Crepey skin often shows up first on the backs of your hands or your neck. Skin looks thinner, loses some of its plumpness, and takes on a papery texture with fine crinkles, like crepe paper. Unlike a seasonal dry patch, this crepey texture frustratingly doesn’t fade with a little moisturizer.
If you’ve noticed patches of crinkly, thin skin appear as you get older, you’re not alone. Crepey skin is an all-too-common part of aging, as collagen and elastin decline and the skin barrier loses its protective abilities.
While there may be no proven way to reverse crepey skin completely, a few simple steps can keep your skin healthy and help slow the changes that come with time. Here is what the science says and how to care for your skin, no matter what phase of life your skin is in.
What Is Crepey Skin?
In the skincare world, crepey skin shows up in large patches, appearing thin, loose, and finely crinkled like the crepe paper you might know from arts and crafts.
Instead of a few deep wrinkles running along the sides of your mouth or across your brow, crepey skin usually covers a larger surface area, appearing as patches of delicate-looking skin with many small creases. It feels less firm and has lost the youthful glow and plump appearance.
Where does it show up? Although it can technically appear anywhere, many people first notice it under the eyes, on the neck, and on the backs of the hands and upper arms.
Crepey Skin vs. Wrinkled Skin: What's the Difference?
There’s a lot of crossover between these two skin conditions; after all, both appear with age and overlap with fine lines. Yet they're not exactly the same.
Wrinkles are distinct lines or creases that form in specific places where your face moves, like around the mouth or eyes. Crepey skin is thin, loose skin covered in many fine, crinkly lines that often appear in areas that don’t move as much, like the backs of your hands or your chest.
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Crepey Skin |
Wrinkles |
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What does it look like? |
Thin, delicate, finely crinkled texture over an area |
Individual lines or folds |
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Where does it appear? |
Under the eyes and on the neck, chest, upper arms, and knees |
On the forehead and around the eyes and mouth |
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What are the root causes? |
Thinning skin, loss of elasticity, sun damage, dryness |
Repeated facial expressions, collagen loss, sun damage |
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How does it feel? |
Soft, papery, thin, and loose |
Skin is often still firm around the line |
What Causes Crepey Skin?
Crepey and paper-textured wrinkles are a common sign of aging, but frustratingly, many people experience them long before other signs appear. If you’ve noticed a few areas of papery and wrinkled skin, you also probably have questions, starting with, “What is crepey skin caused by?”
Natural Aging Process
As we age, we naturally lose collagen, which gradually thins out the skin’s supportive middle layer. Elastic fibers also become damaged and disorganized, so skin doesn’t spring back the way it used to. Changes in natural oils and barrier lipids can also leave skin dry and thin-feeling.
Sun Exposure
UV rays speed up collagen breakdown and further disrupt the skin’s elastic network. Over time, this damaged elastic tissue builds up through a process called solar elastosis, which helps explain why sun-exposed skin is prone to more wrinkles than non-exposed skin.
Excessive Dryness
When the outer layer of skin loses moisture, fine lines and crinkled texture look more noticeable. Plus, a weakened protective barrier lets even more water escape.
Ongoing Weight Fluctuations
After significant weight loss or gain, skin may not fully adjust to the body’s new shape. Studies after major weight loss have found disorganized collagen and fragmented elastic fibers, but everyday weight changes are less likely to cause this.
Lifestyle and Environment
Smoking, alcohol consumption, and pollution increase oxidative stress, which is linked to premature skin aging. While one glass of wine on the weekend won’t immediately lead to deeper wrinkles or patches of crepe-like skin, these unhealthy habits and environmental exposures compound over the years, accelerating their untimely arrival.
How to Prevent Crepey Skin
What is best for crepey skin? All the same routines, ingredients, and lifestyle choices that support healthier skin overall.
Here are just a few of the most cited ways to support skin health, firmness, and that youthful glow—which happily also help prevent the early onset of crepey skin:
Protect Your Skin From the Sun
Study after study has shown how effective sun protection is at reducing the signs of aging, including visible patches of crepey skin. In one large study, people who wore SPF every day showed fewer signs of skin aging over four and a half years than people who used it only occasionally. A sun hat and a daily SPF routine are among the simplest ways to reduce damage from UV exposure.
Support Skin From Within
Skin requires both internal and external hydration support. So what does that look like from the inside? Good overall health supports good overall skin health, and when it comes specifically to hydration, that especially means drinking enough water.
Guidelines recommend 2–3 liters (11–15 cups) of water a day. Try adding a glass of water when you wake up and again as part of your nighttime routine. Plus, drink a tall glass of water with every meal.
Then go further: think about which vitamins support crepey skin. A diet rich in colorful fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats gives skin the nutrients it needs to repair itself, and one large study linked higher vitamin C intake with fewer wrinkles and less dryness.
Rest and stress matter too! After all, sleep is when skin does much of its repair work, and ongoing stress can weaken the skin barrier. A wind-down ritual at night supports your mind and your skin at the same time.
Nourish With a Simple Skincare Routine
With your internal hydration taken care of, it's time to turn your attention to external support: a thoughtful daily skin routine. Look for products containing one or more of these types of ingredients to provide long-lasting, locked-in hydration:
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Humectants: ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which draw moisture deeper into the skin.
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Emollients: ingredients like ceramides to fill the tiny gaps between skin cells to protect against excessive evaporation. This helps skin feel softer and more supple.
