Hair

Everything on hair

1. Index Explainer

   November 3, 2026

   • Hair

   Beard

   Beard oils: what’s actually in them and what they do

   Beard oils are mostly light carrier oils (jojoba, argan, sometimes castor) plus fragrance; as topical emollients they soften coarse facial hair and can reduce skin inflammation and itch, but there’s little direct human evidence that they make beards thicker or grow faster. (Evidence for moisturising and anti-inflammatory effects comes mainly from lab, animal and formulation studies.)

   In animals4 min read

2. Index Explainer

   November 3, 2026

   • Skin
   • Hair

   Jojoba

   Jojoba isn’t an oil, and why that matters for your skin

   Jojoba is chemically a liquid wax made largely of wax esters, the same lipid class that contributes substantially to human sebum. That chemical kinship and jojoba’s compositional stability explain many of its practical advantages, but controlled human trials showing it ‘balances’ oil production are lacking.

   Small human study5 min read