It’s summer time! That means great fun, great food, and maybe even a vacation or two. It also means that you and your beard will experience some challenges unique to this season known for heat, humidity, and more outdoor activities. 

There’s nothing a man with a beard can’t do, but there are a few best practices that can help you have more fun doing it. Here are our tips for navigating the summer with your beard and your sanity intact:

1. Keep your sunscreen handy.

Your beard may block bad vibes, but its not an impenetrable force when it comes to blocking UV rays.  Don't be the guy who has crazy tan lines underneath his beard. It's hot outside y'all, and you need to protect yourself. Wear sunscreen. Just like you apply oil, lotion, and soap to your chin skin, find sunscreen that you can rub right into your beard. Don’t just use the same brand you use for the rest of your body. Read the label to make sure the sunscreen is safe for hair and the face.

2. Don’t ditch your beard oil.

A healthy moisture balance is a year long need. The cold, dry temperatures may be done, but your need for sealing life-giving moisture into your skin and giving your beard some luster never stops. Maybe you use a little less beard oil in the summer, but you still need beard oil. 

3. Embrace water…

Heat brings sweat, and sweat can be a little tacky, making it easier for dirt, bacteria, and who knows what else to stick to your beard. No matter how hygienic you are, the stale mixture of sweat and sebum is unavoidable during a hot, bearded summer. It can lead to a host of things that don't look good, feel good, or smell good. Beard acne, beardfuff, ingrown hairs, folliculitis, and more can really rain on your beach day. 

To prevent all of those issues, make sure you’re conscious of the amount of sweat in your beard. If your skin can stand more frequent washing or even just rinsing and thoroughly drying your beard, do it! 

4. …And Exfoliation.

If your skin the tendency to get dry when you wash it more often, a little exfoliation can give your beard the extra cleaning boost it needs. Exfoliation doesn't have to be a chemical peel, and it doesn't have to be rough or painful. 

Being very thorough about reaching the bristles of a boar bristle brush down to your chin is exfoliation. Very gently agitating your skin with a soft cloth is exfoliation. You can also buy an exfoliating beard wash or facial cleanser. 

5. Prepare for pool days.

Swimming and summer go hand and hand. Chlorine and who knows what is in natural bodies of water aren't going to your beard any favors if they linger in it for too long. If you're going for a pool day, beach, day lake day, or anything similar, be sure to pack some beard wash to get all the chemical and crud out of your skin ASAP. 

If you notice that a particular type of water is especially drying or damaging to your beard, treat yourself to some good ol’l beard oil and beard balm when you’re back indoors.

6. Fight the Funk

Let be honest. We're all a little more odoriferous when it's hot outside. Beat the stink by upping your scent game. The summer heat is makes solid cologne even more fragrant. If you need help finding a signature scent this summer, we’ve got you covered [LINK TO SIGNATURE SCENT BLOG.)

A big part of Beard Confidence is living a full-life with your beard and not letting anything hold you back. If you’re prepared for the unique beard hazards of summer, you and your beard will have an excellent time.