Maybe you’re transitioning over from electric razors for the first time, or maybe you’re a veteran shaver who’s looking to fine tune your craft. No matter how experienced you are with wet shaving, there are things we can all learn from the following 5 common wet shaving mistakes. Thankfully, each one is easily remedied.

Read on for the list, and let us know if there’s one you’d like to add in the comments below!

Not listening to the sound

Are you paying attention to the sound your razor makes when it glides across your stubble? If you listen, you’ll be able to hear auditory feedback when your hair growth changes direction. This is especially important because when your face is covered with lather, it’s hard to see the different hair growth patterns underneath. Your razor will make different sounds depending on if you’re going with the grain, across the grain, or against the grain. Scraping sounds are bad; crisp cutting sounds are good.

Our advice is to shave in a quiet bathroom so you can only hear the sound of your shaving. Be sure to turn off running water.

Shaving on unlathered skin

So you’ve just made a not-so-good pass on your neck area. Your natural instinct is to quickly go over the same area again, even though the lather has been removed by your previous pass.

But that’s a one-way ticket to razor burn, nicks, and cuts. Resist the temptation and apply lather, or at least water, before going at the spot again. A little protection is better than no protection.

Not rinsing the razor and shaking water off between passes

Don’t just run your razor under water, or dip it in water, to remove lather between passes. If you don’t flick the water off afterwards, your razor will create a dripping mess once it hits your skin again.

Not creating good lather

Lather should not feel like a thick paste. If it does, it means your lather is too dry. Add a small amount of water to your lather to correct. If the lather is already on your face, dip your brush in water and run it over your face until you get a fluffier consistency.

Globbing lather onto your skin

Are you just globbing lather onto your face with no particular direction or motion?

Use your shaving brush as a tool to both build lather and paint the lather onto your skin. Lathering will always be a somewhat messy process, but to get it evenly onto your skin, apply lather by making circular motions with your brush. Brushing it on like this will also ensure the lather penetrates into your skin, so its hydrating qualities will keep your skin protected during the shave.