YOUR QUESTIONS:
(click on each link to see the FULL QUESTION \ ANSWER)

1. Came across your website while trying desperately to find something for a skin condition my one year old Baby has called keratosis pilaris....it is chronic and there is no cure. I have been to ped dermo [Paediatrician Dermotologist] ....DO NOT want to start her with any steroids... don't think they would work anyway. Whew! Anyway.....I am wondering if the psoriasis cream on your website might help.

   Her young age limits the products you can use without risking redness and dryness of the skin developing. Firstly the keratosis pilaris may respond to the following treatments Salicylic Acid 3% up to 6 %. Now this is safe but potent, in fact salicyclic acid was originally derived from Willow tree (Latin:- Salix hence salicylic acid.) I would try a 3% cream applied in the morning as I assume she bathes at night. To avoid redness and dry skin apply a moisturiser after bathing, if the skin becomes too dry use our Lavender balm to rectify this. ...ANSWER

2. I ordered the lavender balm from you last year, and it worked beautifully on my daughter’s keratosis pilaris.

   It's great to hear you have had such good results. The lavender balm (and also our hypoallergenic balm) is non-toxic and may be safely used as long as necessary without any risk of side-effects.

3. My 17 month old baby girl has terrible keratosis pilaris rubra on her cheeks. It is awful looking. I just ordered the lavender balm after reading someone else said it worked for their child’s KP- please assure me that you have seen this help cases of KP for kids? Will it work on my chapped lips?

   You will be very happy with the product. It is brilliant for chapped lips and keratosis pilaris, however, to allow the skin the "breathe" apply it sparingly and often. Totally non-toxic and non-sting it can be applied before a feed after a feed and at bedtime. ...ANSWER

4. What sort of skin cleanser do you recommend for keratosis pilaris rubra on the face? Excited to get the balm!!

   Use a mild bath oil of any good brand together with a fluffy face washer. Ensure you are washing her with a bath oil in the bath and not a foaming wash. Bath washes tend to dry the skin. The idea being to clean and unclog the pore as gently as possible. ...ANSWER

5. My youngest son (now 10 months) has what I believe to be keratosis pilaris on the upper arms and cheeks. He developed it about 6 months ago. We live in constant air conditioned environment which I am sure doesn't help things. To treat it so far, I have been using Moo Goo products. The moo goo softens the skin and bumps but has done nothing to make them go away or reduce. What can I do to help his skin?

   The gentle exfoliation is essential and helps a lot. 50% of children get Keratosis Pilaris (KP) and factors that aggravate it are heat and sweating. No doubt you are aware of this. Instead of the Moo Goo moisturizer, use our Hypo-Allergenic face and body balm very sparingly. Our Hypo-allergenic face and body balm has a mild keratolytic action to help stop the clogging of the sweat glands which causes the tiny watery heads of Keratosis Pilaris (KP) ...ANSWER

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David's response...

Hi A,

It's taken a while to reply as you raise a lot of issues which are difficult to find possible solutions for your to try. Her young age limits the products you can use without risking redness and dryness of the skin developing.

Firstly the keratosis pilaris may respond to the following treatments Salicylic Acid 3% up to 6 % . Now this is safe but potent, in fact salicyclic acid was originally derived from Willow tree (Latin:- Salix hence salicylic acid.) I would try a 3% cream applied in the morning as I assume she bathes at night. Apply sparingly with a cotton ball. I am not sure what you have tried so far so this is how I would start out

Also a good cleanser such as Cetaphil Lotion has a small amount of propylene gycol in it which is a very mild keratolytic. Used very gently with a loofah or mildly abrasive cosmetic sponge will help. To avoid redness and dry skin apply a moisturiser after bathing, if the skin becomes too dry use our Lavender balm to rectify this.

The above procedure is time consuming but safe for her age and may help. Forget the steroids as they are not recommended for this problem and are inappropriate ! The problem does disappear with adolescence but I can understand your desire to do something now.

Try the cetaphil and cosmetic sponge I have suggested. If that doesn't help then add a 3% salicylic acid cream and see how that goes. I may be repeating treatments you have tried before so I hope this is of some use.

The other treatments are too strong for a baby\toddler at her age. They are:

• Tretinoin 0.025%-0.1% cream applied daily (old skin tends to peel off while new skin forms, ideal for teenagers and upwards, too strong for your baby daughter)
• Alpha-hydroxy acids which have a peeling effect, lactic acid 10 to 20% %, glycolic acid 8 to 15%

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As for psoriasis, our Psorexederm treatment contains a small amount of coal tar in a protective and healing base. It does not sting and is safe for all ages. I do NOT recommend it for infants hands since they are sticking them in their mouths all the time.

It is IDEAL for relieving skin that is itchy, raised, red or with a tendency to crack or bleed. As you are currently using a strong steroid if you suddenly stop using it your condition will flare up 2-3 days later in a rebound reaction. To avoid this for the first week you would apply your steroid once or twice a day as normal and apply our Psorexederm Cream over the top of it 3-4 times a day. As it is white in colour you need to wipe off any excess with a soft cloth like an old towel. Enough will penetrate to do the job. After a week halve the number of times you apply the cortisone each day while continuing the Psorexederm Cream at 3-4 times a day.

The Psorexederm is designed to protect damaged skin and encourage natural healing so eventually you may not have to use it very much at all. (I think promising a cure after this time would be unrealistic) Each week reduce the cortisone applications until you are just using Psorexederm and if all is going well you should be able to reduce the number of times you need to use it.

Psorexederm is safe and non-stinging and can be applied to any part of the body except the eyes and inside of the mouth (Sorry, it is a bit obvious, but best to be safe and clear about instructions.)

You can try the Psorexederm cream twice a day on your baby daughters keratosis pilaris as it is harmless to do so and there is a very slight chance it may help her, it will certainly help you anyway.

Hope this helps you,
Kind Regards,
David Hosking.

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ANSWER: Hi, You will be very happy with the product. It is brilliant for chapped lips and keratosis pilaris, however, to allow the skin the "breathe" apply it sparingly and often. Totally non-toxic and non-sting it can be applied before a feed after a feed and at bedtime. Most of it is sold for rashy babies and toddlers but it makes a great moisturizer at night for dry skin. It feels a little greasy but this has gone by the morning.

Kind Regards, David Hosking.

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Use a mild bath oil of any good brand together with a fluffy face washer. Ensure you are washing her with a bath oil in the bath and not a foaming wash. Bath washes tend to dry the skin. The idea being to clean and unclog the pore as gently as possible.
Kind Regards, David Hosking.

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The gentle exfoliation is essential and helps a lot. 50% of children get Keratosis Pilaris (KP) and factors that aggravate it are heat and sweating. No doubt you are aware of this. Instead of the Moo Goo moisturizer, use our Hypo-Allergenic face and body balm very sparingly. Our Hypo-allergenic face and body balm has a mild keratolytic action to help stop the clogging of the sweat glands which causes the tiny watery heads of Keratosis Pilaris (KP)

Apply it once a day after exfoliating. Apply it as thinly as you can to unclog the pores and still allow the skin to breathe. When he has had all his vaccinations I would suggest teaching him to swim as children learn quickly at that age and it will help his skin. You can certainly order on-line also.

The balm is a very good moisturizer for everything including eczema and even dry lips! A little bit goes a long way and it is water-proof for when he gets around to swimming lessons. (You may be doing that already) Thanks you for the photos which always help define the problem well.
Kind Regards, David Hosking. 9/06/2009