Pre-Shave

• Avoid shaving first thing in the morning This lets puffiness subside.
• Thoroughly cleanse entire face See Part I: Skin Care for tips.
• Exfoliate shaving area This brings hairs to the surface and removes dead skin making it easier for your razor to do its job with less irritation.
• Moisturize Dampen the area to be shaved with warm water.

Shave

• Apply shaving cream.
• Let stand 1-2 minutes.
• Hold skin taut and shave with the grain of your face this substantially reduces redness bumps and ingrown hairs.
• Shave in short slow strokes This provides a more controlled shave.
• Rinse blade in hot water every three to four strokes.

Second Shave

• For special occasions, shave again against the grain Do not do this every day.
• First, moisturize area to be shaved again since you just shaved off a layer of skin and stubborn hair.
• Re-wet skin and apply shaving cream
• In short gentle strokes shave in the opposite direction while holding skin taut.
• Rinse and pat dry

After-Shave

• Do not use a brand with menthol, a “cooling effect,” or alcohol. It may feel nice, but it wreaks havoc on your skin.
• Less is more apply no more than a quarter-teaspoon sized amount in your hands. This is enough for the face and neck.
• If you do not use after-shave an oil-free moisturizer will do just fine.

Tips

• It’s best to shower first. This gives your pores time to open and the hair follicles will swell.
• If you start with dry skin, throughly wet face, don’t just splash water on your skin.
• Do not use a dull blade. Discard every four to five uses.
• Avoid shaving creams with foaming agents because they make it harder for the blade to do its job, and the chemicals are no friend to your skin.