What Causes Crepey Skin?

Sometimes, there is no getting around the changes that come with mature skin. And when visible signs of aging like crepey skin begin rearing their ugly head, you’ll want to go on defense mode with your skin care routine. While there is no quick-fix for managing crepey skin, using the right skin care products can help reduce its appearance over time. Promise! As always, we’ve got you covered! Keep reading as we explain what causes crepey skin, plus ways to minimize and help to prevent its appearance for healthy-looking skin.

WHAT IS CREPEY SKIN?

Not sure if you have crepey skin? It’s pretty easy to identify. When we talk about skin being crepey, it’s because it resembles crepe paper. This means it has a bunch of thin wrinkles. Crepiness is often seen on hands and around elbows. It also may be accompanied by sagging skin.

WHAT CAUSES CREPEY SKIN?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the main culprit of crepey skin is sun damage. Hence why we always say sun protection is an absolute must! When you spend prolonged periods in the sun without proper protection, the elastin (fibers in your skin that allow it to stretch) lose their ability to repair. As a result, instead of your skin remaining nice and tight, it develops a thin, loose, and saggy appearance. Not cool!

Other causes of crepey skin include aging and moisture loss. As your skin ages, normal oil production decreases, which causes your skin to look less firm and radiant over time. In turn, this causes visible signs of aging, like crepey skin to develop.

CREPEY SKIN VS. WRINKLES

You’d be surprised to learn that many people use the terms crepey skin and wrinkles interchangeably. While both are traits of mature skin, they aren’t quite interchangeable. You can think of crepey skin as one form of skin wrinkles.

While crepey skin is primarily caused by sun damage; smoking, genetics, common facial movements, and UV exposure all play a role in the development of wrinkles.

The wrinkles that define crepey skin are typically smaller and much closer together than other wrinkles that you might see on your forehead or around your eyes.

DOES EXERCISE HELP WITH THE APPEARANCE OF CREPEY SKIN?

Exercise is known to have many benefits, and you may be wondering if it can help reduce the appearance of crepey skin. While we can see why you might ask this, there aren’t enough studies to prove that exercise can help with the appearance of crepey skin. Of course, that’s no reason to avoid exercise, and there’s no harm in trying to target the areas where your skin would be considered crepey.

DOES DRINKING WATER HELP WITH MINIMIZING THE LOOK OF CREPEY SKIN?

You’ve likely heard that drinking water is super important. But while skin does need hydration (courtesy of skin care products) in order to maintain a healthy-looking appearance, the Mayo Clinic shares that it’s unclear whether drinking water will have an impact on how your skin looks. With that said, drinking water is still important, so go ahead and continue to get your eight glasses a day!

HOW TO MANAGE VISIBLE CREPEY SKIN

Now that you have the lowdown on crepey skin, it’s time to take action. Below, we’re sharing four tips, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic, to help reduce the appearance of crepey skin.

1. MAKE BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN YOUR BFF

We can’t say this enough: You should always protect your skin from the sun. Since sun damage causes visible signs of aging to become more prominent, you’ll want to keep a broad-spectrum sunscreen handy. We love the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30, which combines a moisturizer and a sunscreen all in one.

Sunscreen alone is not enough, you should also take other sun protection measures. Limit your time in the sun—especially during the sun’s peak hours, which are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Make sure to wear clothing that covers exposed skin, seek out the shade, and accessorize with a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

2. ALWAYS USE A MOISTURIZER

If you have crepey skin, the last thing you want is for the loose skin to continue to get worse. Lucky for you, you can turn things around with the help of a moisturizing skin cream. Keeping your skin hydrated with a moisturizer can improve the overall look of skin. Pick up the L’Oréal Paris Triple Power Anti-Aging Moisturizer Fragrance Free, which is formulated with Pro-Retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid to firm and brighten skin in just one week.

Like it or not, the skin under your eyes is the most fragile and prone to showing signs of aging like crepiness. Take your skin care game up a notch with the help of an eye cream, like the L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Eye Renewal Eye Cream. Formulated with a powerful antioxidant, this eye cream works wonders to smooth the look of crepiness, as well as other signs of aging. With continued use, eyes look visibly refreshed and renewed.

4. REACH FOR A FACE SERUM

While you can count on a facial moisturizer to provide dry, crepey skin with hydration, a face serum can also get the job done. The key is to find a hydrating facial serum that can restore your skin with moisture to improve its appearance. Grab the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, which works to visibly plump skin and provide lasting hydration for radiant, youthful-looking skin.

Next up: Now that you know how to tackle crepey skin, it’s time for your next aging skin lesson. Check out our article, What Are Crows Feet and How to Handle Them.