Keratosis Pilaris may sound like some sort of tropical disease, but it is in fact a really common skin condition which affects many people all over the world. It’s characterised by areas of rough, raised skin which looks permanently goose-pimpled, usually affecting the upper arms, buttocks and thighs. It’s completely harmless, simply caused by a build up of keratin in hair follicles, but many of our customers who suffer from it find the appearance of the condition unpleasant and distressing. There are several things you can do to help with the appearance of keratosis pilaris – here are just a few:
Body Brushing
Body brushing can be really helpful for keratosis pilaris as it helps to dislodge the keratin plugs which are blocking the hair follicles. It’s important not to rub too hard as you’ll inflame the skin and potentially make the condition worse, but using an Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush with its natural cactus bristles will allow you to improve your skin’s texture, reduce the bumps and dryness and allow your skin to heal itself.
Go Soap-Free
Keratosis pilaris is hugely affected by dryness, and products which contain soap are renowned for drying out the skin. If you want to ensure you don’t to anything to exacerbate the problem, then swapping your usual body wash for something soap-free would be a really good idea. Dermalogica Conditioning Body Wash contains no soap but keeps the skin clean and refreshed without drying the skin. It also contains a mixture of fragrant botanical extracts which help to unwind the mind while moisturising oils enrich the skin with much-needed hydration.
Moisturise
Using non-drying products and exfoliating the skin will help to limit regrowth of keratin plugs in the skin, but giving your skin as much added moisture as possible is probably the single-most important thing you can do if you want to go some way to reducing the appearance of the condition. Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream is the perfect product as it is quickly absorbed by the skin and will help smooth away dull, rough surface debris to retexturise and soften skin, while essential oils of Sandalwood, Orange, Clary Sage, Patchouli and Rosemary help to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture.
Avoid Heat
Having hot baths is a sure-fire way to strip moisture from the skin, so avoiding them is a sensible precaustion to take if you want to keep your keratosis pilaris under control. Lukewarm showers will keep your skin in a more healthy condition and will allow you to lock moisture in when using the products we suggested above, rather than letting your skin sweat it all out again!