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On my yearly trip to the dermatologist (and by “yearly” here. I mean first time since 2017), I finally asked about the rough little red bumps on my upper arms. Though they’ve been there for years, they’ve never hurt, so I never really bothered about how to get rid of them. Yet, as the doctor did a full body scan, shouting out things for the PA to write down, I found myself inquiring about my skin.
I asked what she recommended for my rough, bumpy arms and on a piece of paper that was already printed with a bunch of products she circled “CeraVe SA Cream” noting that I could easily find it at the drugstore or online. She also recommended I use an exfoliating acne body wash with 2% salicylic acid on my arms in the shower and then put the cream on them when I’m drying off.
Though I didn’t ask for a formal diagnosis, it’s likely my arm bumps are keratosis pilaris, or KP, sometimes known as “strawberry skin” or “chicken skin.” It’s incredibly common, affecting about 40% of adults and 50-80% of teens throughout their lives.
“It’s not harmful or deadly, and will not spread to other parts of your body or affect any other body functions,” Dr. Ife Rodney, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Eternal Dermatology and Aesthetics in Fulton, Maryland, previously told HuffPost. “Some may say it’s strictly cosmetic.”
I started on my doctor’s recommended regimin immediately after my appointment and was pleased to see the little bumps look and feel smaller within the first few weeks. Made with salicylic and lactic acid, this rich CeraVe cream gently exfoliates the skin, helping to soften rough, bumpy, scaly or super dry patches. It goes on super smooth, isn’t slimy or greasy and absorbs quickly into my arms when they’re still a little wet from the shower.
Chemically speaking, salicylic acid helps get rid of old dead skin cells and encourages new softer skin to continue to grow. And in using it for a few weeks now, I can tell this cream helps replenish my skin’s moisture and makes my arms feel softer and less rough.
I like that it’s fragrance-free and dye-free and feels gentle, even though it has active ingredients, and leaves my skin feeling really nourished and soft as well as calmed. Because it contains salicylic acid, the label says it make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so you want to make sure you’re putting sunscreen on whatever areas you’re putting this cream on for extra protection. Though the price was a little more than I tend to spend on body items, it comes in a pretty large tub, with a ton of product inside. I’ve been using a generous scoop on both arms every day for weeks and am nowhere need the bottom of the jar.
If you’ve been dealing with patches of super dry skin or have rough little red bumps, I’d recommend snagging a jar of this gentle, smoothing CeraVe cream. It will soon become a daily part of your get-ready routine.
Check out some of the thousands of five-star reviews at Amazon:
“My skin is beyond dry. I’ve tried expensive moisturizers. They almost always disappoint. At an appointment with my dermatologist, he suggested trying CeraVe. I did. Why pay more? This stuff works. I began to share the good news with others, and found they’d be using it for years at the recommendation of their dermatologists. I wish I’d known earlier.” — SeeTheLightShine
“I have had such bad skin my entire life ( struggling with strawberry skin and bumping skin) and since I started using this my skin radically changed, I had recommended this product to my entire family now.” — Paola Coronel Mendoza
“This is actually working. I bought it for the rough skin on the back of my arms and I’ve noticed less bumps within days of using this. It is not greasy or smelly.” — Peggy Weatherford
“This product works like a charm - no more bumpy skin on my arms. Where was this when I was in middle school!?!” — LSM
“I originally bought this to try on my keratosis pilaris that I have on the back of my arms. Not only is that almost completely gone, but I’ve been using this cream on my feet every night before bed, and they have NEVER been softer. Even my husband has been using it on his scaly nasty feet and elbows for a couple of week and there has been a drastic improvement. This has a great texture, isn’t overly greasy, is scent-free (which I appreciate) and it is very effective. Because this is a salicylic acid lotion, I’m not sure that I would just use it everywhere with no rhyme or reason, but if you have specific, targeted rough/bumpy patches or an issue like KP, then this is a MUST BUY.” — Jessica
“I had scaly skin on my legs and bumps on my arm’s. This problem was taken care of after a few applications follow my shower. CreaVe new found friend.” — Debra W.
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