7 Best Beard Oil for Summer Humidity That Survive It Easily

You put on the oil, stroll outside into the sunshine and by the time you sit down for lunch the beard is as flat as a pancake in some places, shiny and greaseball in others, and in some places smells like the gym. You didn't make any changes to your routine. The season did.

Most guys then make the mistake of using less oil thinking that is what's causing the mess, and then end up with a dry, frizzy beard by afternoon. It's not the oil that is the problem. Even though it may have worked throughout the year except for the summer months when humidity was present, it is the particular kind of oil, its weight, its response to sweat, to heat and moisture that is the problem. This is exactly why switching to the right beard oil for summer humidity matters more than just using less product.

That's why many guys sneakily replace their entire beard oil collection with a different set of oils during the summer months rather than simply using a smaller amount of the one they've always had. So what are each of the swaps solving and why was the oil that helped you during the winter not designed for this?

The Moment the Humidity Levels Rise, Heavy Oils Can Become a Greasy Mess

If it becomes more greasy with the same amount of oil this summer as it was all winter when humidity and sweat are in the air, it's not your imagination. Heavier, waxy oils that work well in a cold, dry climate don't perform as in the winter when moisture and perspiration are already on your skin.

This is important because even with a well-groomed beard under the chin, a greasepaint stain will give it a rough, unkempt appearance and will get a person's first impression of the man's beard to “needs a wash” when they look at him.

That's because there's already enough moisture in the air to fill a bearded man, plus a generous amount of moisture in the form of a thick slow absorbing oil on top, and the result is that the skin and hair is left with an abundance of oil and moisture that it cannot absorb, so it looks shiny and heavy on top.

Here, guys go for lighter and quick absorbing oils such as grapeseed oil or a light jojoba mix in the summer months only. Use about half of the normal amount – 2 drops vs. 4 – and apply it immediately after a shower, before the skin is dry. This lighter-oil swap is the foundation of any beard oil for summer humidity routine.

This is because a lighter oil, combined with a reduced amount, will not provide the oil to humid air to compete on the surface, meaning that the humid air absorbs the oil without being coated by it by midday.

The weight is sorted out and that's it. But when sweat is involved, that's another matter.

Oil and Sweat Are Actually to Blame for That Awful Smell by Afternoon

The unpleasant smell of your beard in summer at the end of the day does not mean that your product has gone bad, because it is not; it means that sweat mixed with oil and skin bacteria is the cause of the smell.

This is a social thing and nothing can be worse than a beard that smells bad — it doesn't matter how the beard looks, it just is.

This occurs because sweat is relatively odorless, but bacteria that are present on the skin normally decompose the sweat and result in the odor, and oil that is left on the skin for an extended period of time provides more time and surface area for the bacteria to act.

Use an oil with a low concentration of tea tree or eucalyptus oil in the formulation, which have mild antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of bacteria during the day. Do not wash your beard, just rinse it with cool water in the middle of the day when it sweats a lot, just a couple of seconds, to break the bacterial window before you go to bed at night.

This is because you're actually using the bacteria in the sweat as the mechanism rather than masking the smell with another stronger scent that fades by the afternoon.

One summer symptom is smell. Another aspect is how humidity affects the actual hair.

Humid Weather Is What Causes Your Beard to Look Wild, Not Dryness

It's not dryness that's causing your beard to look wild when the weather is humid, it is Frizz.

In the summer, your beard may appear fuller, but look as if it's just gone “here” and “there” rather than “up” and “down”—this is due to the humidity, not the dryness, and it's a problem that's often confused for the same.

This is important because frizz is considered to be unkempt and guys end up applying more oil due to a “dryness” issue that is not the real one.

This occurs because when the air is humid the outer cuticle layer of each hair strand swells slightly and lifts, allowing each hair to absorb moisture from the air unevenly, and thereby stand away from the adjoining hair strand. This is the same reason why a scalp with frizzy hair swells when humid air is present.

This is not a problem with an argan-oil-based product as it is with a heavier oil as it glides down the cuticle without adding an extra layer of surface weight. When hair is damp from a shower (not dry) apply 2-3 drops and comb toward the hair's growth.

This is because if you apply a smoothing oil to the hair without smoothing the cuticle down, it doesn't flatten a lifted cuticle as it would if you smooth it down while damp.

Frizz is one of the textural problems. The next problem is seen on the skin, not on the hair.

