Summer has been here for a while and the heat is turned up! However, with it brings a new reality that have made many of us neglect our traditional care since we are in quarantine. Do you find yourself skipping as many washes or proper trims with your beard? If so, you aren’t alone. However, proper care of your beard is important not only to how you look and feel, but to your own mental and emotional health (as well as the comfort as those around you). The good news is that taking proper care of your bear in the summer months is not going to be a chore. Beard care is simple when done regularly and these tips for summer maintenance will prove it!
How to properly take care of your beard in the summer
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Invest in a good beard shampoo and summer oil: While you most likely already have beard shampoo and beard oil, you’ll want to check your stockpile to make sure you have enough for the season, as you’ll be washing it more frequently (more on that in a minute). Additionally, invest in a beard oil with a light scent and that is thinner than your typical bard oil. The lighter the better to keep its moisturization effective but not weighed down.
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Wash it more often: As you get more active in the summer (swimming, biking, jogging, etc), you’ll need to take more time to wash your beard. The more active you are, even just the heat around the house, the more grimy and greasy it’ll become. Washing should be about every two days rather than four like during the winter.
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Take a comb to it: Another way to keep comfortable with the heat is to take a beard comb and run it through daily, making sure to get loose hairs and tangles out at the beginning and end of each day. This will ease air flow as well and help keep your skin cool.
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Consider a slight trim: You don’t need to chop the full length off, of course, but you may want to thin it out and trim off just a little bit to help it stay easy to manage. This will help it look great and stay comfortable, too, as the more air flow your beard gets, the more comfortable it is going to be in the hot weather and sun.
Dangers of improper beard care
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Dry skin and irritation: Without proper shampoo, oil or balm, your skin will become dry and very irritated which can be uncomfortable particularly in the summer time. You’ll have dry flakes and general irritation as the beard moves.
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Smell and weight: A dirty and sweaty beard is a smelly beard, so proper hygiene is especially important when temperatures soar. Not to mention that it can become weighted down by pollen, debris and more.
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Has an impact on those around you: A scraggly, unwashed beard doesn’t do much for anyone, so if you want to always make sure that you are making a good impression, you’ll want to focus on those simple but effective hygiene effects. Even if you are still staying mostly around the house, having a healthy beard does wonders for those around you as well as even yourself and your own mental health.
Choosing a Lighter Beard Oil for Summer
Not every beard oil behaves the same in the heat. A heavier oil that felt fine in cooler months can feel greasy and heavy once sweat and humidity are added to the mix. Look for a lighter blend for summer — Wolf's Mane oils built around jojoba and grape seed oil absorb quickly rather than sitting on top of the beard, which matters more when you're already dealing with sweat.
Sweat, Chlorine, and Your Beard
Sweat itself doesn't damage a beard, but it does mean more frequent washing is reasonable in summer — every two to three days rather than stretching it out, especially if you're active outdoors. Chlorine is a bigger concern: pool water strips natural oils fast and can leave a beard feeling brittle. Rinse your beard with clean water immediately after swimming, and follow with a beard wash and oil as soon as you can.
Keeping a Beard Comfortable, Not Greasy
The line between "well-oiled" and "greasy" is thinner in summer heat. Use less oil than you might in winter — a couple of drops worked into the skin first, rather than a heavier application — and let a boar bristle brush distribute it evenly instead of adding more oil to fix unevenness. If your beard still feels greasy by midday, you're using too much, not too little.
This summer, even though it’s like no other summer we’ve seen before, take a little extra time and effort to keep up with the maintenance and the proper treatment of your beard. It isn’t as hard as you’d think (especially with the right beard shampoo and oil), and it really can make a difference to your overall health — not to mention the comfort of those around you.
