In my introduction post, I had indicated the extent of my KP (basically I have red bumps all over me and has been a huge problem for about 8-10 years now) and I also indicated some of the "therapies" I used in the past.

I have been trying to take a more scientific approach to treating my KP. I am keeping a lab notebook/log book of everything I have been doing for the past 4 weeks and wanted to post an update.

1. I got rid of all the laundry detergent in my apt with dyes, perfumes, etc. The women on my mom's side of the family have a history of being sensitive to many different things from soap to the dyes used in clothing to the metals used in some jewerly so I thought it might help to limit my exposures to things like detergent that have caused them problems. As a chemist, I come into contact with enough chemicals as it is. I am using Cheer Free but most detergents have a "free" version on the market now. I am also using Downy fabric softner--sparingly---with no dyes or perfumes.

2. I love hot, long showers. But no more. I no longer take hot showers, or even warm ones, because it dries my skin out and makes the KP worse. They are somewhere between lukewarm and cold. Also, I have been timing my showers--because shorter showers mean less oil is washed out of your skin. I have a waterproof clock I stuck on the wall of the shower to make sure I obey my time limit.

3. I have been using AmLactin (OTC lotion with 12% lactic acid buffered with ammonium hydroxide) just on the top of my feet, my neck, my chest, and my arms to the shoulders. I have been applying it 2x daily with one of those times being after a shower while my skin is wet--usually I do the application to wet skin at night because I can allow the lotion to dry or seep in before putting on my clothes. In the mornings, I am just too rushed. On days I don't work/have more time, before the second application, I spritz my skin with water and then apply the lotion.

So why am I applying the lotion to just those areas? Well typically the skin is thinnest in these areas (at least on most people) so 1) the AmLactin should show the most dramatic improvement in the shortest amount of time in these areas, and 2) in case of a bad reaction, it won't be all over me . In the mean time I am not putting anything on the rest of the KP sorta as a control.

4. I have started using Tea Tree Soap by Thursday Plantation. As many of you may know from reading previous posts, tea tree oil is believed to have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. After doing some research and reading some of the studies published in some of the scientific journals at work, I thought it might be worth trying.

I decided against the 100% oil you can buy because some people have had severe reactions to it. I thought a soap might work better. Thursday Plantation's soap is supposedly 34% tea tree oil by weight--one of the higher percentages available in a soap. Also, the oil comes from a specific species of the tea tree---<I>Melaleuca alternifolia</I>. This species supposedly is the source of the best type of tea tree oil. The soap smells a little odd--maybe like nutmeg? It isn't overpowering and I became accustomed to it quickly. The smell doesn't follow you around all day either like some other treatments I have tried.

I basically soap up my loofah and very, very gently, in a circular motion, soap up the areas mentioned previously. I have been allowing the soap to stay on the skin for about 3 minutes before rinsing it off.

I do want to say a word about the loofah. I know several on this board use them regularly and some have complained that it seems to make the KP worse. So far I haven't experienced that---but I have been extremely careful to make sure that the loofah isn't applied with any pressure to speak of. I have a fair complexion and when I step out of the shower I check to make sure my skin is not red--well no more red than what the KP made it originally.

For those hestitant to use loofahs, Buf-Puf makes a really gentle exfoliating sponge that you may want to check out. You can get it at WalMart for acouple of bucks.

The results so far? Well it is encouraging. The KP on the top of my feet is gone. As is KP on my neck. The bumps on my arms (both lower and upper) are smoothing out and the redness is diminishing--it's noticeable---I may wear a tank top this weekend for the first time in years. On my chest, the bumps are a little more stubborn. But the redness has also diminshed there quite a bit. The itchness in those areas is also gone.

For those who have an itch problem that accompanies their KP, I would also recommend Aveeno's skin relief body wash with colloidal oatmeal--available at Walmart for $5 or so. Careful---it makes the bottom of the shower very slippery! I have used it often in the past but have refrain lately so I could see if the tea tree oil helped.

If you want to go even cheaper, take some oats (make sure it is only oats and no preservatives or extra ****), and an old pair of clean pantyhose; cut circular pieces of hose, add the oats, and close into a little sachet or bag with pipe cleaners, string, etc. The next time you take a bath, throw in the little bags a while before you get in. Viola! A cheap oatmeal bath that stops the itching.

For those interested in tea tree oil soap, one of the cheapest places I found online to get the particular brand I spoke about is Young Again Nutrients. I got 3-115 gram bars of soap for $9.95 + 5.25 for S&H. (I do not own stock in or have any ties with this company.)

Sorry this ran so long. Hopefully, some of y'all can find something useful in my ramblings.

ARRazorback