My Child Has Chicken Skin? How to Manage Keratosis Pilaris in Children
A sustainable and natural moisturizer for children
Most of you know that we developed Nuthatch Naturals® because our daughter had very dry skin on her arms. We looked for a sustainable and natural moisturizer but couldn’t find anything. All products available online and in stores had either a lot of “adult” ingredients – fragrances, alphahydroxy acids, salicylates, parabens – or were made with fossil fuels. There was nothing that was made from mother nature and suitable for kids.
For our children, we wanted a product that was designed for them. Children’s skin is different. It is more sensitive and more permeable to chemicals. So a children’s moisturizer needs to be nontoxic and clean. It shouldn’t have antiaging ingredients such as retinol or glycolic acid, because kids don’t need to look younger.
We also feel strongly that children’s products need to be sustainable. Products that are derived from fossil fuels or not biodegradable don’t cut it. Our children encounter enough microplastics in the environment – they don’t need more. They will also feel the effects of climate change over their lifetime. Fossil fuels and chemicals made from them need to remain fossilized.
Keratosis Pilaris or Chicken Skin
With our Nuthatch Naturals Daily Soothing Lotion, we thought we had our daughter’s dry skin in check. However, we learned that there is a name for her condition. The red bumps on her arms are known as chicken skin or keratosis pilaris (KP). This is a very common condition occurring in more than 50% of kids and teenagers. It can appear when children are very young, 2 years old or younger. KP can run in families because it is linked to genetics. Kids with dry skin, eczema, or excess body weight are more vulnerable.
Chicken skin is harmless but can be itchy and unsightly. The best treatment is a gentle moisturizer applied right after bathing or showering. Exactly what we had been doing with Nuthatch Naturals.
Consistency is key
For more severe cases, dermatologists recommend abrasive ingredients such as ammonium lactate, which is found in over the counter creams such as Am-Lactin. It works but it can have side effects that include severe skin irritation. For kids, the first choice is clearly a gentle, nonirritating moisturizer.
But you have to apply it consistently after every bath. The best way to do that is to establish a natural skin care routine including a nonirritating moisturizer, such as Nuthatch Naturals®, to follow after every bath. There are other products available for children that may also help. However, we prefer Nuthatch Naturals® Daily Soothing Lotion because it is natural and sustainable. It is clinically tested by dermatologists and certified animal cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.
The Nuthatch Naturals® Daily Soothing Lotion is available on our website and on Amazon.com. Free shipping is available to first time customers and to Amazon Prime members. Let us know how you like it by rating and reviewing our product!