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Consult a med or ND if you have concerns or are not informed enough to make your own choices.

I don't consider myself "cured" of KP. I don't think I will be "cured" per se unless menopause finally shuts it down somehow. For now, my KP got worse after pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. I'm pushing my mid-40s. I have perimenopausal symptoms. I have had a strong tendency for KP and KP/acne since puberty with some years in my 20s and 30s being virtually KP free - possibly the coastal climate, access to more fresh veggies and fruits, and steadier hormones helped there too. Now through much of what I have learned here, I have rid myself of about 85 to 90 percent of my KP and I think that will continue to be the case as it's management for me. If it's a cure, I'll let you know if/when I've been KP free for a year.

I have fair skin (somewhat freckly) that is quite sensitive though I have heard a couple stories on this forum of people with more sensitive skin than mine. But as an example, even "Sensitive Skin" products I hold in suspicion and I read ingredients like crazy. I was allergic to strawberries as a child and I know that if I eat them as an adult, I will get itchy patches of dermatitis on my arms and/or legs with more KP to follow. Same with Olive Oil and products with squalene which can be derived from olive or sharks (?weird, eh?) I also got bad dermatitis patches, almost eczema, when I was pregnant.

I moved back to the middle of the North American continent about 4 years ago. The standard diet here is pretty awful. I didn't give it much thought until more and more health problems seemed to crop up for me. I have made strong attempts to make my diet healthier for my general well-being. I have definitely had milder flu and colds this current winter (knock on e-wood.) If my KP eases up by virtue of a better diet - hey, good for me. I needed to eat more fruits and veggies and fewer preservatives anyway.

In March of 2007 I started "oil pulling" every morning for reasons other than KP - I was desperately searching for ways to help myself maintain better sinus health. OP had immediate positive effect in my sinuses and I was so surprised and freaked out that I searched around on the web for why it worked and found no great answers, at least none to my satisfaction. BUT I did find this forum and found out the name of my skin condition I'd had for about 30 years.

The Oil Pulling gave me a typical herx effect - that is, I broke out _badly_. It started at my face and gradually worked its way down my body. Really pushed out some big yucky keratin plugs - bits that were like grains of sand or little pieces of fingernail with, of course, a hair attached. (Seems like this is common between OP and Sea Buckthorn) I also started taking flax/fish-oil supplements soon after since it helped with so many things. About 4 weeks later I started using fine grain sugar (baker's sugar or caster sugar, regular is good too) as a dermabrasive scrub in my shower _every_ day but I did not scrub hard just very lightly. To my surprise I could do that without irritating my skin. I am quite certain the OP and omega-3 fatty acids reduce my inflammatory reaction and therefore it was possible for me to use a light scrub. (Omega-3's are supposed to do that. My joints that had ached all the time very rapidly quit aching after OPing.)

I stopped the scrub somewhere around 4 to 6 weeks (don't recall exactly), gave myself a couple weeks off and then started using AmLactin or LacHydrin or one of those lactic acid lotions. It stung a bit but not bad red burns or anything. I was thrilled that mid-summer I was actually sweating on my legs instead of getting nasty KP bump heat rash. That was new to me to have beads of sweat on my legs. Sometime mid-July however, I got a bad allergic reaction to something NOT the lacHydrin I'm pretty sure but all over my body, even places where I hadn't scrubbed or put lactic acid on. I also got a bit of a cold or something after that. I'm hoping I got my West Nile Virus infection out of the way but I don't know, I didn't ask for a test for the antibodies yet. I basically decided to stop trying to use AHAs on my arms and legs. My skin is sensitive, sunburns easily and I get reactions to foods, bug bites and _whatever_ so I kind of don't need the extra stressor on my skin. I think this makes my progress a little slower along with my age but that's ok with me. This is what works better for me personally.

So, I have basically kept up OP, oil supplements, scrubbing and trying sea buckthorn oil or various topicals. My arms are virtually clear all the time with minor KP breakouts after having the flu or a cold. My legs are much better than they were but I'm still pushing out big plugs out of my calves. I have slightly fewer whiteheads on my calves lately, only one or two every couple of days instead of 2 or 3 a day. It seems like I still have a couple of months to go before my formerly hairless areas have worked all the way out. Hopefully before summer because I WILL wear shorts regardless. I just get too darn hot otherwise.

