Can You Reverse Crepey Skin? Look For These Ingredients

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

Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may

earn a small commission.

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:

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

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 moisturizing 1: Research shows it can help increase moisture levels in the skin 2 (it has an occlusive effect, meaning it seals in hydration), as well as improve skin barrier function 3. Some research even suggests the thick oil can boost collagen production 4, making it a fabulous ingredient for fragile, crepey skin.

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

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 peroxidation 5, 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 cells 6—while also boosting the skin’s free-radical-fighting abilities. Not to mention, topical CoQ10 has been found to significantly decrease facial wrinkles 7.

Safflower seed oil

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

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.

This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.