Rough and bumpy skin can come up in patches or appear all over an area and often feel dry. Thankfully, it’s nothing to worry about. In fact, this kind of rough and bumpy texture found on the arms and legs is super common and primarily a cosmetic concern. That doesn’t mean you don’t want to smooth it out though – especially with summer just around the corner when you can finally get those limbs out again, right?
The good news is there are multiple easy ways to tackle your bumps, including CeraVe’s SA Smoothing Cream. This moisturiser has consumers and beauty editors alike waxing lyrical on its powerful skin-smoothing effects and it’s become somewhat of a hero product for improving this pesky skin texture.
Here, we take a deeper look at what exactly causes these bumps, how they can be tackled and what you can do to stop them recurring in the future…
Rough skin texture is primarily caused by blocked hair follicles but dryness can make these bumps look and feel worse.
Clogged pores are usually caused by a build-up of the hard hair protein keratin in your hair follicles, giving the appearance of raised, dotted skin. “Rough and bumpy skin is caused by abnormal skin cell formation – aka keratinisation – around a hair follicle which leads to plugging of the hair follicle and swelling around the follicle,” explains CeraVe Consultant Skin Doctor, Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme.
Rough skin texture can be common in those with dry skin and there’s a whole host of reasons as to why your skin could be dry. Perhaps your shower is too hot, leading to dehydration. Maybe you’re using the wrong body products and they’re stripping your skin or the air conditioning or heating is sapping it of moisture.
Whatever the cause, in order to smooth out the bumps you need to remedy both clogging and dehydration through proper exfoliation and moisturising.
When tackling these bumps, it’s vital that you use a product that works to gently add moisture and smooth the skin. “To address bumpy skin we need to hydrate and gently exfoliate,” says Dr Ifeoma, who adds that ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid and ceramides, while gentle acids such as salicylic acid, urea and lipohydroxy acid (LHA) to exfoliate, are winners.
This is what makes CeraVe’s SA Smoothing Cream a wonder product. Developed with dermatologists, it specifically targets dry, rough and bumpy skin. It’s also suitable for Keratosis Pilaris.
Instead of containing physical exfoliants like beads (a big no-no if you care about the environment), the SA Smoothing Cream contains a hardworking cocktail of salicylic acid, LHA and 10% Urea. These compounds naturally exfoliate the skin all while helping to protect the skin’s natural barrier.
The non-greasy formula also contains hyaluronic acid – a powerhouse hydrating ingredient – and is made using Multivesicular Emulsion (MVE) technology. MVE is CeraVe’s patented delivery technology utilised by all of their products, which slowly releases moisture over time rather than in one initial burst like most topical creams, ensuring your skin is kept properly hydrated for up to 24 hours.
Apply daily and voila: you can expect softer, smoother skin around the clock.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cream, $, available at Superdrug
There are two ways to exfoliate your body – physically, through the likes of scrubs and dry body brushing, or chemically. Physical exfoliation manually removes dead skin whereas chemical exfoliation breaks down dead skin via ingredients such as acids. However, for rough and bumpy skin, it’s better to go for the latter.
“Whilst some people find dry brushing helpful, being gentle with the skin is important and using chemical exfoliators such as salicylic acid, urea and LHA over physical exfoliation is preferable because most people with bumpy skin actually have dry or sensitive skin”, says Dr Ifeoma.
With physical exfoliants, it can be difficult to know if you’re applying the correct amount of pressure which could actually increase irritation, dryness and sensitivity. Chemical products, like CeraVe’s SA Smoothing Cream, on the other hand are specifically formulated so that they contain the exact amount of exfoliating ingredients you need. This means there’s no danger of working the skin too hard and potentially making the bumps worsen.
Yes, we’re instructing you to take an evening to yourself, run a bath, light a candle, queue up your favourite jams and soak. Why? Because bathing is an excellent way to encourage clogged pores to open and loosen plus it prepares the skin for your moisturiser.
When running the bath, don’t make it boiling hot though – this could strip your skin’s natural oil and exacerbate any dryness you already have. The aim is to soften and soothe, not prune and dehyrdate.
Once out of the bath, pat your skin down with your towel and apply a full body moisturiser like CeraVe’s SA Smoothing Cream. The skin is our largest organ so it’s vital that it is hydrated and kept in balance. You wouldn’t go days without drinking water so don’t leave your skin feeling thirsty either.
Getting into the habit of regularly moisturising with a product that both exfoliates and hydrates should really make all the difference.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?