Beard Care in Australian Conditions: Heat, Wind, Dust and Sun

Most beard care advice is written for a cool, damp climate. Australia is a different animal. Forty-degree days, dry wind, red dust, harsh sun, then heaters and air-con all winter. Your beard cops the lot.

Our Iron Range was developed over 18 months of field testing through every Australian season, so here's what we learned about keeping a beard right in these conditions.

Heat and sweat

Sweat and sunscreen build up in a beard fast, and that's when it starts to itch and smell.

• Wash at the end of a hot day with a gentle beard wash like Eleven Mile, then rinse with cool water.
• Use a little less oil on the hottest days. A couple of drops of Iron Beard Oil keeps it conditioned without feeling heavy.
• Pick a balm that won't melt and slide. Our Iron Beard Balm uses Beeswax and Berry Wax, so it holds its shape in the heat.

Sun and wind

Sun and dry wind pull moisture out of beard hair and the skin underneath, leaving it rough and brittle.

• Oil every morning before you head out, working it into the skin.
• Add Iron Beard Butter a few nights a week as a deep conditioning treatment.
• Don't forget sunscreen on the skin around your beard.

Dust, dirt and grease

If you work outdoors, on the tools or under a car, your beard is a dust filter.

• Wash at the end of the work day, not in the morning.
• Use a Beard & Scalp Scrubber to get grit out from down near the skin.
• Oil straight after, while your beard is damp, to put back what the day took out.

Winter, heaters and air-con

Dry indoor air is just as hard on a beard as the summer sun. This is when blokes get the worst itch and flakes.

• Cut back on hot showers. Lukewarm is kinder to hair and skin.
• Oil twice a day if it feels tight.
• Use butter more often for extra conditioning.

The short version

Wash gently, oil daily, condition more when it's dry, and adjust for the season. The Complete Kit covers the whole lot: wash, oil, balm and scrubber. Free shipping Australia-wide.