A Pre-Shave Routine

Wash your face or the area you want to shave. Washing removes excess oil and dead skin cells, which can interfere with the razor or irritate your gently-scraped skin while simultaneously reducing bacteria that could cause infection. Washing also moisturizes the hair about to be shaved, softening it and making the shave easier.

• Use warm water when washing your hair pre-shave. Warm water will help soften your follicles and encourage your pores to open, making for a closer shave.
• Try shaving after you shower. If you shave in the morning, shaving after your shower will give your whiskers time to absorb the water from the shower and should make for a smoother shave.

Apply a lubricant to your wet face, preferably shaving cream. Shaving skin directly with a razor is a no-no: You'll end up looking like you just had a date with Freddy Krueger. The razor should never contact your skin without some kind of lubricant mediating the encounter. Otherwise, the blade will drag the skin rather than skim along its surface.

• Apply shaving cream (or gel) liberally over your entire face. Shaving cream softens the hair and moisturizes the skin, but if you're in a pinch, you can also shave with conditioner or even with soap (only if you're really in a pinch).
• If you're using a shaving brush and shaving cream to work the shaving cream into a lather, put a small dollop of shaving cream the size of a dime into a coffee mug, bowl, or other receptacle. Wet your shaving brush with cold water. Whip the shaving brush around your bowl in a circular motion, agitating the shaving cream. Adding more cool water as necessary, whip the shaving cream into a light lather with soft peaks. This should take 2-3 minutes. Use the shaving brush to work the cream onto your face in a circular motion, going over your entire face multiple times.

Let the shaving cream rest on your face for 1-2 minutes. If you can afford to let the shaving cream rest on your face a while before you attack it with a razor blade, you'll notice the difference. The shaving cream will continue moisturizing your whiskers, leaving them soft and wet.

^{See also:}
How to get that perfect shave
How to Shave