Got Chicken Skin? 20 Keratosis Pilaris Home Remedies That Work

Keratosis pilaris is tiny bumps or dark spots that appear on your skin, most often on your arms or legs. It is commonly known as chicken skin. This condition shouldn't cause you any pain unless the bumps on your skin become inflamed. If the bumps are red and painful, this is a condition known as keratosis pilaris rubra faceii (which is a mouthful and something you should go to the doctor about). This condition is benign and can even disappear with age, usually by the early 30s, it can even worsen in the winters and during pregnancy. While there is no cure for this condition, there are ways to help it out and make the bumps look and feel less noticeable.

Does the description above sound familiar to you? Then you may have keratosis pilaris. Don't worry though because this is actually an extremely common condition. It is often the result of dry skin and clogged hair follicles. It generally is perceived as a cosmetic problem over a medical one. This is why a home remedy is just what you need for this problem. Each home remedy below can be helpful in lessening the look of your keratosis pilaris (or chicken skin). They will make you feel better and your skin will look better. However, each home remedy may not work on every person, but don't be discouraged because you will likely find one that works great for you!

Scrubs are a great way to get rid of the dry bumps that pop up from keratosis pilaris (or chicken skin). There are several homemade scrubs that are great for an at home remedy for your arms, legs and everything in between. 1. Oatmeal scrub Oatmeal is a great exfoliant that does wonders for your skin. Trust me, this at home remedy will leave your skin looking and feeling smoother. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of crushed oatmeal 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or milk Instructions: Mix together and apply to the affected areas. Scrub in a circular motion for at least two minutes, then wash off. Pro Tip: Oatmeal also works well if you throw a cup or two of it into a nice, warm bath and allow yourself to soak for at least fifteen minutes. 2. Coconut oil scrub Coconut oil is a great and moisturizing ingredient for keratosis pilaris affected skin. This home remedy will leave your skin soft and happy. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of coconut oil 2 tablespoons of brown sugar Instructions: Mix together and apply to affected areas on arms, legs, and anything in between. This should make a paste that melts into you skin as you rub it on. Apply in a circular motion then rinse off with warm water. This is especially good for sensitive skin. 3. Loofah or sponge scrub Using a loofah or bath sponge in your regular bath or shower can work wonders. Gently scrub the affected areas. This process may take a few goes to see great results, but it is a safe and effective home remedy. 4. Olive oil scrub This scrub is similar to the coconut oil scrub in that the oil has great moisturizing effects. It works really well to get rid of the annoying bumps caused by keratosis pilaris (or chicken skin). This is a fantastic home remedy for this this issue. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of olive oil 3 tablespoons of tablesalt Instructions: Mix together until the ingredients form a paste. Apply to affected area in a circular motion. When done, rinse with warm water. This may take a few applications to really show an effect, but don't be weary because once it starts working, it works wonders. Trust me, you will love this home remedy and its great effects. 5. Baking soda and sea salt Baking soda is a great exfoliant all on its own, but adding sea salt doubles its power. Ingredients: 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda 2 teaspoons of sea salt 2 tablespoons of water Instructions: Combine all ingredients together until everything is moist. Apply to affected area for at least three minutes. Rinse with water. Repeat this regularly for the best results.

