‘Not ego, not laziness’: Dubbo brothers fight to get tradies to start skincare

There are some things that are inevitable about life in Australia: death, taxes and sunburn. For the nearly two million tradesmen on Australian soil, the latter pose a particular threat because they spend most of their time outside in the sun with tools.

On average, one-third of blue-collar workers will spend at least three hours outside in direct sunlight, while 36 percent will be exposed to more than five hours of direct sunlight each day.

Not using sunscreen, staying on the ball with the help of energy drinks, and running due to lack of sleep.

They throw back a beer or three after a busy day.

It turns out that this can have a serious impact on their health.

PureProfile research found that 33 per cent of tradespeople said they rarely applied sunscreen to their faces, while 28 per cent said they never or rarely used sunscreen.

As a result, most tradespeople have no idea how damaging this is to their skin.

Two blue-collar brothers Beau and Zac London are trying to change.

The boys, from Dubbo in the NSW Central West, spend most of their days outside in the sun, earning their living as chippies and plumbers.

They discovered the power of skin care during Covid quarantines.

“I was going crazy at home and came across my mom’s pink clay mask; I cracked it up a bit and the results were actually pretty good,” Zac told NewsWire.

“But it didn’t feel like a brand to an Australian guy, let alone a shopkeeper.”

Zac came home empty-handed after searching the supermarket for something he could use.

“The difference in quality between the women’s aisle and the men’s aisle was ridiculous,” he said.

“We saw a huge gap in the market and took it with both hands.”

Although armed with an idea, the duo had no experience in marketing, product development, or business, so they jumped into the deep end.

“We went straight from school into the field, so learning all of that at the same time while trying to build a brand was like studying Chinese without knowing how to read Chinese,” Beau said.

“But I think that naivety actually worked to our advantage; we didn’t know what not to do, so we did it anyway.”

Frasé Skin, a skin care brand designed especially for men who stay in the sun all day, has arrived.

“No brand has given them visibility,” Zac told NewsWire.

“When every product on the shelf is marketed to office workers, lifestyle guys and beauty shoppers, a shopkeeper walks into that aisle and nothing speaks to her or her problems, so she doesn’t engage. It’s not ego, it’s not laziness – it’s just that she’s never been spoken to.”

Zac and Beau said they weren’t surprised to hear that most crafters rarely wear sunscreen when working with tools.

“When you’re a tradesman, especially when you’re young, you feel bulletproof,” Beau told NewsWire.

“It’s the classic Australian ‘he’ll be right’ mentality; it won’t happen to me.”

They said the roofers worked outside all day and would be burned to a crisp, but at the end of the day they would laugh about it.

“(The more) red the better,” they said.

“It’s exactly this attitude that worries us, because these are the guys who will pay the price for it down the line.”

According to the PureProfile report, 14 percent of outdoor workers have been burned more than five times in the last 12 months, and 68 percent have been sunburned at least twice.

It can cause serious health problems like skin cancer along the way.

“If you are a gadget savvy person reading this, please go get a skin check,” Beau said.

“It doesn’t cost anything and could save your life.

“Wear sunscreen, make it a part of your morning just like you put on your boots.”

But it’s not just about the sun.

“The guys in the field whip their bodies through long hours, hard physical labor, and longer exposure to the sun than almost any other workforce,” Zac told NewsWire.

Diet and lack of sleep play a role in affecting women’s health.

“A lot of guys are just trying to make a living,” he said.

“When you’re at work from the early hours of the morning, you’re focused on your work; energy drinks on the go, takeaways for lunch and sunscreen are the last things on your mind.”

Since the business was founded in 2023, the duo has amassed nearly 50,000 followers and took to the streets to test whether women were wearing sunscreen.

Most of the time the answer was “no”.

The brothers now hope their skincare brand, which has become a gang leader since its launch in 2023, recording 128 per cent year-on-year growth, recording $3.4 million in revenue for FY26 and having more than 40,000 Australian customers, will become the go-to tool for tradesmen in the morning.

The skincare brand will soon be available in US and Australian supermarkets.

“You’re talking about three simple steps for a tradesman. Wash your face, moisturize with a built-in SPF, and you’re done,” Beau said.

“Two minutes before we go to the field in the morning. That’s it. We’ve taken everything back so there’s no excuse not to do it.”