You look in the mirror and think, “Where did that crepey skin come from?”
It wasn’t there before. What happened?
Most of us will blame age, dry air, or too much sun, and all of those can be factors in causing crepey skin.
But now researchers are looking at another potential contributor: excess sugar in the diet.
We’re not talking about one cookie here. That’s not going to instantly turn your skin into crepe paper. All skin aging happens slowly and has many causes. Still, a diet high in added sugars may damage some of the proteins that keep your skin firm and flexible—resulting in that crepiness we don’t like.
Here’s more about what may be happening so you can make the best choices for your diet and your skin.
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What is Crepey Skin, Exactly?
We talk about dry skin, wrinkles, fine lines, and more. So what do we mean when we say crepey skin?
Usually, when people use this term, they’re talking about that thin, finely wrinkled skin that looks like crepe paper. It often shows up on the neck first, and later on the upper arms, chest, and above the knees.
It’s a certain type of texture that’s pretty easy to spot once you know what it looks like. It develops as the skin loses collagen, elastin, natural oils, and moisture. As we get older, for example, the skin makes less collagen and elastin. Years of sun exposure can speed up that loss, while dryness, weight changes, smoking, certain medications, and hormonal shifts can all add to the problem.
Sugar is one factor among many, but it can be a factor.
What Foods Affect Crepey Skin?
When we’re talking about sugar in this context, we’re not just referring to sugary treats and candies. We’re talking about how sugar is broken down in your digestive system.
The body always breaks whatever food we eat (or beverages we drink) down into smaller parts it can absorb and use. In general, here’s how it works:
- Carbohydrates are broken down mainly into simple sugars, like glucose.
- Proteins are broken down into amino acids.
- Fats are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol.
That means the body’s main source of glucose—a type of sugar—is carbohydrates. When we eat carbs, the breaks them down into glucose, and then uses that glucose to provide energy for our cells. This is normal.
Carbohydrates include sugary desserts, yes, but bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, fruit, milk, beans, and vegetables all contain some form of carbohydrate. The body handles these foods differently depending on what else they contain.
A piece of fruit, for example, contains natural sugar along with fiber, water, vitamins, and antioxidants. Fiber slows digestion, so the sugar usually enters the bloodstream more gradually. Whole grains and beans also contain fiber and other nutrients that help slow digestion. Slower digestion is important as it prevents blood sugar spikes—that can lead to negative outcomes.
Of course, candy, soda, and many packaged snacks contain a lot of sugar too, with little fiber. Refined starches, like white bread and many baked goods, are all broken down quickly as they’re mostly sugar already. These foods can cause blood sugar (glucose) levels to rise quickly.
The body is designed to use glucose. The problem occurs when the amount and frequency of added sugars and quickly digested carbohydrates in the diet get too high, flooding the body with glucose.
How Sugar Can Make Crepey Skin Worse
Once glucose enters the bloodstream, the hormone insulin helps move it into cells, where it can be used for energy or stored for later.
This system usually works well. But when the body is exposed to more glucose than it can readily use, or when blood glucose levels remain high too often, some of that sugar can start to attach to proteins and fats.
This reaction is called glycation. Over time, it can create compounds known as advanced glycation end products, or AGEs.
Imagine health collagen fibers in your skin as flexible ropes that support it. Glycation can form extra links between these ropes, making them stiffer and more difficult for the body to repair.
That can increase the risk of crepey skin because collagen and elastin need to stay strong and flexible. When these proteins become stiff or damaged, the skin can gradually lose its firmness, thickness, and bounce.
What the Research Says About Crepey Skin
Researchers have known for years that AGEs accumulate in aging skin. In a 2022 review, they found these compounds could reduce elasticity, deepen wrinkles, disturb the skin barrier, contribute to yellowing, and trigger inflammation.
A peer-reviewed study published in 2025 by Estée Lauder researchers also looked at what higher exposure to sugar may do to human skin fibroblasts (cells that make collagen and help repair the skin). They found that high fructose exposure changed the shape and behavior of the cells. They grew more slowly, moved less effectively, and showed more signs of stress and early cellular aging. The study also found changes linked to inflammation and slower repair.
In an older study of adults aged 50 to 70, researchers also found that people with higher blood glucose tended to be judged as looking older.
Why Crepey Skin May Be Vulnerable to Glycation
So why might sugar be related to crepey skin, in particular?
We know that collagen remains in the body for a long time. That gives sugar a lot of opportunities to attach to it and form AGEs. Plus, once collagen is heavily cross-linked, the body has a harder time breaking it down and replacing it.
Sun exposure can make the cycle worse. Ultraviolet light damages collagen and creates oxidative stress, which can further degrade the skin’s firmness and elasticity. Together, these changes can leave skin thinner, rougher, and less resilient.
What to Eat for Healthier-Looking Skin
Fortunately, you don’t have to swear off all treats forever to enjoy youthful-looking skin. Just start by lowering the amount of added sugar you consume each day.
Sugary drinks are often the easiest place to start. Soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, and syrup-heavy coffee can deliver a lot of sugar quickly.
Check the “added sugars” line on packaged foods. You may be surprised at how much sugar foods like flavored yogurt, cereal, granola bars, sauces, soups, and nut butters may contain.
Put whole fruit back on the menu, and build your meals around vegetables, berries, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs, and other protein sources you enjoy. Protein provides amino acids the body uses to make collagen, so it’s critical to a skin-healthy diet.
Vitamin C from berries, citrus, broccoli, and bell peppers also helps with collagen production.
How to Care for Crepey Skin from the Outside
What about your skincare routine? Can that do anything to help with crepey skin?
It can if you use the right products. Crepey skin is typically dry, so you’ll want to use a gentle, creamy cleanser that won’t strip it of its natural oils, then follow with a hydrating (not drying) toner like our Rescue + Relief Spray.
Next, apply moisture to your skin. For the face, our Calming Moisture’s high antioxidant profile can help neutralize free radicals, preventing them from causing further damage and even reversing some signs of crepey skin. Calming Moisture can also help calm inflammation, which is a precursor to crepey skin, while deeply nourishing dry, sensitive skin.
For the body, our Body Repair Lotion has all the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ingredients needed to help moisturize and strengthen the skin barrier to help aging and crepey skin. When applied while skin is still damp, it’s a great way to deeply hydrate without the additional irritation of fragrances or mineral oil. Plus, it’s fast absorbing and leaves skin with a dewy luminous finish.
Finally, for very dry patches, try our Restorative Skin Balm. This rich, 100 percent-natural balm creates a protective layer that helps trap moisture in the skin.
End with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 to protect your skin from damaging UV rays.
If you stay consistent with gentle cleansing, rich moisture, and daily sunscreen, as well as eating a generally healthy diet, your skin will improve over time. Cutting back on excess added sugar gives your collagen one less burden to carry, which may be enough to make a big difference.
Featured image by Andres Ayrton via Pexels.
