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A Dermatologist Tip That Can Plump Crepey Skin In One Simple Step
Listen, a lot of skin woes ultimately come back to one simple issue: lack of hydration. When our skin is parched, fine lines appear deeper, texture issues are more pronounced, the complexion grows dull, and thin skin looks papery. That's why finding high-quality moisturizers that provide sustained hydration is the backbone of any skin care routine—head to toe!
On the papery skin point, lack of moisture is a driving force behind crepey skin. Here's what you need to know.
How lack of hydration will lead to crepey skin
Crepey skin just describes the appearance of thin, delicate, slightly wrinkled skin that tends to appear on more mature skin. It gets its name from crepe paper and looks very similar to the material. While it can appear on the face (around the eyes mainly), you'll most often see it on the body: the backs of the hands, chest, neck, arms, and legs.
Like many signs of aging, crepey skin can be attributed to collagen and elastin loss. As we age, the collagen in our skin slowly starts to decline, which leads to fine lines, sagging, and yes, crepey skin. So certainly that's a big part of the issue.
But it also has to do with hydration. On an old Clean Beauty School podcast episode, I spoke with board-certified holistic plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, M.D., who described parched skin like a raisin in comparison to a well-hydrated grape.
It's an apt analogy here too. When your skin lacks moisture, the crepey appearance is more pronounced with wrinkles. Whereas when the epidermis is flooded with moisture, it's going to look supple and smooth.
So if you're seeing crepey skin start to appear on the backs of your hands, neck, or elsewhere on the body, take it as a sign that you need to up your moisturizer game. As board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., once told us: "Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize—this can improve the appearance.”
A dermatologist trick to help keep skin hydrated
The first rule of hydration is to find a robustly formulated moisturizer. Look for body lotions or hand creams rich with lipids, humectants, and antioxidants. There are many great skin-supporting ingredients to look for, such as ceramides, aloe vera, shea butter, oat extracts, botanical oils (like jojoba, moringa seed, argan, or coconut), and vitamin E. These can all soothe the skin, improve skin barrier function, and provide lasting hydration.
What you apply is just as important as when you apply it.
Derms generally recommend applying your lotion as soon as possible after washing or showering. According to board-certified dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., any time under two minutes can lock in the moisture—just don't put it off any longer than that.
"If you wait too long, you miss that narrow window of opportunity to really trap and seal those nourishing ingredients in the skin before all the water evaporates off the surface, further compromising your skin," she told us about caring for your skin microbiome. When that water evaporates (a concept known as transepidermal water loss1), it'll leave your skin even drier than it was before—especially if you rinse with hot water, which evaporates faster.
The takeaway
While crepey skin is ultimately caused by natural collagen loss over time, its appearance is made considerably worse by lack of hydration. If your skin is looking more parched lately, consider finding a more hydrating product and be sure to apply it immediately after getting skin wet.