Winter Beard Care: Keep Your Beard Soft When It's Cold Out
Dr. SlumberThe knock came just after eleven, when the lamps were low and the kettle had finally gone quiet. A traveler stood on my step with snow on his shoulders and a mustache frozen into one solid, glittering brick. "Doctor," he said, very carefully, because his lip wasn't moving much, "my beard feels like a broom." I sat him by the fire, handed him a warm towel and did what I always do. I prescribed a slower evening.
Here's the plain answer. Winter beard care comes down to three things: put moisture back, stop stripping it out, and protect the beard from the cold and the friction. Cold outdoor air holds very little water, and indoor heating dries the air in your house even further, so your beard hair and the skin under it lose moisture faster than they do in summer. Wash less often and with lukewarm water, use a conditioner when you do wash, work in beard oil every morning, and put a richer beard butter on before bed. That's most of the cure.
- Dry winter air outside and heated air inside both pull moisture from your beard and skin. That's why it gets wiry, frizzy and flaky in the cold months.
- Wash with beard wash 2 to 3 times a week, rinse with lukewarm water on the other days, and condition every time you wash.
- Oil in the morning to soften and protect. Beard butter at night, when it has hours to sit without a scarf or a hat rubbing it off.
- Frozen mustache? Let it thaw indoors and pat it dry. Don't pick or pull the ice out.
Why your beard gets so dry in winter
A dry beard in winter isn't bad luck. Your beard spends half the day on a cold porch and the other half next to a radiator.
Cold air simply can't hold much water, so a January wind is drier than it feels. Then you come inside, the furnace kicks on, and the indoor air gets drier still. Your skin loses water into that air all day long. When the skin dries out, it gets tight and itchy and starts to shed little white flakes onto your collar.
The hair suffers too. Beard hair is coarser than the hair on your head, and the natural oil your skin makes has a long way to travel down each strand. In winter there's less of it to go around. The result is a beard that feels rough, frizzes up, tangles and pokes at your face. For beards that ran coarse even in July, see how to soften a coarse beard.
Then come the extras. Long hot showers strip oil off skin and hair. Wool scarves and turtlenecks rub against the beard for hours. Your own breath freezes on your mustache. Winter piles on, but good beard care in cold weather has a simple fix for each one.
Wash less, and wash warm, not hot
This is the change most men skip. Every wash pulls out some of the natural oil your beard needs. In summer you can get away with more. In winter, ease off.
- Beard wash 2 to 3 times a week. On the other days, rinse with water and move on.
- Lukewarm water on your face. Save the hot water for your back and shoulders. Turn it down before you rinse your beard.
- Skip the bar soap and the regular shampoo. A sulfate-free beard wash is gentler. Our washes are 8 oz, sulfate-free and made with aloe and five oils.
- Condition every time you wash. A rinse-out conditioner puts softness back right after the wash takes some away. If you're unsure whether it's worth the step, read do you need beard conditioner.
- Pat, don't rub. Squeeze water out with a towel. Use a dryer on low, and never head into freezing air with a wet beard.
My winter beard care routine, morning and night
The evening routine: butter before bed
Evening is the best time for your heaviest product. No scarf, no hat, and the butter gets hours to sit on the hair and skin. My bedtime prescription:
- Rinse or wash. If it's a wash night, use beard wash and conditioner in a warm (not hot) shower. If it's not, a splash of lukewarm water is enough.
- Towel dry until damp. Butter spreads more evenly on a slightly damp beard.
- Warm a small scoop. About the size of a pea for a short beard, a fingertip for a medium one, a bit more for a long one. Rub it between your palms.
- Skin first, then the hair. Press your fingertips down to the skin and work it in. Then pull it out through the length.
- Comb it through. A wide-tooth comb spreads it and gets any tangles out before you sleep on them.
- Go to bed. I mean it. Put the phone down.
Our beard butters are 4 oz tins of shea and cocoa butter with a touch of beeswax. They're thicker and creamier than oil, which is why they suit winter nights so well. New to it? what is beard butter explains it in a few minutes.
The morning routine: oil before the cold
Mornings call for something lighter. Beard oil soaks in faster than butter and gives the hair a light coat before it meets the wind.
- 3 to 5 drops for a short beard, 5 to 8 for medium, around 10 for a long one.
- Warm it in your palms, work it into the skin, then through the hair, then comb.
