K P'd Off!

have you ever heard of an annoying condition called Keratosis Pilaris? there's a good chance you haven't, even if you suffer from it yourself. Keratosis Pilaris, or KP, is a genetic follicular condition that affects about 40-50% of adults and is more common in women than it is in men (lucky us!). you might have heard of it referred to as 'chicken skin' because of it's bumpy appearance. it almost looks like goosebumps that don't go away, and is sometimes red and inflamed looking. it's most commonly found on the backs of your upper arms, although it can also pop up on the lower arms, legs, buttocks, and face. the only place it can't appear is on the palms of your hands or the soles of your feet. so why does this annoying condition plague so many of us? here's what Wikipedia says...

• Keratosis pilaris occurs as excess keratin, a natural protein in the skin, accumulates within the hair follicles forming hard plugs (process known as hyperkeratinization ). Bearing only cosmetic consequence, the condition most often appears as a proliferation of tiny hard bumps that are seldom sore or itchy. Though people with keratosis pilaris experience this condition year round, it’s during the colder months when moisture levels in the air are lower that the problem can become exacerbated and the "goose bumps" are apt to look and feel more pronounced in color and texture.

• Many KP bumps contain an ingrown hair that has coiled. This is a result of the keratinized skin "capping off" the hair follicle, preventing the hair from exiting. Instead, the hair grows inside the follicle, often encapsulated, and can be removed, much like an ingrown hair, though removal can lead to scarring.

vomitous, right?! well i happen to fall into the group of adults who got blessed with this lovely affliction, and since i had never really known what it was while growing up, i decided to post about it and help the people who are also in the dark. luckily, i only have a very mild bit of KP on my upper arms, but i know how much i hate it and how bothersome it can be. until recently, i was using Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA and it was working wonderfully to keep my skin clear and smooth, but when i went to reorder the other day, i was met with an 'out of stock' sign and a notice telling me it wouldn't be available again until Winter of 2008! eeeeeek!!! triple eeeeeeek! wouldn't you know they would be out of it right when summer is beginning and it's time to wear tank tops and t-shirts and such! i'm still floundering for a new product to take it's place, but i wanted to give some advice on what i've found works best to keep it at bay.

Beta Hydroxy Acids work by getting inside your pores and exfoliating any blockage from the inside out, so they are perfect for dealing with KP bumps. salicylic acid in particular has helped me, and can be found in many acne medications. problem is, the pH balance of whatever product you're going to use has to be low enough to properly exfoliate, and not all of them are. i look for a pH balance of around 3, which will exfoliate both the skin's surface and the inside of the pores. other ingredients that are said to help KP are alpha hydroxy acids, urea, and lactic acids. here are some products that i've used, read about, and/or plan to try, all of which should help you if you are having KP issues.

• Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA (paulaschoice.com)
• AmLactin 12% Lotion (available at drugstores)
• Glytone Keratosis Pilaris Kit: Retexturize Exfoliating Body Wash & Lotion (Amazon.com)
  
• Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub & Body Wash(available at drugstores)
• DERMAdoctor KP Duty Dermatologist Moisturizing Therapy For Dry Skin (sephora.com)

for other treatment ideas, check here. i've been using the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub and having pretty good luck with it, i like it a lot so far. what i do is wash myself with whatever soap or bodywash i'm using at the time in the shower, then after that i take some of the scrub and apply it to my upper and lower arms and massage it in, letting it sit for awhile before rinsing. not only is it good for KP, but it also works well if you're having below the neck breakouts and i like to also use it for exfoliating my legs before i self tan. after using the scrub in the shower, it's a good idea to apply a lotion containing some of the above listed ingredients nightly to keep your pores clear. i would recommend doing this EVERY SINGLE NIGHT without fail to see the best results. i'll be ordering and reviewing the Glytone Retexturize Body Lotion soon, so stay tuned!

for more information on Keratosis Pilaris, you can visit these websites: KP Help, Mayo Clinic KP, Medline Plus, and many more on Google.

red, itchy, and pissed off!

