How to Get Smooth Arms

I’ve had Keratosis Pilaris since I was a kid, which means I get little hard bumps on my upper arms (and rarely on my thighs) that are a result of blocked hair follicles. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for it. However, I also am a dedicated CeraVe fan (the big tubs at Costco are SO CHEAP!) and it’s helped a ton. It definitely hasn’t disappeared, but when I don’t step up my moisturizing game my upper arms become rough and much more noticeably red. Also, don’t exfoliate the bumps if you have them! Be gentle.

If you don’t like using body moisturizer (I’m just lazy sometimes), I recommend the weleda body wash called seabuckhorn. It comes in an orange tube and makes your skin so soft. Occasionally, I’ll use olive oil as a pre-shower moisturizer so the hot water doesn’t dry out my skin and that works like “whoa, mama!” :-)

For people with red bumpy upper arms: a couple of my sisters are afflicted with this and have claimed that cutting down on sugar and bread really helps make the teeny bumps go away.

New commenter but long time reader… I love your site!

I’ve always gotten compliments on how soft my skin is, which I always found random when I was younger but appreciate now! The only regimen I’ve ever followed with any consistency is using exfoliating gloves and Dove sensitive skin body wash in the shower. And I moisturize every day… my favorites are Kiehl’s Creme de Corps, Fresh’s Fresh Life and this goat’s milk lotion from the farmer’s market that I mix with essential oils. I’ve found the last one to be the best! The goat’s milk is supposed to absorb and balance the pH of your skin and the essential oils keep working long after the lotion has faded, both for fragrance and smoothness.

I use Arbonne’s Shea butter body/hand wash plus a seasalt hand/body scrub with Lemon and corriander also from Arbonne my skin feels like silk and satin

As a kid I always used to notice that my aunt had dry spotty skin on her arms; it felt like such a pity as she is so beautiful & put together. I was secretly glad I didn’t have the same thing… and then I had a baby!
I’ve been so lucky to have few undesirable changes/ after effects of pregnancy & labour – but bumpy upper arms is one of them :/ Time to invest in one of those mitts methinks. Thanks hormones.

When I saw your topic I knew I had to respond because I’ve had dry skin on my arms forever. Not anymore though! You wouldn’t believe it but there’s a great mitt that makes all the skin on my body extremely soft. It works wonders on KP too. It’s the MicrodermaMitt Body Mitt {https://www.isabellacatalog.com/p/microdermamitt-body-mitt}.
It works great before shaving too and creams really just melt right in and make your skin silky smooth. I’ve had mine forever and swear by it. Between that and their amazing soap {https://www.isabellacatalog.com/p/milky-rich-facial-bar} I’m all set. Good luck!

Coincidentally, I also swear by those two products! Winter incites some pretty aggressive keratosis pilaris on my upper arms, so I have a whole routine to combat it: Mario Badescu glycolic foaming cleanser for my body in the shower, standard Stridex pads wiped head to toe, then a mixture of CeraVe (from the tub), Amlactin, and Skin Trip all over. It sounds INSANE but I can’t even count how many comments I’ve gotten about how smooth my skin is (especially my butt???) so it’s worth it for me!

I have never thought about this but have spent the past minute rubbing my arms to figure smoothness! They are pretty smooth, I think. lol! I do exfoliate often and use the same anti-aging cream on my body as I do on my face. Pricey, yep. But, a whole lot less pricey than lasers and surgeries later on in life! It has also helped reduce cellulite, a very welcome side effect!!

so I had bumpy arms and asked my dermatologist about it, she said I have keratosis pilaris. She said follicles get blocked up and cause a bump. She recommended urea cream, I started using it and now my arms are bump free! I think you may need a prescription for it as she wrote one for me. I really bet that is what you have too, not everyone has bumpy arms.

Amlactin is another great product for smooth skin. It has lactic acid in it that breaks down those bumps/clogged pores/random bumples (as I call them). I have psoriasis, and even though I rarely show any on my body (it’s my scalp!) my dermatologist suggested I use it during breakouts b/c it helps the medicine go deeper, too. Not cheap, but not awful and you can get it at the drugstore.

Baden mitt! A couple times a week in the shower and you’ll be smooth as a baby! Find it on amazon.

I suffer from eczema and have very sensetive skin. I use unscented body wash (dove), use a wash cloth (light exfoliation) and once a week I do a scrub on my whole body (I like aveda smoothing body polish). I also moisturize with Cetaphil Cream. The one in the tub. I have used this religiously for YEARS. The trick is to apply moisturized within 3 minutes of getting out of the shower. I also get compliments on having soft skin!

I also have bumps on my arms (also backs of thighs and sometimes cheeks). I was told by a DO recently that it is a form of excema. She said to check your soap for EDTA (found in most soaps, including a lot of natural products – there is a natural form). EDTA makes my excema much worse! I switched to Tom’s soap or Honest bars and my arms are much softer!

Dry brushing before taking a shower in the morning. It’s amazing!! I actually started doing it after reading one of your Beauty Uniform posts from Elizabeth of The Littlest! :)

I bought a dry brushing kit from a friend, birchrose.com. My skin feels so soft and it’s supposed to help your lymphatic system.

I really never think of my arms but now that I think about it and feel my arms it might be time to get an exfoliator mitt…xx

I’ve struggled with keratosis pilaris and after many years of experimenting, the secret was revealed to me. Like others, Amlactin does wonders, but, it must be followed by another lotion, like cerave or eucerin, anything with some urea in it. That’s the secret. The amlactin is the acid that cleans out the pores and urea softens the bumps. It takes about 2 weeks of doing it every day until the bump’s finally abate, but it works! I exfoliate lightly just with a washcloth. Any more and those blasted bumps are even more red!

This is the motivation I need to start using moisturizer on my arms! Thank you!

Her Heartland Soul
herheartlandsoul.com

Guys, if you have bumps anywhere on your body nutritionally something is off. Your skin is talking to you.
So with KP on your arms it’s most likely a deficiency in vitamin A. Add some good quality cod liver oil (I like Green Pastures Brand) to your diet and it will be fixed. Think inside out.

I’ve recently become (a bit) obsessed with the Baiden Mitt for exfoliating. Amazingly effective, if not a bit horrifying to see the skin being shed from my body. My skin has never been smoother. Highly recommend.

This is the best exfoliating towel to use in the shower!!

Made in Japan, I happened to find it in a Korean Grocery store, HMart.

Amazing results, quick drying, scrubs very well!

http://www.amazon.com/Salux-Nylon-Japanese-Beauty-Cloth/dp/B000CSDDDG