My list for my maintenance and improvement so far are:

Oil Pulling - helps me with a couple physical "maladies". I have used sunflower, sesame, almond and walnut oils with good results. Coconut oil is not for me at this time - it doesn't help my sinuses stay clear. Pumpkin Seed Oil is good but strong for me. I will not use again for a while. The papules on my calves were worse, deeper, redder, etc. with Pumpkin Seed Oil which seems like it really helps push out plugs but I have terribly deep ones on my calves and I would rather let them work out gradually. For someone who "can take it", PSO might be great. Flax oil is also good but strong and I find it throws off my hormonal balance a bit - it has phytoestrogens and I guess even a little throws me off. So I only occasionally put a little in a pull mixed with another oil now.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements - I generally take 2 or 3 flax/fish/borage safflower (or whatever combo I can get at a reasonable cost) oil caps a day. Some days I might forget and not take one till nighttime so my average is probably 2/day. They are big, gel caps, probably 1000 to 1200 mg each usually. I rarely take cod liver oil capsules but was given some so I occasionally do - watch out for too much animal based vitamin A and if you don't know why look it up on wikipedia "vitamin A". I don't take just fish oil caps partially because I don't wish to contribute too much to the overfishing of our world's oceans and I don't want to always have to check for mercury-free supplements. Overall, my husband and I have lost 10 lbs each also and it seems to be in great part because of the oil supplements - our diets and exercise have not changed significantly otherwise. Check my blog for some links to clinical trials of omega-3s for various things.

Other vitamin supplements - I take a pretty hefty woman's multi-vite daily. Brand sometimes changes because manufacturers are always changing stuff too - I have one from Target right now. I found out the hard way (serious fatigue) that I _have_ to have iodine in my supplement for thyroid health. I don't salt my food enough otherwise to make up for it. I also started eating kelp a bit more often - you know, a good miso soup once in a while. I also take spirulina as much as I can remember - it's high in beta-carotenes and other things - I started taking it for my sinuses. I noticed that baronster eats it as part of her overall dietary regimen. Google "spirulina cytokines sinus" if you wish to see the clinical trials on how it improves conditions of chronic sinusitis (or is it acute? I forget, look it up.) I take one or two sea buckthorn capsules daily - they're about 200or 300 mg. It's high in omega-7 fatty acid and beta-carotenes and tocopherols and various phytonutrients. I also take a calcium-magnesium-zinc supplement most evenings, that has more to do with my concerns about bone health over the next 20 years of my life (hopefully!) . But if you search for calcium on these forums, you'll find some women who, quite depleted after pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, found that calcium supplementation was what they needed to clear up their KP - there is some link with vit A utilization, I don't remember, again: look it up if you're curious. I don't always take as much of this stuff as I would hope in a day but I generally find it pretty easy for me - I'm in the kitchen cooking and packing lunches at least a couple times a day and I keep my vites in a basket there so I can just take a minute to grab a glass of water and my vitamins, ideally b4 or after I eat. If I had a commute to work, I might keep them in an insulated container in the car, I dunno, or in my cubicle or whatever... EDIT: I also try to take some enzymes, basics like papain and bromelain, with some meals. It gives me a noticeable boost but I go easy on them the first week - too much makes my intestines touchy until they're used to it again. I also take a formula of black cohosh and dong quai, soy and gamma-oryzanol for menopause symnptoms every day but i don't take hormones or an RX for that.

Scrubs - Scrub gently, whatever you use! I use sugar for the most part, sometimes adding a little (1 or 2 tsps per cup of sugar) apple cider vinegar. I have also used just epsom salts, leaves a real nice feel but grains are big and you might wish to run them thru a processor or blender first. I tried papain - definitely works but is a bit strong for me, I got a little irritated by it, a couple small peeling places burned a bit. Papain could be great for some people who don't have sensitive skin. I did not try microdermabrasion crystals. Not convenient in my lifestyle or for my septic system whereas sugar and epsom salts BOTH feed it. Yesterday I blended a couple of cups of epsom salts and a cup of oatmeal togehter, then mixed them into a container of sugar and put it in my shower. I scrub only a couple of times a week now - but I did it daily for the first 4 to 6 weeks, then stopped. When I started up again I did it daily for a couple weeks but eased off to slightly fewer times for maintenance.

