Around 1762, a French cutler named Jean-Jacques Perret fitted a wooden guard to a straight razor, which is how Wikipedia dates the first safety razor. Think about what that means. For the whole history of shaving before it, the routine was a bare blade and a steady hand, and nobody was asking what happened to the skin afterwards. We have been dealing with the aftermath ever since: the stubble that curls back under the surface, the red bump that shows up two days later.

Bushbalm is a brand built around that aftermath. It began in 2016 as a side project of David Gaylord and Tim Burns, with Tim's wife Melodie, while the men were working at Shopify. The brand's own story says the idea was created by accident, when a husband on a honeymoon used an oil to freshen up and noticed what it did for his skin. I love that it began with an offhand honeymoon moment. The first idea was a scented oil, the scent did not land with customers, and the founders turned toward ingrown hairs and razor burn instead. Following what people actually asked for is the smartest thing a small brand can do, and bushbalm did it early.

The trick is to treat the line like a routine and not a single hero bottle. The Ingrown Hair Oil is the classic, and the brand says to use it within two minutes of showering. Its Ingrown Hair Exfoliating Scrub does the gentle sloughing that keeps hairs from getting trapped. The Dark Spot Oil and the After Dark Brightening Gel for Dark Spots take on the marks left behind. Radiant Reset Toner Pads and Roller Rescue Soothing Serum with AHA/BHA are for the days a bump has already shown up, Hydrating Shave Jelly cushions the razor, and the Friction Fix Serum Stick handles chafing in a bag.

Not every bump is the same bump, and most of the confusion starts there. Pink and tender right after shaving is irritation, and it wants something cooling. A small hard bump that lingers for days is closer to an ingrown hair, and it wants gentle exfoliation.

For the first kind, Kiehl's Ultimate Razor Burn & Bump Relief Gel and Megababe's Après Shave Ingrown Hair & Razor Bump Roll-On Solution are the ones I would reach for. The gel is a proper soothing step you can keep by the sink, and the roll-on is easy to slip into a gym bag. For the second kind, look at the serums. EADEM's Smooth Slate pairs ingrown hair care with dark spot care in one bottle, artnaturals' Smooth Touch is a similar idea in a simpler package, and Truly's Cooka Concentrate is the third serum in that camp.

Fur's Ingrown Eliminator Serum and Venus' ingrown hair serum for pubic hair and skin are the other two serums here, and First Aid Beauty's Ingrown Hair Pads are the classic swipe-on route if you like the feeling of a pad more than a dropper. I like a pad on the nights I would never bother with a second bottle.

The pads sit well next to the oil: a pad in the evening, and the oil in the morning right out of the shower. Different formats at different times keep skin from feeling overworked.

What I would skip: any exfoliating serum on skin that is still raw from a fresh shave. Give it a day.

Shaving dry is the mistake I would rule out before buying anything. A good glide product is the simplest way to prevent the bump in the first place, and this grid is entirely that.

Fur's Moisturizing Shave Cream and Billie's Ingrown Prevention Whipped Shave Cream are the two I would pick for a plain, no-nonsense shave. eos makes a Sensitive Skin Shave Cream, and its Cashmere Skin Hydrating Shave Oil in Pink Champagne is the same idea as an oil, for the person who likes a little scent in the shower. Tree Hut's Candy Cane and Pink Hibiscus Moisturizing Shave Oils are the playful pair, and I would keep the candy cane one for winter.

Truly is the brand to look at for something that smells like dessert. Glazed Donut Luxury Shave Butter is the indulgent version, and the Hydra-Smooth Shave Cream is the quieter one for everyday. If you have a bushbalm Hydrating Shave Jelly at home, these are the alternatives, and it is worth trying two or three before deciding which texture you prefer, since a cream, an oil and a butter all behave differently under a razor.

Try this: shave at the end of your shower, not the start. Warm water softens the hair and the skin, and you get a much closer, calmer result.

What I would skip: a scented shave oil on skin that already stings. If your skin is reactive, choose the sensitive skin cream and save the fun ones for calmer days.

Freshly shaved skin takes on moisture best in the few minutes after you step out, while it is still slightly damp, so that is when I reach for something from this grid.

Nécessaire's The Body Lotion is the one I would keep on a shelf all year, since it goes on light and does not sit on top of skin. Laouta's Sunrise Body Oil, PHLUR's Beach Skin Shimmering Body Oil and Salt & Stone's Bergamot & Hinoki Body Oil are the everyday oils with a little personality. Moroccanoil's Dry Body Oil is the answer if you dislike anything that feels slick.

Then the slower, more ceremonial end. Augustinus Bader's The Geranium Rose Body Oil is a bottle to keep for weekends. Surya's Calming Abhyanga Massage & Body Oil is named for the Ayurvedic self-massage practice, and it earns a place on the shelf if you have the ten minutes. Mara's Algae + Moringa Sea Sculpt Body Oil sits between the two, a daily oil for the person who wants something a little different.

A pairing I like: exfoliating scrub two or three times a week, then one of these oils or lotions right after, so the fresh skin you have just uncovered is not left bare.

What I would skip: rich body oils on the same night as an acid step, if your skin is sensitive. Keep the evening simple.

Bushbalm works best when you stop treating bikini-line care as an afterthought and give it the same routine you would give your face. Wash, exfoliate a couple of times a week, soothe, and moisturise. That is all it is.

I would begin with the Ingrown Hair Oil, add a good shave cream, and see how your skin feels after a month. The oil and pads soften and soothe, but a bump that is painful, spreading or will not go away is a question for a dermatologist. Perret gave us a guard for the blade. The rest is up to your bathroom shelf. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Peach Slices Smoothing Solution and Hair Removal Cream, Shaving and the Ingrown Hair Fixes That Help Both.

For another approach to bumps after shaving, I wrote up Fur Oil for ingrown hair and the body oils and shave care to pair with it.