I am in the USA on holiday, I've never experienced dry winter air like this. My KP has gone mad! It's all over my thighs and I never used to get it much on my thighs. It's very rough in texture too. My arms looks horrendous as well! I did go to tahiti for a few days before coming here and it cleared up ALOT. Now it's all back again, worse! (coz of winter). I am using St Ives Apricot Shower Gel and Nivea Smooth Care Lotion. Is there any inexpensive products I should try? Is Neutrogena Skin Smoothing Lotion any good? (we have neutrogena in NZ but not the whole line..). And do you think an Anti Acne shower gel would help? Help! KP is getting me down!

I tried using an acne body wash once, didn't help me much.. I also tried the Neutrogena Skin Smoothing lotion... that didn't do anything either. And it smells weird. So far I haven't been able to find anything that makes a significant difference.

I have tried two products that will help whilst your KP is bad (they will not cure, but should help). Elicina is one product and Pore Effect by Dr Brandt. Both these products take the plugs down but KP is a genetic disorder which unfortunately is here to stay. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I have had KPRF for 11 years now. It is tolerable using these products. I also use collegen cream when it is bad as it is the only cream that hydrates my skin when it rough,sore and 'thick.' If you need any more information I will be happy to help. Good luck!!

I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using baby oil to get their KP to clear up. I understand it's here forever but I have never had it clear up to where I felt comfortable about my arms. When I was younger I never had this problem. I use regular lotion now, but that obviously isn't helping.

The best moisturiser I have ever found is Paw Paw Ointment. It helps reduce redness and bumpiness. Hope this helps.

I read in a post here before that you should draw a hot bath and put 1/2 a cup of baby oil in it and then sit for about 30mn. Then take a straight edge like the side of a credit card and s****e the areas with KP. You will see a lot of gooey yellow oil coming off your skin. After i did this my skin looked and felt a lot better. The only bad thing is you could possible break blood vessels, resulting in red dots in the skin. Also the tub gets dirty

I agree with moXie. Though it sounds so daunting, it really neutralizes the bumpy effect and may reduce the spread rate. However, doing it very frequently can leave permanent marks or dark areas on your skin.

I also found taking sauna bath or steam bath reducing the effect. I normally stay in the sauna (if not, in the tub filled with hot water) for a longer period of time to allow the pores to open up and then scrub off.

I can't say whether baby oil will help... baby oil is normally a good moisturiser that will soften the skin. I am not sure it would be that effective for KP. You could try the baby oil and exfoliate the skin to see what happens to the bumps. It may work for a while but I suspect it may come back when the skin has healed. Good luck if you decide to try it ... I would love to know how you get on.

Hey!
I've got a sauna at home and fairly recently i've started using it more often (3 times a week about). It' s is so true that the sauna will improve the KP if you remember to exfoliate the skin. The heat in the sauna will help 'loosen up' the skin, and it will be more effective to do the scrub. I don't know how hot you keep the saunas there but here in Finland we usually have them around 80'Celsius...i reckon it's more useful when it's hotter..
I found that the best way is to sit in the sauna for quite a while with a bucket of water. When i've been there for a while i use the exfoliating gloves and loreal exfotonic to scrub the KP areas... there's no use scrubbing for ages, it's enough with a while (other wise it may result skin damage). After i've showered etc. and dried the skin i usually put Clinique's Anti Blemish night gel (the Anti Blemish body tretment spray is supposed to be even better) to some of the worse KP areas and moisturize with normal lotion the rest of the areas. Since i started i've noticed a significant difference in my skin! So much smoother and not so red anymore

Thanks for the tips! I also own the Clinique Anti Blemish night gel (or whatever it's called). I've never tried it on my arms but I think I will give it a go!

I just bought "L'Oreal Body Expertise Refinish Micro-Dermabrasion Kit Chest, Arms & Hands". I tried it on the back of my hands last night and they felt amazing afterwards! I used it on my arms in the shower this morning, they felt smoother but still red and bumpy. I'm going to use it a couple of times a week, I'll let you know how it goes! It says that it polishes away roughness, dryness and small bumps on arms, and apparently evens skin tone (which is what I want). It was a bit costly US$24 so I hope it does way it says it does!

Do you think going to a sauna (like a steam room) will help clear away the bumps?

Okay then, here is another dumb question. How often should I be exfoliating? When I do "exfoliate" I use those scrubby gloves that you can buy at any store in the health and beauty section. Is that adequate?

Probably one to twice a week. Within that time the skin needs to heal itself again before exfoliating. You might find that moisturising will work better. I find that when my KP is bad however much moisturiser I apply it makes no difference to the outcome. It still looks red and sore.