9.12.2013

Ways to Get Rid of KP

I have suffered from KP (Keratosis Pilaris, aka "chicken skin") for most of my life. I've never been able to completely get rid of it, but several of the methods below have worked to give me smooth skin. And many readers have written to me saying they were able to get rid of KP using the methods below. If needed, please consult with a physician before trying these. I cannot guarantee their effectiveness, but several of these have worked for me. I hope they work for you!

how to get rid of kp

  1. Coconut Oil--I originally shared a post on this here.
    • Pros: Inexpensive (depending on brand)
    • Cons: Very greasy, takes a long time to work 
  2. Sea Salt Scrub--Ocean Salt from Lush is used as an exfoliator.
    • Pros: Exfoliates skin, many swear by this
    • Cons: This makes my KP worse, because it dries out my skin. My KP is worse in colder months
      • This one is expensive, so I suggest making your own. Check out my recipe here.
  3. Prenatal Meds 
    • Pros: Could benefit hair and nails
    • Cons: Might cause acne
      • Random fact: Many women have reported that their KP was worse after having kids. Did this happen to you?
  4. KP Elements
    • I originally reviewed this here. This is an exfoliating cream. It takes a couple of weeks to feel results. The redness never went away, but my skin was smooth.
    • Natural AHA
    • Pros: If no drastic change after 30 days, you get your $ back
    • Cons: $35/jar, which lasts a month or two
  5. KP Duty
    • This was one of the first products for KP I had ever seen and tried. And it works!
    • Glycolic acid, urea 
    • Cons: Price, but effective...I suggest their exfoliating scrub too. $36
  6. Amlactin
    • Found in drugstores/online
    • Several products available, including lotions and creams
    • Lactic Acid, AHA
  7. Cera Ve (SA)
    • Intense hydration
    • Look for the SA version
    • Found in drugstores/online
  • Ingredients to Look For:
    • Urea--stronger concentration via prescription, but it is found in many OTC lotions/creams
    • AHA
    • Salicylic acid
    • Vitamin A
    • Retinol
  • My Method:
    • Creams work best for me. I have used all of the methods above, minus #3.
    • I apply a cream to my arms (my main area of KP) twice a day, making sure one of those times is right out of the shower, for maximum moisture benefits.
    • It usually takes me 2-4 weeks to notice a difference. If I stop using creams (usually due to laziness) the roughness comes back.
    • I have never gotten rid of the redness, only the bumpy texture.
If you have a product or method that worked for you, I'd love to hear about it below!




25 comments:

  1. I have KP, too, and I've never been able to get rid of it either. The closest I've ever come to fixing it is with this prescription cream with lanolin... it was very rich. I've heard the same thing about using prenatal vitamins but haven't ever tried them.

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  2. I picked up a few good habits since I was young and one of it is to use body cream each time after shower. I think it helped with my good skin big time.

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  3. coconut oil did the trick for me - and worked in 3 days :) i also love the smell and i have dry skin anyway so double bonus!

    -kathy
    Vodka and Soda

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  4. I can't wait to try some of these...maybe I can finally banish those bumps before next Summer now! haha :)

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  5. Hey Elle! I just tweeted you about this. I had it on my upper arms, but I mostly just like...grew out of it I think! Just a few bumps now. I do take prenatals, but it was nearly gone before I started doing that. When it was really bad, I used Ahava brand lotion. I think it was their "mud," but they have changed the packaging since I used it, so I am not sure from looking online! The lotion really softened it up, but it didn't totally disappear, and, like you, it normally took a few weeks and religious use of lotion to see a difference.

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  6. ah ha! It was the "Dermud nourishing body cream" :)

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  7. I have that on the back of my legs... I will have to try one of these products, thanks!

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  8. My daughter has been searching for a product to get rid of her KP. I think I'll have her try KP Duty. Thanks for the suggestions!

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  9. I have always struggled with this on patches of my arm! I am going to dry that KP cream!

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  10. I developed KP on my arms and back of my legs after I had my daughter and I swear by Amlactin! I also use it on super dry areas of my skin. It's great!

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  11. I have a mild case of KP on the backs of my upper arms, and this KP Duty + Dermadoctor's KP scrub totally work for me. :)

    Great post, Elle!

    -Ashley
    http://lestylorouge.com

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  12. Awesome post! I too blog about organic skin and body solutions because I've always had dry and sensitive skin! Great post!

    ► XO • KIMBERLYLUXE

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  13. This is a really useful post! Even though I don't suffer from KP, I think these could be good for normal usage too! :)

    http://callmemaddie.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-tights-lace-blouse.html

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  14. Dude! I wonder if this is what the rough patches are on my upper arms! I don't have them all the time so I just thought they were dry skin. Weird! I was using Trader Joe's coconut body butter on it for a while and it worked pretty well, plus it smells nice. It seems to get worse in winter. Thanks for this post!

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  15. Great post with lots of great tips.

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  16. I have KP too! Arms and legs. Really, prenatal meds? I never bothered to see if it worked for me while I was tanking them. Might give it a try! Tks for sharing the list!!

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  17. Great post, had KP all my life and always had to cover it up as people ask if I'm sunburnt!!! Following you on Bloglovin xx

    http://kabukikitty.blogspot.co.uk/

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  18. Thanks for this awesome post! I have KP on both of my arms and I've been looking for something that will get rid of it. My sister has the same thing and used lactic acid but they came back after awhile. Good luck everyone!

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  19. Thanks for all these tips! I used Amlactin years ago (or something similar that my dermatologist prescribed), but unfortunately it came back when I stopped using the cream. I have been meaning to try the coconut oil, too.

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  20. I really Enjoyed this post!! I suffer from a mild case of KP and I would love to try the Kp duty! Thanks so much for this :)
    xx Janice

    UnwrittenDetails.blogspot.com

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  21. I have KP too...on my face. *ugh* I might need to try some of these ideas, because my current regimen just does not seem to be doing much of anything.

    Sort of an aside: have you tried Lotil lotion? It works a treat on a lot of skin issues, it might just help for KP too. (I'm not sure where you can buy it, apart from the Vermont Country Store website - but it really is worth the price, a little bit goes a long way!)

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  22. Paula's choice also makes a couple products for KP. I like the Resist 2% BHA body treatment.

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  23. Soaking in 2 cups of epsom salt every night for 20 minutes rids of the redness and red dots...once redness fades, you only have to soak 3-4 nights a week for 20 minutes.

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  24. I had my kp under control, but it has been out of control since my daughter was born 7 months ago! So frustrating

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