I'm a DE beginner and have been going through the usual razor burn, redness and nicks mostly on my neck. So instead of using one of my soaps today I tried King of Shaves Alphagel. It's not a typical can of gel like Edge that you rub into your beard until it foams. Alphagel comes in a tube and when you apply it stays as a gel and remains clear on your face, which makes it nice because you can see through it and see the areas and whiskers that you're shaving. Also, this stuff is so dense and gooey that it provides a very effective barrier between your face and the blade. It's almost impossible to cut yourself. I did 3 passes: WTG, XTG and ATG plus some touch ups. And you don't have to reapply it between passes, it clings to your face so well that just rubbing some existing gel in the area will do. What a difference! I got a VERY close shave with only a few tiny nicks and almost no razor burn. It conditions your face very well too, you almost feel as if aftershave isn't necessary when done. The only minor draw back is that it takes a little longer to rinse out of your razor and rinse off your face. I'm not necessarily planning to use it permanently, because I also enjoy the traditional mug& brush ritual. But this is great stuff to use when you're going through your learning process. It gives you more confidence, you can relax and concentrate on improving your technique. Just thought I would share this, has anyone else tried it? CVS carries it.