First off, know that you’re not alone in struggling with this problem — studies indicate that 40-55% of people aged 20-40 suffer from breakouts, so a lot of folks are shaving with acne every day. It doesn’t have to be a hassle, though, if you use the correct products and the proper shaving technique.

While shaving with acne the correct way can certainly help avoid making it worse, the act of shaving in and of itself isn’t going to help clear up your breakout. The good news is that shaving doesn’t cause acne, either.

If you’re suffering from red rashes after shaving, be aware that this is almost definitely not acne, but rather razor bumps, aka, ingrown hairs. These occur when the sharp tips of freshly shaved hairs curl around and grow back into the skin. The best way to avoid this is to exfoliate before shaving, and to always shave with the grain — when you shave against the grain, the hair is trimmed so short that it’s far easier for it to get embedded in the skin.

To deal with an existing razor rash, try a cold compress to soothe the skin, then apply a razor burn cream, like our Rescue Serum, which helps to calm post-shave redness and razor bumps.

Good question! If you’re a teenager, the most likely reason you’re experiencing acne is due to hormonal surges that cause your sebaceous glands to produce excess oil. This oil then clogs your pores, resulting in an outbreak of acne.

In terms of adult acne outbreaks, women tend to be more likely to suffer from these due to hormone fluctuations, but men can be afflicted too, most likely due to plain old sweat. When we sweat, the salty liquid acts like a pipe cleaner for our pores, pushing out any dirt and grime that’s lodged itself in our skin. That sweat and dirt mixture will settle back into your pores if you give it the chance, though. 

This sweat issue is why you should take a shower or, at the very least, wash your face (which is where most of those troublesome sebaceous glands live) right after any particularly sweaty activity, or you could find yourself staring at a very spotty reflection before too long.

Ready for a quick biology lesson? It’s all about the location of your body’s oil-producing glands. Your body houses a number of pilosebaceous units, which are structures that contain both a sebaceous oil gland and a hair follicle. When these get inflamed, most likely due to bacterial growth, you end up with a pimple. The areas of your body with the highest numbers of these pilosebaceous units — your face, chest and upper back — are the places you’re most likely to get pimples.

Why we evolved with all our pilosebaceous units concentrated in these areas remains one of the body’s many mysteries. One theory is that, because these structures are responsible for sprouting hair and producing sebum (aka oil) — both of which are tools the body uses to protect and hydrate the skin — it only seems right that they’d be condensed in areas that are most susceptible to the sun, especially back before T-shirts or sunblock were a thing. Whatever the reason, the end result, annoyingly, is many of us dealing with the problem of shaving with acne. Stupid body!

Acne Eraser is our targeted solution for zits and blemishes that reduces the appearance of zits in as little as 2 hours," says Director of Product Development, Rachel Glassberg. "This can either be used as a spot treatment or can be applied as a thin layer over a larger affected area. Salicylic Acid, utilized at 2%, exfoliates skin and unclogs pores, while a blend of soothing botanical extracts help calm troubled skin.