Care tips for sandpaper skin

What is sandpaper skin?

Pimple skin - medically known as keratosis pilaris or hyperkeratosis - first appears mainly in adolescents and young adults. This relatively harmless skin disorder is not contagious. As a cosmetic problem, however, pimple skin is an annoying "blemish" for those affected, who can suffer greatly from it. Pimple skin usually goes away with the right skin care - even if it does not disappear completely and is considered incurable.

Recognizing Sandy Skin

Psoriasis is a skin disorder that looks like “permanent goose bumps.” It is characterized by pimple-like, small, reddish or white, rough bumps on the skin.

The cone-shaped bumps are usually found on the outside of the upper arms, on the front of the thighs, on the bottom or sometimes in the cheek area of ​​the face. Since the skin barrier is also impaired in the case of sandpaper skin, the skin dries out and bacteria can penetrate more easily. This can lead to increased itching, irritation and inflammation of the skin.

Origin & Causes of Sandy Skin

Psoriasis occurs when the skin produces too much keratin. As a reminder: keratin is the protein that makes up over 90% of our hair and nails. The thickening or keratinization of the outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) in psoriasis mainly affects the hair follicles, which become clogged with keratin from the inside and then appear as "permanent goose bumps". The underlying causes of psoriasis are not known, but the following factors seem to play a role:

• Disturbed skin barrier: People with a disturbed skin barrier and dry skin are more prone to sandpaper skin.
• Predisposition: The disease often occurs in families.
• Climatic factors: Cold and low humidity can aggravate psoriasis. Symptoms are more severe in the winter months.
• Concomitant diseases: Rash skin occurs frequently in allergic diseases, eczema and dry skin.

Care tips for sandpaper skin

There are many recommendations for treating sandpaper skin, but their effectiveness has not yet been sufficiently proven. Here are our tips on how you can gently smooth sandpaper skin and reduce excessive calluses with the right care.

myrto organic facial cleansing

• Proper facial cleansing
  For rough skin, gentle cleansing is essential, for example with the myrto Cleansing Creams. These skin-soothing cleansers cleanse ultra-gently with white mineral clay and without surfactants. Our organic cleansing creams have a very light peeling effect without attacking the skin barrier. The myrto Cleansing Creams are free of surfactants, fragrances or alcohol.

• Proper Body Cleansing
  In addition to gently cleansing your body with a mild, perfume-free shower gel, you should only shower with lukewarm water and avoid hot water, as this will dry out your skin even more. The 3 different myrto organic shower gels contain neither synthetic preservatives such as parabens nor alcohol or other skin-irritating additives. The Schizandra Sensitive Body Wash is fragrance-free and ideal for very sensitive skin.

• Moisturizing creams and serums:
  At myrto we use beta-glucan, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera juice as effective moisturizers. All myrto creams and serums have a skin-neutral, slightly acidic pH value of 5.0 to 5.5. This strengthens the skin's protective acid mantle.
  
  Products containing urea are often recommended for rough skin to moisturize the skin. The problem is that urea needs a basic pH value in the formulation to avoid breaking down and becoming ineffective. Products containing urea therefore always need a basic pH value. This destroys the protective acid mantle of the epidermis, which is an essential part of the skin's own immune system.

• Strengthening the skin barrier with emulsifier-free DMS creams
  A high-performance moisturizing ingredient in all myrto DMS face creams is hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine. Vegetable phosphatidylcholine from organic sunflower oil is used in every myrto face cream instead of the usual natural cosmetic emulsifiers made from esterified fatty acids. Phosphatodylcholine is a component of every human cell that is converted into ceramides in the skin. Phosphatodylcholine is completely metabolized in the skin. It is able to specifically repair the lipid-containing skin barrier in damaged areas and thus prevent the skin from drying out in the long term.
• Mechanical peelings
  Salt or sugar particles, ground apricot kernels, almond bran or even coffee extract are suitable as mechanical peeling agents for a strong body peeling. Ground oat flakes, jojoba pearls, bamboo or rice powder are gentler on the skin and are less abrasive. In the case of keratosis pilaris, a mechanical peeling can be used on the upper arms or thighs approximately 1-2 times a week. It is massaged into damp skin using circular movements, preferably after showering. Mechanical peelings help to remove dead skin cells from the body and promote blood circulation.
  
  If used too frequently or too intensively, mechanical peeling agents put strain on the skin's surface: they can damage the skin barrier, promote redness and inflammation, and dry out the skin. Mechanical peeling agents with abrasive peeling agents are not recommended for sensitive facial skin.
• Peelings with fruit acids and salicylic acid
  Peelings with fruit acids and salicylic acid are recommended for gentle facial exfoliation. They are not massaged in, but should simply be left to work for a while before being removed with water. Such peels contain so-called alpha or beta hydroxy acids - known as AHAs or BHAs for short. One of the mildest AHAs is lactic acid, which not only provides moisture, but in higher doses is also suitable for peeling rough facial skin. Salicylic acid is one of the comparatively stronger and deeper exfoliating BHAs. Salicylic acid is particularly recommended for impure or combination skin to dissolve dead skin and smooth the skin. AHAs and BHAs both accelerate the exfoliation of dead skin cells.
  
  When using, please note: Start with a low concentration of AHAs and BHAs to avoid irritating your skin. You should also not use the comparatively gentle peelings with fruit acids or salicylic acid more than once or twice a week to protect the skin barrier and avoid irritation. If you have very sensitive skin, if you suffer from rosacea, eczema or inflammation, you should generally avoid salicylic acid and fruit acid peelings to avoid causing further irritation and impairing healing.

Conclusion

By specifically treating rough skin with the right skin care and responding to your skin's needs, you can effectively alleviate the annoying symptoms of keratosis pilaris and make your skin softer, smoother and more supple.