Hi there, let me say first that this site rocks! There are so many valuabel tips which can be found in the numerous posts.
My dermatologists never seemed to know anything about kp. They just gave me a peeling and said it would disappear after a while. Moreover, in Germany, they regularly recommend Urea lotion as a treatment..but this only clogs the pores and makes the skin feel incredibly sticky.
I have just thought that my skin is pretty much cured from KP already and I came here to check because of my problems with birth control and antibiotics.
But I came across so many great hints that now I am very enthusiastic about getting my skin even better.
The eucalyptus lotion sounded promising -unfortunately there is no BBW in Germany, and the only way to get it seems to be via ebay...
So, as an alternative I have bought eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils from the body shop and given some drops to baby oil. I apply it under the shower, use it as massage oil...and it's great: My skin looks very rosy and fresh after application, and warmth immediately spreads all over my body. I hope it helps in the long run, but so far all I feel is a wonderful velvety touch on my skin..I cannot actually stop touching it.
So, let's see how perfect our skin can become, inspite of kp!
I have supplemented my own method now with the tips found here, and what I do now is the following:
Use soap-free shower lotion
Apply eucalyptus baby oil at least 3 times a week, but no other cream after the shower (my skin is so much softer without any lotions)
Go the the sauna every 7 to 14 days
Take baths in sea salt or sugar beet molasses about twice a week
take the vitamins recommended by rachel18, preferably by nutrition also by pills
Reduce sugar, meat, pasta, bread, eat vegetable, fruit, water, tea
And, yes, search an alternative to the pill...that may depend on how your body reacts to the hormones...but I have never come close to being symptom-free, which I come close to most of the time without the pill
My aim is to keep this great velvety touch that I so often envy with other people's skin, and which I have just achieved with starting to apply the eucalyptus..
I will keep you informed how everything works out!
Good luck to all of you

Thank you for your post RedSandy!! I have a few questions. What changes do you see when you use the sauna? Do you see smoother skin, does it feel healthier, change in color? How long are you in there when you go every week or two? Did you notice a difference when you used a steam room? Furthermore, you mentioned sugar beet molasses. Do you buy this at a grocery store and soak in it or use it as a scrub?

I hope this method works for you.

Hi CC Camillo,Yes, I buy the sugar beet molasses at the grocery store (and occasionally spread it onto my bread as well, and I put 1-2 spoons into the bathtub. With me it had a more subtle effect first but in the long run worked pretty well; its one of those home-made recipes from Hungary, and they still use this treatment in their spas.
In the sauna, I usually go to the steamroom first for 15 minutes, and then into the sauna for another 15, sometimes twice. I think sauna habits very much depend on your personal constitution. The effect is that my skin immediately becomes very very soft (here it doesn't seem to matter which lotion I apply afterwards), and this usually lasts for a few days - which can be prolonged by the baths and stuff. The red spots, the ones that remain after the bumps are gone and which you only see and don't feel, on my skin are a little more resistant as I have the typical red-hair white skin. Sauna at least twice a week helps - but I don't have the time for this. But light tanning lotion once or twice a week covers this very well, and in the summer it's not that bad either as a slight tan is already sufficient.
By the way, I have just applied the eucalyptus oil this morning under the shower...and, again, my skin is soooo soft - which is especially exhilarating as I am dating a really nice guy this evening! A date where you can't wait for the guy to touch your skin? Who of us is not dreaming of this..
So, go ahead all of you - I used to be a very, very severe case of KP!!

redsandy...what soap-free stuff are you using in the shower??

Hey, Phantastik, well in Germany the brands are sebamed soap-free shower oil, Kneipp Almond shower, or The Body Shop Mango Shower gel.

It seems as if natural ingredients work much better, so I prefer Kneipp and the body shop even to those from the pharmacy. But if the shower lotion is good, I do not need to apply any lotion after the shower, because the skin feels soft afterwards anyway. I don't know whow it is with you but lotions make my skin soft in the first place but rough the next morning - and the redness increases.

I agree with you about the natural products working better. I've never heard of either of those brands though..I guess they must not be in the US?

I just posted the routine I follow, I am also using eucalyptus essential oil (added to jojoba oil, not baby oil) and I think is has been key in the remarkable improvement of my KP. I do want to try the BBW spearmint and eucalyptus lotion and see how it compares.

Phantastik...Yea, I'm afraid you won't find these brands in the US. But I think the combination soap-free + natural ingredients is what matters, and there my brands do not make too much difference.
I see that some people use acne-face stuff here. It doen't work that well for me, but I haven't tried it over a longer time period..

CloseT., yes, it would be nice to have a comparison. The disadvantage of the oil mixture is that it is a little inconvenient if you are just about to leave the house and need a quick solution for a better feeling. Then the oil, especially in the summer, can be a little bothering. My skin is not that dry actually, and it will never absorb everything.