Beard Care Guide: Hard Water, Saltwater and Chlorine

Most beard care advice assumes you're washing in soft, clean water. Plenty of blokes aren't. If you live in a hard-water area, hit the pool, or spend time in the surf, your beard is dealing with mineral deposits, salt and chlorine. Left alone, they leave it rough, brittle and hard to manage.

The good news is a few small changes to your routine make a big difference.

The problem with hard water

Hard water carries dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. When it dries on your beard, the minerals stay behind as a residue. Over time that can leave beard hair feeling stiff and coarse, and it can get in the way of your wash, oil and balm.

Signs of hard-water build-up:

• Your beard feels rough or wiry even after washing
• Products don't seem to work as well as they used to
• The beard looks dull and flat
• The skin underneath feels dry or itchy

The problem with saltwater

Salt draws moisture out of beard hair and leaves crystals behind as it dries. That crunchy beach texture might feel the part, but it leaves hair brittle and dehydrated, and the skin underneath can dry out, itch and flake.

The problem with chlorine

Chlorine strips the natural oils from your beard and skin. Regular pool swimmers often find the beard gets harder to manage and the skin underneath ends up dry and irritated. Repeated exposure can also change the colour and texture of the hair.

Your simple water-care routine

Whether it's hard water, salt or chlorine, the idea is the same: rinse well, cleanse properly, then put the moisture back.

1. Pre-rinse before you get in

If you're heading into the surf or the pool, rinse your beard with fresh water first. Hair that's already full of fresh water soaks up less salt and chlorine. It takes 30 seconds.

2. Rinse thoroughly afterwards

As soon as you're out, rinse your beard with fresh water to flush out most of the salt, chlorine or mineral residue before it dries in. At home in hard water, finishing with a cooler rinse is kinder on your hair and skin than a long hot one.

3. Wash with a proper beard wash

Body wash and face soap aren't made for beard hair and strip out what little moisture is left. Eleven Mile Beard & Face Wash is built to clean without stripping. Here's what's in it and why:

• Gentle, sulfate-free cleansers. Plant-derived glucoside cleansers lift oil and residue without the harsh, squeaky-dry feel of a sulfate wash.
• Activated charcoal. Draws out grit, excess oil and the leftover film that salt, chlorine and minerals can leave behind.
• Witch hazel water. A light, refreshing base that leaves the skin feeling clean and settled.
• Niacinamide and panthenol (vitamin B5). Skin-conditioning ingredients that help the skin under your beard feel comfortable rather than tight.
• Glycerin. A humectant that attracts moisture, so the wash doesn't leave your beard feeling parched.
• Caffeine and green tea extract. Botanical extracts that round out the formula and leave the skin feeling refreshed.

Lather it through, work it down to the skin and rinse well. If your beard feels coated after a lot of swimming or a stretch in hard water, work the wash in with the Beard & Scalp Scrubber. It loosens build-up at skin level. Go light on the pressure, you're helping the wash, not scrubbing.

4. Put the moisture back

Washing, and especially chlorine and salt, takes oils out of your beard. After cleansing, you need to put them back. Apply Iron Beard Oil to a damp beard (not dripping), while the hair is still slightly open.

The oil is a blend of Abyssinian, Meadowfoam, Jojoba, Camellia and Avocado oils with Cupuaçu and vitamin E (tocopherol):

• Jojoba is close to the skin's own oils, so it conditions without feeling heavy.
• Meadowfoam and Camellia are light, silky oils that add softness and a smooth finish.
• Abyssinian and Avocado bring richness and conditioning to dry, rough hair.
• Cupuaçu is an Amazonian ingredient prized for its water-holding, softening feel, which makes it a good fit for hair that's been dried out by chlorine or salt.
• Vitamin E helps protect the oils in the blend.

Warm 3 to 4 drops in your palms for a short to medium beard, work them into the skin first, then through to the tips. For a really dried-out beard, finish with a little Iron Beard Butter, which is made with Shea, Mango and Cupuaçu butters for deeper conditioning.

How often?

Every time you swim, ocean or pool, do the lot: pre-rinse, rinse after, wash, oil. Don't let salt or chlorine sit in your beard overnight.

For hard water at home, washing every couple of days is usually enough to stay on top of mineral build-up without over-cleansing. Oil after every wash.

The short version

• Before swimming: pre-rinse with fresh water
• After swimming or showering: rinse thoroughly
• Cleanse: Eleven Mile, with the scrubber for stubborn build-up
• Condition: Iron Beard Oil on a damp beard, with butter for extra dry beards

Want the lot in one box? The Starter Kit has the wash, scrubber and a full-size oil in your choice of scent. Free shipping Australia-wide.