readers, instead of doling out advice today, i am pleading for some help from you! i am currently sitting in front of my computer desperately trying to keep my hands off of my itchy, bumpy, irritated face. i wouldn't say that i have 'sensitive skin', because most things that i use like makeup and regular skincare (not containing anti-aging ingredients) don't bother me, but lately my skin has been very out of whack. since i recently turned 25, i've been wanting to start some kind of a skincare regimen to prevent the early signs of aging and just keep my skin in generally good shape, but i've had no luck with any of the products i've tried. every time i use something with retinol or AHAs (two of the most important things for keeping your skin young and fresh looking) in it, my face breaks out in a red, itchy, bumpy rash. after i tried Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Serum, i was left with two silver dollar-sized patches of super dry, itchy skin on the left side of my face that STILL won't subside. strangely, the right side of my face seems to tolerate anti-aging products while the left side goes haywire. now, i know that a lot of products that contain AHAs and/or retinol can cause your skin to purge, but this is not purging. this is my face coming into contact with an anti-aging product and shrieking, "NO! no no no no no!!!" at the top of it's lungs.

the product i had the highest hopes for was Alpha Hydrox's 12% Glycolic Souffle, a HUGE cult hit with the members of Make Up Alley, loved unanimously for it's ability to improve all skin types no matter how sensitive. well, guess what?! i broke out in a huge red rash! as a matter of fact, the area of my face that broke out from the AH Souffle is still slightly redder than the rest of my face, and it was almost a year ago that i used it. this is a great product that comes at a fabulous price (you can find it at most drugstores) and i would definitely recommend trying it if your skin is lacking clarity and glowiness, but make sure you do a patch test to see if your skin can handle it.

the culprit of today's tomato face look is Philosophy's Hope In A Jar, another product i've been wanting to try forever. many people achieve excellent results with this cream but for me it's a no-go. i don't understand how people with skin that's generally very sensitive can use HIAJ and AH Souffle with great results when my not normally sensitive skin freaks out after two nights use?! it's very frustrating! which brings me to my questions for my readers, is there anyone else out there who's skin can't take anti-aging ingredients? and if so, what do YOU use to keep your skin young and happy looking? also, what's the best fix for soothing upset skin? any tips, suggestions, helpful hints? let me know in the comments!

hair scare!

i'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you, like me, have had more than a few horrendous hair moments. it doesn't matter what kind of hair you were born with, it will rebel against you and go crazy at some of the most crucial times! i'm not going to promise you a sure-fire solution to these hair mutinies, but i will share with you some must-have products for any hairy situation that might pop up.

is your hair feeling greasy, limp, and just generally misbehaving? you probably have some product build-up. if you use serums, cremes, gels or any other styling products, they can build up on your hair shaft and kill volume and shine. my favorite (and super wallet-friendly) solution? Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo, which removes build-up GENTLY without zapping your hair of moisture. it's even safe for color treated hair! i have used this on my hair when it's been long and highlighted blonde, mid-length and natural colored, and short and dyed dark reddish-brown, and it performs beautifully every time. it leaves your hair soft, bouncy, shiny and deeply cleansed without drying it out. i generally use this about once every 2 weeks and it does the trick! afterwards, i always follow up with a rich deep-conditioning treatment to restore moisture to my newly clean hair slate.

is your hair feeling dry, fuzzy, flyaway and rough? you're likely in need of a serious dose of moisture! many things can dry out your mane, some of them being heat-styling with blow dryers and flat irons, washing too frequently or using styling products that contain alcohol. to give your hair a hardcore drink of water, try using a deep conditioning treatment formulated for dry, damaged hair. i'm currently using Kerastase Masquintense twice a week and it's working really well, but if you're looking for something a little less expensive, Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask works just as well at restoring some softness and shine to your hair. if you're really broke and need a quick fix, a hot oil treatment always works wonders. you can buy a two pack at the drugstore for around $3 and you're all set! i've had good luck with the Queen Helene brand myself.

are you experiencing embarrassing dandruff flakes?! eeeeeek! don't worry, it happens to almost all of us at some point. i recently had a case of dry flakies on my scalp after a dye job went awry and since i'd never dealt with that particular affliction before, i was at a loss! i used every deep-conditioning treatment i could find and even slept overnight with Ojon Restorative Treatment on, but no relief. as a last ditch effort at freeing myself from those snowflakes, i grabbed my boyfriend's Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care Shampoo and lathered up! i was terrified using a dandruff shampoo would suck every bit of color out of my hair but desperate times call for desperate measures, right? well, after two washings with the Head & Shoulders Shampoo (followed up by the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Mask), i was flake free! those flakes disappeared and haven't been back, since. and not only that, but using the H&S shampoo gave my hair surprising volume and bounce! i wouldn't hesitate to use this shampoo again if my hair was feeling less than stellar.

i know i haven't covered all the hair woes that exist, but i'll get to those in another post, and hopefully these ones can be of some help. just remember, if all else fails, you can always channel Britney and shave it all off or don a hot pink wig!