What is crepey skin and what can you do about it?

Crepey skin, a visible thinning and wrinkling of the skin, is a key concern for many individuals. In this post, we will delve into the underlying causing behind crepey skin and explore effective treatment options. By understanding the factors that contribute to crepey skin, we can develop a targeted skincare routine to improve its appearance and boost overall skin health. 

What is crepey skin?

Crepey skin is just a descriptive word for thinning skin that wrinkles quickly, especially with movement. It tends to happen on thinner areas of skin first such as the eye area, the neck area, and the hands, before affecting the rest of the face and body. 

What causes crepey skin? 

Degradation of collagen happens with ageing. Starting at age 21, your body loses 1% of its collagen every year, which decreases production of new proteins and compounds that keep your skin healthy. Crepey skin happens faster if you don’t protect the skin from UVA radiation, which is why it is important that you purchase broad spectrum sunscreen SPF50+ with maximum UVB/UVA (PA++++) protection+, such as Inzincable SPF50.

Crepey skin also happens in the winter due to dehydration.  As the seasons change from summer to winter, the skin will have to work harder to maintain its moisture, as cold weather and central heating can dry out the skin. From this, you can get eczema flare ups, dry scalps become worse, and also crepey skin can develop. 

Weight loss can also cause loose skin to develop, which wrinkles much quicker. Crepey skin can also appear on areas of the body that are particularly sensitive to stress, including the eye area and neck. Finally, smoking is another cause of crepey skin, as it leads to poor skin health. 

Can crepey skin be prevented? 

When it comes to prevention, you want to reduce glycation – which means that we want to have less sugar in our diet. Opt for a low GI diet i.e. the Mediterranean diet, with minimum amounts of sugar.

Ensure you’re wearing a broad spectrum SPF50+ daily and don’t forget the neck area and hands, which often gets overlooked. Every time you wash your hands, any sunscreen that you have applied will come off, so it is necessary to reapply. When UVA rays hit the skin, it penetrates right down into the dermis and affects your DNA, which is why in some cases UVA rays can lead to skin cancer. 

What ingredients should I look for in a good lotion for crepey skin?

Look for ingredients and products that stimulate collagen such as Dr V Collagen Boost and consume daily- either as a gel shot or powder dissolved into your morning smoothie. This collagen is broken into peptides, which are recognised by fibroblasts as collagen fragments, which ‘tricks’ the fibroblasts to produce more collagen in response. 

Vitamin A is also a key ingredient to add into your skincare routine to target crepey skin. I do prefer retinaldehyde over retinol, as it is less irritating and works 11x faster. Especially around the eyes, where the skin is thinner, non-irritating formulations are essential. For this, I’ve formulated Triple Action Eye Cream, which targets helps with fine lines, dark circles & puffiness in just 4 weeks. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please avoid products with Vitamin A content.

I would also look for the ingredient Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, a fat-soluble Vitamin C which also stimulates collagen and peptides. I’ve included this power ingredient in our Antioxidant Power Serum.

You also want to make sure that you have humectants in your skincare such as glycerin (allows the skin to retain moisture) or sodium hyaluronate (a skin-replenishing ingredient hyaluronic acid). Opt for ‘fatty skincare’, especially in the winter, in order to trap water in the top layer of skin and refresh the skins surface. Our Cera Pep Moisturiser is a great option for this.

By Dr Vanita Rattan, Oct 2024