If you’ve noticed bumpy skin on your arms or legs, it might be a common skin condition called keratosis pilaris. Also called KP for short, these bumps could be standing between you and your goal of soft, smooth skin. Let’s dig into everything you should know about living with KP, including:

• What is KP, and how does it affect skin?

• What KP skin treatments are there?

• Skin care products for KP to try at home

What is KP, and how does it affect skin?

KP is a skin condition that causes very small bumps on the skin that can feel rough to the touch. They may be white or skin-colored and most often appear on the upper arms and thighs. “The telltale tiny bumps of KP are caused when excess keratin, a protein in your skin, builds up in your hair follicles,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “We don’t know exactly why keratin tends to build up in this way for some people and not others, but there seems to be a genetic link with KP.”

What KP skin treatments are there?

“Keratosis pilaris is a benign skin issue, meaning it doesn’t post any harm to your health, so it’s not necessary that you treat it,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “That said, many of my patients dislike how it makes their skin look and feel, so there are ways of treating KP to help reduce its bumpy appearance.”

A visit to a board-certified dermatologist is a good place to start. Prescription-strength or over-the-counter topicals with exfoliating ingredients, such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, retinoids or urea are possible choices for KP skin treatments.

“Keratosis pilaris isn’t curable, so one treatment won’t erase the bumps forever,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “However, you can definitely improve the texture appearance of KP on your skin and reduce the roughness with regular use of topical products.” Keratosis pilaris also tends to be more common with younger people, so there’s a possibility it may go away on its own with age.

6 skin care products for KP

Ready to give a KP skin treatment a try? Dr. Schlessinger recommends these at-home topical treatments to help improve the appearance of KP on your skin for an overall softer, smoother look and feel.

Glytone KP Kit

Glytone’s company name is a nod to its starring ingredient, glycolic acid, and its ability to improve your skin tone. Glycolic acid helps exfoliate dead skin cells on the surface of your skin, helping to smooth rough patches, KP bumps and uneven texture—and all Glytone products feature a patented system of bioavailable glycolic acid that optimizes the ingredient’s absorption and efficacy. This two-step kit is tailor-made to treat KP with two glycolic acid products: an exfoliating body wash (designed for use with the provided pouf in the bath or shower) and an exfoliating body lotion.

Jan Marini Bioglycolic Resurfacing Body Scrub

This unique body scrub helps improve the appearance of KP on your skin and also makes a great treatment for body acne, thanks to its double-duty exfoliating powers. Glycolic acid provides chemical exfoliation while fine granules physically exfoliate, smoothing away KP bumps on your skin. As an added bonus, this scrub also contains hydrating aloe as well as chamomile and rosemary extracts to calm redness and irritation.

Keralyt 5 Gel

This KP skin treatment contains 5% salicylic acid in a water-based gel that you can easily apply anywhere on your body where you’re plagued with bumps from keratosis pilaris. “Salicylic acid softens the keratin that builds up in your hair follicles and leads to keratosis pilaris, so this is a very effective choice for treatment,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “It also does a great job improving the dry, scaly skin that can come with other skin conditions such as psoriasis.”

Dr. Dennis Gross SkinCare Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment

Easily treat KP anywhere on your body with these pre-soaked wipes that combine alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid and lactic acid) with beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid). These acids work in tandem to reduce the appearance of KP bumps on your skin and also help reduce ingrown hairs and body acne. This body treatment also contains bakuchiol, a plant-derived active ingredient that helps reduce skin discoloration and smooth rough skin texture.

Replenix Glycolic Acid 15% Resurfacing Body Lotion

This smoothing body lotion not only helps reduce the appearance of KP on your skin, but it also works to enhance your skin’s texture for a softer, smoother feel. A potent dose of 15% glycolic acid helps exfoliate your skin to smooth away rough texture and bumps while a legion of vitamins—A, C and E) provide triple antioxidant protection to support your skin’s moisture barrier.

Neostrata Lotion Plus

Looking to reduce the appearance of KP on your skin and also score some anti-aging benefits? Add this potent body lotion to your skin care wish list. This lotion for the face and body contains glycolic acid to help reduce the appearance of KP on your skin, along with mango seed butter for a dose of moisture and vitamin E to help prevent free radical damage that can contribute to fine lines and wrinkles.

Now that you’re up to speed with all you need to know about products for KP, you can learn more about the best way to use hyaluronic acid in your skin care routine on the LovelySkin Blog.