I am also fairly new to wet shaving with a straight razor but after reading and listening to other shavers on this forum hydration seems to be the key. I use a preshave oil after i wet my face down that helps the lather slick up for me. After each pass i wet my face again along with trying to get the lather right for me. Using the the toe or the heel of the blade is technique that will improve with time, I can say this just be patient and take your time use light pressure and the beating your face takes should fade away. Goodluck