"There are trees in the desert since you moved out."

I thought I'd throw my own little "Queer eye for the straight guy" type advice out at you. The subject will be skin care, in particularly skin care as it revolves around shaving.

Ok guys, I know there are all kinds of theories out there for avoiding nasty shaving related neck irritation, anything from shaving dry to shaving with piping hot water or even cold water, but this is what works for me. You will need a quality shave cream, I like Aveeno above all others. I'm very fond of their new Soy formulation. Avoid scented products as they tend to irritate razor irritable skin. A fogless shower mirror, and a good quality razor. If your skin is super sensitive use a standard single blade razor, if you can't locate one use a 2 blade plain razor. However after a year of this system I've graduated up to a 3 blade razor as my skin is in better condition now and can handle the extra irritation multiple blades can lead too. You will also need Grape seed oil from the grocery store. SHAVE IN THE SHOWER. That's all I have to say about location. I can not stress enough that the shower is the only proper place to shave.

Step 1: Conditioning your skin. First off you need to moisturize twice daily and moisturize well children. I'm not a product whore but rather use what works whether that be a labeled product or not. I'm fond of Cetaphil lotion for day moisturizing, and a generic vitamin e cream for night. If your skin is in good condition you will have fewer breakouts and less shaving related irritation. Don't moisturize dry skin, apply moisturizer to skin that is still wet from being washed. Less product is better then more. Look for products that say non-comedogenic. That means they don't contain ingredients that will cause the sebum in your pours to clog. If your looking for a product line I HIGHLY recommend the Origins skin care line. My skin has NEVER EVER looked as good as the 2 years I was on their products, however it's moderately pricey and I had to stop using it cause I developed an allergic reaction to their moisturizer. Anyway, this is supposed to be about shaving.

Step 2: The preshave wash. Do NOT use soap. Use a dab of shaving cream and smear it over your shaveable areas and let it sit while you wash the rest of your body. Right before you are going to shave rinse it off. This step serves to soften your whiskers and to hydrate your skin for the shave. Use very warm water. I find my skin is most ready to except a shave after 5-10 minutes in the shower. No less.

Step 3: Apply a small amount (small spoonful) of grape seed oil to your neck only. Don't vigorously rub as I find this leads to later irritation. The oil serves as a barrier between your skin and the razor. As well as being a super nourishing conditioner for your tender neck skin.

Step 4: Wet your skin again, and apply a fresh layer of shave cream. Shave in one direction only WITH the direction of the growth. Do not apply excessive pressure to your skin with the razor, let the razor do it's job. Try to avoid multiple passes over the same area. Rinse the blade after each pass. Rinse your skin with warm water, if you wash your face avoid washing your neck area with any type of soap. Let the oil stay there.

Step 5: When you dry your skin, don't rub, pat it. Apply a light moisturizing lotion while your skin is still wet. Again pat it in, don't rub it.

Step 6: Give your skin time to air dry before dressing, especially if you are wearing a shirt and tie.

Like I said, this is just what worked for me. It's my routine. I've had exceptional results from it. My neck used to look like hamburger meat after a shave, now it looks like nice healthy skin.