“Crepey” skin is the fragile, paper-thin skin which comes with age, looking and feeling like crêpe paper used to make streamers for birthday parties.
However, crepey skin is not something to celebrate.
While wrinkled skin often comes from dermal collapse, crepey skin refers to your skin becoming thin, dry, and stretched out over time.
Here’s why this is happening…
There’s a fiber in your skin which gives your skin it’s stretchy, elastic-like properties.
However, when these fibers break down, your skin your skin stays stretched out and loose, and begins to look crepey as a result.
Which is why protecting and restoring the elastin in your skin is so important. Here are a few steps you should start taking immediately:
One of the leading causes of elastin breakdown (which leads to crepey skin) is UV damage from excess sun exposure.
We all know being sunburnt is miserable, but even if you don’t burn, the harsh UV rays penetrate your skin and cause damage to the inner layers.
Sunlight quickly destroys elastin, so be sure to limit your sun exposure and use a high-quality sunscreen if you do spend time outdoors. This won’t reverse crepey skin, but protecting yourself from the sun will help prevent further damage.
We know that moist, dewey skin often remains wrinkle-free and youthful for decades, which is why maintaining adequate hydration is essential.
Dehydrated skin will always feel a bit dry, even if you have plenty of elastin.
Lotions and moisturizers help seal the hydration in, but that water needs to come from somewhere first. So be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day (more if you’re active and sweating a lot) to keep your skin happy and hydrated.
Finally, your dietary choices have a direct impact on your skin—especially in regard to repairing damaged elastin.
Foods that are rich in omega-3s, such as wild-caught fish, nuts, and avocados, are a perfect choice for helping you maintain hydrated, smooth skin. We also suggest eating plenty of grapes, or using a high-quality grapeseed oil rich in PCOs, which protects and restores your body’s elastin!
We all want to avoid crepey skin, and these three elastin-saving tips will help give you the best possible chance at maintaining tight, smooth, elastic skin for years to come.
