Can I Safely Use Beard Oils if I Have a Dog?

It doesn’t matter if your dog is the size of a small cat or the size of a small horse, many of “man’s best friends” would give anything to be up in your face, on your lap, giving you licks (which can be on your beard) as if their life depended on it. A concern which people have when getting into beard care is “How safe is beard oil for my dog and what can I do to keep them safe?”. Pet safety is a large concern for us: a few years ago we developed a paw ointment to keep our own dog’s healthy, and we have helped many cat owners keep their furry friends safe as well through a similarly written blog we did for them. In this blog dedicated to your dog, we’ll help get rid of the fog surrounding the safety of beard oil for your pet.

When looking at dog safety around beard oils, the ingredient(s) which pose the most risk to dogs are those which give beard oils their scent - essential oils. Essential oils are plant extracts which have an effect on our bodies, and similarly yet separately affect the bodies of dogs. Something as innocuous as a relaxing peppermint bath can turn out to be toxic to your dog if they stick their snout in, leading to digestive tract issues.

Fortunately diluted forms of essential oils such as beard oils, which are primarily composed of carrier oils, don’t typically prove toxic if you aren’t applying it directly to your dog or allowing them to ingest it. Beard oils typically contain about 5% essential oil in their composition, which is about 18-30 drops. Because of the large range of sizes between dog breeds, we cannot give a generalized statement about how much any essential oil will affect your dog and we recommend across the board that you stay safe with a beard oil which omits the use of essential oils. We would also highly recommend taking a look at this ASPCA article about the potential risks of essential oils in relation to your pets.

Much like the cats we wrote about previously, we expect that pet owners will make their own choices based on their own lives. To that end, we’d like to present to you a small list of actions which can help keep your dog safe.

A few things you can do to help your dog, regardless of scented or unscented oils:

Keep your beard oil in a safe, closed-access place away from where your dog can possibly knock a bottle over

Don’t apply any beard oils directly to your dog - the pleasant smell to you can be harmful to them

If your dog somehow gains access to an oil, do your best to prevent them from licking their paws or fur where they had contact

If you think your dog is ill due to an oil, contact your local vet as soon as possible and be ready to provide information on the ingredients of the oil

Keep in mind that even if your dog isn’t one to snuggle often, their nose is still far more powerful than yours. Purchasing beard oils which do not contain essential oils is still our recommendation as it’ll keep them from being potentially overwhelmed by the scented oils, while still allowing you to care for your own grooming needs.

Remember: Essential oils are sourced from plants. Both can be toxic to a dog via more than only ingestion.

Just as with the plants you buy for your household, it’s best to practice caution and do a little bit of research and double check that nothing you’re using could be toxic to your canine companion. Dogs metabolize differently from humans and aren’t necessarily equipped biologically to handle the same things we can. We wanted to help our customers educate themselves on the topic and have located a reputable online resource which contains a list of potentially dangerous essential oils for dogs.

As with any other product you may use around or directly on your dog, please exercise caution as your first step, especially if they have a history of health issues.

If you don’t have the time to invest in researching what to avoid regarding essential oils for your dog, we would recommend avoiding scented beard products per the information available through multiple sources.

So if I don’t use scented beard oils, what can I use?

Fortunately for you and your cat, we’ve already been making a beard oil that is safe for humans with allergies which optionally contains zero essential oils, meaning you can responsibly use it around your cat. Braveheart Beard Oil’s “Mellow Knights” is the safest option for both you and your cat if you have any concerns about the oils or their vapors causing any harm while still maintaining the high quality we ensure with all of our products.

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