Keratosis Pilaris or 'Chicken Skin' : How To Tackle It
What causes keratosis pilaris and how to tackle it
If you’ve ever noticed tiny, rough bumps on your arms, thighs, or even cheeks, you might be dealing with keratosis pilaris (KP). Don’t panic—it’s super common and harmless, but you might decide that you would prefer smoother skin and be on the lookout for how to make that happen. As someone who swears by a good skincare routine, here’s my take on KP, its causes, and how you can manage it. Plus, I’ve picked out three products that could help!
What is Keratosis Pilaris?
Keratosis pilaris, affectionately (or not so affectionately) nicknamed “chicken skin,” is a skin condition caused by the build-up of keratin—a protein that protects the skin. When excess keratin clogs your hair follicles, you’re left with those dry, slightly raised bumps. While it’s not harmful or contagious, it can feel a bit frustrating, especially if you want smooth, glowing skin.
What Causes It?
KP is largely genetic, meaning if your mum or dad has it, chances are you might, too. It’s often linked to other conditions like eczema or dry skin, and it tends to get worse in colder months when humidity drops. Hormonal changes (pregnancy or puberty) can also play a role.
How Can You Treat It?
Here’s the tea: there’s no cure for KP, but it is definitely manageable with the right approach. The key is to exfoliate gently, keep your skin hydrated, and stick to a consistent routine. Avoid scrubbing too hard—trust me, your skin will not thank you.
My Top Product Picks:
Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion
This cult favourite is specifically designed for KP and works wonders by combining lactic acid (a gentle exfoliant) with nourishing moisturisers. It helps slough off dead skin cells and hydrate simultaneously, leaving your skin smoother over time.CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser
Affordable and effective, this cleanser contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate and ceramides to restore your skin’s barrier. Use it in the shower for a no-fuss approach to smoother skin.Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment with 2% BHA
If you’re dealing with stubborn bumps, this lightweight lotion is a dream. The 2% salicylic acid penetrates deep to unclog pores, while the moisturising ingredients keep your skin soft and hydrated.
Pro Tips
Be patient. Results won’t happen overnight, but stick with it, and you’ll notice an improvement.
Moisturise like it’s your full-time job. Dry skin makes KP more noticeable, so slather on that lotion.
Avoid harsh scrubs. They can irritate your skin and make the bumps worse.
While KP might not completely disappear, these steps can help you feel more confident in your skin. Remember, it’s all about finding what works for you and embracing your gorgeous self, bumps and all.
Review: PRP for Hairloss
Does PRP work? What is it and what does it involve? What results should you expect to see?
PRP is the abbreviation for platelet rich plasma, and is believed to promote healing when injected. The procedure is simple and involves drawing blood from the arm, before processing it using a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma in the blood. The plasma or PRP is then injected into the body.
Why I use PRP
I started PRP treatment following noticeable hair loss over the last 15 years which had resulted in hair thinning on the scalp, hair shedding after every wash and general weakness which caused brittle, weak looking hair. I have now had 6 sessions of PRP spread out over 15 months and it’s safe to say, it has worked.
What happens in the treatment session?
The treatment itself is a bit painful. Frankly, if you’re being injected in your scalp, it’s going to hurt. This is not the treatment for you if you have a low pain threshold. However, if, like me, you can grin and bear it, I would definitely recommend trying it out.
Top tip: use a numbing cream beforehand. Around 30 minutes before the treatment, use lidocaine or something similar and apply it all over the area that will be injected. It does not numb the scalp completely but it will take the edge off. And ask your aesthetician for some stress balls - squeeze these as needed throughout.
In the treatment, your aesthetician will literally inject your PRP into your scalp. Depending on your concerns, they will work throughout the area, quickly injecting and moving onto the next area until the PRP is finished. A heads-up: if it wasn’t obvious, there will be blood. You will be bleeding from the injection site a little so don’t panic if you notice your hairline and scalp look suspiciously red afterwards.
The main aftercare is not to shower/wash your hair for at least 24 hours post-treatment, and to use a mild shampoo when you do. I usually opt for the Johnson&Johnson baby shampoo but anything similar will work.