- Give it a few minutes to settle before you head out.
If the skin under your beard is the main problem, with tightness or flaking, beard oil for dry skin goes deeper on that.
Oil, butter or conditioner: what each one does in winter
| Product | When to use it | What it does for a winter beard |
|---|---|---|
| Beard conditioner | Every wash, in the shower | Puts softness back right after washing and makes combing easier |
| Beard oil | Every morning | Light coat on hair and skin, soaks in fast, fine under a hat or scarf |
| Beard butter | Before bed, or any time it feels rough | Thicker, creamier conditioning that sits longer on dry, coarse hair |
| Beard balm | Mornings, if you need hold | Beeswax gives light hold for flyaways and frizz |
You don't need all four. For winter beard care, conditioner on wash days, oil in the morning and butter at night covers most beards.
Beard frizz in winter, scarves and static
You pull off a wool scarf and half your beard stands straight out, crackling. That's static, and it comes from dry hair rubbing against dry fabric in dry air.
- Moisture is the real fix. Dry hair builds static more easily. Keep up the oil and butter and you'll see far less of it.
- Change what touches your beard. Rough wool is the worst offender. A cotton, fleece or silk-lined scarf rubs less.
- Carry a little help. A drop of oil or a smear of balm on your palms, run over the beard, calms flyaways in seconds.
- Add some moisture to the air. A humidifier in the bedroom helps your skin and your beard while you sleep.
Frost on the mustache
Every warm breath you take in freezing weather carries water, and your mustache sits right in the way. That moisture freezes onto the hairs, and on a cold enough day you get exactly what my midnight visitor had: icicles.
- Don't yank the ice off. Pulling at frozen hair can snap it. Let it thaw indoors, then pat it dry with a towel.
- Cover your mouth outside. A loose scarf or neck gaiter over your mouth keeps your breath from hitting the cold air right at your lip.
- Oil before you go. A light coat of oil or balm on the mustache before a long cold walk keeps the hair more flexible. It won't stop frost, but the hair copes better.
When it's more than dry skin
Some flaking and itch is normal in winter and usually settles once you wash less and moisturize more. If you see greasy yellow flakes, red patches, or an itch that keeps going for weeks even with a good routine, that's worth a visit to a dermatologist. Our guide to beard dandruff covers the difference between dry flakes and the stubborn kind.
My winter picks
I reach for my own blend first, because lavender and vanilla suit a cold evening. Any scent you love does the same job.
- Dr. Slumber Beard Butter. 4 oz tin, $26.99. Shea and cocoa butter with a touch of beeswax, scented with Fresh Lavender, Orange Flower and Vanilla Bean. This is the bedtime one.
- Dr. Slumber Beard Oil. 1 oz bottle, $18.99. Castor, coconut, sweet almond, argan and jojoba oils with the same lavender blend. Your morning dose.
- Dr. Slumber Beard Conditioner. 8 oz, $24.99. A rinse-out conditioner with shea butter, aloe and plant oils, for every wash day.
Sweet almond oil comes from a tree nut, so check with your doctor if you have a nut allergy, and patch test anything new on your jaw first. If fragrance bothers your skin, The Barkeep line is unscented. You can see the rest of the shelf in the beard butter collection.
FAQ
Why is my beard so dry in winter?
Cold outdoor air holds little moisture, and indoor heating dries the air even more. Add hot showers and wool scarves, and your beard hair and skin lose moisture faster than they can replace it.
How often should I wash my beard in winter?
For most men, 2 to 3 times a week with a beard wash is plenty. Rinse with lukewarm water on the other days and use a conditioner every time you wash.
Should I use beard oil or beard butter in winter?
Both work well together. Use oil in the morning because it soaks in fast and sits fine under a hat, and use butter at night because it is thicker and has hours to condition the hair.
How do I stop beard frizz and static in winter?
Keep the beard moisturized with oil and butter, since dry hair builds static more easily. Swap rough wool scarves for cotton or silk-lined ones, and smooth flyaways with a drop of oil or a little balm.
One last thing
My traveler stayed by the fire until the ice on his lip had melted into a puddle on my rug. I sent him home with a tin of butter and one instruction: use it at bedtime, and actually go to bed. He came back a week later, in daylight, and kept touching his beard while he talked. Winter is long. Your evenings can be gentle.
Your beard, your story.
— Dr. Slumber
