DON’T GET BURNED BY RAZOR BURN

The pre-shave is crucial, and probably the most ignored. This stage is all about starting with a clean canvas and softening your beard hairs, so it all starts with a shower. The hot steam will open your pores and soften your hair, making it ideal for a close shave. While you're in there, be sure to exfoliate! Our NIVEA Protect & Care Exfoliating Face Scrub  will remove dead cells and grime, making your skin ready for the next step.

We can't emphasize this enough - USE A SHARP RAZOR. The sharper the better. Dull blades create drag and pull at your whiskers leading to irritation, so avoid as you would a rabid dog or your crazy ex. In addition, sharp doesn't necessarily mean you need one of these newfangled twenty blade razors - these are often overkill and put more stress on your skin than necessary. Also, ensure that your blade is clean. Bacteria on your razor is one of the leading causes of nasty bumps that result from razor burn, so thoroughly clean you razor and don’t forget to often change your razor to get a more effective shave.

When you're ready to put blade to face, be sure to go with the grain. Always with the grain. And be sure to use light, short strokes. While you might not get as close of a shave in the first pass, you will avoid a great deal of irritation. If need be, lather up a second time and give your face another once over, again, with the grain.

Upon completion of your shave you're going to want to rinse with cold water, which will help close your pores and reduce the opportunity for ingrown hairs to form. Because you've just finished dragging a sharp piece of metal across your skin you should soothe it with a post-shave balm or moisturizer, such as our NIVEA Men Sensitive After Shave Balm. Look for products made for sensitive skin with aloe vera, which will moisturize and relieves dry skin. Or check out the NIVEA’s Sensitive Skin Cooling After Shave Balm if you're looking to feel fresh, moisturized, and ready for whatever the day has in store - even if that involves wrestling alligators.

Shaving is the cause of razor burn and bumps, so the best method of prevention, quite obviously, is shaving less, or not at all. Maybe think about getting a whisker garden going, which fortunately for you, we wrote about as well. If that's an option, learn how to Grow a Beard Like a Boss, HERE.