Humidity Makes a Normal Oil Routine a Breakout Culprit

There is more to the mix than oil, it's oil, sweat and humidity, which is what is most likely causing the small bumps or break-outs along the jawline during the summer months when you were using the same product as you did during the rest of the year.

This is important because a hairy rash beneath the facial hair can look like an ingrown hair or a razor bump, causing men to think they are treating the wrong itchy rash and allowing the true problem to persist.

The reason for this is that skin is already moist and oily from all the sweat and humidity, so an added oil with a higher moisturizing or comedogenic content can cause this oil to become more trapped against the skin rather than evaporating or being absorbed like it would under drier air.

For the wet season, use a really non-comedogenic oil, such as squalane, and wipe your face with water on days you know you will be sweating, or wait until night time to apply oil after your skin has a chance to breathe.

This is because you aren't trying to fix a congestion that is being created by a heavy oil, you're eliminating the trapped-moisture environment that congestion requires!

Breakouts occur at the pore level. Another all-together different summer complaint is that the oil doesn't last a single day.

A Different Oil Type Stops Your Routine From Melting Off by Noon

A Different Oil Type Stops Your Routine From Melting Off by Noon" is a real-time game.A Different Oil Type Stops Your Routine From Melting Off by Noon" is a real-time game.

If you're finding you need to apply the oil midday after applying it just to restore your beard to the same condition as when you first applied it, it's not that the oil is being absorbed at an abnormally high rate, it's that it's breaking down at an abnormally high rate.

This is important because it's not only a pain in the butt to reapply it, but it's when guys over-do it and end up with the grease and weight-iness that they want to stay away from this summer.

This is because many lighter carrier oils will degrade or oxidize quicker when exposed to outdoor temperatures when the skin is exposed to heat (and that's part of why that same routine that works great in a 65 degree house will be different outside at 95 degrees).

The heat stability of jojoba oil is one of its most distinguishing features from most other plant oils, and this is why it is able to withstand high temperatures much better than other plant oils. Use once in the mornings at the same amount, and not reapply before going to bed, as the oil will need a day to determine if it's rubbed off or it is a different experience under the heat.

This is because, with a more heat stable oil, its conditioning properties stay intact during temperature fluctuations, whereas a less heat stable oil would break down by late morning requiring reapplication, which would add to the time required.

The length of time the oil will last depends on heat. It also happens to the skin below in a manner that becomes visible as basically something that guys typically complain about during the winter.

The Flaking of Sweat-Soaked Skin Under the Beard Is Greater Than Anything Winter Ever Could

With the summer heat, if you're experiencing flaky, irritated skin underneath your beard, it's easy to think it's a dry weather issue that's caught you off-guard, but sweating over many days without freshening up the skin can cause irritation as well.

It's important since the beard is the same in the summer as it is in the winter; it looks dull, patchy and unkempt and guys who are looking to get rid of a “winter dryness” are getting treatment for the wrong problem in July.

It's because sweat is saline and other components can wreak havoc on the skin barrier even if it isn't dry like winter air, simply because it's irritating.

This type of irritation is better calmed by an oil that contains a small amount of aloe or calendula oil, as opposed to an oil that contains only a carrier oil. Avoid waiting for your next full shower to clean areas that are sweaty, cool them with cool water within 2-3 hours and apply 2-3 drops of the calming blend to clean and dry skin.

This is because you're reducing the time that irritating sweat residue is in contact with skin, and the soothing components are reacting with the inflammation which occurs, rather than merely adding moisture to the already-irritated surface.

Both sweat and heat are involved with the skin. The final element is one that hardly anyone considers — the sun.

Why Summer Sun Is Taking a Dried Up, Oiled-Out Hair for a Ride

Even if you have been diligent about using the oils you've been using in the beard area, if you feel like your beard hair is drier and looks maybe the color of bleach, or you're not seeing the benefit you are expecting from all your hard work, it's likely that the sun is working against you in the background the whole time.

This is important because this is the one summer beard issue that guys rarely correlate with a sun tan, they're likely to blame on a ‘bad batch' of oil or think that their beard is just having a bad patch for no apparent reason.

This is because over time, the protein structure in hair is broken down by UV exposure, just like the protein structure in hair on your head is broken down during the summer when you are outdoors, and a normal beard oil that does not provide UV protection does not prevent this type of damage.

