Crepey skin is not an age-related aesthetic death sentence.
In fact, you can get crepey skin in your 20s, and you can reverse its effects fairly quickly if you act now.
The first step in reversing crepey skin is nailing down a solid, beneficial skin care regimen. It starts with choosing the right lotion, and that’s what we’re going to help you do today.
These best crepey skin lotions have helped thousands of people, and once you find the right one for your specific needs, it can help you, too.
Best Lotion For Crepey Skin – Reviews & Buying guide for 2021
Best Overall: EltaMD Facial Sunscreen for Crepey Skin
- Size: 1.5 oz
- Type: Sensitive Skin Types
- UV Protection?: Yes
EltaMD created one of the best lotions out there, and they made it a hybrid piece that fills more than one role in your life.
First of all, this is a broad-spectrum SPF 46 lotion. That may not sound like a lotion designed for crepey skin, but crepey skin alone is not a targetable enough term.
Instead, this does it all. It’s the best lotion for crepey skin, but it’s also a fantastic sunscreen that you can use when you leave the house. SPF 46 is a very specific formula, and that’s because while being the best over the counter lotion for crepey skin, they didn’t want to overdo it in other aspects.
SPF 46 provides enough coverage without blocking the chance of getting any color. It’s just enough to keep UV rays out and prevent skin damage, but not enough to keep you pasty white after spending time in the sun. Now, we do have to talk about the price.
You get a whopping 1.5 oz for a pretty penny, but the good thing is that you don’t have to use more than a tiny drop on your finger.
This stretches pretty far, so you’ll be able to get away with using this every day for about three months before needing to get another one. Don’t do that whole dime-sized dob on your fingers; you’ll understand once this is in your hands.
Sensitive skin type sufferers… it’s time to rejoice. EltaMD was designed with you in mind.
Crepey skin already leaves you vulnerable enough, but with UV protection and the inclusion of ingredients such as zinc oxide and niacinamide, you’re giving your skin exactly what it needs to begin healing.
It’s important to note that while this does offer tightening benefits, the overall formula is split up between tightening your skin and protecting it from further harm. This may not be the best for tightening, but for total-body coverage and skin maintenance, EltaMD is the clear winner.
Runner Up: Adamia Therapeutic Repair Lotion
- Size: 16 oz
- Type: All Skin Types
- UV Protection?: No
On the flip side of the coin, you can have the best lotion for crepey skin on arms and legs, and still not have any SPF protection. It’s one extreme, but if you’re able to protect your skin from UV damage in another way, then there’s no need to get an all-in-one.
Adamia includes excellent ingredients such as glyceryl, macadamia seed oil, and cetearyl alcohol to help go deep into your skin and begin tightening it from the bottom to the top.
Adamia is actually designed to be as close to prescription strength as possible, making it the best lotion for crepey skin on legs, arms, and your face, no matter how thin it feels like it’s been getting.
Alarmingly, you’re going to get sixteen ounces of this for half the cost of EltaMD. Remember that trade-off, because this has absolutely no UV protection whatsoever.
What it does have is a fragrance-free design so that you aren’t inhaling a synthetic perfume scent while trying to nourish your skin, which is a bonus.
As a word of caution, Adamia is said to be viable for all skin types, but that may not be as true as we want it to be. There are enough viable user reports of red bumps and irritation on skin to actually take a look at just what’s in this formula, past the positive ingredients.
There are some known aggressors for sensitive skin types in here, and as a result, it’s labeled as being good for all skin types, but it depends on your sensitivity.
If you have sensitive skin, you can still give this a shot (how can you not at that price?), but proceed as if this is a preliminary trial to see if you actually enjoy Adamia or if you need to switch it out for another brand.
Last but not least, the packaging is wrapped pretty tight when you get it, but be careful to not puncture the bottle or damage the screw-top pump when you’re breaking the seal and testing your new crepey skin lotion.
Alternative: Alpha Skin Care Renewal Body Lotion
- Size: 12 oz
- Type: All Skin Types
- UV Protection?: No
Alpha Skin Care – it just sounds majestic and mighty, doesn’t it?
Well that’s what people are saying. Starting right from the top, Alpha Skin Care doesn’t use any fragrances or perfumes in this formula. They market this as a for-all-skin-types lotion, and fragrances are known to irritate sensitive skin.
So why didn’t Alpha win the top spot for best body lotion for aging crepey skin?
It contains a few fillers that EltaMD just didn’t bother putting into their serum, so we have to take some points off for that. That being said, the additives don’t seem to irritate skin, even if you previously experienced pain with your crepey skin.
You have no UV protection here, so you’ll have to account for that on your own. Alpha actually recommends that for daytime use, you apply sunscreen immediately after using their lotion. They’re very transparent about what they are, what they aren’t, and the entire process.
Alpha Skin Care pays attention to what goes into their bottles.
