Men have been shaving every day for nearly a century. The habit took hold after 2 million American soldiers went to France to fight in World War I, a war in which poison gas was Germany’s most feared weapon. Every U.S. soldier carried a gas mask and stayed clean-shaven so it would fit snugly.

“Although no longer a matter of life or death, shaving is still a daily chore for approximately 71 million American men,” said Kyle Schroeder, co-founder and managing partner of Cremo Company, LLC. Schroeder said getting a close shave is especially challenging for those with acne or tough beards. “Most people with shaving issues experiment with different razors, but they don’t consider what small changes in their routine, shaving technique or shaving cream could do to stop nicks, cuts, red bumps and razor burn.”

To help “problem shavers” get a closer, more comfortable shave, Schroeder offers five tips:

  1. Shower first: Shaving after, not before, a shower will open the pores and make a comfortable shave more likely.
  2. Shave with the grain: Shaving against the grain gives a closer shave, but it is more likely to produce painful ingrown hairs.
  3. Use real cream: If it comes in a can, it’s not shaving cream. It is shaving foam or gel. Real shaving creams come in tubes or tubs. Shaving with a thick layer of fluffy, air-filled foam or gel between the blade and skin reduces traction and makes a close, nick-free shave hard to get. Get real shaving cream.
  4. Slick vs. frothy: When shaving a trouble area like the Adam’s apple, the corners of the mouth or a patch of acne, the more the razor glides along, the better the shave. Choose a shaving cream with less lather and more slickness.
  5. Go glycerin-free: Use a shaving cream without glycerin. Glycerin is a moisturizer found in some shaving foams, gels and creams. It is undesirable in a shaving cream because it is sticky.

For more information, visit cremocompany.com.