If you're a woman or a man of a certain age, you remember waking up to the foul stench of the Magic Shaving cream your father used to groom himself. And you silently vowed not to ever shave or marry a man that shaved so as not to subject your own kids to its odor. But worse than the stench was seeing your darling dad or brother suffer with razor bumps days after said shaving.

Fast forward a good 15 or 20 years and all we can say is thank God for innovation! Magic has upgraded its depilatory formula to be scent-free and we've learned all types of tips and tricks to keep ingrown hairs at bay. And contrary to popular belief, not all black men suffer from shaving bumps. Here, experts share their best tips for a smooth face.

1. Exfoliate the skin before shaving
Using a gentle exfoliant will remove dead skin cells, open your skin's pores and keep your beard hairs above the skin's surface. This makes it easier for the blade to remove all the hairs when you shave.

Try: Jack Black's Face Buff Energizing Scrub ($17, sephora.com)2. Pre-lift ingrown hairs

If you tend to suffer from ingrown hairs, you must lift them prior to shaving. This can be done with an exfoliator as mentioned above, a face cloth soaked in warm water, which opens the pores, or products designed specifically to lift the hair away from the skin.

Try: Tend Skin, The Skincare Solution ($8, amazon.com)

3. Use clippers or electric shaver instead of razors
Razors cut hair at an angle -- and that's a welcome door for ingrown hairs. Clippers and electric shavers, however, remove hair at the root. Seen as the panacea for preventing razor bumps, clippers and electric shavers provide a closer shave, which is paramount for men with curly-kinky textures . According to grooming expert Lanier Long, it's best to "cut longer hairs with a clipper/edger first. If, however, the clipper doesn't provide a close enough shave, then use an electric shaver."

Try: WAHL Pro Beard Trimmer ($27.95, Wahl-store.com)

4.Shave with the hair, not against it

It is generally recommended to shave with or across the grain of the beard, but not directly against it--doing the latter leads to razor burn and in-grown hairs. Glide the razor gently over the skin, holding the skin taut with the free hand. Keep the razor clear of creams and hair before gliding it each time. Try not to run the blade over the hair more than twice.

5. Moisturize after shaving

According to experts, shaving can remove up to two layers of skin, leaving it raw and dry. Moisturizing with either an after-shave balm, a facial moisturizer with a SPF of 15 or higher, will soothe the skin after it has been shaved, reduce irritation and protect it from external elements.
Try: The Art of Shaving Moisturizer ($35, bloomingdales.com)