The filler ingredients we talked about earlier are carriers to bring nutrients and vitamins to your skin, and while it would be better if those weren’t in there, you can’t deny the smooth and lathering feeling that Alpha gives you when you rub one pump into your skin.
It absorbs quickly, it’s non-greasy, and doesn’t require heavy-handed massing into your skin. You won’t have to tug on your crepey skin while applying Alpha’s gentle formula, which is a small victory in and of itself.
What is the best lotion for crepey skin?
It could be Alpha, depending on your exact needs. It’s certainly a nourishing and non-greasy formula that we can get behind, now it’s just time to see if it’s one that works for your specific needs.
Alternative: Medix 5.5 Retinol Cream with Ferulic Acid
- Size: 20 oz (two 15 oz bottles)
- Type: Sensitive Skin
- UV Protection?: No
Retinol is the savior of everyone’s skin. It’s in all the crepey skin creams that sit behind dermatologist prescriptions, but thankfully, you can get it over the counter in this simple form.
Medix gives you a generous thirty ounces of this retinol cream for crepey skin on legs, arms, and your neck.
Based on the price, this might be one of the best values that you’re going to find for crepey skin lotion. When something feels too good to be true, chances are it is. We approached Medix 5.5 with a skeptical eye, and after we saw what it included (and verified it to the best of our abilities), we were blown away.
The whole point is that by selling in bulk and selling direct to you, they’re cutting out the middleman and unnecessary costs. You’re getting intensive care ingredients like aloe vera, black tea, and chamomile in your crepey skin lotion.
Now, everything comes with a trade-off, and in this instance you’re getting a pretty basic package. The bottle is very impressionable and prone to damage, and the pump is low-tier quality. We knew they had to make budget cuts somewhere, right?
Medix is designed for sensitive skin, and even though it includes retinol, it’s not too harsh on all skin types. Those with sensitive skin will benefit the most, though, so if you notice pain when you rub your current lotion onto your arms and legs, that’s about to become a thing of the past.
Medix made it to the lower end of our list for one key reason that we want to disclose before you walk away: time to see results. It takes an average of about six weeks to see results, and even then, they may not be as much of a “wow factor” as you were hoping for.
The goal here is to have nourishing, sensitive lotion that doesn’t hurt your crepey skin while getting slight tightening benefits at the same time. That’s what Medix 5.5 is great at.
Alternative: TreeActiv Crepey Skin Repair Treatment
- Size: 8 fl oz
- Type: Dry Skin
- UV Protection?: No
Last but not least, we’re heading to nature to bring you one final crepey skin lotion. TreeActiv primarily uses olive oil, aloe oil, macadamia nut oil, honey, castor oil, coconut oil and more to bring you an excellent lotion.
They truly source everything that they possibly can from nature so that you know what you’re putting on your skin right from the start.
Now, we know that crepey skin treatment can be pricey. Well, when you get everything from nature, you have to pay the price. TreeActiv is one of the most expensive options on the list, and while you’re getting eight fluid ounces, the sticker shock can be a bit much at first.
Is it worth it to get naturally-sourced ingredients that won’t leave your skin worse off than when you started using it?
Of course. Some other benefits of TreeActiv are that they’re cruelty-free, 100% vegan, non-GMO, and palm oil free (search why that’s important; you’ll be blown away).
Part of the purchase excitement lies in the novelty and the pat on the back you get from buying something like this. That being said, TreeActiv still delivers excellent results.
Useful for dry skin, TreeActiv moisturizes skin that it comes into contact with, and locks in hydration to rest deep in the top layer of your epidermis.
The only major issue here is that if you have tree nut allergies, you can’t use this. Your body will immediately absorb that macadamia nut oil and it could cause a serious reaction, so be sure to pay attention to all the ingredients before proceeding.
Ready to get rid of crepey skin?
TreeActiv could be the solution you’ve been waiting for. There’s only one way to find out. This 100% vegan, cruelty-free lotion is certainly worth a shot.
Lotion for Crepey Skin on Arms and Legs FAQ
Can Crepey Skin be Reversed?
Entirely?
No. Crepey skin is mostly here to stay, you just have to constantly combat it. There’s no magic serum that can take our skin and tighten it to the same way it was when we were in our early twenties. Instead, it’s a constant effort.
You can reverse the effects of crepey skin temporarily and repeatedly, but if you stop your treatments your skin will begin to sag again in a very short amount of time. Resilience is the name of the game.
Will Building Muscle Get Rid of Crepey Skin?
Yes and no. In this instance, we can look at crepey skin as loose skin, and use studies centered around this to help understand its role.
Crepey skin is loose skin, for better or for worse, and when you build muscle, your body goes through a process. Rather, it puts your skin through a process. Your body will create a necessary amount of skin to cover muscly areas.
But when you already have that skin available?
