Grooming: Hot Fuzz

The beard hasn't been this popular since hippies and disco darlings ruled supreme. But what should a bewhiskered man do when temperatures near triple digits? Not only do whiskers grow faster in warmer months, but heat stimulates sweat and oil build-up around facial hair, causing dandruff, acne, and folliculitis (inflammation of follicles). To prevent skin woes wash and condition your beard daily with the same products you use on your hair. 'It has a different texture from what's on your head,' says Shorty Maniace, head barber at F.S.C. Barber in New York City, 'but you should care for it the same way.'

Instead of just shaving your beard off altogether, use a comb and scissors -- or an electric trimmer -- to achieve a weather-appropriate style. 'Crop your beard shorter for the summer so that it's still noticeable but allows your skin to breathe,' Maniace says. If your face is round, trim your whiskers shorter on your cheeks and leave them longer around your mouth and chin to balance your curves. If it's long, keep your whiskers longer on your cheeks and shorter on your chin. Avoid 'hairlines of demarcation' by clipping whiskers along the border of your face one setting shorter than the rest of your beard. And keep your neck tidy. Your beard and chest hair are independent entities, and never the twain shall meet. Maniace says a beard should wrap beneath the jaw, extend about two inches toward the neck, then stop. If you want to conceal a double chin, remove whiskers below the natural border where your neck meets your jaw.

Scratch Resistant: Hooking up with a bearded gent? Try these products to avoid becoming a burn victim.

1. Lamar Soap Company Hep Cat Shaving Soap
Lamar's handmade vegan soap offers coconut, olive, palm, castor, and jojoba oils to alleviate skin irritation. $7 per bar

2. REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream
This all-natural cream uses bisabolol oil and calendula ointment to soothe inflammation while omega oils strengthen skin. $55, 1.7 ounces

3. Malin + Goetz Cilantro Hair Conditioner
Have your partner soften his beard with this residue-free detangling conditioner, which contains shea butter and essential fatty acids. $22, 8 ounces

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