Do you wear foundation every day? I do, but I feel like it looks "thick." I have KPRF with permanent, fairly bright red cheeks and usually pretty minimal flushing. I just can't seem to find the "perfect" makeup that does what I want to do.

Also, how do you apply it so that you don't make your redness worse? Touch is a very sensitive trigger for me.

Thanks!

You should try mineral powder like sheer cover or bare escentuals. Does not feel or look like a mask at all.

I have tried mineral makeup - a liquid which dries very quickly and clogs (if you manage to apply it quickly enough), but now am using Jayne Iredale mineral powered make-up. Applies a little better and you can use as little or as much as you need.

Hi - I have the scarring type of KP on my cheeks (atrophoderma vermiculata) and eyebrows (ulerythema oprhyogenes) - these areas are very red. I have tried many types of makeup over the years and have recently started using 'sheer cover' mineral makeup and found it excellent in covering the redness and also so easy to apply.

Ya I hate wearing foundation, I am constantly switching from one to another because I don't like the way it looks. The problem with sheer makeup is that it doesn't cover the redness, it totally defeats the purpose. I always find that because my face is so rough, no matter what makup I use, it always looks horrible. I think my face has started to get worse in the last year or so, it never used to be so bumpy as it is now. I hate it.

I have tried Elicina cream which is made from the secretion of snails. (Don't worry snails weren't harmed in the making of this product!!) This has been produced for KP sufferers and can be used on the face about 10 minutes before you apply a moisturiser (your usual one!) I do agree that when the condition is bad it is difficult to apply anything. I used to use sheer makeup myself but found that it didn't apply or cover the redness too well but Jayne Iredale makeup seems to work better. I use an SPF cream (blotted in first) then powder, then the Jayne Iredale powder makeup.
I have also found that if I wear a moisturiser that doesn't moisturise well enough because of the KP then the other products don't work as well. I now use collegen cream to help with that so it does look slightly better. It is just trial and error to see what works for you. The bach rescue remedy also works to heal emotionally which I also use. Conventionally there isn't much that can be done. I would love to hear from you again. Keep in touch.

Someone told me once that green concealers are good for covering up redness so I use a bit of Nutri-Metics Correctique Green Concealing Creme and I've found it's pretty good.
Just a really thin layer mixed with foundation.

Thanks for the tip, it's a good one, but when I have tried applying the green concealer in the past I have either put too much into the foundation or I haven't put enough on so it doesn't do the job properly. Also when the Keratosis is bad it begins to itch so it is really hard applying any products so I just use an SPF cream. How bad is your facial keratosis? In the last week mine has been a nightmare, it looks as though someone has dunked my face in boiling water. I find that when I am stressed it goes straight to my skin, I don't even have to venture out the house for my skin to change. Obviously winters are the worst! How long have you had your KP for? Mine started 11 years ago after the birth of my second child. How do you cope? Please let me know. It was lovely hearing from you. It really does keep me going when I hear other people's stories and to know that others are going through the same ordeal. (Unfortunately!!)

Ilana maybe you can just try to apply the concealer first before the foundation rather than mixing the two together. That way you know how much concealer you need on your face. I've never tried that stuff but it seems logical enough. I do know how you feel about your KP though, I have it really bad on my face as well. Bumps, redness, the whole nine yards. I just started using Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle for Acne Prone Skin, both the cleaner and the cream. So far it seems to be making my face softer although I thik it might be drying it out a bit. But it contains both Retinol A and Salicylic Acid. My make-up looks a lot better since I started using it about 3 days ago. Anyways, don't give up! Good luck!

Today is a bad day for me. I have started using a cream that is supposed to minimise KP which also includes Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil Dr Brandt - Poreless, from the States. My skin looks better without the makeup, then as soon as you try and apply 'something' it just looks clogged again. I hardly look like Claudia Schiffer! Also I am not sure how long you are allowed to use these products. I am not sure these products are moisturising enough. The hard part is that I constantly feel that I am wearing a mask. If it was anywhere else on my body I think I would cope better. I am not too bothered what other people think. Applying makeup is like getting dressed on a morning. You want to feel your best and you can't when the KP takes effect.

I totally know what you mean. I hate applying makeup in the morning as it is, I wish that I could just wash my face and go. But it makes it even worse when I apply makeup and my face still looks like ****. It's very frustrating. I just started using a product from Neutrogena that is for wrinkles as well as blemishes. I am only 21 so i don't have wrinkles but supposedly the Retinol used in wrinkle creams is good for treating KP. So anyway, i use a facial cleanser and a cream, but it has started to make my skin very dry. It sucks cuz it has made the roughness go away and I am starting to see a bit of an improvement, minus the dryness. But I'm afraid that if I start using a moisturizer too much then my skin will just go back to the way it was cuz it may disrupt the effects of the Neutrogena stuff. I just can't win :S

I don't know whether this would work for you and I am not sure whether I have mentioned it before to you. The product I am using at the moment is called 'poreless' and is produced by dr. brandt. It basically has salicylic acid as one of its ingredients. It minimises pores so it makes your skin look more even. I have been using it for one or two days now and I have noticed a difference. As KP is not cureable these creams will just keep the problem at bay. It probably is a good idea to balance out the creams that you use so if the KP is bad use the creams that will eleviate the thickness. When your skin recovers slightly go back to using your ordinary creams, then when you see a change again go back to your KP cream. I think the key to Keratosis is to distance your mind from the illness, keep yourself strong and try and function normally. I say that, but there are days when I find it hard to do that. I don't see my life as being normal any more, facial keratosis is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with and with no cure around the corner it can be tough! You use your face to express your emotions on a daily basis, when that isn't functioning normally it can knock you back again. It is lovely that you keep in touch. I look forward to your messages. Keep smiling!

I guess I will refine my question a little bit....I don't really have problems with the actual KP bumps on my face (they are mostly on the backs of my arms and face), just the redness on my face. I have problems finding anything that will cover the redness fully but not look cakey.

This is a pretty accurate picture about what my face looks like:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...pages/2694.htm

Dear Cheeky - Hi, have you tried using a concealer to even your skin tone out first then apply a mineral makeup by stippling it on to your face. It is not easy at the beginning getting the balance right. You might apply too much concealer then not enough make up, but over time you should be able to work out what is right for you. They use mineral makeup for burns victims. There are two makes of makeup - one is Jayne Iredale and the other is sheer cover. Sheer cover do their own concealer in either a light or medium shade depending on your colour skin. I have the bumps on my face which is why I find it so hard to apply anything. Hence the creams to try and reduce it. Why not give it a go and see how you get on, you might be surprised at how good you apply it. You might not want to give it up!! Good luck and please keep in touch. That's what keeps me going!!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! It sounds like a lot of people like the mineral makeup! I might give it a try when I get some extra cash! In the past I've had an esthetician make me a special makeup with tint in it to countract the red, but it is very thick and about $30/bottle. Now that I'm a graduate student, I have to watch where my money goes! =) Thanks again!