An oil containing vitamin E or a low concentration of rosehip extract provides some antioxidant protection from this type of UV-driven breakdown but can't be a substitute for proper sun protection. Use the normal amount in the morning and on the days that you have long periods in the sun, wear a hat with some brim over the lower face if it is practical as this will actually provide more sun protection than any oil ever could.

This is because the antioxidants in the oil reduce some of the oxidative stress that UV exposure can provide at the protein level of the hair, whereas physical shade does not attempt to counter the effects of UV; it simply prevents the exposure from occurring in the first place.

Seven Oils for One Season

None of these seven switches is really about discovering some single “summer beard oil” — each one addresses a different problem that heat, sweat and humidity cause to an effective regimen that worked great the rest of the year: weight and grease, odor from sweat and bacteria, humidity-induced frizz, congestion in pores, UV degradation by heat, sweat-irritated skin, slow degradation by UV without anyone noticing.

Instead of seven bottles, a realistic beard oil for summer humidity plan is to use a combination of the following:

• A lighter oil, such as grapeseed or squalane, for everyday use;

• A tea-tree oil or eucalyptus oil on the days when you're sweating the most;

• Using argan on slightly damp hair to reduce frizz;

• Using a calming aloe vera formulation on any irritated patches;

• Shade for sun exposure;

• and not applying oil to the face, as that will be the only way to prevent sun damage.

Try the new routine out with some really hot weather before evaluating it. The grease appearance of midday and the smell of the afternoon should both improve within a week. After 3–4 weeks, any break-out activity and frizz around the jaw should become well-defined and easily adjusted, if necessary. At the end of the season, hair protected by the antioxidants and shade should have looked and felt more like a hair in spring than an unprotected beard.

None of this will make up for the need of a dermatologist when acne doesn't clear up or when skin conditions worsen instead of improving — those are the ones that don't need another oil change. What these seven changes will do is to match up the routine to the season, rather than defying it using a formula created for winter.

So, if you see and smell that same reflection and fragrance around the same time in the day, don't assume it's the same person! It won't be the same oily disaster by the end of the night!

FAQs

What's the best beard oil for summer humidity if I already have a full routine?

You don't need to replace everything — the core of a good beard oil for summer humidity swap is a lighter, faster-absorbing oil for daily use, a tea tree or eucalyptus option for sweaty days, and a non-comedogenic oil if you're prone to breakouts.

Is beard oil as effective during summer as in the winter?

No — oil that's comfortable in dry winter air can feel heavy or greasy when the humidity, sweat or heat arrives in summer. Lighter, less heat-stable oils will work better in hot and humid months.

When to use beard oil in humid weather?

If applied in a lighter oil, more appropriate for heat and humidity, than you might use in winter, and applied once a day, this should be sufficient. Dreaded greasiness is often aggravated by the frequent reapplication of several times per day to make up for a heavy oil breaking down.

Do beards break out when it is humid?

Yes — when combined with sweat, humidity and heavier, or more comedogenic oil, can prevent moisture from escaping the skin and cause pores to become clogged more readily than during drier times. Change to a non-comedogenic oil and wash the sweat off earlier on hot days to help in reducing this.

Should you forgo beard oil on really hot and humid days?

Not always — some men prefer to rinse with water only on days when they are sweating profusely, and apply the oil at night after the skin has had the chance to breathe. This occurs not daily but may be beneficial during days of congestion or greasiness.

Is the sun really damaging beard hair?

Yes — UV radiation slowly effects the protein structure of hair, similar to how it lightens and dries out scalp hair after the summer outdoors. Oils containing antioxidants such as vitamin E provide some protection, but shade is more effective at prevention.

What are some ways to prevent summer beards from getting smelly without washing too often?

A mixture of oil and a moderate concentration of tea tree or eucalyptus oil (1%) can reduce the bacterial activity that leads to the development of sweat-related odor but does not need to be done every day. Heavy sweat days have odor building up in the interim, then a quick 15-20 second cool water bath midday will help break the cycle of odor before the evening.

I use beard oil but in summer it seems that my beard looks frizzed.

So I use oil for my beard and it looks frizzed when it's summer. Frizz is not a dryness problem, it's when the outer layer of each hair is lifted by humidity. A lighter oil that is applied to slightly moist hair and combed through from one end to the other is more effective at smoothing this out than a heavier oil applied to dry hair.