So glad to have found the site...my husband and I both have had KP on our arms though as we have gotten older, ours is mostly gone.

Our 17 yr old daughter has struggled with it on her arms and finally this summer it is just about gone. She has been daily, using in the shower, Totally juicy grapefruit sugar scrub. She kept at the LacHydrin for a while but couldn't get her to be consistant. The sugar scrub has been the best thing so far.

Our youngest daughter,11yrs old, has KP on her face,a tiny bit on her upper arms and thighs...this has to be the worst age to get this, poor kiddo... anyway, we have found out this week that:

1. rubbing harder with the extra gentle buff puff does NOT work in fact, she got huge, inflamed (I am assuming KP) breakouts overnight. We are now gently washing with a white washcloth and Cetaphil. Does rubbing/manually exfolliating create bigger breakouts for other people?
2. Carmol HC prescribed by the derm did no good at all, she doesn't have any associated redness, just bumps, we skipped that one and don't like the derm anyway. Bad bedside manner, gruff and wasn't open to any questions...
3. LacHydrin in the AM and Paula's choice 1% BHA in the PM may be helping

Has anyone had any luck introducing GLA supplements, black currant oil?

Would like to know what CP soap is? Cannot seem to find out but have heard some on the Mom's message board mention it...

As for the dog, well, she has other issues, no sign of KP yet...
Cee

excessive drooling; shedding; snoring, gas that makes you flee the room; incontinence as she ages.....along w/ extensive senior moments (I swear, I have to remind her that she went outside to pee now; she just stands around looking confused unless I keep her focused!)
but she's still my 125 lb, drooly, hairy baby!

Has anyone use GLA (black currant oil) supplements with any luck at all...
thanks,
Cee

PS~~ our dog is allergic to everything...chicken, grass, milk...westies are cute but very allergic...she's our 15 lb priss

never heard of black currant oil. where can i find it?

as for your dog, try getting her on an organic dog food. preferably something with lamb and/or oatmeal in it. it's hard for animals to be allergic to that! also consider giving your dog filtered water b/c the chemicals in tap water are very harsh

i have an akita that has awful allergies, runny eyes, itchy skin, etc. i give her 2 cod liver oil pills/day, bought one of those anti-allergen devices from The Sharper Image, give her oatmeal baths and periodically apply aloe vera gel all over her body.

It has worked wonders

I read on Dr. Weil's webpage that GLAs, specifically Black currant oil, 500 mg 2x aday, (you should probably check on that for dosage) does wonders for skin conditions. Link below to his page. You can get it at a Whole Foods store or natural foods store.

http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.html

HTH, Cee

Off topic.....(As far as the dog goes, she started out as a puppy on lamb/rice, the same as the breeder fed her. Threw up every day for a year till I figured out there were chicken products in the food. Plus, we are not 100% sure she doesn't have a prob with lamb. She is doing so well on Rabbit and potato now, I'd have second thoughts about changing her food. We re bathing her once a week with some antihistimine shampoo we got at the vet, it has made the biggest difference of all. No more licking and we even were able to bring her to the dog park for the first time in a year. Just had to shampoo after the park..)

Here is the info. I think I'm going to buy some. Thanks Cee.

BLACK CURRANT OIL

Technical Name:

Ribes nigrum) oil pressed from black currant seeds

Used For:

Auto-immune disorders including lupus, eczema, other skin problems, hair problems (dry, brittle, thinning, splitting), nail problems (weak, brittle), Premenstrual Syndrome, inflammatory disorders

Available In:

Gel caps

Herb Drug:

None known

Interaction:

None

When Buying:

Black currant oil is a source of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid. Capsules should contain at least 45 mg of GLA. Avoid topical oil preparations.

Warning Dosage:

500 mg twice a day

Child Dosage:

Half the adult dose

Thanks for the info, I am going to get some for my daughter...her face has really cleared up...I think the gentle approach to exfoliating by using a washcloth and abandoning the buff puff has made a world of difference. That plus Paula's choice BHA at night and lachydrin in the AM. Next we will go with skin bio exfol serum since the PC BHA is a bit drying for her young skin. We are also using Paula's Choice oil free moisturizer at night. Her face hasn't looked this great in weeks.

Thanks again for the GLa info, esp re: dosage for children..
Cee