Your Summer Beard Survival Guide

Summertime and the living's easy — unless you have a beard — in which case, the living is a hot, sweaty mess.

Sure, maybe you’ve read that having a beard keeps you cooler by trapping sweat, allowing the breeze to act like your own personal air conditioning unit. But come on, you know that breeze isn’t really cooling you down all that much (if there even is a breeze).

And aside from it being just plain hot, there is a whole slew of other summertime beard hazards from chlorine to ticks to be mindful of.

It's a lot to deal with, and we certainly understand why you might be tempted to break out the clippers and shear your beard every summer.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

To help you keep your beard this summer, consider this your survival guide. The following 8 tips will help you rock your summer beard gracefully.

1. DON’T SWEAT IT

Beard or no beard, summer means you’re going to be sweating more. And if you live in a humid coastal climate, chances are you won’t really stop sweating until September.

Now, one of the biggest benefits of having a beard is that you practically have a ShamWow on your face. All that face sweat that would typically find its way into your mouth is going to get sopped up by your beard and mustache.

The downside is that all that sweat and grime get trapped beneath your beard with no easy way of escaping. This can lead to a buildup of oil that, if not addressed, can cause skin irritation, ingrown hairs, and pimples.

Here’s your first pro move — invest in a good, stiff 100% boar’s hair brush. All that sweat and dead skin trapped under your beard need to be exfoliated. The stiff bristles of a 100% boar’s hair brush can get down to the skin beneath your beard and help you stay clean.

Increased sweating also means you’re going to need to shower and wash your beard more frequently, leaving your beard and skin dryer than usual. Keep yourself stocked up on Utility Beard Wash and Utility Beard Softener, and don’t be afraid to work in a little more Beard Softener than usual.

The same applies to your choice of Beard Oil or Utility Balm. You really can’t go wrong with either, but opting for Utility Beard Oil in the summer is never a bad move. It’s a little bit lighter than Utility Balm and will help keep your beard hydrated without the added weight of a balm.

2. SWIMMING

The best way to beat the heat is to keep yourself submerged in a body of water as much as possible.

But all of that swimming takes a toll on your beard and skin.

It doesn’t really matter where you swim either. Ocean water, lake water, and river water are all full of sediment and bacteria that will leave your beard feeling grimy.

But chlorine is perhaps the biggest threat to your beard.

Chlorine strips the hair and skin of sebum — your natural oil that keeps your beard hydrated. Without that natural oil, your beard becomes dry, brittle, and susceptible to damage.

And if you’re swimming in a public pool, forget it — you’re likely swimming in more pee than chlorine.

Needless to say, a day in the pool can leave your beard in rough shape.

Here’s how to handle it like a pro.

Once you’re done swimming, give your beard a thorough rinse. Work in some Utility Beard Wash to remove any chlorine buildup in your beard and then rinse again. Follow-up with a healthy dose of Utility Beard Softener and really let it soak in — the longer, the better.

Once you’re finished washing your beard and have allowed it to mostly dry, apply your Beard Oil or Utility Balm as usual.

3. NATURE

Summer generally means spending more time in the great outdoors hiking, camping, gardening, and working on home improvement projects.

In addition to your standard outdoor beard hazards—dirt, dust, and debris—summertime also means gnats, black flies, and other insects that can mistake your face-forest for an actual forest.

Look, there are still a good amount of people that think beards are dirty. The last thing we need is anyone actually having bugs in their beard.

And while we're on the topic of creepy crawlers, the biggest concern is ticks.

Every year, we see stories about men finding ticks in their beards, or worse—lodged in their skin beneath their beards. Lyme disease is no joke, so even if you haven’t been hiking through the woods or overgrown fields, it’s not a bad idea to give your beard routine tick checks.

Whenever you come back inside, comb your beard thoroughly with a Large Comb to

shake out any bugs, dirt, dust, and debris. Then use your fingers to feel for any ticks that may have gotten into your skin beneath the beard.

If you find a tick in your skin, head to your nearest urgent care as quickly as possible.

4. SUMMERTIME FOODS

The best summertime foods are also among some of the absolute worst foods to eat with a beard.

We’re talking ice cream, s’mores, barbeque ribs, lobster rolls, crabs, tacos, corn on the cob, watermelon, hot dogs, etc.

The reality is, eating with a beard is always going to be challenging — but that challenge is ratcheted up another notch in the summer.

The solution? You’re going to want to make sure you have a Pocket Comb—or a collection of Pocket Combs—that are easy to take on the go. Keep one with you at all times to make sure all of your leftovers are in the to-go box and not your beard.

5. PEOPLE CONSTANTLY ASKING IF THAT BEARD MAKES YOU HOT

From sweat to ticks, we’ve covered a good deal of things to be wary of with your beard this summer.

But out of all the summertime beard hazards, perhaps the most annoying one is constantly having to answer the following question:

“doesn’t that beard make you hot?”

Face. Palm.

Look, there’s no avoiding it—if you have a beard that is longer than a few inches in length, you will be asked this question no less than 10 times throughout the summer.

We get it—small talk is hard, and no one knows what to say to strangers (especially after a year and a half of isolation). Most of these people mean well, but by the time you’ve been asked for the 5th time about the face-heating properties of your beard, well, you get little burnout.

Our suggestion? Keep a few canned answers ready, so you can handle this question like a pro.

Here are a few suggestions:

Stranger: “Hey, isn’t that beard hot in the summer?”
Your response: smile, say “yes,” and walk away.

Stranger: “Hey, does that beard make you hot?”
Your response: “hot to look at.” Finish with a wink.

Stranger: “Hey, is it hot with that beard?”
Your response: “It’s summer. It’s hot regardless.”

Got it? Good.

6. WHAT ABOUT SUNBLOCK?

One of the most significant benefits of keeping your burly beard in the summer is that it can block 50–95% of UV Rays.

That said, the thickness of the beard is critical.

If you have any patchiness in your beard or can still see the skin through it, you probably want to err on the side of caution and work some sunblock in there.

We like the MANTL Invisible Daily SPF 30 moisturizer. It’s a clear, gel formula that is easy to work beneath your beard without leaving that chalky white residue.

While we're talking sunblock and suntans, here's another thing to keep in mind. If you've spent a good amount of time in the sun already and then decide to go beardless—be prepared to spend the rest of the summer trying to even out that tan line on your jaw.

In other words, if you’ve hit July with your beard, we recommend keeping it at least until your tan fades in the fall.

7. TRIM IT DOWN

If all of the above seems like too much to deal with, there’s no shame in opting for a shorter beard style in the summer. If anything, summer is a great time to mix up your style and try something new.

We recommend trying something like a chevron mustache and playing up some Magnum PI or Miami Vice energy. If you’re new to the world of mustaches, try the beardstache style—a full mustache paired with a week’s worth of stubble on the cheeks and jaw.

Need a quality beard trimmer? We recommend the Brio Beardscape.

8. SUMMER FRAGRANCES

We’re big supporters of matching fragrances and seasons.

And while this is usually reserved for cologne and Eau de Parfum, switching to a lighter scented Beard Oil in the summer is equally refreshing.

During the summer, our sense of smell is heightened. Heavier winter fragrances can be overpowering when worn during the hotter months. So when the mercury rises, think citrus, floral, and nautical.

For Beardbrand, Old Money, and Tree Ranger make great summer scents due to their floral and citrus notes.

THE WRAP UP

Have questions about your beard? Shoot us a message at support@beardbrand.com, or Text "STYLE" to 512-879-3297 for a free personalized consultation. We’ll be happy to help you out.

Keep on Growing.

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