Oils/Lotions - almond oil, almond oil, almond oil. love it. Only issue lately is when temps are way below zero It isn't quite thick enough. When I get the ingredientes together I'll try kebod's lotion recipe - that looks good. BUT getting ingredients usually requires online ordering and I have to get it organized and do it when they won't freeze in transit (!) I like the Weleda sea buckthorn oil BUT between price and availability I haven't used it again for months. I am using a gold bond softening lotion right now and it seem ok - it generally goes against my principles to use something with so much stuff in it including parabens which I can't take in too high of doses BUT this is urea and jojoba based and I mix a little body oil (almond safflower right now) with it and so far it is not causing me any more KP than I would have in these conditions. Might be too thick when the temps warm up and we have more humidity again. I used to use cocoa butter but I heeded some words of wisdom around here that generally say it's not the best for KP. Tea Tree Oil and salycylic or glycolic acid. I find TTO to be quite helpful when I have itchy or pimple-like conditions in my KP. Derma-E TTO anti-itch lotion is a fave of mine or my own concocotions. Also, burt's bees tomato toner and their blemish stick work on those kinds of breakouts for me too - kind of depends on what's available to me in stores which isn't always a lot or where my next internet order is from.

Acne/KP combo - I've had this a lot in my life and it seems to be bad again due to hormonal changes and climate. Tea Tree Oil and salycylic or glycolic acid. Again, these things help me on my face, jawline, chest and neck. Clean and clear deep action cleanser (sometimes I've used it on my arms and legs too when they are irritated), derma-E glycolic cleanser, derma-e problem skin cleanser, burt's bees tomato tone, burt's carrot complexion soap, burt's bees blemish stick - all tend to help me. A recent allergic breakout on my forehead when a conditioner I used suddenly changed formula (oh that ****es me off!) was really bad and burning and took weeks to clear up because not only was it blistery and whiteheads but then I had KP-like plugs to work out also! The glycolic cleanser was too strong even on that, I finally just slapped a layer of SBO (sea buckthorn oil) on there, covered it with a bandana and that sped healing. Then I used the derma-E problem skin cleanser on it and that didn't peel it or anything. I'm still having a hard time finding a good moisturizer for my middle-aged acne-prone face but I'm working on it.

Scars - vitamin E oil or SBO. If you have scarring where you can cover it with something that you don't care if it gets stained (say under a black shirt) put SBO on it straight - it's high in lots of things that help your skin heal up. I use just a dot sometimes on a purpley-spot and then put a bandage over it and leave the bandage on for days, pull it off and, wow! it's quick. same technique can be used with vitamin E.

These are my experiences and opinions etc...
Results may vary.

Thanks for this post, you obviously took alot of time to write it and at least one person appreciates it.

I'm curious, for the scarring how badly was it? I have alot of scars from acne on my upper back, a few on my chest. And what does SBO mean??

Thanks Josh. I notice I have a few typos or missing words I need to go in and clear up sometime...

The scarring from my teen years wasn't too bad. I don't have "edward James Olmos" face if you know what I mean. (He's a favorite of mine however and his severe scarring just makes him look "rugged"! I think he's hot and Admiral Adama is up there with Captain Kirk in my book. i'm giving away my age...) If I had it to do all over again I would NOT use antibiotics (no one was doing accutane when I was a kid but I wouldn't do it either) I have enlarged pores on my forehead, nose and chin with some pock marks on my chin - they have been more noticeable though as I hit my 40s. My cheeks and jawline are actually not too bad at all. my neck and chest and back have lots of small keloids that are like white speckles around a large pore.

The mild glycolic cleansers do a lot for minimizing the look of my keloids - not sure why, I think they help smooth them out a bit and then they usually have soothing or anti-inflammatory ingredients that help my skin tone. The derma-e glycolic is basically like another I used when I was in my 20s and I give it a thumbs up. ooo! I should post a photo in the new product gallery! Even clean and clear products have been useful - the deep action cleaner I use sometimes when I want something less strong since it's only a 2 percent salicylic acid I think - with menthol so it's soothing too. there's a clean and clear lotion that a friend of mine uses on her arms that might be an inexpensive alternative to some of the expensive lotions.