1. Vitamin A Vitamin a has been proven to have great skin benefits, namely for acne. However, it has also been proven to be very helpful for keratosis pilaris and its effects. Simply take one to two capsules of vitamin a and crush them (or let loose their innards). Take the remnants and rub into the effected areas. Leave on for ten to fifteen minutes and then wash completely off. Pro tip: avoid going into the sun soon after using these as vitamin a can make your skin very sensitive to the sun. 2. Vitamin E Similar to vitamin a, vitamin e oil can soften bumps caused by keratosis pilaris and help your skin retain its moisture. Simply remove the contents of the one capsule and apply it directly to your skin. Massage it in and let dry. Pro-tip: you can add vitamin e oil to your bath and take a nice soak for 15 to 30 minutes. 3. Aspirin Aspirin is great to sooth redness and any irritation caused by the keratosis pilaris bumps. Crush up a few tablets of aspirin until it is a power. Mix with water to create a paste. Apply to the affected area and rub in for 3 to 4 minutes. Leave the mixture on the affected area for 5 to 7 minutes and then rinse completely with water. 4. Alpha hydroxy acids Alpha hydroxy acids are a great organic acid that are easy on the skin and great for exfoliation. These acids include citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and glycolic acid, among others. These acids likely exist in creams that you can rub into your skin and then wash off after five minutes. 10% alpha hydroxy acids work best, but if you have sensitive skin, you should probably go for 5%.

Essential oils and herbs are good for practically everything. They smell great and have great benefits, whether that be relaxation, acne prevention, or helping out dry skin, they are fantastic. 1. Tea tree oil Tea tree oil is known to work wonders on acne but it is less known that it also works wonders on keratosis pilaris side effects. This is good for moisture as well as containing ingredients that target irritation. For this, just drop of few drops into a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil and apply the the affected area. Massage for 1 to 2 minutes and let it dry. Repeat for the best results. 2. Witch hazel Witch hazel is great for those tiny bumps that keratosis pilaris cause. It soothes irritation and any redness that you my be experiencing. Instructions: Grind up a few witch hazel leaves and mix with water and make a paste. Apply to the affected area and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse completely off with water when the time is up. 3. Sea buckthorn Sea buckthorn is great for the little bumps that keratosis pilaris causes. It has great healing effects on the skin and is one of natures best natural cleaners and exfoliators. Trust me, this stuff is a fantastic home remedy for those little bumps. Grind up several leaves of sea buckthorn and mix with some water. Apply the paste to your skin, massage on, and leave on for fifteen minutes. When the time is up, rinse off with cold water. Pro-tip: You can also apply sea buckthorn oil directly to the affected area and leave it on until it dries.

Many of the home remedies above involve buying ingredients that you may not be familiar with or may not have as easily accessible as some of the ones listed below. Because of this, here are home remedies that you can find in your fridge. 1. Yogurt Yep. Yogurt is actually a great home remedy for your keratosis pilaris bumps. It is soothing and moisturizing because of the fat contained in it. Ingredients: 3-4 tablespoons of yogurt And thats it! Instructions: Apply the yogurt to the affected area and leave on for ten to fifteen minutes, allowing it to dry. After this time, simply wash it off with a gentle soap and rinse. 2. Sour cream Similar to yogurt, sour cream is a great home remedy for those difficult and annoying keratosis pilaris bumps. The lactic acid in sour cream is a great exfoliant that also works to not dry out your skin. Ingredients 2 teaspoons of sour cream 1 teaspoon of white or brown sugar. Instructions. Mix together until well blended. Apply to affected area and gently scrub in. Let it settle into your skin for a few minutes and then wash off with cool water. Doing this multiple times a week will cause the best results. Pro-tip: Buttermilk is a good substitute for sour cream in this scrub. 3. Sugar Sugar has been seen as a main ingredient in many of the other scrubs and home remedies. However, it works a a good home remedy all on its own. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. 1-2 tablespoons of water (as needed) Instructions: Mix together until all the sugar is wet. Apply the the affected area in a circular motion and wash off with warm water. 4. Milk As mentioned above, buttermilk works wonders for keratosis pilaris bumps. However, so does regular milk (preferable whole or at the very least 2%). The lactic acid (which is alpha hydroxy acid) will work wonders on your skin. For the home remedy, simply add three cups of milk to your warm bathwater. Soak for at least fifteen minutes and repeat reguarly for the best results. Pro-tip: you can also apply milk to the affected area for fifteen to twenty minutes before a bath. 5. Apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar is is a chemical exfoliant due to its acidy which helps to gently peel away the bumps caused by keratosis pilaris (or chicken skin). Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons of water Instructions: Apply directly to skin using a washcloth and leave on for at least ten minutes and then wash off. Pro-tip: if you have sensitive skin, add more water. Or, alternatively, you can mix the apple cider vinegar with coconut oil or olive oil. Also, drinking apple cinder vinegar in warm water can help flush out your system, which can help with the keratosis pilaris side effects.

