I’m a stay at home dad.

There, I’ve said it now.

Call me a dadpreneur if you will, but all I really am is a man, with a beard, who looks after the kids and the cooking, but also runs a small business here in Queenstown, New Zealand. That’s why it’s been a while since posting on here. Life gets busy.

My decision to become a stay at home dad was likely made after a couple of beers, but it was by far the best decision of my life. My decision to produce beard products was not nearly so clear-cut...

I just didn’t like the scents of commercial beard oils - I didn’t want to smell like a lumberjack and I certainly didn’t want to be inhaling sandalwood 6 hours after I applied it to my beard. On top of that I didn't want to use something who's main ingredient was sunflower oil - great for cooking, but do I want to spread it on my face?! So, I did some research and made my own. The rest is (nearly) history.

Personally I’ve found that a daily grooming routine makes me feel confident about the way I look and feel; some days of course I need a strong coffee to go with it, but it's usually a good start to the day.

I stand by what I make 100%. I use all of the products I sell and even use them on my kids skin when it gets really dry (great parenting tip there, kids love the coconut oil!). I only sell what I like and what works, it's just about being honest.

In the end, I want to help you become better men. Can grooming alone do that? No, there’s more beyond the beard but it’s a good start. Feel good about yourself, be proud of who you are and pay it forward - help out a stranger, take your kids on a bike ride, ditch the smart phone for a few hours… There's many ways to become a better man but I'll leave that for you to work out, this isn't a sermon!

In terms of what The Southern Alps Beard Co has done for me, it has made me feel indebted to all my customers - everyone’s dollars are hard earned and I am grateful that they have chosen to spend them with me, in return I hope that my products have made a difference.

Thanks guys (and girls who buy for their guys), beards are awesome in all shapes and sizes, let’s make them more awesome!

Mat Tyrrell
Founder