The weather is warming up and the pool is starting to call your name– summertime is just around the corner! Like most people, you’ve probably been waiting eagerly throughout the bleak winter for the world to come back to life with the arrival of the sunny season, but as a bearded man, summer can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Hot sun and lots of water and chlorine exposure can leave your beard dry, brittle, damaged, and not looking its best.
Just like how you have to take special care of your beard during the extreme cold of winter, most men also need to adjust their beard care for the summer months as well. Luckily, if you’re armed with a knowledge of what’s happening on your face and a set of quality beard care products, you should have no problem keeping your beard looking great all season long!
Wear Sunscreen
As great as it feels to soak up some vitamin D after the long, gray winter, the sun is not necessarily always your friend during the summer. Prolonged sun exposure has been known to increase your risk of skin cancer in the future, and even in the moment, few things in the world feel awful in the same way a sunburn does. During summer, you want to be protected from the sun in any way possible, including wearing hats, lightweight layers, and sunglasses, and you want to be liberal with your sunscreen application!
You might think that you can slack off about putting sunscreen on your face if you wear a beard, but think about the last time you managed to sunburn your scalp, and you’ll remember that’s not true. The skin below your beard needs sun protection as much as any other skin on your body, so get in there and lather up multiple times throughout the day. You’ll be grateful for it later!
Oil Up
Water, especially chlorinated water or intensely salty seawater, can be very drying for both your hair and skin, including your facial hair. This is even more so the case if you’re an avid swimmer or beachgoer and you spend a lot of time in the water. Particularly if you keep your beard very long, it’s important for you to protect your hair to try and stop the drying before it starts. You might find that applying an oil just to the lengths and ends of your beard, not to your face, before going in the water helps. After all, oil and water don’t mix, and this treatment will help keep the drying water from soaking in too much!
However, if you tend to wear a shorter beard, you’re better off skipping this step and just moisturizing with an oil, balm, or butter at the end of the day. For starters, shorter hair often needs less moisturizing anyway, and you want to avoid the possibility of having oil on your skin while you’re out in the sun, as this can increase your sunburn risk!
Keep Up on Care
Having a solid beard care routine is important all year round, but it’s absolutely essential in the summer. For one thing, it’s vital to wash your beard on a regular basis in the summer. You should be giving it a good soaping up at least every time that you swim, and if you find yourself very sweaty and dirty from things like hikes or outdoor work, it’s a good idea to wash your beard then as well. Many men wash their facial hair far more frequently in the summer than any other time of year just to keep things clean and comfortable.
In tandem with your washing schedule, make sure you’re regularly moisturizing your beard to fight back against the drying effects of sun, heat, wind, and water. Oils and butters are the most moisturizing beard products you can get– try them out and see which ones you prefer to use and when!
Your summer beard care routine doesn’t have to be elaborate or intensive in order to protect your skin and hair and help you hang onto a beard you worked so hard to grow! With a little help from the quality products at Fresh Beards, you’ll be all set for the season.