Dietary - If I did it all over again with what is available these days I would definitely try the omega-3 supplements, maybe the SBO (Sea Buckthorn Oil) and I would probably regularly drink carrot juice for the beta-carotene! SBO is on the pricey side but I don't take as much internally as suggested - the recommendation for my capsules (250 mgs I think) is 4 a day but that's way too much vitamin E for me. high doses of vitamin E can reduce blood clotting as in, if you get a big cut, it'll bleed too much. Risk of dying in an accident increases. Anyway, I think that dietary/supplement approach is essential to helping out those deep cysts in combo with freeing up the dead skin cells on top. In my recent new middle-aged bout of acne, I started getting nasty deep ones again about at age 40 and I have not had an awful deep one on my face, neck or chest for months! woohoo! BUT My back has had an occasional one but I don't always use the glycolic on there - hard to reach. (and I'm having deep things work out of my calves which is so weird but I'm fairly certain that's linked to hair growth and the length of time it takes for a hair to grow and finally fall out.)

HTH - bd

Let me just start this post by saying yet again that while I don't necessarily think that all KPers have an overpopulation of demodex mites or inflammatory reaction to them specifically, I do think the sea buckthorn oil and similar oils can have very beneficial impact for some of us as our moisturizers of choice. Also, I am an AMATEUR. and this is a long amateur analysis though I feel like making and marketing my own line of oils after THIS. Feel free to correct me if I have some erroneous idea.

What do I mean by similar oils? Well, I've recently tried a couple of things that seem to try to mimic the components of sea buckthorn oil. that or else the pharmacists that made these totally know how to helps our skin and they make formulations based on what's accessible to them, cost effective, etc...

Sea buckthorn oil is high in palmitic and palmitoleic acids, fatty acids that are major components of skin and fat. Lots of carotenoids (vitamina A sources), tocopherols (vit E), high in Vit C, and a couple others I haven't looked into as to their affect on human skin: vit K, betasisterol, and a bit of folic acid and flavonoids.

I recently purchased a massage oil (4 ounces for about 6 bucks) at the big evil megamart that shall go unnamed but starts with a "W" (not walgreen's). J.R. Watkins Pure Lemon Body Oil - the ingredients are grapeseed oil, macadamia nut oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, lemon peel oil, safflower seed oil, aloe extract and tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E.) This stuff is really nice. My husband commented on the silkiness of my legs (tmi?)

I also got a sample of Dr. Hauschka's quince day cream ($$$$! so I'm glad I got a _sample_ first) and tried a small amount on my cheek last week. It was ok so I expanded a bit and included a bit of my forehead the next day, seemed okay, so what the heck I put it on my whole face the third day. wow, this stuff is good for me - I may spring for it in the near future. So what are the ingredients of the Dr. Hauschka stuff? they use woundwort (healall) extract in most stuff and I suspect it is seriously anti-inflammatory from what info I can find. Also apricot kernel oil (i was unsure about it but more later...) and carrot oil (high in vit A, duh) quince extract or something from quince which possibly is the vitamin C source in it.

So regarding the Watkins massage oil, I already knew that macadamia nut oil is one of the next highest veg oils for palmitoleic content but I wasn't sure of some of the others so I started poking around the internet which is all that's really available to me.

For starters, the fatty acid that gets the most credit for being healing in SBO is Palmitoleic acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia which is also found in high percentages in macadamia nut oil, cod liver and other fish oils, and to some degree in apricot kernel oil - and chicken skin and fat, lamb skin and fat, beef skin and fat, pork skin and fat, etc... oh, and human skin and fat... ( I need to learn to make schmaltz, it's yummy with lots of garlic - schmaltz - Definitions from Dictionary.com)
I searched nutrition data for a better idea of what foods carry palmitoleic (16:1), not that I know their data is the penultimate but it's what I can get my hands on:
999 Foods Highest in 16:1 undifferentiated<br>(based on levels per 100 grams)
Note that tallow (beef and other animal fat) is high in palmitoleic acid. Dove has used sodium tallowate (yes, derived from animals) for years, all you Dove lovers... I know you're out there because you post that the Dove moisturizing liquid soaps help you and I believe you, I just don't like the perfumes and additives and stuff myself - too much risk of allergic reaction for me.

back to the ingredients of the watkins stuff:

grapeseed oil - considered strongly inflammatory (I'm goin' by the nutritiondata.com data but note that every other oil below is likely ANTI-inlammatory), high in Vit E

macadamia nut oil - should be high in palmitoleic acid like sbo with some A,C,E, Bs and minerals and betasitosterol like SBO. The nuts are strongly anti-inflammatory so I will assume (rightly? wrongly?) the oil is too.

apricot kernel oil - strongly anti-inflammatory. high in Vit E, small percentage of palmitoleic acid. and approx 6% palmitic acid.

