mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Image by Eloisa Ramos / Stocksy
June 22, 2023
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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:
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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.
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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.
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