Having lots of facial hair in the summer can be challenging if you don’t know how to care for your beard.
Let our list of tips guide you in the hottest months of the year so you can look your best while keeping yourself comfortable with your beloved beard.
1. Keep your beard
Having a beard doesn’t necessarily mean your neck area will be warmer than it already is because of the weather.
Generally speaking, beards are poor insulators so they don’t lock in heat, despite their appearance.
You can trim your beard to make it look tidier, but there’s no need to perform a clean shave just because it’s summer.
Think of all the time you spent growing it!
2. Keep It Clean
Hair in general catches dirt and other types of grime easily. Use a beard cleansing agent to keep your beard free of dirt, excess oils and other nasty pollutants.
The best time for beard cleansing is in the morning, right after your shower.
If you don’t keep your beard clean, you’re going to experience itching and irritation.
A clean beard gets along with associated skin just fine.
3. Drink Lots of Water
Skin and hair require lots of moisture to remain healthy and shiny.
During the hottest months of the year, natural moisture in the skin dissipates more quickly, making hair more brittle and prone to damage.
Drinking water solves this problem by allowing the body to naturally replenish moisture in the skin lost to the heat of the sun.
Make sure you gulp cool water when you’re at the beach, as sun exposure is constant and seawater doesn’t exactly promote moisturized skin (i.e. salt draws away moisture from the skin).
4. Watch Your Beard Oil
Not all beard oils are appropriate for the summer heat. Check any fragrances or additional oils formulated in your beard oil.
Opt for cooler oils such as lavender and peppermint to keep your skin hydrated and cool.
Wood fragrance oils are better suited for cooler months of the year, so swap them for beard oils that will help keep your skin cool and free of irritation.
5. Grab Your Scissors
If despite all your preparations you feel uncomfortable having a beard, we still do not recommend shaving it all off.
Try trimming, first. Removing two inches of beard usually does the trick, if you feel itchy and irritated from the length of your beard.
If you’re up for it, you may want to try shaping your beard, too.
6. Get A Mini-Spray
Empty fragrance bottles made of plastic can be reused as mini-beard conditioners.
Simply spray your beard with a little water when you feel that it is already drying out.
If you’re able to spray your bead consistently, you won’t have to reapply beard oil and cleansing your facial hair will be easier, too.
7. Don’t Forget To Soften It
Due to the incessant heat, you may notice your beard becoming stiffer and stragglier than usual.
While water helps moisturize facial hair, it does nothing to keep in moisture. For effective locking-in of moisture, you need a beard softener.
Beard softeners introduce a variety of compounds to the hair and skin, including beeswax, which prevents moisture from escaping quickly into the environment.
8. Remember To Exfoliate
Exfoliating the skin, either with dedicated tonics or even basic salt scrubs is essential for beard care during the summer months.
Here’s why: when you’re dealing with summer, you’re dealing with heat and humidity. The skin sweats more and catches more dirt than usual.
Skin underneath your beard is hidden, so it doesn’t get as much attention as we would want when you’re washing your face.
Exfoliation takes care of this detail: by gently exfoliating the skin under your beard, you’re taking away not just dead skin cells but dirt and grime as well.
If you keep your skin pristine, your beard will look shiny and healthy, too.
9. Protect It From The Sun
The sun can be so harsh on our beards that they actually crack under the intense heat.
You can either hide from the sun or just apply hair sunscreen, instead.
Any sunscreen product designed for hair will do.
A small quantity of sunscreen is sufficient, as long as you remember to apply it evenly on your beard so the entire facial net is protected.
10. Don’t Scratch It!
Scratching doesn’t give you a single known benefit.
If you scratch your beard, you’re going to develop sore spots and terminally itchy points on your facial net. Just avoid scratching as much as possible.
If your beard is itchy, then it’s probably sweat or grime. Wash your beard and dry it out completely and see if your beard cooperates.
If not, a trim is in order. A trimmed beard is better than skin damaged from scratching.
11. Keep The Chlorine Off
This applies to hair on the top of your head, too.
If you’re constantly in the pool in the summer, your beard is going to take damage from the chlorine in the water. But don’t worry: you can still save your facial hair.
The trick is to keep your beard cleanser nearby. After swimming, simply wash your beard thoroughly and reapply sunscreen before swimming again.
Make sure that you apply sunscreen 15-20 minutes before swimming as this is the average time needed for sunscreen to set effectively.
Take care of your beard so you won’t have to perform intensive conditioning after summer.
You can maintain your springtime beard appearance by shielding your beard from summer injury.
12. Avoid Experimenting With Your Beard
Beard oil, softeners and cleansers are all you will ever need to keep your beard in top condition.
If you’re not sure with a new product, there’s no need to ‘mix up’ your beard grooming routine.
Some products can actually more harm than good by drying out facial hair, especially products that promise “instant shine and fragrance.”
Check the active ingredients of any new beard care product and watch out for any alcohol content.
Alcohol draws out moisture, which is a no-no when you’re sporting any length of beard in the summer.
