC barber shop and you'll find proud Italians stocking Prosaro on the shelves. That's because it's cheap, but gets the job done. All its products are well-made and this beard oil is no exception. It will soften, glisten, and moisturize, no matter the thickness or length of your beard.

The only reason to not pick this one up would be the scent. It's a divisive one. We love the earth-y smell of cypress, but understand some folks might want something brighter—or on the flip side, something less powerful.

This is the shit (complimentary) that you came to Esquire for. Taylor of Old Bond Street ships its luxury beard oil from the UK. Originally a high society London barber shop in the 1800s, it's still a family-run business at its core, makers of great shaving creams and razors for centuries.

The beard oil will tame those coarse curls and allowing you to comb and mold it in a fashion that suits your style. The oil comes in Sandalwood, the most popular scent the brand makes. If you keep a closer shave (how did you end up in this story?) Taylor of Old Bond Street's shaving creams are just as phenomenal.

This one is coming to you after I spent hours on various grooming and beard Reddits trying to find a consensus. Because it's the internet, there wasn't one. But Beardbrand kept coming up as a consistent favorite among your average dudes. I think that's because its compatible with so many different skin and beard types. No matter if you need to touch up your mustache with a little shine, or give your coarse beard a nice massage, a little bit of Beardbrand's oil goes a long way. It's also loaded with Vitamin E and other natural healing oils.

That all being said, it also smells like the kinda thing you'd expect from Reddit guys. A little overcompensating.

$12 for a two fluid ounce bottle of beard oil is the best deal you can get for anything that isn't, in the words of the immortal Stephen Sondheim "piss with ink." Musical references aside, if you struggle with a dry, uncomfortable and just need something—anything—for temporary relief, Honest Amish is the go-to you can add to your Amazon cart and have delivered the next day.

If you want to go the all-natural botanical route, F. Miller is the brand to do it. Its hair oil smells wonderful (mostly rosemary, but generally just herb-y and fresh) and it's perfect for softening coarse beard hair or using as a daily strengthening serum for the hair on your head. The fashion-y skincare brand was started by Fran Miller back in 2014 with an emphasis on natural ingredients, meticulously developed formulas, and a really beautiful digital design language.

That said, for more of a closer shave situation, the face oil will do a lot of the same stuff with some added ingredients that'll benefit your skin more than the hair oil.

Story time. During my aforementioned beard oil hiatus, I walked into the Blind Barber shop in NYC's East Village and got (what was, at the time) a life changing haircut. The best part was when my barber dabbed my beard with some of this replenishment oil. I walked out to the corner near Tompkins Square Park feeling like a new man—a believer in beard oil. Nearly a decade later, this oil is still one of my go-to recommendations for making my beard softer and less itchy.

If you've been reading along you've noticed the achilles' heel of most beard oils is the way they smell. To avoid that issue entirely, you can opt for the No. 143 fragrance free beard oil from skincare gurus Marlowe. The brand makes this specific product with only four ingredients, all natural oils. This also makes it the best option for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

It's not the absolute king in terms of moisturizing and relief (and it doesn't claim to help regrow your beard), but if you need a beard oil free of scents, this is the most natural one that will be kind to your skin.

Every time I've received an Aesop product as a gift, I've been overjoyed. The brand's beard oil is no different. It adds an immediate sheen to your facial hair, smells fancy, and it doesn't take a lot to lather up. That also makes it great to use as a hair serum—at the price your paying you might as well make it a two-for-one.

Seriously, buying this stuff for yourself is so damn expensive. But that makes it a great way to show your love for someone you care about. Just know there are better deals on this list.

Most beard oils are just a mixture of many other types of oils and creams. There are two critical categories of oils to look out for among those (occasionally) length ingredient lists.

• Carrier Oils: These are the oils you're looking for first. This is what is bringing most of the nourishing and cleansing to the table. Looking at which mix carrier oils make up a beard oil will help you determine which ones are better for softness versus soothing versus shine. Examples include Jojoba, Argan, and Grapeseed oil
• Essential Oils: These are largely included for scent, but they can have other beneficial properties such as encouraging hair growth and reducing inflammation of the skin. Examples include cedarwood, sandalwood, and tea tree oil.