Sunday Riley Charcoal Smoothie Jelly Body Scrub Review: A Must-Have for KP

I’ve been a beauty editor for more than a decade and even I didn’t fully understand why the skin on the back of my thighs would never get smooth no matter what razors and lotions I tried. When I had a mole check at the dermatologist, she casually dropped that I have keratosis pilaris and it all made sense. Luckily, Sunday Riley’s Charcoal Smoothie Jelly Body Scrub is here to help. If you’re not familiar with the skin condition, it’s super common and harmless but can be a pain to get rid of.

Keratosis pilaris (or KP) presents as small, hard bumps often on the upper arms or thighs (all the way up to buttcheeks). It’s sometimes called “chicken skin” but…I do not enjoy that name. The bumps might be red or flesh-colored and feel rough. It might feel like just dry skin at first but it’s actually dead skin cells plugging hair follicles and creating these little “pimples.” Because of that, even the heaviest lotion won’t help. You need to slough off those dead skin cells to get smooth skin.

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🤔 Getting rid of KERATOSIS PILARIS? 🤔 ••• Many people have KP – also known as strawberry skin, chicken skin, etc – it’s totally normal! It’s essentially plugged hair follicles due to excess keratin buildup. Its commonly found on the back of the fore and upper arm and on the back of the thigh and calf and other places. ••• There’s apparently no “cure” for KP, but there are things you can do to reduce the appearance, as I have successfully done here! ••• 1️⃣ PHYSICAL EXFOLIATION: The key to managing your KP is exfoliation. In the past, I’ve been recommended a homemade sugar scrub, but I found this too abrasive for my sensitive skin. I picked up this gentle, exfoliating body wash from Soft Soap – it’s been gentle enough to use nearly every day! Plus it was super adorable ($3.99). Other options are a loofah (I found too abrasive for my skin), or a salt or sugar scrub. 2️⃣ CHEMICAL EXFOLIATION: I chose to go with Salicylic acid for my chemical exfoliant, because this cream by Cera Ve contains SA and is also moisturizing! I applied this every other night, before going to bed. Other chemical exfoliant options are: glycolic acid, lactic acid, AHA, BHA. There are many different creams and body washes available that contain these ingredients. 3️⃣ DON’T OVER EXFOLIATE: Exfoliating too frequently or too intensely can make the situation worse. Over exfoliation will leave you with sensitive and irritated skin. Everyone’s different, but as mentioned, I used this super gentle exfoliating body wash every day with no issues. If you’re going with a true “scrub” – like a sugar or salt scrub, or something – start with once a week and see what your skin can handle. 4️⃣ MOISTURIZE: With all this exfoliation, it’s super important – even more than usual – to keep your skin well hydrated! I used this very generic, unscented body lotion from Lubiderm. I use this every morning and on the alternate nights when I don’t use the SA cream. ••• ••• ••• Hope this helps! Having KP doesn’t bother me, but nothing wrong if you want to reduce the appearance of yours. I’ve been given way too much unsolicited advice, so wanted to test and also share for those who want it 💕 Questions? Ask away ⬇️

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The best bet here is chemical exfoliation, just like you would when your pores are clogged on your face. That’s where Sunday Riley’s new body scrub comes in. It contains a mix of both physical and chemical exfoliation. Biodegradable wax scrubs the skin like sugar but is ultra-gentle, while salicylic acid unclogs pores and breaks down excess oil on the skin. Activated charcoal draws impurities to the surface and zinc PCA attacks oil by controlling bacteria growth. Yup, it’s a lot like treating acne.

Image: Sunday Riley.

What I first liked so much about this scrub is the jelly consistency. This kept it from falling all over my shower like even some of my favorite body scrubs tend to do. I used it (almost) every time I showered for a full week and I already feel like the backs of my thighs are smoother and less itchy. It was almost like I was using a new razor because I was getting so much of a closer shave.  It also moisturizes as it detoxifies and doesn’t leave my already-dry skin feeling stripped. This is thanks to ingredients such as hydrating coconut water and antibacterial Manuka honey, as well as jojoba seed oil to seal in the moisture.

One thing to note: either shave your legs after you use the scrub or, better yet, on different days because these active ingredients can burn on just-shaved skin. Learn from me.

Whether you have KP or just want to get a baby soft skin, you can grab Sunday Riley’s Charcoal Smoothie Jelly Body Scrub now.

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