Afterwards
How many treatments you need depends entirely on your concerns. I did my first 3 appointments spaced 6 weeks apart. I noticed the most dramatic difference between treatment 1 and 2. My aesthetician helpfully took a before picture at my first treatment, so I could see where the gaps had filled in by the second treatment. My hairline was pretty much filled in around 4 months after my first treatment, and whilst I am still getting treatments, these are spaced much further apart - around 4-5 months on average, and are specifically focused on filling in less noticeable gaps to create stronger hair volume.
One of the key things to remember with PRP is that the hair growth cycle is 3-5 years long. You must be patient and wait to see results. It’s always best to consult your aesthetician but I would suggest aiming for a first batch of at least 3 treatments, and deciding how many more you would like after this, until you achieve your desired result. As a general rule, you should start to see some difference from PRP by 3 months after the first treatment but it will take longer for the full effect to be noticeable. For example, you might notice your hair feels weightier before your notice a dramatic improvement in volume.
Review: MUL Cosmetics Hair Oil
If, like me, you are forever trying to grow and voumnise your hair, read on to see what I thought about this hair oil from MUL Cosmetics.
Hair Oil 002
A lightweight hair oil packed with nourishing ingredients to promote hair growth and reduce shedding
I purchased this hair oil after I first started getting PRP treatments for hair loss because I wanted to use something powerful between treatments to nourish and help the scalp in stimulating hair growth, and specifically, in growing strong hair which didn’t decide to fall out after every wash. (Keep an eye out for my review of PRP which is coming soon!)
How I Use It
This is very much a hair oil. It’s not a serum, it’s not super lightweight or a dry oil. It is most definitely oil and one you should use on hair wash day to get the full benefits. I tend to was my hair twice per week. On those days, I will apply the oil all over the scalp and massage it in using this handy dandy scalp stimulator. I let it sit for at least 4 hours and wash it out in the evening.
The key to using hair oil and noticing a difference, is consistency. You won’t really get any benefit from oiling once per month and hoping for the best. Hair oiling works best in a full haircare routine focused on scalp care so when I’m ready to wash out the oil, 10 minutes beforehand, I will apply this scalp exfoliator. The last thing you want is to let any product or grease build up in or around the hair follicles as it will inhibit the hair growth you’re looking for.
Once you get into the rhythm of oiling regularly (I aim for twice per week) plus scalp exfoliation and using a decent shampoo, conditioner and styling products, you will start to notice a difference.
I have definitely noticed an improvement in hair growth and volume and am now on my second bottle. The hair growth cycle is long so be patient. I would suggest trying it out consistently for 3 months at least, to see if you notice a difference, although, depending on the specific condition of your hair, it may take longer to see results. The ingredients are powerful and each is known for promoting healthy hair. Although it does have a scent, it’s not overpowering and completely fine for a few hours, a couple of times per week. I quite like the scent to be honest, but again, anyone sensitive to scents, may have a different opinion.
Haircare Tips You Didn't Know
How well are you caring for your hair? Find out here.
Most of us tend to think of caring for our hair as an incredibly simple process. You just shampoo, condition and go, right? Wrong.
Whilst you should absolutely be shampooing and conditioning your hair, there are a few other things you should be doing to keep your hair in the best condition. Keep reading to learn how you can elevate your haircare routine.
Make sure you wash your hair enough - this is the reverse of the ‘don’t wash your hair too much’ coin and it’s understandably confusing. How often you should wash your hair depends on any number of factors.
If you exercise regularly throughout the week, you generally want to wash your hair at least after every second time you exercise. If you’re not exercising regularly but you tend to find your roots are starting to get greasy by day 3-4 after washing your hair, then wash your hair!
You need to pay attention to your scalp. If it ‘feels’ like your hair is greasy, it probably is. That’s not a good thing because sweat and oil taking up space in your follicles will prevent hair growth. You may find yourself losing hair as you naturally shed hair but don’t re-grow it at the same rate.
