Exfoliation is an important part of our regular cleansing and skincare regimen. It removes dead skin cells, unclogs pores and evens out bumps.
This is particularly useful if you experience certain skin conditions, like Keratosis Pilaris. Can a Korean Italy Towel help with this?
But, understand, this isn’t going to happen overnight and it’s not a miracle cure. It can, however, help reduce the look and discomfort that come along with Keratosis Pilaris. Your skin will feel much smoother, softer and suppler.
What Is Keratosis Pilaris?
Keratosis Pilaris, also known as “Chicken Skin,” is a common condition that makes skin feel like sandpaper, producing light-colored hard bumps on the arms, thighs and buttocks.
Some people also have them appear on their face, but this is less common. Although the condition doesn’t worsen, there may be some itching, redness and swelling.
“Chicken Skin” comes from a buildup of keratin within the hair follicles covering the skin. Keratin is a protective protein that guards against infection and other harmful elements. When this builds up, it plugs the pore and pulls the hair in. This creates a hard little nodule on the surface of the skin.
It’s Not a Serious Condition
Doctors don’t quite understand why this occurs and it seems to happen to people more frequently in wintertime. It’s not a serious thing or any reason for alarm, but it can be unsightly and awkward. For some it can be an absolute skincare nightmare.
How Can Korean Italy Towels Reduce Keratosis Pilaris?
Although there’s no cure for Keratosis Pilaris, using a Korean Italy Towel followed by an exfoliating product can help greatly. It will take several sessions, but an improvement will come with time and patience. Use the following guidelines to understand how these towels can reduce this skin condition.
Soften: Scrub
After moistening and softening your skin in hot water, either in the bathtub or the shower, turn off the water. Begin scrubbing the abrasive washcloth over the areas you’re experiencing “Chicken Skin.” Soon, you’ll see little gray balls lift off the dead skin; this means it’s working.
When finished, rinse yourself in the shower, you may want to apply an additional exfoliation product. Some of these will require you to rinse again and yet others will come in a moisturizer that you leave on after applying.
Selecting the Right One
The important thing to remember when you hunt for the right skincare product to help with your Keratosis Pilaris is that you get one appropriate for your skin type. Getting one that’s too oily will clog pores and cause purging. Others that aren’t emollient enough will dry out your skin and can make the condition worse.
Ingredients Best for Keratosis Pilaris
There is a wide array of creams, lotions, scrubs and cleansers on the market advertised to those with Keratosis Pilaris. But, you want to ensure the one you get contains alpha-hydroxy acid, urea, gluconolactone, salicylic acid and/or lactic acid.
Also, look for natural butters, oils and essentials oils. Things like shea butter, olive oil and argan oil are excellent for a variety of skin types. Use argan oil on oily or combination skin, olive oil on normal to dry skin and shea butter on parched, callused skin.
Other constituents that can be beneficial are retinoids (vitamin A), vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, petrolatum, dimethicone and vegetable glycerin. These help smooth over the bumpiness of the condition and keep it that way.
For Severe Cases
If you have a very bad case of Keratosis Pilaris, it might be a good idea to get both a scrubbing exfoliant for after using an Italy Towel and then an intense moisturizer designed for the condition. This may help provide the greatest effect.
Plus, you’ll be able to use the moisturizer on a more frequent basis than you will a harsh exfoliant, such as the Korea Italy Towel. What’s more, keep in mind that staying moisturized and hydrated will be essential in combating Keratosis Pilaris.
Can You Use Korean Italy Towel Every Day?
It is not advisable to use a Korean Italy Towel every day. Over-exfoliation can cause additional skin problems that come with their own set of issues. Plus, exfoliating too much can be painful and harsh, destroying your skin’s protective barrier.
Once Per Week Is Sufficient
Use an Italy Towel once per week. If your skin can tolerate a rigorous regimen, then maybe use it twice per week. In the event you have very sensitive or damaged skin, using the towel once a month at most will be sufficient.
How Long Will It Take to See Results?
Using this washcloth on a weekly basis will produce visible results in as little as two to five months, depending on the severity.
It’s important to exercise patience with your regimen if you don’t notice a change with your Keratosis Pilaris after the first session. It will become more noticeable after three or four sessions with marked improvements after a month.
Observe Your Skin
However, pay attention if you do not see any improvements after using the towel for several sessions. There are a few reasons why this could be happening; either you’re not scrubbing hard enough, you don’t have the right towel coarseness for your issue or there might be something else going on with your skin.
Seek Medical Advice
When you know it’s not your scrubbing pressure or the coarseness level of your washcloth, seek the advice of a trusted healthcare professional. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t see, experience or feel some sort of relief after prolonged use.
What is the Difference between the Various Colors of Korean Italy Towels?
Korean Italy Towels come in a choice between four colors: Pink/Red, Green, Yellow and Blue. Each of these indicates a different level of coarseness. This means they’re more appropriate for certain areas of the body and according to particular skin types.
So, before you begin using one, you should know your skin type and what it can tolerate. Also, when you get one, do a patch test on the back of your hand or the bottom of your feet. You want to get a sense for how it feels and the manner in which it works.
- Pink/Red: The Italy Towel that’s pink or red has the least amount of abrasion to it. This is ideal for facial exfoliation and those with sensitive or damaged skin. However, some people do not recommend using it at all if your skin sensitizes easily.
- Green: The green washcloth has a medium coarseness. It’s advisable for women’s bodies or men with damaged skin. The mid grit provided by this one is perfect for removing mild cases of Keratosis Pilaris and most dead skin.
- Yellow: The Italy Towel excellent for men’s bodies is the yellow one because it has a fairly firm coarseness. It’s also good for women’s feet riddled with calluses, hard spots and those with “dancer’s feet.”
- Blue: The blue towel is the most abrasive of the four types. Only use it with severely hard, dry skin. Definitely don’t make this the regular towel for the body or face. However, it can be a lifesaver for those with more serious issues of “Chicken Skin.”
Conclusion
Korean Italy Towels can help reduce the appearance and effect that Keratosis Pilaris has on the arms, buttocks and thighs. Using the green or yellow one is best for people with average cases. However, people who have it badly might benefit from using the blue one in small amounts.
Regardless, these washcloths can be a lifesaver by smoothing over the bumps of “Chicken Skin” and returning softness to it. Following this up with an exfoliating product will take the effects even further. Although you may not see results right away, you will begin to see something after a few sessions.
But, if you have serious problems with sensitivity or damage, you should either opt for the pink/red towel or don’t use it at all. It is possible that it may be too harsh on your skin which can create more damage than you might already be dealing with.
