How smarter shaving and skincare work together to protect what keeps you looking younger, longer.
Why the skin barrier is the foundation of healthy, younger-looking skin.
When most people think about skincare, they think of serums, moisturizers, and maybe the occasional mask. While there are various objectives with each product, one goal is universal: an intact skin barrier.
Your skin barrier — the outermost layer of your skin — acts like a wall of defense.
Your skin barrier — the outermost layer of your skin — acts like a wall of defense. It locks in hydration and essential nutrients while keeping irritants, pollution, and bacteria out. When it’s strong, your skin looks smooth, calm, and radiant. When it’s compromised, you may experience dryness, redness, irritation, or even premature signs of aging like fine lines and uneven tone.
Scientific research is increasingly clear: barrier health is directly tied to long-term skin resilience. If your barrier is healthy, your skincare routine works harder for you, and your skin is better equipped to age well.
Shaving: An overlooked threat to the skin barrier.
Skincare enthusiasts are diligent about cleansers and moisturizers, but shaving is often ignored despite being one of the most aggressive, repetitive actions many people perform on their skin.
Traditional multi-blade razors scrape across the skin, removing not only hair but also layers of protective barrier
Traditional multi-blade razors scrape across the skin, removing not only hair but also layers of protective barrier. Combine that with harsh foams full of drying surfactants, and you’ve got a recipe for cumulative damage: micro-tears, chronic redness, and long-term sensitivity.
In fact, research has shown that irritation from shaving isn’t just a short-term inconvenience, it weakens the skin barrier, leaving skin vulnerable to inflammation, breakouts, and accelerated aging.
This is where the shaving category has failed consumers. For decades, it has focused on “closer, faster, smoother” while ignoring the biological cost. A truly smarter shave isn’t just about removing hair — it’s about doing so without sabotaging the very system that keeps your skin youthful.
The science of a smarter shave.
At Henson, we’ve spent the last several years asking a simple but overlooked question: what if shaving could support skin health instead of undermining it?
Using advanced near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) — a medical imaging technology usually reserved for research labs — we measured erythema (increased blood flow/redness in the skin) caused by different shaving products. It’s the first time this kind of quantitative, clinical approach has been applied to shaving.
This isn’t marketing spin. It’s peer-reviewed methodology
The results were groundbreaking:
- Henson razors and shave cream reduced erythema significantly compared to leading multi-blade razors and foams.
- Men who did not even self-identify as having sensitive skin still showed measurable irritation with mainstream products.
- By engineering blade rigidity, optimal cutting angles, and supportive shave planes, we demonstrated that a razor could deliver closeness and measurable skin protection.
This isn’t marketing spin. It’s peer-reviewed methodology applied to an industry that has never bothered to prove its claims. As Dr. Amir Karam, board-certified facial plastic surgeon and founder of KaramMD Skincare, put it:
A good skincare routine starts with not sabotaging your skin. That means choosing tools that preserve the skin barrier.”
Why this matters for anti-aging.
every time you shave, you’re either helping or hurting your skin’s ability to age well
Here’s the truth: every time you shave, you’re either helping or hurting your skin’s ability to age well. A shave that preserves your skin barrier means less chronic redness, fewer breakouts, less hyperpigmentation, and better absorption of your skincare products.
Think about it this way: why invest in high-quality serums and moisturizers if you’re going to compromise your skin barrier every morning with a harsh shave? Protecting your barrier is the multiplier that makes everything else in your routine more effective.
A smarter routine starts here.
If you care about your skin barrier and, therefore, your long-term skin health it’s time to rethink shaving as part of skincare.
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Swap harsh foams for Henson’s shave cream, clinically shown to reduce irritation vs. water alone and mass-market foams.
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Use a razor designed not to scrape away your barrier, but to preserve it. Henson razors are engineered with aerospace precision to minimize erythema and deliver irritation-free closeness.
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Complement your shave with skincare built around barrier protection, like the clinically sophisticated products from KaramMD.
It’s not about more products. It’s about smarter products that work with your skin — not against it.
Closing thought: The future of grooming is skin-first.
The skincare world has long recognized the importance of the barrier. Shaving is finally catching up. With clinical data, medical imaging, and a new wave of brands that prioritize skin health, we’re seeing the beginning of a smarter, more sustainable future for grooming.
At Henson, we’re proud to be the first razor company to put science behind our claims. And we’re equally proud to partner with KaramMD, a brand that shares our conviction that barrier health is the foundation of aging well.
Because at the end of the day, a shave isn’t just about hair removal. It’s about protecting your skin for the years ahead.
👉 Interested in protecting your skin barrier? Explore the science-backed shave with Henson Shaving, and discover barrier-first skincare with KaramMD.