These last three home remedies for your keratosis pilaris are a bit different than the others in that they don't fit in a specific category like the ones above. Despite that, they work just as well as any of the above methods. 1. Daily exfoliation This can be any form of regular exfoliation that you do on your arms, legs, etc. daily. Exfoliation is one of the best method for helping out the bumps and irritation keratosis pilaris causes. This will help you and leave your skin looking and feeling smoother, softer and overall better. 2. Diet modifications Sometimes, your diet can be a huge reason for your keratosis pilaris and its effects. Modifying your diet can sometimes be the only thing you need to do, besides some extra exfoliation, to help yourself out. I lay this option out a bit more extensively below. 3. Epsom salt bath While there are many things that you can add to your bath to help out your keratosis pilaris epsom salt is one of the best. Simply put a cup of epsom salt into your warm bath water, swirling it around a bit ti make sure it is well mixed, and soak for about twenty minutes. Afterwards, dry off and apply a alpha hydroxy acid based moisturizer for the best effects. Pro-tip: you can also mix epsom salt with olive oil to create a nice and gentle scrub that you can apply to your affected areas for a nice home remedy every other to every three days.

Your diet can be a huge factor in your keratosis pilaris symptoms. Changing it up is a great solution to help your skin out. It is even great because this is a healthier diet that can make you look and feel better. General tips for a good diet to help out your keratosis pilaris includes: -Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily This is great for giving your body the great nutrients that you may be missing out on. Make sure to vary your fruit and vegetable choices though, and to avoid ones covered in any heavy syrup. Instead of eating an apple with every meal and snack, eat a banana with breakfast, grapes with lunch, an apple for your afternoon snack, strawberries with dinner, and a peach before bed. Same goes for vegetables. -Eat food rich in vitamin A and E As we learned above, these vitamins are great by applying them directly to your skin. Imagine all the benefits of ingesting these fantastic vitamins. Foods that contain these vitamins include, for vitamin a, carrots, sweet potato, eggs, butter, and beef. For vitamin e, this includes sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, salmon, and red sweet pepper. -Eat foods rich in omega Foods rich in omega isn't exclusively fish. The fats have great health benefits that are necessary for the body to carry out vital functions. Examples of foods like these include soybeans, walnuts, salmon, and canola oil. -Eat some herbs These are a certain type of herbs that you may have never heard of or sound like ingredients for potions, but hear me out. They are great for you. These herbs include chickweed, burdock, calendula, marshmallow (not the fluffy white things), and slippery elm. -Eat all the cold water fish you can find. Cold water fish is great because it is rich in omega 3 and has great vitamin benefits like vitamin e. Examples of these fish include salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. Ok. So now that you have all your dietary tips, eat some fish and some nuts, exfoliate those arms and legs, and explore all your options to get rid of those annoying keratosis pilaris bumps.

Good luck with getting rid or at least lessening the effects of keratosis pilaris and those little annoying bumps. Keratosis pilaris is a difficult condition to deal with because it technically is incurable and typically goes away on its own. However, as we learned above, there are ways to contract it and lessen its symptoms. This is something that can be annoying and even embarrassing. You shouldn't be embarrassed though because I can guarantee, you notice this condition way more than anyone around you does. So grab some yogurt or sugar or coconut oil or whatever and scrub it on your arms, your legs, and anything in between to help out your skin, rid your self of the keratosis pilaris and help you feel better about yourself. Get ready to love your arms and your legs all over again. Good luck and you look beautiful.