However, you probably don’t need to wash your hair every single day either. Overwashing can strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it dry and brittle. As a general rule of thumb, people who find their scalp and hair generally feel clean for a good 3-4 days, can probably get away with washing hair 2-3 times per week. Others who sweat more from the scalp or use a large number of products on the hair may want to wash their hair 3-4 times per week.
At different points in your life, your hair’s needs will change. Everything from hormones to ageing, weather, heat etc. will affect your hair’s condition and growth. Don’t expect your hair in your 30’s or 40’s to be the same as your teenage years and to require the same routine decades later.Use a scalp scrub - to have healthy hair, you need a healthy scalp and it’s one of the areas most neglected in conventional haircare. It’s a good idea to use a scalp scrub 1-2 times per week to really lift any dead cells and prevent any blockages in the hair follicles. Your scalp is skin! In the same way you would use a scrub on the face and body, the scalp requires the occasional equivalent of a deep clean to make sure it’s in good condition.
I’ve been using these scrubs most recently (Coco & Eve and The Inkey List) which have worked well for me but there are plenty of others available - try to go for something with a chemical exfoliant element (i.e. something with an acid) to allow for thorough gentle cleaning.
Oil your hair - specifically your scalp. Applying oil to clean hair (either freshly washed and dried or 1-day old hair can work wonders. Use oils with ingredients that target the health of the scalp as this will encourage hair growth. Apply the oil to the scalp and gently massage. Let it sit for as long as possible throughout the day and wash out in the evening. I like to use oils that feature heavily in my south Asian upbringing like this one (MUL Cosmetics).
Use a microfibre towel to dry your hair. Regular towels are too rough for hair whilst a microfibre towel will absorb excess moisture quickly without the need to really rub at the hair. I use this one from Coco & Eve but you can use anything similar from other brands, or even places like Home Bargains/B&M which will usually have something similar in store.
Limit use of heat. This is probably stating the obvious but the less heat you can use on your hair, the better. Heat will damage hair over time so I leave my hair to air-dry after using a microfibre towel. I’ve found that these two changes in haircare routine have meant I am seeing less hair fallout so would highly recommend trying these if hair loss is a concern for you.
Beauty Brands to Boycott
In light of the human rights abuses carried out by Israel in Occupied Palestine, a list of beauty brands to boycott for the savvy consumer.
It can be difficult to decide what to say when horrifyingly tragic events take place; in my case, I suffer no such concern. And before I lead you down a path of utter confusion, I am referring to the most recent eruption of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israel.
Whilst I hold my own political views about Palestine and the ongoing situation with its neighbour, it is apparent to me that the biggest difference I can make as a consumer, is to avoid businesses which profit from the occupation of Palestine, and therefore profit from human rights abuses.
As an avid beauty product consumer, one of the main areas I can pay attention to is beauty products. I have therefore attempted to compile a list of brands which either: directly profit from Israeli occupation, are owned by companies which profit from the Israeli occupation, are directly or indirectly in support of the Israeli occupation, or brands which decided that when faced with the horror of the human rights abuses against Palestinians, the best thing to do is to discuss anti-semitism and entirely erase any mention of Palestinians whatsoever.
Please be aware that this is not an exhaustive list by any means, I am sure there are many others but this is a list that I managed to pull together.
AERIN
Aramis
AVEDA
Becca
Bobbi Brown
Bumble & Bumble
Clinique
Darphin
DKNY
Donna Karan
Dr.Jart+
Frederic Malle
Ermenegildo Zegna
Estee Lauder
GlamGlow
Jo Malone
Kilian
La Mer
LAB Series
Le Labo
MAC
Michael Kors
Origins
RODIN Olio Lusso
Smashbox
Tom Ford Beauty
Tommy Hilfiger
Too Faced
Lancome
Kiehl’s
Giorgio Armani Beauty
YvesSaintLaurent
Biotherm
HR Helena Rubenstein
Shu Uemura
It Cosmetics
Urban Decay
Ralph Lauren
Mugler
Viktor & Rolf
Valentino
Azzaro
Diesel
Atelier Cologne
Prada
Cacharel
Yuesai
L’Oreal Paris
Garnier
Maybelline New York
NYX
3CE Stylenanda
Essie
Dark & Lovely
Mixa
MG
Niely
La Roche Posay
Vichy
CeraVe
SkinCeuticals
Decleor
L’Oreal Professionnel Paris
Kerastase
Redken
Matrix
Pureology
Why You Should be Using Niacinamide
Benefits of using niacinamide in your skincare.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3.
