3 Habits That Will Actually Help You Avoid Crepey Skin On The Body
Like wrinkles, crepey skin happens to us all at some point, but you can delay the inevitable for as long as possible. While certain invasive procedures can help (lasers and the like), not everyone wants to go that route. The good news is—you don't have to.
Below, we collected three quick and easy tips to prevent crepey skin from forming and ease the appearance of what is already there. You'll want to incorporate these into your daily routine, stat:
Retinol
While retinol serums may be more popular for their facial benefits, you can use retinol on your body as well and reap similar perks: Retinol has been studied for its healthy aging benefits, with one human study showing retinol treatment stimulated collagen production1 in mature skin, helping decrease the appearance of wrinkling.
"Besides stimulating production of new collagen, retinol enhances cell turnover," board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., once told mbg. "This means it sheds dead and damaged cells that make the skin look dull." So not only will retinol body lotion help you prevent thinning skin, but you'll also get a full-body glow at the same time.
Now, this step isn't something you should do every day but rather every few days (stick to a purely nourishing formula on your "off" days). You'll also want to use a pre-formulated retinol cream, as mixing a retinol serum into your body lotion may destabilize the formula and make it ineffective.
Collagen supplements
Crepey skin comes naturally with age, largely due to a dip in collagen production. To ease crepey skin from within, you should ingest collagen from food sources.
"Collagen-rich foods can significantly support skin hydration and elasticity," board-certified family physician and functional medicine expert Alejandra Carrasco, M.D., once told mbg.
Look to foods like bone broth, poultry, and seafood to support your natural collagen production. Or, to make things a bit easier, opt for a high-quality collagen supplement—here are nine A+ options if you're on the hunt.
Topical hydration
Last but not least: Don't forget to hydrate the skin. If you're not already using body lotion every day, you'll want to consider adding it to your routine.
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Specifically, you'll want to keep an eye out for body lotions and creams that contain a blend of nourishing plant butters, botanical oils to lock in moisture, and antioxidants to fight off free radicals that cause oxidative stress, which can accelerate skin aging.
You could browse beauty aisles to find one that checks off all those boxes, or simply snag the mbg postbiotic body lotion, which helps ease crepey skin with an antioxidant-packed formula that's deeply hydrating yet non-greasy. Don't just take our word for it: Reviewers echo its praise, too.
The takeaway.
To prevent crepey skin and ease its appearance, consider using topical retinol, adding a collagen supplement to your daily routine, and prioritize hydrating body lotions. And if you want to learn more about what causes the tissue-like appearance and dive deeper into treatments, check out our full guide.
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Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including skin care, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously interned for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.