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Can You Reverse Crepey Skin? Look For These Ingredients
As you get older, your skin starts to thin. This is a natural part of the aging process and happens to everyone at some point! However, crepey skin (aka, when your skin starts to resemble a sheet of crepe paper) can crop up earlier than you'd like, due to factors like sun exposure, smoking, and overall dryness.
We won't lie: Crepey skin is difficult to completely reverse without in-office methods (lasers and the like). However, it is possible to ease the wrinkling and sagging once it develops. Here, we compiled the latest research on topical treatments for crepey skin—look for these three players in your creams, oils, and lotions:
Coconut oil
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First things first: Moisturizing the area can improve a crepey appearance. "Trapping in water with moisturizers helps to decrease transepidermal water loss and prevents dry skin, hence, ease crepey skin," board-certified dermatologist Purvisha Patel, M.D., tells mbg.
So you're supporting your skin just by slathering on a high-quality body lotion. But if you really want to elevate your moisture game, make sure your formula features coconut oil.
See, this classic ingredient is super moisturizing1: Research shows it can help increase moisture levels in the skin2 (it has an occlusive effect, meaning it seals in hydration), as well as improve skin barrier function3. Some research even suggests the thick oil can boost collagen production4, making it a fabulous ingredient for fragile, crepey skin.
CoQ10
If you haven't yet heard of this buzzy antioxidant, allow us to introduce you to your new favorite compound! Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a fat-soluble compound that's actually found in all your cells (including skin cells).
Like other antioxidants, it neutralizes free radicals—but it also protects against lipid peroxidation5, a process by which free radicals damage skin cell membranes.
And here's the kicker: Your natural levels decline with time. However, research shows that applying CoQ10 as part of a formulation significantly improves levels found in skin cells6—while also boosting the skin's free-radical-fighting abilities. Not to mention, topical CoQ10 has been found to significantly decrease facial wrinkles7.
Safflower seed oil
Did you know that up to 80% of the signs of skin aging8 (including crepiness) come from UV damage? Enter safflower seed oil, which includes a very special flavonoid called acacetin. According to a 2020 study, safflower seed oil and this compound can reduce damage caused by UVB exposure, specifically stopping damage to collagen.
This is a pretty phenomenal benefit, considering collagen damage goes hand-in-hand with crepey skin.
"Collagen and elastic fibers in the skin are what provide skin with its resiliency—not only the ability to stretch but return to baseline afterward," board-certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and founder of Spectrum Skin and Laser Jeremy Brauer, M.D., once told mbg.
The takeaway
Crepey skin can be tricky to treat. Look for innovative, skin-barrier-supporting ingredients in your body care formulas, as well as age-old oils that withstand the test of time (looking at you, coconut oil). If you'd like a proper product list, see here for the best body lotions for crepey skin, plus the best neck creams, as that's a very common area for crepiness to crop up.
8 Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30671361/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15724344/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24320105/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20523108/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5514578/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737275/
- https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(03)03634-X/fulltext
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790843/#:~:text=Clinical%20signs%20of%20aging%20are,of%20visible%20facial%20aging%20signs.
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