Crepey skin gets its name from its resemblance to crêpe paper—thin, finely wrinkled, and often a little loose. It usually shows up on the upper arms, knees, neck, décolletage, or under the eyes, but it can develop anywhere the skin has lost both elasticity and volume.
Beginning in our mid-20s, we start to lose collagen and elastin at a rate of approximately 1% per year. Years of sun exposure can break the proteins down even further, as can changes in your hormones due to menopause, weight changes, dehydration, and certain lifestyle habits like smoking can make it more noticeable. The result is skin that looks thinner and more delicate, especially in areas that don’t benefit from the oil-producing glands found on the face.
While crepey skin is a completely natural part of aging, there’s plenty you can do to help it look and feel healthier, including topical treatments that restore youthful suppleness.
What to Expect With Topical Treatments
Part of what makes crepiness so stubborn is that it isn’t just a surface issue. Years of repeated stretching—from normal joint movement, muscle contractions, or skin shifting over areas with less underlying fat—gradually weaken the elastic fibers in the dermis. Once those fibers lose their snap, the skin doesn’t rebound smoothly after movement, resulting in an overall change in the texture of your skin.
Topical care can’t replace that underlying support entirely, but it can improve the environment those fibers live in. When the surface is better hydrated and the barrier is intact, the skin has more “give” and is less likely to crease as sharply. Gentle exfoliation helps clear the compacted outer cells so the surface looks smoother, while targeted ingredients can encourage fibroblasts to produce new collagen, giving the skin a little more structure over time.
Early on, the difference might be as simple as noticing your skin doesn’t feel as papery in the morning or that it holds moisture longer after a shower. Over months, the changes tend to be more structural—firmer to the touch, better able to recover after movement, and less prone to developing new folds.
Bringing It All Together
Crepey skin responds best when you approach it from multiple angles: smoothing the surface, supporting the deeper structure, and keeping the skin well-hydrated so it can move without folding as sharply. In practice, that means using particular types of products products in a sequence that plays to each of their strengths.
Here’s an example of what our routine might look like:
Step 1
On freshly cleansed skin, start with your resurfacing step—NeoStrata® Lotion Plus AHA 15%—on the days your skin can tolerate it. This not only softens roughness but also primes the skin to take in the firming actives that follow.
Why NeoStrata® Lotion Plus AHA 15%?
For many people, the texture changes of crepey skin aren’t just from loss of collagen but also from the build-up of compacted cells on the surface. NeoStrata® Lotion Plus AHA 15% uses a high concentration of glycolic acid to gently loosen that layer, revealing newer, more reflective skin underneath. The exfoliation also clears the way for firming formulas to penetrate more effectively. Over time, this combination of smoother surface and improved product absorption can make the underlying support work harder for you. Because 15% glycolic is potent, it’s best to introduce it gradually—perhaps starting every other night—so the skin has time to adapt without unnecessary irritation.
Step 2
Once the surface is prepped, apply Revision Skincare® BodiFirm™ to the targeted areas you want to firm. The ingredients in this formula work best when they have a clear path past the outermost layer, so this order matters.
Why Revision Skincare® BodiFirm™
Crepey skin on the body behaves differently from facial skin because it’s naturally drier and less supported by oil glands. BodiFirm™ is designed with that in mind, using iFirm™ Technology to address the junction where the surface and deeper layers meet. By reinforcing that connection and delivering antioxidants directly to the area, these formulas help skin recover some of its elasticity so it moves more smoothly over the muscles beneath.
Step 3
Finish with CeraVe® SA Cream to seal in moisture and reinforce the barrier, creating the conditions that let both exfoliating and firming treatments work more effectively over time.
Why CeraVe® SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin?
Maintenance is critical with crepey skin, and that’s where a barrier-repairing formula like CeraVe SA Cream comes in. Salicylic acid keeps texture smooth between stronger exfoliating treatments, while the brand’s signature ceramides rebuild the lipid barrier so moisture stays put. That barrier function is more important than it sounds—well-hydrated skin stretches and rebounds more easily, so folds don’t deepen as quickly with movement.
Because exfoliation and active firming agents can make skin more vulnerable to UV damage, daily sunscreen is non-negotiable! Without it, you’re constantly undoing the progress you’ve made, since sun exposure directly accelerates the breakdown of collagen and elastin.
For the best results, pair at-home care with the professional guidance of the experts at Advanced Skin Therapeutics. Our skincare specialists can help tailor a routine to your needs and recommend in-office treatments that enhance what you’re already doing at home. You can shop the products above online or in-store, or start with a consultation with Advanced Skin Therapeutics to create a plan that keeps your skin looking and feeling its best for years to come.
