I don’t know who was put in charge of naming skin conditions back in the day, but some of them could do with a rebrand.
You’ve got your tricky to pronounce and even harder to spell ones; eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, et al. Your misleadingly disgusting ones (looking at you, nothing-to-do-with-worms ringworm!) Then, there’s the apex of the genre, which boasts a mouthful medical title and revolting nickname – keratosis pilaris, aka chicken skin.
These red or brown bumps are as medically benign as they are mentally bothersome for the estimated 50% of the population who experience them. And, speaking from experience, I know they’re tricky little rotters to shift – but I’ve found just the thing.
Why this cheap-as-chips body cream is my beauty buy of the week
To reassure you, I actually do know it was the Greeks and Romans who came up with most of our dermatological lingo. Shout out to Hippocrates for his pioneering medical research circa 400 BC.
In fairness, I prefer the ancient Keratosis Pilaris to the modern chicken skin, which is up there with bingo wings in implied bodily shame. As I said, half of us have this harmless build-up of keratin in our hair follicles; it’s not an issue per se, and there is no reason you must learn how to ‘fix’ it unless you want to.
I do want to, though, especially as it’s still the longest legs and arms-out season in recent memory. So here’s something that’s helped me:
Cetaphil
Gentle Exfoliating Salicylic Acid Lotion
Efficient, utilitarian bodycare like this always gets me going, especially when it costs less than a cinema ticket (there’s a big old 473ml for £22 too). It’s got three low-dose skincare acid exfoliants to gently dig into follicles, kindly evict the keratin, then soften and condition the surrounding skin with shea butter and niacinamide.
It has a relatively rich, bouncy texture – more clotted cream than a milky lotion to the touch, but it doesn’t feel claggy after applying, and leaves a nice sheen behind. It smells of nothing, which is a win because surely you’d rather smell like your best perfume instead?
(Image credit: Future / Fiona McKim)
I’ll admit I only discovered this earlier in the week. I’m a few days into my testing period, and I can feel textural improvements already, which is fast for that sort of product and solid motivation to keep going.
But look, I’m not going to lie to you (never could), this isn’t a quick fix – nothing for keratosis pilaris, or any skin complaint, ever is. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is smooth skin.
I will say, if you apply this often and trust the process, over time, the bumps should soften and reduce pretty nicely. Sounds good? Great! Let’s chat next Sunday.
