Why Is My Beard So Dry? How to Get It Soft and Manageable

A dry beard feels rough, looks frizzy, tangles easily and often itches. The good news is it's usually down to a few habits that are easy to fix.

What's drying your beard out

• Harsh washing. Regular shampoo or soap strips the natural oils. (More on that in can you use regular shampoo on your beard.)
• Hot showers. Hot water pulls moisture out of hair and skin.
• Sun, wind and air-con. All of them dry out hair and skin, and Australia gives you plenty of all three.
• Not oiling the skin. Beard hair gets its moisture from the skin underneath. Dry skin means a dry beard.
• Coarse hair. Beard hair is thicker than head hair, and the natural oil struggles to travel down it, especially as it gets longer.

How to fix a dry beard

1. Wash gentler and less often

Use a sulfate-free beard wash like Eleven Mile 3 to 4 times a week, with lukewarm water. Rinse with plain water on the other days.

2. Oil every day, on damp hair

Apply Iron Beard Oil after your shower, while your beard is still damp. Work it into the skin first, then through to the ends. It's built on a five-oil base of Abyssinian, Meadowfoam, Jojoba, Camellia and Avocado, plus Cupuaçu Butter, for conditioning that holds up all day.

3. Add a butter for deep conditioning

If oil alone isn't cutting it, Iron Beard Butter is made for dry, coarse or unruly beards. Shea, Mango and Cupuaçu Butters do the heavy lifting. Warm a small amount between your palms and work it into a slightly damp beard. Use it after a shower, or at night as a treatment.

4. Brush every day

A boar bristle brush carries oil from the skin all the way down the hair, which is exactly what a dry beard is missing.

How long until it's soft?

Most blokes notice a difference within a few days of oiling properly. Give it two weeks of a consistent routine and you'll feel it.

If the skin under your beard stays red, sore or flaky no matter what you do, have a chat to your GP or pharmacist.