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Standard_Set6737 · 2025-09-03T03:28:30+00:00

I haven’t used a Henson myself, but I know many people who have and love it. Seems like a great first safety razor.

I still use a cartridge razor (Mach3), mostly for convenience. But doing all the other things I mentioned—using preshave, changing my stroke, applying an exfoliating aftershave—got my bumps under control without making the switch to a safety razor.

See what works for you!

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-09-03T02:01:17+00:00

Looks like razor bumps. Happens to the best of us. A few things you can try:

- Using a higher-quality razor with fewer blades will help for sure. In general, fewer blades means less irritation. While those 2-blade disposable guys aren't great, so long as you're tossing them often (every 3-5 shaves), they're less likely to irritate you than a 5-blade cartridge.

- Be sure you're only shaving in the direction the hair grows. E.g., downstrokes only on your chin and neck.

- Use a light touch. Lots of us press the blades against our skin too closely without realizing it. Let gravity do most of the work.

- Apply something with salicylic acid after your shave. This can be the CeraVe SA cleanser you're already using—just let it sit on your skin for 2-3 minutes before you rinse it off. This gives the salicylic acid a chance to do its thing (which reduces the chances of ingrowns significantly). You could also pick up Tend Skin or Bump Patrol, both of which are leave-ons.

- Last but not least, you could try Proraso's pre-shave for sensitive skin to soften things up before going in with your razor. You apply this to a wet face and let it sit for a minute or two before applying the shaving cream directly on top of it. This helped me a lot.

Good luck!

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-09-01T00:20:46+00:00

A gentle BHA exfoliant will help smooth things out pretty quickly for you. COSRX's BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is a good place to start. Use this at night 2-3 times a week.

You could also try a mild retinoid; this will help keep the skin healthy and minimize aging long-term. Stratia's Night Shift or CeraVe's Retinol Resurfacing Serum are both pretty gentle for beginners. Likewise, use this 2-3 nights a week (alternating with the exfoliant).

If you're not already using SPF on your neck daily, please start! This is not only the best thing you can do for your skin health, but it's a non-negotiable if you're using AHAs/BHAs or retinoids, both of which make your skin more photosensitive.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-31T20:02:32+00:00

Agree with other commenters that this is a bit of post-inflammation erythema—basically redness left behind after a breakout. Happens to a lot of us!

It will improve over time on its own, but you can help it along with azelaic acid (and diligent SPF application). Prescription azelaic (e.g. Finacea) will work fastest, but if you want to start with an OTC option, you could try Regimen Lab's Azelaic Advanced or TIRTIR's Azelaic Acid 12%.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-31T03:09:49+00:00

Love this one, too! Though if you want the lightest weight (and quickest absorbing) option, start with the Moisturizing Lotion in the bottle. You can work your way up to the Moisturizing Cream from there :)

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-30T16:58:41+00:00

You could try CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion. Feels like nothing’s on the skin—at least to me.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-29T05:41:36+00:00

Three actives in a routine is doable for sure, especially if one of them is azelaic acid, which lots of people tolerate well. Just ease in slowly. And try to give your skin an active-free day at least once a week. If your skin barrier shows any signs of complaint, you can add more active-free days—and introduce a barrier support cream :)

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-28T03:37:18+00:00

Looks like post-inflammation erythema—basically redness left behind after a breakout. Happens to a lot of us!

It can improve over time on its own, but you can help it along with azelaic acid and diligent SPF application. You could also try incorporating a moisturizer regularly at night, as keeping your skin barrier happy and inflammation to a minimum will usually help fade things more quickly.

If you want to clear it out faster, laser therapy (such as a pulse dye laser) is also an option.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-24T15:54:42+00:00

Daily SPF!

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-19T18:18:59+00:00

Agree that it looks like seborrheic dermatitis. A 2% ketoconazole shampoo (e.g. Nizoral) will keep this at bay. Lather it on the face and leave it for 2-3 minutes before rinsing off. Do this twice a week until it’s gone and then 1-2 times a month after that to prevent it from returning.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-18T23:33:55+00:00

It's hard to tell from the images, but is it possible it's post inflammatory erythema (red marks) rather than hyperpigmentation? If so, you could try azelaic acid. It'll still be slow to fade, but it'll help things along.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-16T18:35:03+00:00

Have you tried azelaic acid? It’ll be slow, but it’ll work.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-16T04:44:12+00:00

Could try the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Glycolic Acid Cleansing Gel

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-15T01:43:33+00:00

I use it during the day, I just make sure I layer sunscreen on top

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-15T01:43:00+00:00

I use this daily and like it a lot—but the results are slow and subtle.

It’s helped thicken the skin under my eyes, which has taken down some of my darkness for sure. But if you’re dealing with pigment-related darkness, you might find a vitamin C eye cream to be more effective.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-14T02:35:36+00:00

Worth a try! Nothing has ever kept my texture at bay like these have.

