5 Tips for Summer Beard Care
It’s finally summer! Things are heating up, including your glorious face-fuzz, and the heat will get unpleasant before long. Now there are only two things to do: adapt or shave. I tend to remove my beard in the summer for practicality’s sake, but that’s not everyone’s jam, and I reckon if you’re reading this article, it’s not what you’re planning to do. Fret not; I’ve got some handy advice for managing a beard in the summer!
Wash that beard!
The first rule of beard club: don’t t- sorry, wrong blog. The first rule is to wash your beard properly. That means no Head & Shoulders or shampoo for the top of your head, but something formulated for your face. Summertime is hot, sweaty, and often pretty dirty, be it from yard work or camping, so daily washing is necessary.
Because repeated washing can dry your beard, try a more gentle product like Tremendous whipped beard wash. It lathers up with a cooling minty scent and feels great at the end of a long day. Another great alternative is Mammoth beard Co’s Beard Soap, locally made with natural, non-drying ingredients.
When it comes to wash & moisture, light & gentle is the way to go!
Lighten up on the moisture.
We talk a LOT about hydrating your beard, especially after every wash. While you need less intense moisture in the humidity of the summer compared to the dry, cold winter, you certainly can’t do away with it altogether. Instead, switch to lighter products that won’t weigh your beard down or run out of your hair when you work up a sweat.
First off, let’s address the oils. Oils are heavily moisturizing, a double-edged sword depending on the season. They can be much too heavy in the summer, especially the thicker Argan-based oils. If you love your oil, switch it to a lighter base like Bartigan & Stark. These will provide all the benefits of oil but absorb quickly, leaving nothing behind.
Alternatively, you can get your moisture from another source. While I love the look beard oil gives me for a night out, I find it a little, well, oily for my day-to-day. I’m more a fan of beard conditioners, and there are two I regularly use: Tremendous in-shower Beard Conditioner and Trememendous Leave-in conditioner. In the summer, I mostly use the leave-in in place of oils a couple of times a week, whereas the in-shower option is great for intense hydration if you’ve been digging in the dirt all day and your beard requires some serious care.
You’ll notice I mentioned using the leave-in 2-3 times per week; you don’t need to be using your hydrating products more than that in the summer unless you feel the need. Speaking of which, I personally drop my beard balm altogether in the summer. Beard balm’s primary function is to lock moisture into the hair after applying oil and provide some light styling ability, but in the hot, sweaty months, that extra wax and oil just melts off your face.
Try some stiffer ‘stache wax
Speaking of melting, I also find that softer moustache waxes suffer in the blazing sun. I like to keep myself looking groomed in the summer, which involves keeping my stache above my lip. I’ve experimented a lot over the years and found Uncle Norman’s Moustache Tamer to be the best wax for any season. It starts off stiff, but with a little heat from your fingers, applies quite easily, and is stiff enough to hold a wide variety of styles all day long, even in July. It even works at the beach!
A stiff wax and brush are the best ways to style in the summer.
How to Style Your Beard in the Summer
On the topic of styling, we’re often asked: “How do I stop my beard from getting frizzy in the summer?” Heat and humidity can do a real number on coarse, curly hair, and not everyone wants a face-fro. Since the heat negates beard balms, we need to flex our creative muscles to find a different solution.
Boar Bristle Beard Brushes are the number one proven way to tame & style your beard. This all-natural solution helps re-align the hairs on a microscopic level, keeping them neat and tidy. Since humidity is a formidable enemy to conquer, I suggest snagging yourself a stiff brush. Our Kent of Inglewood Beard Brush is a good start for those grabbing their first, but the classic Kent of England Hair & Beard Brushes are where it’s really at. I’m a massive fan of the MC4, one of their stiffer models, as it effortlessly tames the hair on both my face and head.
Another solution is a straightener. No, not your partner’s hair straightener; that’ll literally burn your beard off if you’re not careful. What you want is a beard straightener. The Kuschelbar by Jeff Chastain heats to the perfect range to both soften and tame your beard bristle without burning or damaging the hair whatsoever. It takes only 2-4 minutes in the morning and makes an enormous difference to your beard’s shape and texture.
Trimming your beard for the summer
Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to bushwhack a little in the summer to reduce the insulation on your face. You may fear having too much taken off, but if you find a trustworthy barber like the ones in our Calgary shop, you’ll be in good hands. Worst case scenario, it’ll grow back in no time. Beards are a renewable resource, after all! That said, I much prefer to take things into my own hands. While I get a proper lineup done every few months, I trim my own beard weekly, and with a bit of practice, you can too!
For lining up your beard, grab yourself a beard shaper. This guide works like painter’s tape and makes everything easier. Simply paint your shave cream or gel up to the line and shave along it using your double edge safety razor. This guy takes all the guesswork out of the process and ensures you get an even trim. As for the actual trimming, a decent pair of beard scissors and 20 minutes in front of the mirror is all you need. Oh, and don’t forget the beard bib to catch the shrapnel!
Voila, a summer-ready beard!
I hope this helped you feel more confident about rocking a beard in the summer. Us humans are pretty good at acclimatizing to different climates, so I suspect you’ll have no trouble in the heat. And if all else fails, just shave it! I shave my beard off every spring just to remember what I look like and grow it back around October. It’s a fun yearly ritual, and it allows me to make more use of my straight razor when it’s warm out. If you haven’t picked up a razor in a while, check out our shaving articles for some great advice!
