No 28 Heritage Beard & Face Oil is a 100% natural oil serum formulated to do two things at once: condition the beard and nourish the skin beneath it. Most men who use a beard oil are also applying something to their face. This formula is designed to replace both in a single step. Thirteen nourishing oils, including rare African botanicals. Zero synthetics. No water. No filler.

Jojoba and Olive Squalane form the backbone. Both are fast-absorbing and dry-touch, which means this formula never sits on top of the skin or leaves the beard looking glossy or greasy. Argan and Baobab, both with centuries of African traditional use, work on the beard cuticle and support the skin underneath. Castor Oil adds a precise measure of natural hold to help tame flyaways without adding weight. Marula Oil, indigenous to Southern Africa, brings oleic acid and natural antioxidants to reinforce the skin barrier beneath the beard.

The scent is Cedarwood Atlas, Frankincense, Vetiver, and Black Pepper: four steam-distilled essential oils built into a single masculine accord. A woody base, a resinous mid, an earthy anchor, and a sharp spice lift. No synthetic fragrance. Nothing added that is not on the ingredient list.

The Ritual

How to Use

Dispense 3 to 5 pumps into your palm and warm between your hands. Work through the beard from root to tip, then press any remaining oil into the skin beneath and along the jawline. For stubble or a shorter beard, use 2 to 3 pumps. Apply daily to slightly damp skin after showering.

When to Use

Daily. Best applied to slightly damp skin after showering, when the beard and skin are warm and the oil distributes more evenly. Suitable for morning and evening use.

Where in the Ritual

After cleansing with No 01 Facial Mousse or your usual face wash. Use as the final step in your grooming Ritual before dressing. The essential oil blend is 100% steam-distilled and photostable, so there is no sun sensitivity restriction.

The Rare Actives: A Beard and Face Oil Built on African Ingredients

Thirteen ingredients. Each chosen for a specific function: conditioning the beard, nourishing the face, stabilising the formula, or building the scent. Nothing decorative.

Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil)

The largest single ingredient in this formula. Jojoba is technically a liquid wax, not an oil, which means its molecular structure mimics the skin’s own sebum more closely than almost any true plant oil. It absorbs readily into both beard hair and the skin beneath without triggering excess oil production, and its waxy structure gives it the longest oxidative stability of any ingredient in the blend: the reason this formula stays stable for up to 18 months without a preservative system.

Olive Squalane

Ultra-lightweight and skin-identical. The skin beneath the beard recognises squalane as its own lipid and absorbs it readily. It is the ingredient responsible for the dry-touch, non-greasy finish: penetrates fast and leaves no residue on the beard or face. Derived from olive oil. Also contributes a layer of oxidative stability alongside the Jojoba backbone.

Meadowfoam Seed Oil (Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil)

The silent stabiliser of the formula. Meadowfoam has an unusually long-chain fatty acid structure (predominantly eicosenoic acid) that gives it one of the longest oxidative stability profiles of any natural plant oil. It forms a protective film around the more delicate oils in the blend, slowing their oxidation and extending shelf life. It also contributes significantly to the silky, premium texture of the formula.

Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil)

Traditionally used across North Africa for generations to condition hair and skin. Argan’s balanced oleic and linoleic fatty acid profile helps smooth the beard hair cuticle, visibly reducing frizz and coarseness, while also conditioning the tougher facial skin around the jawline. Naturally rich in tocopherols, which contributes to its own oxidative stability within the formula.

Marula Oil (Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil)

Indigenous to Southern Africa and ancestrally used across the region for generations. Marula is rich in oleic acid and naturally occurring antioxidants that help support the skin barrier beneath the beard without sitting on top of it. Lightweight and fast-absorbing, with a dry finish that suits the overall texture of this formula. A brand-signature ingredient across the Rare Ritual range.

Baobab Oil (Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil)

Cold-pressed from the seeds of the African baobab tree. Baobab is rich in omega fatty acids and naturally occurring tocopherols that help support skin elasticity and barrier function, particularly useful for the often dry, flaky skin that develops underneath a full beard. One of the genuinely uncommon ingredients in this formula. Most beard oil formulas do not include it; most should.

Castor Oil (Ricinus Communis Seed Oil)

The taming ingredient. Castor’s high ricinoleic acid content gives beard hair a touch of natural hold, helping to control flyaways and keep the beard looking intentional rather than overgrown. Kept at low concentration in this formula: present just enough to do the job, without adding weight or shine.

Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

A natural antioxidant that works alongside Rosemary Extract to protect the formula from oxidative degradation. Tocopherol and Rosemary operate through different antioxidant pathways, which means together they provide broader formula protection than either would alone. Also contributes to the long shelf stability of this anhydrous formula without a synthetic preservative.