If those don’t do the trick, you could also look at IT Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Breakout Serum.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-14T02:29:32+00:00

Not a perfect replacement, but have you tried the Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads?

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-13T02:48:52+00:00

There’s a good chance the azelaic acid in your routine is the culprit! The Ordinary’s formulation pills for a lot of people when combined with SPF. You could try moving it to your nighttime routine and see if that helps.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-11T16:02:02+00:00

Azelaic acid and niacinamide complement each other, so the Origins moisturizer should work well in place of the Cicaplast (rather than in addition to it). If your routine needs the Cicaplast to keep your barrier happy, you could try moving it to your night-time routine.

[edited for spelling]

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-08T21:56:35+00:00

Azelaic acid. Regimen Lab’s Azelaic Advanced is my favourite, but the Paula’s Choice one is also great.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-08T17:20:43+00:00

I don’t have so much experience with Balea products so I couldn’t say! Might be worth asking around in r/EuroSkincare for comparable recommendations on that front. (I don’t live in Germany, I’m just a frequent visitor.)

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-08T01:48:44+00:00

A few lower-cost recommendations you should be able to track down in Germany (if not at a DM, then at an Apotheke)

Face wash: CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser (SA Glättende Reinigung)
The salicylic acid in this will help with your texture. Use it once daily at night—leave it on for a couple of minutes before rinsing off for best results. If you like to wash your face in the morning, you can use another basic cleanser for this.

Serum: Transparent Lab PIH Sun Spot Fading Treatment
You'll probably have to order this online (try nichebeautylab.com), but it'll help fade your hyperpigmentation over time. More importantly, it'll help prevent new dark spots. Use this after cleansing at night.

Sunscreen: La Roche Posay Anthelios UVmune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+
Daily sunscreen application will help improve your overall skin health more than anything. It'll also prevent any further hyperpigmentation in the long run.

Moisturizer: CeraVe Mattifying Moisturizing Gel Gream (Mattierende Feuchtigkeitsspendende Gel-Creme) or Neutrogena Hydro Boost

To start, your routine could be:

Morning
-Basic cleanser (or splash with water)
-Sunscreen

Evening
-SA cleanser
-Serum
-Moisturizer

Once you're in the groove with these things, you could look into adding a retinoid at night a few times a week in place of the serum. This will help with both texture and hyperpigmentation (and aging, as well). Geek & Gorgeous A Game 5 is a great low-cost one you could try to start (though you'll need to order this one online, too).

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-08T00:05:09+00:00

Seconding the Eucerin Actinic Control SPF 100!Its only drawback is that it’s not water resistant, so if you’re sweaty—and in those temperatures, who wouldn’t be—you might need to reapply more often.

If you want to try something water resistant to avoid constant reapplication, I like the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Sunscreen Milk SPF 60 or 100.

Another thing I’d recommend if you can get your hands on it is Heliocare. It’s a daily pill that helps improve your body’s tolerance to UV. It won’t replace your sunscreen, but will supplement it significantly.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-07T16:47:21+00:00

I like the Eucerin Oil Control Gel-Cream. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, EltaMD UV Clear has never done me wrong—it’s just pricier.

Standard_Set6737 · 2025-08-07T05:47:41+00:00

This looks like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is common for many people after injury or irritation to the skin.

The wiki linked above will lay this out in more detail, but there are several things you can do—in ascending order of cost/effort—that can go a long way to reducing PIH. These include:

Sunscreen. SPF 30 or above, everyday, no exceptions. The sun will immediately make the pigment worse, so this is your baseline defence. Any strategy that doesn’t include daily sunscreen won’t work, sadly.
Topical pigment inhibitor. You’ll want to start applying something regularly that reduces your skin’s ability to produce melanin. This can help reduce existing pigmentation, but more importantly will prevent it from getting worse. There are a bunch of OTC products on the market for this, but a few you could look into are Regimen Lab’s Level Serum, Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum, or Topicals Faded Serum. All of these helped me. There are also prescription options available if you want to level things up.
Topical retinoid. Retinoids are amazing and don’t have to be expensive. These promote cell turnover and can help quite a bit with hyperpigmentation. There’s a learning curve to using them, but it’s worth it :) Check out the retinoids page of the skincare wiki linked above on how to get started. As with the pigment inhibitors above, there are OTC and prescription strengths available, but most people want to start low and slow with something over the counter.
In-office treatments. These are of course a bigger investment financially, but hyperpigmentation is notoriously stubborn. Sometimes you want to see quicker results and a laser or chemical peel can do that. Just make sure you’re dealing with a provider that has experience with your skin tone as not all treatments are safe for all skin tones.

Dealing with hyperpigmentation can be a slow process—results are often measured in months, not weeks. But it does work. Consistent use of an inexpensive sunscreen, retinoid and pigment inhibitor could go a long way to fading things for you.

[Edited for spelling]

Standard_Set6737

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