Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

I might just get rid of the massive pad at the front and use some of the smaller ones which came with the helmet...

Doesn't work. And neither does a forehead vent if you operate at high physiological temperatures - I'm not sure if this correlates with people who are high beaters. Myself and another rider who have the top couple of heart-rate zones about 20 bpm higher than our peers are both prone to suffer from stinging eyes (usually at the most inopportune moments).

You could also try a cotton cycling cap to soak up sweat under the helmet if Buffery is abhorrent to you.