Your body doesn’t need to create more. Instead, gaining muscle mass can fill in the current skin. This won’t behave 100% like tighter skin when you begin bodybuilding, but it can seriously diminish the appearance of crepey skin.
I say diminish because it’s difficult to say whether or not it will be enough to make a difference. Everyone’s different, bodybuilding results are different, and if you’re skipping training certain parts of your body, then your results could vary.
If you’ve always been on the slender side and your only loose skin is a result of crepey skin, then you have a high chance of gaining muscle mass and having it make good of the available abundance of skin.
Keep all of this in mind and understand that it’s difficult to build muscle. For the most part, you’re going to endure crepey skin at an older age.
It’s harder to build muscle when you’re older, and when you do, you may not get that Vin Diesel, Chuck Norris body that you’re after. The muscle gain may not be enough to make a visible difference.
However, I’d wager that if you’re taking great care of your body, crepey skin isn’t going to be what draws attention to you.
What Vitamin is Good for Crepey Skin?
There are four vitamins, three major antioxidants, and one fatty acid that all assist your skin in various ways. Notably, in tightening your crepey skin.
- Vitamin A: Associated with healing your skin, and assisting your skin’s immune system. Also helpful for maintaining moisturization in your skin.
- Vitamin C: Direct protection from sun damage, which is one of the key reasons that causes crepey skin in the first place.
- Vitamin D: Fights inflammation, which can expedite skin damage and lead to crepey skin. Inflammation is constant expansion and retraction of the skin.
- Vitamin E: Cell function and immune system support. Linked to reducing UV damage to your skin, which can cause crepey skin.
- Carotenoids: Carotenoids, of which the most common is beta carotene, is helpful to prevent oxidation in the skin.
- Tocopherols: Indirect benefits to the skin, but effective to help your body in a variety of ways.
- Flavonoids: Indirect benefits to the skin, but effective to help your body with hydration.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3’s are found in foods such as fish and flaxseed. These help your body in well over a dozen ways, including reducing premature aging.
What is the Best Home Remedy for Crepey Skin?
Crepey skin is the last thing that anyone wants to endure, and thankfully, you don’t have to go through surgical procedures to remove it.
In fact, it can be (mostly) painless to remedy in your own home. We’ll go over everything that you can do right now to help with crepey skin, starting with the reason we’re all here: lotion.
Lotion
Lotion is the reason we’re here. Crepey skin lotions may not necessarily add collagen to your skin (even if it includes organic collagen sources in the ingredients), but it can stimulate your skin to tighten.
Typically, skin-tightening has to begin from within (diet changes and more, which we’ll talk about soon). Lotion for crepey skin should be used in conjunction with other methods to assist your skin.
Skin-Tightening Foods
We have an article with a long list of foods that naturally boost collagen production, and work to maintain the level of elastin in the body. These can actually make your skin tighter than it is right now just by adding them to your diet.
Radiofrequency Machines
A bit of tingling, a few weekly home therapies, and your skin starts to shape up – literally. 2 mHz radiofrequency waves can help tighten your skin if you use these machines properly. Fortunately, we have a full guide on skin tightening machines.
Crepey skin that results from aging can benefit from RF machines in as little as four weeks, though typically this process can take a minimum of eight weeks before you start seeing noticeable results.
These machines are inexpensive and can be used for the long-term to combat crepey skin.
Hydrate Often
This one sounds like a tip that you’ve been told a million times in your life, but it’s especially relevant when it comes to your skin health.
If you’ve ever hydrated yourself to deal with dry skin, then you know as well as anybody else that it takes days for that moisture to reach the epidermis (your top layer of skin). Hydrate often, and this won’t be a problem.
Moisture helps defend collagen and elastin in your skin, and simply helps with the tightness of your skin as well. Dry skin shrivels; hydrated skin fills the available space.
Are Skin Peels Good for Crepey Skin?
As a matter of fact, they are. You have to remember that the outermost layer of your epidermis is already dead skin. That may sound depressing, but it’s true – it’s skin that’s just waiting to break down into cells and flake off. Why not remove it faster?
If you use at-home chemical skin peels effectively, you can actually eliminate some crepey skin. Again, the name of the game is resilience, because your skin in general has aged over the years. It’s going to become crepey again (and quickly) if you don’t make skin peels a semi-regular thing.
When you use a skin peel, you reveal a more tender but smoother layer of your epidermis beneath.
This newly exposed skin is easier to hydrate and take care of, so you can use skin peels in conjunction with the other methods that we’ve talked about to get that natural smoothness that you’ve been yearning for.
Fixable, and Preventable in the Future
Crepey skin doesn’t have to be permanent. With persistence, a good skincare routine, and plenty of lotion, you can reverse the effects of crepey skin and keep it at bay for the future.
Keep your skin type in mind when you plan this out, and monitor how your skin reacts to specific lotions. There’s no harm in switching out your current one for another off this list if it isn’t working quite right for you.