avocado oil - 3% palmitoleic acid, strongly anti-inflammatory.

lemon peel oil - I have to go by the info for lemon peel so the big thing is probably vit c and maybe a tiny bit calcium.

safflower oil - strongly anti-inflammatory, high in Vit E and K.

aloe extract - effects are clinically unknown though has a strong traditional medicine usage for skin. (found this nice weird bit of info: "An injectable form of acemannan (from aloe) manufactured and marketed by Carrington Laboratories as Acemannan Immunostimulant™ has been approved in the USA for treatment of fibrosarcoma (a type of cancer) in dogs and cats after clinical trials."

vitamin E - weirdly no good clinical evidence I could readily find for the claims that it helps reduce scarring but I have personal experience of it benefitting my skin and my friend's plastic surgeon recommended it to her for HUGE scars on her legs after removal of large ulcerations. maybe it's one of those "works well for some, not so much for others."

SO, my point is that the Watkins stuff has a lot of stuff in common with SBO without the bright orange staining. I could see people trying it as an alternative to SBO or in my case, when I get some more straight SBO I can add some into the watkins till I achieve an acceptable color and possibly get more of the carotenoids and good phyto-thingies from the SBO. I like this idea better than the Weleda blend cause the Weleda blend is pricey and uses sesame seed oil which don't find as the best oil for my skin. And though this watkins oil is doing a wonderful job on my skin _AND_ has some staying power in the sub-zero temps up here in northern north america, I still used a layer of SBO straight (!orange!) on my face last night for a while - then after about a half hour I wipe off the excess. nice stuff.

Regarding the Dr. Hauschka stuff:
Water/Aqua; Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil (see above); Anthyllis Vulneraria (Stachys - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or healall) Extract - strong traditional usage, has known medicinal compounds for some applications including antioxidant Rutin; - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Pyrus Cydonia (Quince) Seed Extract - unsure about except Vit C and a mucilage or "coating" effect; Alcohol; Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract - vit A; Glycerin; Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)- anti-inflammatory emollient; Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil - yay! high in E, one of my faves; Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil - I can take it in this one; and more: Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Althaea Officinalis (Marsh Mallow) Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Beeswax/Cera Flava, Pyrus Cydonia (Quince) Wax, Lecithin, Bentonite, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Fragrance/Parfum (Essential Oil), Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Eugenol, Benzyl Benzoate [plant-derived arachnicide - as in mites? same stuff as is in weleda body oil], Xanthan Gum

I haven't exactly formed my amateur opinion of why this dr. hauschka stuff works on my face - apricot kernel oil, who knew? I have had small amounts of pimples from this but they are not irritated or itchy and the pips, as it were, work out in a day or two. I think this would be worth sticking out for a 6 wk to 2 month trial. In less than a week, I feel like I'm looking at a new, healthier skinned face when I look in the mirror. What a nice change from the struggle this winter to try to find a moisturizer. just watch though, it'll probably be too heavy for my face in the hot humid summers! I'm still using my derma-e cleansers - they are fine for me and not wretchedly expensive.

oh, and if any of you have some SBO facial product and like it and could share ingredients lists with me, please DO! I am hesitant to try seabuckthorn.com's stuff cause they don't list their other ingredients - probably worried about someone copying them.
- bd

the Watkins products may be a regional item in Minnesota and Manitoba, see website: JR Watkins | All-Natural Oils

I appreciate it too !! This and every journal here...

I usually don't post in journal's because I want members to see this as their own space and/or diary.

Not so secret place, we can always read them thou, lol

I'd actually be okay with questions here.

id love to see pics!

Yeah, pics are a good idea I think. I have a b4 and after of my arm - right? or left? - in the gallery on the forums. there are links WAAY at the top of the page.
I'll see if I can get a better camera to use. mine is very lo megapixels. I'm really only 80% better I'd say but it may be noticeable in some areas. I notice the fine little layer of hair I have in places where there used to not be any...

