vinniepaul wrote:
I experienced a similar thing. It was a reason why I shaved. However, I think you just need to wash your face more often and try to stop touching your beard. The beard suits you - don't shave it!

Thanks for the tips! It's nice to hear from someone who's gone through something similar. I don't plan on shaving any time soon, so hopefully everything will clear up as my skin gets used to the new beard. I'm wondering if some of the irritation is because my beard isn't soft at all. Maybe conditioning would help. Anyone have a suggestion for a good beard conditioner that won't aggravate my skin any further?