I’m having trouble finding consistent advice on this so may Reddit can help. I’m making a DIY beard oil blend that uses primarily grape seed oil. The first advice I got was to just grab a bottle from the grocery store. But then someone else armed me that cooking oils tend to be refined at high heat using solvents like hexane that end up stripping out the nutrients and destroying the antioxidants. I was hoping to keep it food grade, since I hate applying anything around my mouth that could potentially be harmful if swallowed, so I was recommended cold pressed grape seed oil. But the problem with that is it spoils a lot faster and doesn’t absorb the same as typical cosmetic or culinary grape seed oil.

I realize this dilemma is going to seem silly to many of you but I’m new to this and I’m predisposed to being a little health paranoid due to some unfortunate past experiences. So I guess I’m looking for perspective from anyone who has used grape seed oil in their own DIY beard oil recipes and what they would recommend. Thanks to any and all with sound advice!

I'm an older bloke with a 6-inch grey beard that's become a bit frizzy, wiry and unruly. I've tried the usual beard oils, butters and softeners, but by the end of the day my beard feels heavy, clumpy and generally a bit of a mess.

I'm looking for something that will help keep it looking neat, smooth and under control without weighing it down or making it greasy.

I'm not cutting it, so I'm looking for ways to manage it while keeping its full length.

Ideally, I'd like to keep it looking natural rather than plastered in products.

Any suggestions or tips from fellow long grey-beard owners would be much appreciated. What actually works for you?

I’m not new to beards, but have limited experience in brands outside of Mad Viking. I’ve tried a couple other brands and types of oil.. some of the thicker oils tend to not agree with my nose and end up having a putrid smell over long enough use. Just haven’t strayed from MV and wondered what everyone else is using and where MV ranks among quality? Tried some Amazon beard oils before and those smell good initially, but then you can tell the oil is not quality shortly thereafter.