Admit it. If you aren't Ben Affleck, shaving is almost a daily routine. It's a regular mundane affair just like brushing your teeth or taking a bath. You may sport an anchor, a goatee, or even a Van Dyck at times, but a razor blade is navigating your face almost every morning.

Foaming your cheeks, pulling out the razor and dragging the metal blade down - that's more or less the same procedure every man follows. You've probably been doing it right all these years, but in any case, here are some smart hacks that will guarantee a clean and efficient shave every morning.

Take your time
Most of us shave in an auto-pilot mode just after brushing our teeth every morning. Before setting out on a rat race for the day, we tend to hurry up and get the job done. However, stylists say if you spend some time foaming the lather, it not only renders the skin smooth, but has a healthy impact on your skin as well.

Shave after a shower
During a shower, steam and hot water penetrate the facial skin. This softens up the bristles of the beard and causes follicles to open up, giving you a clean shave with no leftovers. Applying a little pre-shave lotion (like Zerotox) just after a shower will allow the open pores to soften up, resulting in a more seamless and polished shave.

Exfoliate every week
Exfoliating or scrubbing off the dead cells is an absolute necessity. Men, you need to scrub your cheeks, chin and upper lip once a week. This removes dirt, ingrown hair from those parts and keeps acne at bay. This ensures that your shaves won't be annoying anymore with painful bumps and breakouts. To create a homemade scrubbing paste, you can mix brown sugar and olive oil.

Invest in a good razor
The primary weapon used during this whole exercise is your razor. In fact, this is why we recommend the most advanced razor from Gillette, their new Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall Technology razor that packs in five blades. The five thinner and finer Fusion ProGlide blades come with a blade stabilizer to maintain optimum spacing. This ensures lesser pull and tug while shaving. Developed with over five years of research and countless trials, the all-new Gillette Flexball razor unleashes a new era of motion in shaving. The innovative handle allows the blades to pivot not just front to back but side to side too (up to 24 degrees) that puts less stress on the wrist and elbow and ensures the most effortless shave possible!

Don't over-use a razor
Everything comes with a life. So does your razor. Don't make it over work. If you can't remove clogs of hair from the blades, discard it. Putting too much force to get rid of the tiny bits of hair actually creates dents on the blade, which will then affect your skin.