A Surprisingly Simple Way to Alleviate Keratosis Pilaris

It's not nice to have KP, or keratosis pilaris, at any time of year. It's a real pain in the arse during the summer if the Irish weather decides to throw a few days of uhmazing weather your direction and sleeveless dresses or tops are the order of the day if you don't fancy collapsing into a little sweaty puddle. While you can pull out a razor for some emergency defuzzing and lash on a bit of instant tan for a golden glow in moments, there's no such quick fix for KP.

Or... is there? Driven to distraction by the state of the bumps on the backs of my arms when the sun was splitting the stones last week, I was looking for something that would work fairly fast. Rooting through the bathroom cabinet, I happened upon a tube of PanOxyl 5% cream and decided to give it a whirl. PanOxyl contains benzoyl peroxide, which helps to break down keratin, which is what plugs the hair follicles and causes those bumps in the first place.

Now, I'm going to break out a disclaimer here and remind you that the fact that it breaks down keratin means it's not suitable for all skin types or for long-term use, you should use an SPF in conjunction with it, and while PanOxyl is available over the counter I got mine on the recommendation of my doctor for another skin issue so I knew I was a suitable candidate for the stuff. That said, it worked brilliantly to shift my chicken skin: after a couple of days, it was no more.

My sheets were ruined, of course, but it was a small price to pay.