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Occlusives: ingredients like shea butter seal it all in with a protective layer that helps hold in moisture, even in harsh environments.
The good news? Some of your favorite all-natural products likely include all three of these ingredients—Prima included.
How to Improve the Appearance of Crepey Skin
If you’ve begun to notice areas of thin, crinkly skin, is there anything you can do to prevent or even reverse these patches?
While no single ingredient or treatment can make crepey skin disappear completely, a few reliable steps can soften their appearance and help slow it down.
Look for Skincare With Hydrating Ingredients
Well-hydrated skin looks smoother and plumper, which makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable, including patches of crepey skin. Skincare with hyaluronic acid, which draws water down into the skin’s deeper layers, can be especially helpful here.
Products that also include naturally-sourced ceramides, like jojoba oil and shea butter, are even better. These help strengthen the skin barrier so that moisture stays locked in. Together, they give your skin what it needs to hold on to hydration all day.
Deepen Your Skincare Routine With Nourishing Oils
Speaking of plant oils like shea butter and jojoba, these all-natural options support softer skin, add suppleness, and, because of their occlusive nature, help seal in hydration.
Night Magic is an especially powerful face oil. It blends jojoba, which closely mimics your skin’s natural oils, with prickly pear oil to calm and brighten, and chia seed oil, rich in omega-3s, to smooth the look of fine lines.
Consider Stronger Active Ingredients
What else is good for crepey skin? A few active ingredients can ramp up your efforts to reduce and reverse it.
Retinol is king among anti-aging options, and it’s one of the most studied skincare ingredients to date. Studies show regular retinol use can make steady progress in reducing fine lines. In a review of seven clinical trials, topical tretinoin (the prescription version of retinol) improved wrinkles and uneven tone over three to 24 months of use. Another study found it boosted new collagen formation in sun-damaged skin.
Other actives with good scientific support include niacinamide, which actually works well alongside retinol. A 12-week trial found that 5% niacinamide improved fine lines, texture, and pigmentation. Results vary from person to person, but consistent use plus good hydration can make a visible difference over time.
Try Gentle Exfoliation Once or Twice a Week
Finally, a gentle exfoliation routine can help clear away dull surface cells, so rough, uneven texture looks smoother and more even. Go easy, though. Thin or sensitive skin does best with a mild exfoliant used once or twice a week. You’ll want to avoid harsh scrubs or daily chemical peels.
Can You Get Rid of Crepey Skin?
The reality of crepey skin (alongside all fine lines and wrinkles) is that it's a natural part of aging. Even with access to cutting-edge procedures (microneedling, laser resurfacing, radiofrequency, and countless others), no clinically proven method can completely reverse their appearance.
Yes, topical skincare can improve hydration and softness to gradually reduce the appearance of crepey skin, fine lines, and wrinkles and slow their onset, but part of growing older is your skin losing collagen and elastin over time. This is just part of the beautiful human experience.
But if you’re really worried about the progression, it may be time to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. A skincare professional can assess your skin, speak honestly about your goals and lifestyle, and help guide protocols that make sense for you.
Here’s How to Build a Skincare Routine to Support Aging Skin
Although seemingly endless new skincare ingredients and products claim to reverse the signs of aging, most of the claims are exaggerated marketing hype. The truth is, the best tools in the anti-aging toolkit for supporting your skin as you grow older are simple ingredients and daily routines.
You don’t have to get lost in a 20-step skincare routine or chase expensive, hard-to-find ingredients. Good skincare doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, it requires just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Start With Targeted Nighttime Care
Because your skin does so much of its repair work overnight, your nighttime routine is the perfect time to use your most powerful products. Night Magic, a clinically proven facial oil for firmer, more radiant skin, is nutrient-dense and rich in natural plant oils, hemp-derived CBD, and other supportive ingredients. A few drops gently massaged into your face and other areas before bed are all you need.
Step 2: Nourish Skin With Body Oil
Crepey skin often shows up first on the neck, arms, chest, and backs of the hands, not the face. And since you’re likely already giving your face plenty of support, it's time to (re)focus your attention on supporting the skin on your body.
After your next shower or bath, while your skin is still damp, smooth on Beyond Body Oil. Squalane, jojoba oil, and helichrysum work together to moisturize deeply, support the skin barrier, and leave dry skin soft and supple.
Step 3: Lock In Moisture With Body Butter
When winter dries out your skin or for spots that always need a little extra, like elbows, knees, and other areas prone to crepey texture, reach for a rich, plant-based butter. Skin Therapy uses shea and cocoa butters to form a protective layer that seals in moisture. Layer it over Beyond Body Oil to nourish deeply and lock it all in.
Step 4: Stay Consistent
The real benefits from any skincare routine come from the routine itself. Daily moisturizer, sun protection, and targeted care work best when you stick with them day in and day out. That’s why it's so important not to overcomplicate the steps. Choose simple skincare rituals you enjoy, keep them simple, and let the results build over time.
Ready to Care for Your Skin at Every Age?
Crepey skin is a natural part of getting older, and every line tells part of your story. Maybe we can’t stop time, but you can care for your skin along the way and perhaps slow the signs of aging down.
Start with daily SPF, internal and external hydration, plus clean, plant-powered products. Be patient, make these little healthy rituals part of your routine, and your skin will reward you.
