Danielle Malka, president of êSHAVE, a luxury grooming line, shares with us her diary of the perfect shave—and how she got her scruffy husband to convert.

Years ago, when I first met my husband, I hit the jackpot. He was cute, sweet, attentive and loving. He was perfect. Well, except for his beard. Personally, I’m not a big fan of facial hair (hence the business I am in), and my husband, at the time, had one of those thick, rough types that would just grow and grow. His five o’clock shadow actually started at two.

Back then, his idea of a clean, close shave was to splash his face with water, shave in five seconds flat, then jump in the shower to cool off and calm the burning. I realized, after witnessing this routine a few times, his facial hair was a result of his aversion of shaving, or rather, the sting that resulted from it. In order to preserve our relationship, and his face, I had to find a solution. So I decided to interview a slew of barbers in search of answers. I figured since men love to go to the barber for a shave, there must be something I can learn from them, like the secret to that perfect, sexy shave.

5 steps to his cleanest, closest shave:

1. Always shave after showering, to soften the beard and loosen the pores.

2. Massage the face with a dab of pre-shave oil such as eShave Pre Shave Oil to protect the skin and allow for the razor to glide easily.

3. Use a shave brush to apply the lathering eShave Shave Cream to help raise the hair away from the skin.

4. Shave with the grain to avoid razor burn and ingrown hairs.

5. Rinse with cold water and finish with a treatment like eShave After Shave Soother.

Successful in my efforts, I found the formula for the perfect shave. Getting my husband to follow the directions was a different story—he resisted, big time. After a little persuasion (or rather the threat of no more good morning kisses), he gave my shave a go. After his first shave, he instantly became a convert. His skin was soft, smooth and free of that unbearable post-shave sting. I changed my husband’s life, or at least the way he shaves. Now, he wakes me up every morning, post-shave. What a better way to start the day?

What’s your secret to a close shave? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!