Cedarwood Atlas, Frankincense, Vetiver & Black Pepper Essential Oils

A bespoke masculine scent accord built from four steam-distilled essential oils. Cedarwood Atlas provides a soft, warm woody base. Frankincense adds a resinous, slightly complex mid note, a brand-signature note across the Rare Ritual range. Vetiver anchors the blend with a deep, earthy root character. Black Pepper lifts the whole accord with a sharp, warm top note. No synthetic fragrance. Nothing added that is not on the ingredient list.

Why This Beard and Face Oil Works

This formula is built on three functional layers that work simultaneously.

The first layer is the conditioning backbone: Jojoba and Squalane provide the base carrier system. Both are dry-touch and skin-identical, which means they absorb fast and leave no oily residue on either the beard hair or the facial skin. This is what separates a well-formulated beard and face oil from one that just sits on the surface.

The second layer is the nourishing and barrier support layer: Argan, Marula, and Baobab each bring centuries of African traditional use and strong oleic fatty acid profiles that condition the beard cuticle and support the skin barrier beneath it. Meadowfoam stabilises the whole blend, slowing the oxidation of the more delicate oils and contributing to the silky texture. Castor adds precise, low-level hold for the beard without disrupting the lightweight finish on the face.

The third layer is the antioxidant protection system: Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and Rosemary Leaf Extract work through different antioxidant pathways, providing dual-route protection for both the formula in the bottle and the skin during use. This is the system that keeps the formula stable and effective for up to 18 months without any synthetic preservative.

100% anhydrous. No water means no bacteria growth environment, which means no preservative system required. What goes in is what goes on.

Key Benefits of This Beard and Face Oil

Dual-purpose conditioning: Jojoba’s liquid wax structure mimics the skin’s own sebum, conditioning both beard hair and the skin beneath with the same application. Argan Oil’s balanced fatty acid profile helps visibly smooth the beard cuticle, reducing the appearance of frizz and coarseness, while also conditioning the tougher skin around the jawline. One formula. No second product.

Skin barrier nourishment: Marula Oil, indigenous to Southern Africa and rich in oleic acid and natural antioxidants, helps support the skin barrier beneath and around the beard. Baobab reinforces this with its omega fatty acids and naturally occurring tocopherols, helping to address the dryness that commonly develops under a full beard.

Natural hold without weight or shine: Castor Oil’s ricinoleic acid provides a light, natural hold that helps keep flyaways controlled and the beard looking groomed. Kept at low concentration in this formula: just enough to tame, without adding heaviness or a greasy shine.

Dry-touch, non-greasy finish: Olive Squalane is skin-identical and ultra-lightweight. It absorbs quickly and leaves no oily residue on the beard or the face. Meadowfoam Seed Oil contributes a silky, premium texture that makes the application genuinely pleasant: no drag, no tackiness.

Bespoke masculine scent: 100% natural: Cedarwood Atlas, Frankincense, Vetiver, and Black Pepper: four steam-distilled essential oils combined into a single masculine accord. No synthetic fragrance. No fragrance ingredients beyond what is listed on the INCI.

Long-term formula stability: Jojoba’s waxy molecular structure and Meadowfoam’s eicosenoic acid content provide a dual-layer oxidative stability system. Tocopherol and Rosemary Extract add antioxidant protection through two independent pathways. This formula is designed to stay stable and effective for up to 18 months without a synthetic preservative system.

What It Replaces

This formula consolidates:

• A dedicated beard oil
• A separate face or skin oil
• A light beard balm or styling product

Jojoba and Squalane absorb cleanly enough for use directly on facial skin. Argan and Baobab condition beard hair and the skin beneath with equal effectiveness. Castor provides enough natural hold to remove the need for a separate styling step for most beard types. One application covers the beard, the skin beneath it, and the jawline.

Full Ingredients

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Cedrus Atlantica (Cedarwood Atlas) Bark Oil, Boswellia Carterii (Frankincense) Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides (Vetiver) Root Oil, Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper) Fruit Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract.

Contains essential oils (Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Piper Nigrum Fruit Oil). Patch test before first use. Discontinue use if irritation develops.

100% Natural. 100% Anhydrous. No water, no synthetic ingredients, no preservative system required.

Storage & Care

• 100% anhydrous: no water in this formula. No preservative system required.
• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat.
• Amber glass packaging: do not transfer to clear glass.
• Best used within 12 months of opening.
• Keep out of reach of children.
• For external use only.

About Rare Ritual

Rare Ritual is a Cape Town-based skincare and grooming brand built around ingredient integrity and intelligent simplicity. Every formula is fully disclosed and explained. You know what is in the product and why. No filler ingredients, no padding, no greenwashing.

The range is designed as a Ritual, not a collection of random products. Ritual Finder helps you build what your skin and grooming Ritual actually needs, nothing more. Each product has a number. Each number has a function.