It has been used clinically by dermatologists for a long time, but the rise of science-led effective skincare, especially so at high street prices (see The Ordinary, The Inkey List), has seen use of niacinamide skyrocket.
Its ability to repair skin damage and offer protection from environmental stressors (e.g. pollution), as well as creating new skin cells and producing skin barrier protecting lipids, makes it a wonder ingredient that can be applied topically to reap the benefits.
Why You Should Use It:
If you suffer from redness or inflammation, it can help to reduce red patches and act as an anti-inflammatory;
Regulates oil on the face to reduce the number of spots that develop;
Tackle uneven skin tone by reducing hyperpigmentation and the appearance of melasma
Can help to treat photoageing which is caused by ultra-violet rays
Minimises large pores and tightens them up
Improves the brightness of skin
Specifically useful on rosacea-prone skin
Keeps the skin moisturised and hydrated
Review: B. by Superdrug
An affordable and effective make-up and skincare range from Superdrug.
Have I ever told you how much I love Superdrug?
It’s genuinely one of the most underrated beauty stores on the high street. I think I’ve mentioned in a previous post that it’s the place to go if you want to find hidden gems and I can easily spend far more time than is healthy, wandering the aisles and accidentally spending a lot more money than I meant to!
It’s kind of like Primark in that sense. You go in thinking you need two things, but by the time you get to the tills, you’ve filled 2 baskets with all sorts and next thing you know, you’re walking out weighed down with a whole new wardrobe.
Anyway, back to the point at hand.
Superdrug has been busy widening its beauty ranges in the last few years and this includes launching their own vegan and cruelty free brand, B.
B. is an entire range of products including make-up, skincare, tanning, hair removal and men’s products. I love that all the products are no-frills, nicely packaged, effective and affordable. The range as a whole is too wide to discuss here, but I picked out some of my favourite items for you below.
B. Glowing Facial Booster
£9.99, 20ml
B. HD Flawless Face Primer
£9.99
B. Flawless Concealer
£5.99, 8ml, shade Medium
B. Bronzing Golden Body Shimmer Mist
£0.99, 125ml
B. Calm Camomile Facial Spritz
£8.99, 75ml
B. Shave Gel
£3.49, 190ml
A Winter Skin Saviour
L’Oreal Paris is here to save your skin from dry, harsh winter weather.
I sometimes amaze myself (not really) by “discovering” skincare products that pretty much everyone knows and raves about, only to realise that these people were indeed correct, and that the product is actually pretty darn good. In fact, this happens so often that I have to stop myself from simply repeating the same reviews and sounding like a broken record, instead of the beauty conscious maven that I am (not).
The latest discovery is none other than L’Oreal Paris’ Hydra Genius Aloe Water Moisturiser.
Most of us are now well educated enough about the world of skincare, even at a basic level, to understand that no, not all moisturisers are created alike and they don’t all do the same things. In fact, choosing a moisturiser can be tricky and many, myself included, tend to rotate a few different ones throughout the year depending on personal and environmental factors.
I am not a fan of traditional moisturisers - like the ones your grandmother used, with the thick cloying cream sitting heavy on the face and feeling like someone just backed up a truck and plonked it on your face. No sir, no thank you.
This led me to the world of gel moisturisers instead - typically with a water base, they are much lighter on the skin whilst delivering the perfect amount of hydration. There are many on the market that claim to do everything under the skin, but I wasn’t looking for some super-duper exceptionally beefed up product. I just wanted a straightforward hydrating gel texture that delivered hydration into the outer layers of the skin and felt like it.
This moisturiser does exactly that. With a thin but very slightly tacky consistency, it absorbs easily but feels substantial enough that you can tell it is getting to work on the skin, rather than slipping straight off like water. Combined with the soothing properties of aloe, my skin feels calm and protected throughout the day and the added hyaluronic acid ensures the hydration gets to the epidermis for that thirst-quenching sensation that all dry skin requires.
