We recommend you wet the area on your face that you wish to shave with warm water before applying the Advanced Shave Formula. This will open up pores and prep the hairs to receive an even, close shave. Better yet, you should try shaving while in the shower: this plumps the hairs up even more and reduces the chance for skin irritations. After thoroughly wetting the area, allow the Advanced Shave Formula to sit on your face for a minute or more. This will allow the product to lubricate each hair to allow for smoother shaving.