About two weeks ago, I posted a Top Ten of my favorite things. One of the items, the Microfiber Washcloth, seemed to generate some questions especially in regards to keratosis pilaris. Unfortunately, I did not remember to take "before and after" pics but I can say in my experience that it has done wonderfully for smoothing my arms.
I have been using the Microfiber washcloth for about five-six months now pretty regularly and it kind of helped smooth it out but it was not until I started using the coconut oil (and the Microfiber cloth) about a month ago that I started to notice the bumps slowly smooth down significantly and the redness go away. All I notice now is bump or two and some light brown spots where the old bumps were and I am hoping that those will heal and disappear in a matter of time as well!
So my method? All I do is make sure to exfoliate daily (without cleanser on it) on the backs of my arms with firm pressure in a circular massage motion. I try not to do it for too long (like more than a minute) as you can literally rub your skin raw! I also make sure to use a more natural soap like Dr. Bronner's afterward for cleansing as I heard that some more processed soaps have dimethicones and other ingredients that can irritate those trouble areas. When I get out of the shower, I apply the coconut oil and maybe reapply a couple more times during the day. Be careful though and don't use too much! It can get quite greasy!
So why does this work? From what I understand about keratosis pilaris is that it is a genetic trait in which your skin produces excess keratin, a natural protein in your skin, and causes hard plugs around hair follicles in the area. With exfoliation, I believe it can help prevent excess buildup and smooth the skin out better.
But why is it the coconut oil helps even more? I can only scratch the surface here as there is TONS of info out there about its health & beauty benefits so I'll only bring up a few key points. Coconut oil is excellent and healing and repairing. It is considered a medium chain fatty acid and because of this composition, it is able to penetrate into the skin much better than other oils or lotions and can literally get under your skin and help with healing and smoothing the skin. If you'd like to read a more thorough article o this check this link out:
Virgin Coconut Oil & Your Skin.
I can definitely vouch for it being an excellent moisturizer; I don't limit this to just my arms but apply it everywhere else: arms, legs, torso, back, and even my face. Proceed with caution, though, on your face as I have read some conflicting reports on using it on your face as some rate it as highly comedegenic, but I have not noticed this in my experience and have also seen lots of articles promoting coconut oil to get rid of acne. Most noticeable is my knees and elbows which were normally hard and scaly feeling--but since using, they are smoother and softer than when I was a kid!
You can get coconut oil (it is best to get the Organic Extra Virgin from everything I have read) at your local health food store, Whole Foods or Trader Joes, GNC, and of course online, just do a Google Shopping search. I got my first 16 ounce jar at drugstore.com (since I got free shiping for my order that was $49 or more) but if you think you'll want more, I strongly recommend Nutiva.com as they have excellent prices right now on the large one gallon tubs (about eight pounds) and it is free shipping with orders $30 or more. Just let them know I sent you in the comments section! I've actually stocked up on it as I am using it for cooking as well, giving it to my dog for his health, and of course my beauty routine from head to toe! I hope to be blogging a few more articles on my experience with coconut oil in the near future. From everything I have read, it sounds like the tree of life!
As a special sale to go along with this blog post, I am putting the Set of Three Microfiber Cloths on sale for $8.29 should you want to test this out yourself. Don't forget, this is free shipping for my US & Canadian customers and the sale will only last until current stock is sold out or by next Friday (August 7) whichever comes first.
And for those of you that missed it, I will extend Janice's Choice Brush set until then as well (or until we sell out of those brushes too) as it has been a popular set that I am sure more of you would like a chance to purchase!
**Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this subject but am simply sharing my good experience with this method--your mileage may vary!
I have been using the Microfiber washcloth for about five-six months now pretty regularly and it kind of helped smooth it out but it was not until I started using the coconut oil (and the Microfiber cloth) about a month ago that I started to notice the bumps slowly smooth down significantly and the redness go away. All I notice now is bump or two and some light brown spots where the old bumps were and I am hoping that those will heal and disappear in a matter of time as well!
So my method? All I do is make sure to exfoliate daily (without cleanser on it) on the backs of my arms with firm pressure in a circular massage motion. I try not to do it for too long (like more than a minute) as you can literally rub your skin raw! I also make sure to use a more natural soap like Dr. Bronner's afterward for cleansing as I heard that some more processed soaps have dimethicones and other ingredients that can irritate those trouble areas. When I get out of the shower, I apply the coconut oil and maybe reapply a couple more times during the day. Be careful though and don't use too much! It can get quite greasy!
So why does this work? From what I understand about keratosis pilaris is that it is a genetic trait in which your skin produces excess keratin, a natural protein in your skin, and causes hard plugs around hair follicles in the area. With exfoliation, I believe it can help prevent excess buildup and smooth the skin out better.
But why is it the coconut oil helps even more? I can only scratch the surface here as there is TONS of info out there about its health & beauty benefits so I'll only bring up a few key points. Coconut oil is excellent and healing and repairing. It is considered a medium chain fatty acid and because of this composition, it is able to penetrate into the skin much better than other oils or lotions and can literally get under your skin and help with healing and smoothing the skin. If you'd like to read a more thorough article o this check this link out:
Virgin Coconut Oil & Your Skin.
I can definitely vouch for it being an excellent moisturizer; I don't limit this to just my arms but apply it everywhere else: arms, legs, torso, back, and even my face. Proceed with caution, though, on your face as I have read some conflicting reports on using it on your face as some rate it as highly comedegenic, but I have not noticed this in my experience and have also seen lots of articles promoting coconut oil to get rid of acne. Most noticeable is my knees and elbows which were normally hard and scaly feeling--but since using, they are smoother and softer than when I was a kid!
You can get coconut oil (it is best to get the Organic Extra Virgin from everything I have read) at your local health food store, Whole Foods or Trader Joes, GNC, and of course online, just do a Google Shopping search. I got my first 16 ounce jar at drugstore.com (since I got free shiping for my order that was $49 or more) but if you think you'll want more, I strongly recommend Nutiva.com as they have excellent prices right now on the large one gallon tubs (about eight pounds) and it is free shipping with orders $30 or more. Just let them know I sent you in the comments section! I've actually stocked up on it as I am using it for cooking as well, giving it to my dog for his health, and of course my beauty routine from head to toe! I hope to be blogging a few more articles on my experience with coconut oil in the near future. From everything I have read, it sounds like the tree of life!
As a special sale to go along with this blog post, I am putting the Set of Three Microfiber Cloths on sale for $8.29 should you want to test this out yourself. Don't forget, this is free shipping for my US & Canadian customers and the sale will only last until current stock is sold out or by next Friday (August 7) whichever comes first.
And for those of you that missed it, I will extend Janice's Choice Brush set until then as well (or until we sell out of those brushes too) as it has been a popular set that I am sure more of you would like a chance to purchase!
**Disclaimer: I am not an expert on this subject but am simply sharing my good experience with this method--your mileage may vary!