my accidental Keratosis Pilaris remedy
BY JENNY SMITH MATTFELDT Published August 22, 2024
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Keratosis pilaris, often referred to as "chicken skin" or "KP arms", can be an incredibly annoying skin condition to deal with. KP occurs when the skin produces an excess of keratin, blocking the hair folicles, causing the skin to form bumps. Those rough, bumpy patches on the back of your arms or thighs can feel like a never-ending battle, leaving many of us searching for solutions that actually work. I have been hyper aware of the condition since high school because nothing seemed to work, ironically a few days ago I noticed it was gone.
There is something to the notion that problems resolve themselves once we stop paying so much attention to them. Which is the least helpful thing to hear when you are staring at the problem. It's like telling someone ''don't think about a pink elephant" odds are the first thing that popped into your head was a pink elephant. I think my KP disappearing is less due to "ignoring the problem" and more so due to letting natural remedies work over time instead of trying to fix the problem overnight.
So what do I actually think corrected the KP? I used to use First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser for years, which is a cult classic for a reason, but it turned out to be more of a quick fix. It leaves your arms baby soft but did nothing to get rid of the KP long-term. I started using Osea Body Oil a few months ago because I moved to a dryer climate and wanted to give my skin a little extra love. Fast forward two months and the Keratosis Pilaris has completely disappeared off the back of my arms. I think the difference must be the oil softened the skin over time while the exfoliant fixes it for the day. I have to imagine that using a combo of the two would be extremely effective. After I shower I mix a few pumps of the oil with a some of my Cetaphil moisturizing cream, just to help the oil go farther. So far I've been doing my hands, arms, chest, and neck but once I restock I might transition this into a full body thing.
I feel like Osea has just started to pop off everywhere but they are actually a family business that has been making seaweed based products for over 100 years. You know I'm a sucker for a natural product so that is what initially drew me to this oil. I do a lot of shopping around and research when I'm looking for a new product and the Osea oil was a 3 on Think Dirty and rated Excellent on Yuka. Both ratings are about as good as you can get, although I do realize the apps can only be trusted so far. My support for the brand developed because of the unintentional effects, I used it because I wanted my chest and arms to be glowy and hydrated, it was only two months later that I noticed the KP was gone . I will say after being a massage therapist for the better part of a decade you get very picky about the oils and lotions you will use and this one soaks in so nicely without getting sticky.
I'm not sure if this was an Osea oil specific result or if you could use any good body oil and get the same results, please let me know if you try it with a different brand! The main take away is consistent, high quality hydration will lead to less KP and smoother skin. As always I would love to hear from you, if you have an questions or just want to chat please don't hesitate to reach out.
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