Is Collagen Good for Crepey Skin?

Does Lack of Collagen Cause Crepey, Dry Skin? The Facts

Collagen is vital for maintaining a youthful complexion. But what role does it play in causing crepey, dry skin? In this blog post, you’ll find out if lack of collagen really does cause crepey skin and what you can do about it.

First, What is Crepey Skin?

Crepey skin is one of the primary skin concerns for people 50 and older. If you don’t know what to look for, crepey skin is very thin and has a wrinkled surface, resembling crepe paper.

It’s also loose due to the skin’s loss of elasticity and bounce. It’s not the same thing as wrinkles, though both have the same causes and affect similar areas of the body.

Crepey skin most commonly occurs on sun-damaged areas, such as the hands and face.

Though the skin naturally thins with age, exposing your skin to UV radiation (whether from the sun or tanning beds) breaks down your skin’s collagen and elastin faster than normal aging.

Crepey skin can also be caused by:

•  Aging
•  Extreme dryness
•  Certain medications and hormonal changes
•  Smoking and pollution
•  Rapid weight loss
•  Genetics
•  Poor skincare habits

The Importance of Collagen for Skin

Collagen is a natural protein found in the body and plays an essential role in many functions.

Collagen – derived from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue – is sort of like our bodies glue, helping hold things together, such as: muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, organs, and our skin.

There are 16 types of collagen, each of which has slightly different responsibilities.

Type 1 collagen, for example, is the most abundant collagen, accounting for around 90 percent of all the collagen in your body, and is responsible for providing structure, smoothness, and elasticity to the skin.

This is why reduced synthesis of collagen 1 (as well as collagen type 3) is associated with aging and results in symptoms of crepiness, lack of elasticity, dryness, and fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collagen comprises 70 percent of our skin, helping to keep it firm, hydrated, and bouncy.

Collagen fibers also create the skin’s elastin and hyaluronic acid, two key components for healthy, youthful-looking skin.

When those collagen fibers are damaged or broken down, the skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic—all signs of crepey, dry skin.

In essence, a lack of (or loss of) collagen in the body impacts how your skin looks and feels and contributes to concerns like crepey skin.

Signs You’re Losing Collagen

Because collagen is such a vital protein, a lack of it has a widespread effect on the body. Here are a few results you may notice:

1. Dry, Crepey Skin
As we’ve mentioned, collagen is the strengthening glue that keeps our skin firm, smooth, and youthful, so a decrease in collagen supplies will lead to signs of skin aging, like dryness and crepiness. It also contributes to hollowness around the eyes, where signs of collagen and elastin loss are highly noticeable.

2. Wrinkles and Fine Lines
Just as a lack of collagen can cause crepey skin, it also leads to wrinkle formation. The lack of elastin and hyaluronic acid causes the skin to become drier and thinner, emphasizing fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Joint Pain

As collagen supplies dwindle, our joints experience more pain and inflammation, even from daily activities. Loss of collagen has also been shown to put people at a higher risk of age-related joint disorders.

4. Sagging Skin
Collagen helps preserve skin elasticity, or the skin’s ability to stretch and snap back to shape like a rubber band. Loss of elasticity (known as elastosis) causes the skin to sag and thin, most commonly around the jawline, arms, and stomach.

5. Brittle Hair and Nails
Collagen is built from amino acids, the proteins that form and strengthen hair and nails. A lack of collagen can show up as dull, thinning hair and weak, brittle nails.

The Best Ways to Replenish Crepey Skin

Crepey skin can’t easily be reversed. However, you can take positive steps to reduce the appearance of crepey skin and slow its onset.

Nourish Your Skin

The best way to treat crepey skin on a daily basis is with nourishing skincare products. We recommend using a skin-firming moisturizer that will naturally firm and lift.

Our No More Crêpe Neck and Décolletage Cream is the best cream for crepey skin on the face because it’s formulated with natural, non-toxic ingredients known to increase skin hydration, firmness, and elasticity.

Add Back Hydration

Dry, crepey skin lacks hydration. By applying hydrating ingredients such as squalane, hyaluronic acid, or glycerin, you draw water back into the skin to hydrate cells. The result? Plumper, firmer
skin with less noticeable fine lines and wrinkles.

High-impact moisturizers like the No More Crêpe Neck and Décolletage Cream contain hydrating ingredients and humectants like hyaluronic acid, squalene, lactic acid, glycerin, and beet sugar extract to replenish and minimize the appearance of crepey skin.

For an extra boost, you can also incorporate a hydrating serum into your skincare routine.

We love our Supreme Moisturizer Serum for layering underneath your cream or combining with our Lift / Sculpt Serum for a surge of hydration from aloe vera leaf juice, sodium PCA, green tea extract, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid).

Vitamin C

When you look up the best ingredients for crepey skin, vitamin C is always on top.

This potent antioxidant is essential for collagen synthesis (aka new collagen formation). It also helps promote healthy, youthful skin by protecting collagen and elastin supplies, combating the effects of sun damage, brightening the complexion, and taming inflammation.

Find natural sources of vitamin C in the Supreme Moisturizer Serum, like Kakadu plum, an antioxidant-rich fruit with one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C known to firm and restore elasticity. It’s also essential to consume vitamin C regularly to be better used internally—look for vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables to incorporate into your diet.

Wear Your Sunscreen

When it comes to preventing signs of skin aging, prevention is key. So while already dry, crepey skin can’t be reversed by wearing sunscreen, it can help prevent future skin damage.

Be sure to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 30 or above every day, even when it’s cloudy.