By now, you’ve started to reap the benefits of having an epic beard. You’ve reinvented yourself as a ruggedly cool kind of guy. You’ve been mistaken as a hipster, which is an improvement over your previous corporate persona. And, if all those studies are true, you’ve had no problem picking up a new lady or two. But once it’s time to get up close and personal with your new lady, you’re faced with your first negative—you don’t know how to kiss with a beard.

It doesn’t seem like kissing with a beard would be any different. You still just press your lips together and make the magic happen. But the problems occur on her side. For her, rubbing up against your beard is like scrubbing her cheeks with a Brillo Pad. She can even experience skin irritation—a phenomenon known as beard burn. So, a regular make out session turns into a game of Twister as the two of you try to find the most comfortable way to kiss. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a few helpful beard tips, you can start enjoying romantic kisses again instead of stressing about them.

Kissing With A Beard Means Controlling Your Moustache

Even though your beard as a whole presents some kissing challenges, the biggest problems stem from your moustache. It sits atop your upper lip, and it touches everything that comes near it. Soup, hot wings, powdered doughnuts—everything you ingest gets stuck up there. When you kiss your honey, she probably pulls back with a little hair in her mouth. There are a few ways to make this more enjoyable.

Instead of going in for the kill and kissing her as usual, make some adjustments. You can lift up your mustache while you lean in. It looks pretty weird, but it keeps your hair off her face. Or, you can pucker up and move in a downward motion as you close in to seal the deal. This combination movement keeps your mustache hair above both your lips and makes the kiss more pleasant.

You can also use beard oil and pomade to train your mustache. Create a fun mustache style, like the handlebar, that keeps your mustache pulled up or to the sides. It’ll give your look some character but most importantly, it’ll keep your kisses hair-free.

Never kiss With A Beard You Don’t Take Care Of

If you’re going to kiss with a beard, it shouldn’t feel like a Brillo pad. In fact, it should feel more like a pillow stuffed with down feathers. A regular beard care routine can help with this. Of course, beard oil is essential. It keeps your beard hair hydrated and fights off that dry, brittle feeling. It also encourages healthy growth and gives your beard a little shine—bonuses that’ll make her want to cozy up to you.

Wash it regularly, at least every couple days, with a beard shampoo. These shampoos are crafted from natural ingredients and clean out all the dirty bits without stripping your beard of its natural moisture. If you use shampoos that are intended for your other hair, you could do some serious damage and dry out your beard to an almost irreparable degree.

Trying to kiss with a beard can be awkward. Your impressive facial hair can be aesthetically pleasing but romantically inhibitive. Make sure you take care of it and adjust your kissing style just a bit so you can enjoy your time with your special lady without leaving her in pain.