Beard care – oils, balms and washes: INCI analysis

Beard care products are used to clean, soften and style facial hair and the skin underneath. Oils are massaged in a few drops at a time, balms and waxes are warmed between the palms and worked through the beard for hold, and beard washes and conditioners are used like a mild shampoo and rinsed off.

Beard oils are often blends of plant oils under their INCI names, such as SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL (jojoba), ARGANIA SPINOSA KERNEL OIL or PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS OIL, with TOCOPHEROL and PARFUM or essential oils. Balms add butters like BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, while waxes rely on CERA ALBA or plant waxes. Washes contain surfactants such as COCO-GLUCOSIDE or SODIUM COCOYL ISETHIONATE.

Essential oils are declared either individually by their INCI names or within PARFUM, and in both cases the allergens they naturally contain, such as LIMONENE, LINALOOL or EUGENOL, have to be listed when above the threshold. A short list of oils followed by several allergens is therefore typical for scented beard oils. Rinse-off washes follow the higher 0.01% allergen threshold.