Update, My forehead problem was acne rosacea. It doesn't mean that it didn't flare up because of the cold and/or new chemicals in condish but it's just a name for it. It HURT too. I did get some azelaic acid for it. That knocked out the swelling and redness within about 2 days, I could still use sbo at night and azelaic during the day.
Weirdly, about a week and a half ago, we had another couple of harsh cold days and the sides of my neck developed something similar. I didn't dress properly, the temps caught me by surprise and I'm paying for it., I wonder if I actually get a little bit of frostbite and then the dead layers of skin get infected or something? anyway, I was using azelaic on it but I tried my Tea Tree Oil and I got much better results. It was the opposiite on my forehead - the TTO was a bit too strong and made my forehead a bit more painful so maybe they aren't exactly the same thing.
But I'm back to using TTO on flare ups of KP and vinegar in my scrub. I just get better results. Sorry Dear Husband, I know you hate the smell but they are convenient for me, they work and I'll feel more attractive, etc. (I'll still try to minimize your exposure to them )

An update of sorts. I ran out of Sea buckthorn capsules a few weeks ago and it took me a few weeks to order replacement. In the weeks that I was out of them my scalp bumps came back! what do you know? And now that I have some oil - I have the bottle of liquid not caps this time - and I started taking maybe a half teaspoon a day, the scalp bumps have faded away in about a week's time. That was an accidental test for me.
Since I started using ACvinegar in my sugar scrub most of the time again too, my calves aren't getting the bad whiteheads almost at all. Got ONE yesterday, and hadn't had any for at least a week. So, again, sort of an accidental test but the sugar and vinegar scrub makes my skin feel so smooth I'm going to have to just keep going with it.
Just started working on some bigger dietary changes but no news on that front really. - bd

Hi bd!

How you doing?

I see you have had success with SB, thhat's great!

I'm so happy for your success with that treatment. I think I'll buy some for hubby.

About the AC vinegar scrub could you give me your recipe?- well if it's homemade of course.

Thanks

Hi Elsa Zoe.

Well, yes, I definitely think that SBO has some good stuff in it for skin. Did you read my blathering about various oils a few posts previous? I also think that macadamia nut oil should be beneficial though it doesn't have the bright color and therefore maybe not ALL the good things SBO has. Note that the biggest change was on my scalp however. I didn't notice a huge change in the rest of my skin but I wasn't off the SBO for very long either. When I did first start taking the SBO last year, I did notice improvement in my skin tone.

I am guilty of nutritionism somewhat - where I break down foods and oils and things into the known components. But just because some components are the same, it doesn't mean they are exactly the same thing. I do like the Watkins oil and body butter topically though.

My scrub has no real recipe. I just fill up a plastic container with sugar and take it into my shower. when I need to scrub, I pour about a cup into another container or bowl and then pour in maybe a tablespoon of ACV. then if I need more liquid I might add a little water. It's my favorite. it's not expensive and is easily purchased locally. Less frequently I remember to crush some epsom salts in the blender to use with the sugar. But I don't use epsoms with the acv.

Unfortunately I'm not really a strict adherent to one process. I just do what's convenient for me on a particular day...
- bd

My latest thing that I have done is dietary - I added coconut oil back in as a food. I couldn't take it about a year ago, too many breakouts of deep welt boil thingies and sinus congestion. Now I can eat it and as long as I'm getting my omega 3 supplement taken, my sinuses don't inflame the way the used to. I have learned to pay some attention to the inflammatory/non-inflammatory ratings of foods. I also cut back on white sugar and flour. so, my current itchy patches have not turned into KP patches overall and I can actually put lotion (burt's bees carrot cream lately) on them and not get acne either. It would suffice to say, in fact, that I am trying to not use "white" sugar at all. I use either stevia or raw sugar in my tea, stevia when I make coconut oil chocolate almond bark, and otherwise avoid sweets. This is for general health purposes but it looks to be another level of improvement for my skin too - less discomfort overall.

At least my calves aren't so yucky anymore but that may just be from the hairs finally growing out?

My stomach went through a bristly day a couple weeks ago and itchy. Weirdly, I think it was that thing where some hairs were finally starting to grow out where they hadn't in a while, What is that about?! and why would my stomach do it after my calves? is it some thyroid/metabolic thing? geez. but that has settled down. It left me with only a small amount of KP in a 2 inch area but not bad since my whole belly was itching me. I've also had a few itchy patches on my arms in recent weeks and those were no KP leftover and one on my back, again, no KP, and was dry, I moisturized and had no acne afterwards. yay! that is new! - bd

The white flour thing, well, I'm not a big bread eater but I usually make it for our family and I have been slowly converting us over the last couple years, to a higher and higher percentage of whole wheat. I use bulgur rather than couscous in tabbouli. I'm not sure where some of this is going for us as a family however. We have identified that we need to eat along the lines of no refined carbohydrates here yet need to meet the requirements for growing child who