Anyone who flips through tv channels will admit to get drawn into a mesmerizing beauty infomercial with dramatic before and after images, and one ad on constant rotation with striking results is for Crépe Erase. This cream is promoted by actresses Jane Seymour and Courtney Thorne-Smith and promises to make skin smoother, firmer and more hydrated. But what exactly is Crépe Erase, and does it work? But first, what is crepey skin?
What is crepey skin?
Crépe Erase targets crepey skin, which isn’t exactly the same thing as a wrinkle. Crepey skin is named for its namesake crepe paper, which is dry, tissue thin and crinkly. Crepey skin shows up on the arms, chest, knees and back of hands, where the skin looks fragile and saggy. In scientific terms, it represents the thinning of the dermis and epidermis. Anyone can get crepey skin but those with fair skin are more susceptible to it.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2020?
One of the main causes of crepey skin is sun damage, as damaging rays from the sun break down the elastin in the skin. Elastin is what gives skin its ability to “bounce back” and look firm. As collagen and elastin deteriorate over time, the creases on skin become more prominent and skin starts to look saggy. Damage is often cumulative and develops over months and years.
What is Crépe Erase?
Crépe Erase is a body cream that promises to improve the signs of crepey skin. The infomercials show dramatic before and after photos, where skin that formerly looked like as creased as an accordion becomes smooth and soft. As the company explains, the cream is meant to be used “under the chin” so can be applied to the body where crepey skin is evident, such as arms, thighs and knees.
The cream is just one part of the process. The company sells two different skincare systems – a basic two piece regimen and a more comprehensive five piece kit- that are designed to exfoliate the skin to prep it for treatment. Think of it as a two pronged approach to crepey skin – exfoliation reveals smoother looking skin and which is followed up by intense hydration.
The powerhouse ingredient in Crépe Erase is TruFirm, which the company says is a proprietary blend of plant derived extracts sourced from apple, dill and sage. In its infomercials, Crépe Erase says its works by “targeting the dermal enzymes that break down collagen and helps promote healthy elastin, so that skin looks smoother and softer.”
What does Crépe Erase sell?
The Crépe Erase company sells its signature product, known as Crépe Erase Advanced Body Treatment, along with other items. Here’s a closer look.
The Body Smoothing Pre-Treatment is an exfoliator that is meant to be applied in the shower or the bath, and contains TruFirm complex along with alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids, which are naturally derived from foods and plants. The exfoliator also contains salicylic acid, which comes from willowbark. These acids work by dissolving dead skin cells to reveal smoother skin with improved texture.
Other Crépe Erase products are meant to treat specific body areas, such as the Anti-Aging Hand Repair Treatment. The cream also contains TruFirm Complex along with hydrating ingredients such as shea butter, and squalene, an oil which is harvested from olives, rice bran or sugar cane. Dimethicone, a silicone, as well as dill oil extract and coconut alkanes, derived from coconut oil, round out the ingredient list.
The Overnight Facial Plumping Treatment is a deeply hydrating cream containing TruFirm, echinacea and plenty of moisturizers including shea butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil and dill extract.
The Flaw Fix Eye Cream can be applied twice a day and is meant to soften the look of fine lines and crow’s feet in the eye area, along with reducing under eye puffiness. The cream contains apple and dill extract, as well as dimethicone.
The Four In One Eye Renewal Capsules are serum-filled ampules that can be applied to the eye area once a day. The serum is meant to tackle fine lines and crow’s feet thanks to grape oil extract and caprylic/capric triglycerides which are derived from coconut oil and glycerin.
QVC’s sells an expanded range of products from Crépe Erase, including Crépe Erase Refining Facial Scrub, Crépe Erase Flaw-Fix Crepey Lip and Crépe Erase Facial Polish.
What ingredients are in Crépe Erase?
According to the company, the power house ingredient in Crépe Erase is TruFirm, which is formulated with phytonutrients, which are derived from plants. The formula includes extracts of apple, dill and sage which are thought to support elastin and the skin’s resilience, resulting in firmer, smoother looking skin. Apple is thought to support the skin’s structure while dill oil is meant to promote elastin production. Sage is believed to target the signs of aging.
Other key ingredients in Crépe Erase products are known to be potent—but common- moisturizers such as coconut oil, olive oil and shea butter. Some of the products contain dimethicone, a type of silicone that feels like silk on the skin, and glycerin, a humectant.
How much does it cost?
Crépe Erase products are only sold as part of a kit when purchased directly from the company but are sold individually on Amazon, Ulta and QVC. The Advanced 2 Step Essentials Kit contains the Body Smoothing Pre-Treatment along with the Crépe Erase Advanced Body Treatment for $39.95, while the Five Piece system sells for $59.95 and contains all of the items including The Body Smoothing Pre-Treatment, the Anti-Aging Hand Repair Treatment, the Overnight Facial Plumping Treatment and The Flaw Fix Eye Cream. The Crépe Erase website is currently offering a free gift with the purchase of any kit, which is the Four In One Eye Renewal Capsules.
