Reference Lab

SEPT 10, 2022

With age, you may notice your skin becoming thinner, looser, and marked with fine wrinkles; these are the telltale signs of crepey skin. Crepey skin is similar to the common wrinkles found on your face and hands but is characterized by its impact on larger skin areas, such as the arms or legs. The skin in these areas commonly loses its elasticity, becoming more thin, fragile, and prone to damage.

Crepey skin can be somewhat inevitable with age, though a few conscious decisions will help lower the probability of developing thin, crepey skin.
What causes crepey skin? Sun damage is the biggest cause of crepey skin. Without adequate sun protection, the sun’s UV rays break down collagen and elastin on your skin, making it thinner.
One great way to help bolster your skin’s defense against UV damage is to introduce antioxidant compounds that help protect and repair UV damage, such as carotenoids, vitamin E and C, and polyphenols, into your daily diet¹. Minimizing sun exposure and applying ample sunscreen will also reduce your risk of developing crepey skin, while improving skin elasticity and skin thickness.
Here are some other causes of crepey skin:

• Consumption of alcohol²
• Smoking³
• Stress, or an increase of cortisol in the body⁴
• Weight fluctuation or inability to eat a balanced diet²
• Lack of sleep⁵

How do you improve skin texture? If you want to protect yourself further against the onset of crepey skin, you can also use products that boost skin hydration and elasticity. Compounds like allantoin for skin possess hydrating and elasticizing properties, while moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid maintain water levels within the skin⁶. Aside from moisturizing your skin, use skin care products that boost collagen production, such as retinol or OneSkin’s Topical Supplements. You should note that retinol often dries skin out and causes irritation, which can worsen the appearance of crepey skin. For a more gentle alternative, consider using OneSkin’s OS-01 Topical Supplements, powered by the OS-01 peptide, which has been scientifically proven to promote collagen production without causing irritation. Along with these, you should still use skin care products meant for your skin texture type in your skin care routine. Make sure to check the ingredients list, and look for those that are good for your skin, like ceramides for skin and allantoin for skin. By making healthier lifestyle choices and using the right skincare products, it is possible to prevent crepey skin from worsening. Since crepey skin is already weakened, limiting UV exposure through the use of sunscreen will help prevent UV rays from further damaging your skin. Products that boost collagen are likewise incredibly beneficial for preventing further degeneration of skin. Much in the same way that crepey skin can be prevented, so too can it be reversed. When it comes to treating crepey skin, the earlier you take action, the better. Skin that has been damaged for years will be more difficult to treat when compared to only mildly damaged skin. The main class of treatments for the reversal of crepey skin are those that stimulate new cell growth and collagen. Dermatological treatments such as ultrasound, fractional laser treatment, and biostimulatory fillers all aim to produce collagen to tighten crepey skin. Likewise, alpha hydroxy acids and peptides are ingredients that encourage new cell growth while removing dead skin cells, clearing the way for smooth skin⁷. By working with a dermatologist, you will be able to determine which treatment is best suited for your skin’s health. The treatments proven most capable of reversing crepey skin are:

1. Ultrasound
2. Biostimulatory fillers
3. Topical alpha hydroxy acids
4. Topical peptides
5. Topical retinol
6. Topical allantoin

Topical supplements that contain the right ingredients for collagen production and moisturization can effectively treat crepey skin. Products containing allantoin, retinol, and alpha hydroxy acids are especially great at boosting skin elasticity and may help lessen the impact of sun damage⁸. While these products aid in treating crepey skin, allantoin is preferred due to its combination of elasticizing and hydrating properties.

Additionally, if you’re sensitive to retinol or allantoin, topical supplements containing the following alpha hydroxy acids; glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, peptides, or vitamin C may also help with reducing crepey skin. OneSkin’s OS-01 Topical Supplements have been scientifically proven to promote collagen and hyaluronic acid production, along with increasing epidermal thickness, making them effective at mitigating the appearance of crepey skin.

When choosing a product that will work for your skin, it is important to be wary of potential allergies or conflicting ingredients, which will help limit inadvertent damage or irritation. Drinking adequate amounts of water is important to keeping skin hydrated and supple, and is especially important in preventing crepey skin. By ensuring you are properly hydrated with a higher water intake, you can provide your skin with the hydration it requires to stay elastic and moisturized. While the recommended water intake differs from person to person, a good rule of thumb is that you should drink half of your body weight in ounces everyday. In turn, your skin will be better protected against cracking, wrinkling, or becoming damaged, which are some reasons for skin becoming crepey⁹. Topical supplements that treat collagen-deficient and wrinkly, aging skin will help correct crepey skin. These include topical supplements containing alpha hydroxy acids, peptides, retinol, or allantoin, which promote collagen production, cellular turnover, and skin moisture.

• By reducing exposure to the causes of crepey skin, such as UV exposure, you can prevent or hinder crepey skin from appearing and maintain healthy skin.
• Antioxidative compounds as part of a daily diet can help minimize crepey skin from developing further and slow down skin laxity.
• Increasing water intake and general moisturizing of the skin can help prevent the development of crepey skin.
• Topical supplements containing alpha hydroxy acids, peptides, retinol, or allantoin all help boost collagen production in the skin to make it more elastic, less crepey, and can even repair some skin damage.
• Dermatological treatments such as ultrasound, biostimulatory fillers, and fractional laser treatment have been shown to be effective at treating crepey skin.
• Methods used to treat and prevent crepey skin can also help reverse its effects.

Sources:

1. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2014/FO/C4FO00280F
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6081583/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6715121/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082169/
5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307334
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8347214/
7. https://blog.providence.org/archive/how-to-prevent-and-treat-damaged-crepey-skin
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4277239/
9. https://www.doctorshealthpress.com/skin-care-articles/crepey-skin-causes-natural-treatment/