Like so many of us, my skin tends to have a mind of its own and certainly throughout the year, I swap my everyday products as required. As we are in winter in the UK, hydration is the aim of the game, what with dry central heating air inside the house, and freezing cold winter air outside. Both strip the skin of its natural moisture leaving it needing a helping hand. I haven’t particularly left the house very much this winter (thank you Covid), but this has just meant I haven’t been wearing any make-up so I have re-applied moisturiser as required throughout the day- usually up to 5-6 times (thank you central heating).
The product description states it locks in moisture for 72 hours but I haven’t specifically tested this considering I go to sleep and wash my face each day before re-applying.
Overall, this is a solid choice for the dry skinned amongst us and as it’s a drugstore brand, usually available on special offer somewhere.
Hair Care for Bleached Blonde Tresses
7 tips on how to care for bleached blonde hair.
Having never tried changing my hair colour (except a brief highlighting blip when I was 14), I’ve developed a slight addiction to bleaching my naturally black hair, lighter shades.
In the last 6 months I have bleached my hair four times and it’s now the perfect shade of dark blonde that I’ve been trying to achieve! But as anyone who has bleached their hair a couple of times can tell you, it requires work to ensure that your hair remains healthy, strong and protected.
Here, I’m sharing my hair care tips for bleached hair.
First, some background…
My natural hair colour is black and my hair type is greasy at the roots with dry lengths and ends which typically ends in a frizzy mess after washing. My hair texture is relatively straight with the underneath drying fairly wavy and curly in a few places. And my hair length is quite long, reaching to the small of my back.
Four bleachings later, and my hair is lighter, drier and frizzier than ever.
Tip #1: Oil treatments are your friend. I would recommend doing this twice a week if possible although I only manage to do it once a week, either Saturday or Sunday. I make my oil treatment day coincide with the day I am seeing my personal trainer - the reason being, once the oil is in your hair and you're sweaty (so your scalp is releasing heat), the oil will penetrate the hair shaft much deeper than it otherwise would.
I don’t necessarily always wash my hair on the same day that the two things happen above - but generally I try to make hair wash day the same day.
The oil itself does not need to be fancy - I am South Asian through and through, and I swear by the bog-standard KTC mustard oil which is available in most supermarkets, in the international aisle, for around £1 - £1.50.
Every weekend I massage this into my hair (warm it up in front of the heater first, don’t use it cold directly on to your head). Once the oil is in, the hair goes up in a messy bun or a plait, and off I go to the gym. Once I’m done, it’s hair wash time.
Tip #2: Don’t wash your hair too often. I only wash my hair twice a week - this has been a habit since childhood so I never got caught up in the overwashing trap. Overwashing bleached hair will just leave it drier, frizzier and more brittle. Allow the natural oils of your hair to protect it throughout the week; just comb or brush through. If it’s getting to be a bit much, a messy bun or a sleek ponytail always works.
Tip #3: Purple Shampoo & Conditioner: always use conditioner. A purple shampoo/conditioner combo will prevent brassiness (when bleached hair looks red). There are a huge number of brands that offer purple shampoo at different price points - at the moment, I’m using the L’oreal shampoo and Fudge’s purple conditioner. Lather your hair in generous amounts of conditioner; I get in there with 3 pumps and fully coat the hair. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes before washing out.
Tip #4: Use a dry straight spray and a dry oil. I’m using the Colour Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Sealant which helps the hair to stay fairly straight when it’s brushed through the full length. I also spray two pumps of the Rituals Dry Oil VATA spray onto my hands and massage through damp hair.
Tip #5: Use a de-tangling brush / comb. I’m using the Tangle Teezer . It glides straight through without catching and pulling. You want hair care, not hair tear.
Tip #6: Leave your hair to dry naturally if you can. I try to limit the overall amount of heat I use on my hair so it generally dries naturally at the weekend and I straighten afterwards, once it’s dry.
Tip #7: After styling (or during) if you feel you need a bit more slip in the hair, spray another pump of the dry oil onto your hands and gently run your fingers through the lengths.