Does Crépe Erase work?
Crépe Erase calls itself “the #1 anti-aging body treatment system for dry, crepey skin” which the company says is based on their own sales along with NRI and NPD sales data for 2017. The company says that the product is “clinically shown to improve the look of dry, crépey skin on the body. “ The Crépe Erase website lists statistics from “a 54-person evaluation by an expert clinical grader measuring décolleté, knees, and arms” and concluded that 80% of women saw an instant reduction in the look of crepey skin on the body after one use; 86% of women saw a visible improvement in skin tone on the body in four weeks and 91% of women saw a lifted appearance of the skin after 8 weeks.
The company also highlights testimony from its celebrity spokespeople. Actress Jane Seymour says, “Ever since I have used Crépe Erase, I just have so much more confidence in my body and certainly in my skin. I am really embracing 67. You can be fearless in your 60s.” Former Olympic figure skater Dorothy Hamill, 62, another spokesperson, says “The new Crépe Erase is so luxurious, and it absorbs even faster, and my skin stays hydrated even longer …it really works and that’s why I use it every day, all day long.”
On Amazon, Crépe Erase Advanced Body System has 357 customer reviews, and an average of 3.5 stars. Forty-three percent of reviewers give it 5 stars with feedback such as “Crêpe Erase is probably the best skin-care line I have ever come across — and I’ve pretty much tried them all.” Another reviewer writes, “This product is amazing. I had some severe sun damage and had deep wrinkles on my upper chest. This product has smoothed out the wrinkles. Will buy it again!!!”
The reviewers who were not happy with the product had similar complaints. Many said that the product simply didn’t work or that it felt too rich. Twenty percent of reviewers gave it a one star rating. “I’ve been using it for over three months and see no difference. The product is greasy and leaves residue on clothing too. I would not recommend it…”
Amazon sells all of the Crépe Erase products individually and each gets a 3-4 star rating. The Exfoliating Body Polish gets a solid 4 star rating, based on 99 reviews.
Allure magazine reviewed Crépe Erase in 2015, when multiple staff members tried out the body cream. Their consensus was the cream was deeply hydrating but could be too hydrating as it had a tendency to feel greasy and slimy. Staffers raved that it was great on their cuticles but made one reviewer stick to their sheets at night.
The bottom line? Crépe Erase is a deeply hydrating cream which can be helpful for seriously parched skin. It may help severely dehydrated skin look smoother thanks to a heavy dose of oils but it doesn’t “erase” lines.
Where Can I Buy Crépe Erase?
Crépe Erase is sold on the company website and is also found on Ulta.com and Amazon as well as QVC.
What Is the Crépe Erase Return Policy?
The company says it offers a 60 day money back guarantee.
What Else Can I Use to Target Crepey Skin?
Crépe Erase isn’t the only product for crepey skin and if you step back and think about the company’s approach to it – exfoliating followed by moisturizing – it is a simple concept than can be achieved with other, less pricey products. First, prevention is key. The best thing you can do to prevent crepey skin is to wear a sunscreen with a high SPF every single day to prevent the sun damaging collagen and elastin.
Crepey skin looks worse when skin is dehydrated, so make sure to apply a rich, nourishing body cream every day, especially after showering. The moisturizing ingredients found in Crepe Erase are easy to find in other creams. Look for moisture boosting ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, as well as nourishing oils, shea butter, jojoba oil and coconut oil.
But it takes more than moisturizer to tackle the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. One of the best weapons in the fight against wrinkles is retinol, a vitamin A derivative that helps tackle fine lines, crow’s feet as well as dark spots. Retinol is the star ingredient in Formulyst’s Anti-Aging Night Cream ($59) which also contains ultra-soothing and hydrating safflower seed oil and jojoba to lock moisture in.
Formulyst Retexturing and Perfecting Serum ($39) is powered by gentle but effective alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and beta hydroxy acid (BHA) which works to dissolve skin cells. Packed with plant based acids, this serum sloughs off dead skin cells, leaving behind fresher, smoother looking skin.
During the day, keep skin hydrated with Formulyst Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer, an oil free formula packed with multiple types of hyaluronic acid and it works as a moisture magnet by drawing water to the skin.
If you don’t want to devise your own skincare routine, consider Advanced Dermatology. The company sells a complete skin care kit to address aging concerns. The system includes cleanser, serum, anti-wrinkle treatment, moisturizer, day cream and eye cream- in other words, everything you need for glowing, beautiful, healthy skin.
ELIZABETH RAUSCH 10.29.19
DO NOT USE! Only used once and I had a severe allergic reaction to it. Red, itchy, swollen eyes and cheeks. My skin is still dry and peeling two weeks after I tried it.