‘I was plagued by bumpy chicken skin on my thighs until I found £11 Amazon solution’

Keratosis pilaris, or ‘bumpy chicken skin’, left my thighs feeling rough and ruined my confidence – until I tried First Aid Beauty’s £11 KP Smoothing Body Scrub from Amazon that helped improve my skin in 10 weeks

Whether you refer to it as strawberry legs or chicken skin, Keratosis Pilaris (KP) was the bane of my existence last summer. The coarse, purple bumps that appeared on my thighs shattered my confidence and ruined my summer wardrobe, making me extremely self-conscious about my legs.

Keratosis pilaris is a fairly common skin condition resulting from keratin build-up, which blocks hair follicles. This leads to patches of rough, bumpy skin that, while harmless, can be quite annoying.

This was my first encounter with the condition. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, and coupled with some weight gain and stretch marks, I felt uncomfortable exposing my legs during the hottest part of the year.

So when it started to flare up again in April, I decided to try an £11 product from Amazon specifically designed to target KP. Within 10 weeks, the transformation was remarkable.

I discovered a tube of First Aid Beauty’s KP Smoothing Body Scrub with 10% AHA tucked away at the back of my bathroom cabinet. It’s the sort of product often found in beauty advent calendars or subscription boxes, but rarely given a second glance unless immediately needed. As such, it had remained unopened.

That was until I had a major clear out, rediscovered it and promptly incorporated it into my weekly routine. The body scrub is designed to eliminate dry, rough bumps associated with KP, revealing healthier looking skin that ‘feels exceptionally smooth’.

It’s safe for sensitive skin and utilises a blend of physical and chemical exfoliators to remove dry, rough bumps.

The product contains glycolic and lactic acids at a combined level of 10 per cent AHAs, which aid in loosening the skin’s top layer and unclogging pores. Meanwhile, pumice physically exfoliates to whisk it all away, acting as a chemical peel and microdermabrasion treatment in one.

The instructions recommend using the exfoliant once or twice a week due to its potent formula. I included it in my ‘big bath’ routine – you know the one, hair mask, body butter, the works – which I usually do on a Sunday evening before the working week.

A small amount of product goes a long way when you add a bit of water to it, so I only needed a 20p-sized amount to cover my affected areas. The product feels abrasive, but not overly harsh and rinsed off easily without leaving any residue behind.

For several weeks, it seemed as though it wasn’t doing much, but I persisted and continued to use the product regularly. Then, around 10 weeks after my initial use, it was as if it had cleared up overnight.

Now, don’t get me wrong, my skin didn’t look 100% perfect but I never expected it to, that said, it was a noticeable improvement from a few months earlier. While you need to be consistent with it, it worked wonders for my confidence and means I’ll brave wearing shorts again this summer.

I’m not alone in seeing significant results from the ‘bump eraser’, which has garnered a 4.2 star rating from Amazon shoppers. One reviewer stated: “Great product, does work after a few weeks, my KP has definitely improved better with this product than any other treatments I’ve tried. Just a little expensive for a small tube.”

Another shared: “My 13-year-old son suffers with bumpy skin and started to get embarrassed by his arms and how they looked. We read lots of reviews on these types of products and decided to try this one. It has been a game-changer for him. His skin has vastly improved and his confidence has returned. Highly recommended.”

A third user noted: “After a month of using this product I have noticed a change it has noticeably improved my strawberry legs. I do think in order for this to work you need to be consistent and not expect it to work straight away, I did however moisturise with Cerave SA cream and the two paired is what has worked for me personally.

“And because of the improvement, I’ve ordered more. The only thing I don’t like is it does make my hands dry when I’m using it but again I make sure to thoroughly moisturise my hands afterwards.”

However, skincare products react differently for each individual, and not everyone has achieved the results they were hoping for, with one user stating: “I bought this for KP on my arms, I’ve used the product around 6x now and have seen no improvement. I really wanted this to be the thing to clear up my arms and I was so hopeful after reading the other reviews otherwise I wouldn’t have spent so much. Unfortunately it doesn’t work any better than any other scrub for a quarter of the price.”

Another comparable product customers might consider if First Aid Beauty doesn’t seem suitable is the AMELIORATE Smoothing Body Exfoliant. Featuring mild AHAs, this formula utilises lactic acid to delicately remove dead skin cells and address the impacts of Keratosis Pilaris.

Priced at £13.50 on LookFantastic, it also works to moisturise dry areas, promoting a beautifully smooth texture.

Alternatively, you can purchase a tube of First Aid Beauty’s KP Smoothing Body Scrub with 10% AHA from Amazon, where a 57g tube, which is also stocked at Boots, where it’s on sale for £7.70. Or you can grab the larger 226g tube for £20.25 and receive a complimentary travel-sized version to bring along on your holidays.