Grape seed oil is a carrier oil pressed from the seeds left over after winemaking. It is light, absorbs quickly, and doesn't clog pores — which is why it forms the base of most beard oils and beard balms, including ours.
It is not an essential oil. Essential oils are volatile aromatic extracts used in tiny quantities; carrier oils like grape seed make up the bulk of a blend and dilute the essential oils within it.
Vitis Vinifera
Vitis vinifera — the common grape vine — originates around the Mediterranean, Central Europe and western Asia, and is now cultivated on every continent except Antarctica. Something in the order of eight thousand grape varieties are recognised.
Grape seed oil is a byproduct of winemaking. The seeds left behind after pressing are crushed or cold-pressed to extract the oil. It's plentiful, cheap relative to other carrier oils, and light enough to be used as a salad dressing.
A Long History
Evidence of grape cultivation goes back roughly 6,000 years in what is now Georgia, in the South Caucasus — among the earliest winemaking sites known. Romans and ancient Egyptians left remains of wineries behind them. The Greek physicians of antiquity wrote about grapes and grape products in their medical texts.
Little of the plant was wasted. The fruit went to wine and juice, the leaves to cooking and decoration, and the seeds were pressed for oil.
What's in Grape Seed Oil
Grape seed oil is high in polyunsaturated fat, and its dominant fatty acid is linoleic acid — an omega-6 fatty acid that makes up the majority of its content. It is also a good source of vitamin E, at roughly 29mg per 100g.
It is worth being clear about what it doesn't contain. Grape seed oil is often described online as rich in vitamins C and D. It isn't. Vitamin C is water-soluble and doesn't carry over into a pressed seed oil, and vitamin D isn't produced by plants at all. Vitamin E is the vitamin claim that holds up.
Why Grape Seed Oil Works in Beard Care
Three properties make it a good carrier oil for a beard:
- It's light. Heavier oils like coconut weigh hair down and leave it looking greasy. Grape seed doesn't.
- It absorbs quickly into the hair and the skin beneath, rather than sitting on top of it.
- It's non-comedogenic — it doesn't block pores.
For a beard, that means conditioning the hair and the skin under it without the greasy residue that puts most men off using anything at all. It pairs well with jojoba, which is why we use both.
Grape Seed Oil FAQs
Is grape seed oil an essential oil?
No. It is a carrier oil. Essential oils are concentrated aromatic extracts used in very small amounts; carrier oils make up the base of a blend and dilute them.
Does grape seed oil contain vitamin C or vitamin D?
No. It is a good source of vitamin E, at around 29mg per 100g. It contains negligible vitamin C and no vitamin D — plants don't produce vitamin D.
Does grape seed oil clog pores?
Grape seed oil is generally considered non-comedogenic. It is light and absorbs quickly rather than sitting on the skin.
What is the main fatty acid in grape seed oil?
Linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, makes up the majority of grape seed oil's fatty acid content.
Is grape seed oil good for beards?
It conditions beard hair and the skin beneath it, absorbs quickly, and is light enough not to leave the beard looking greasy. It is the most widely used carrier oil in beard oil for those reasons.
Does grape seed oil come from wine grapes?
Yes. It is pressed from the seeds left over after grapes are crushed for wine — a byproduct of winemaking.
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